When Is Enough, Enough?
George W. Boosh---“We do not torture people. This is the United States of America.”
A Canadian justice inquiry into the case of Maher Arar, a computer consultant and Canadian citizen, spells out in great detail what most of us have always known, that George W. Boosh is a liar, a fraud, and a disgrace to our nation. Boosh is also a criminal, and we now have hard evidence showing our “non torture policies” to be anything but that. Policies which Boosh has been fighting over the last couple of weeks to keep in place, unchanged, calling them “a necessary tool to fight terrorism.” Are they that, or, are they a way to round up people who look different than us, practice a religion other than Christianity, and who maybe talk to someone who may have once talked to someone who is the cousin of someone who might know a member of Al-Qaeda?
In a nutshell, here is what happened to Maher Arar. He was changing planes in New York City on September 26, 2002, over a year after 9/11 where he was detained by the CIA. He was then flown to Jordan and driven to Syria. In a classic use of the CIA Extraordinary Rendition Program, which Boosh is fighting so hard to keep, Arar was then beaten, tortured and forced to confess to training in an Afghanistan terrorist camp. Never mind the fact that he had never been to Afghanistan in his life, but had relocated to Canada from Syria at the age of 17. After his confession, he was kept in a dungeon one third the size of a jail cell for 10 months. He was then released, and returned to Canada to resume his “normal life” with his wife, an economist, who had also been placed on the Al-Qaeda watch list.
Two and one half years later, the Canadian investigation is over and Mr. Arar has been cleared of any wrongdoing. I wonder what Mr. Boosh has to say about this now? Nothing, I’m sure, since the US government refused to cooperate with the Canadian authorities as they sought to investigate this case.
I am outraged, disgusted, I’m in fact ashamed to have my name associated with this country. Is this what we want? Is this what we’ve turned into? Does this type of activity make us safer? And if so, do we want to be safer? Answers, No; Yes; No; No; not if it has to be done this way.
How many Maher Arar’s are there currently housed in holes in the ground in god awful places in our name? Whether you like it or not, they are there in the name of Cyclone, Murph, Rockpicker, Stoney, Belgium, Sean, montanafreeman, freeacre, Ely Whitney, all of us. There is no way around that. I’d bet there are thousands, if not tens of thousands. How many successful prosecutions of “terrorists” have we made since 9/11/2001? Certainly no more than you can count on your fingers. You probably don’t need to use both hands.
This administration and the citizens of this country have gone mad. Admittedly 9/11 was a tragic event, and someone needed to pay a price for it. Yet here we are, 5 years later, with our idiotic leader begging, pleading, threatening, and pulling every trick he has out of the bag to keep the program going that allowed for this to occur to Mr. Arar. Why? Because Mr. Arar happens to be of the Muslim faith and just so happened to talk to a couple of guys on the street who were on some phony watch list.
We have blown Afghanistan to hell and back, yet the Taliban remain in power. Maybe not in name, but make no mistake about it. The Taliban run Afghanistan, we only put a momentary blip in their radar screen. We are still there, with troops dying each and every day.
We are in the middle of a Civil War in Iraq, again have troops dying every day with no end in sight. We are spending Billions of dollars per week accomplishing nothing but destroying another country and pissing off the remaining people in the world who don’t already hate us, if there are any.
And George W. Boosh has the audacity to stand before the American people and say to us and the world, “WE DON’T TORTURE PEOPLE!”
When is enough BS enough? When are the people of this nation going to say “NO MORE?” When are the people of this nation going to realize that we cannot turn the world into a “democracy?” When are the people of this nation going to realize that we don’t even have a legitimate democracy here? When are the people of this nation going to say “YOU WILL NOT TORTURE PEOPLE IN MY NAME?” When are the people of this nation going to say “BRING OUR KIDS HOME” from the ill conceived wars that they are sent into? When are the people of this nation going to say that because you are not a Christian you are not automatically a terrorist? When are the people of this nation going to grow some hair on their chests and march on Washington, revolt, burn down the White House, use the arms that the right wing fight so hard to protect, do whatever it takes to stop this madness and take this country back from the madman who leads it?
Today, George W. Boosh is going before the UN to once again try to sell them a package of BS, the same package that he has crammed down the throats of the American people for the last six years. My bet is that the rest of the world is going to subtly laugh in his face. Despite Tony Blair’s best efforts, we have lost the rest of the world.
As we attempt to “spread democracy around the globe,” the globe sees what our “democracy” is like. And they don’t like what they see. In fact, they don’t see a whole lot of difference in what they already have at their place. They see poverty, rigged elections, citizens being executed, outrageous fuel prices, a country with no real money, liars and thieves in positions of power, and they see A COUNTRY WILLING TO TORTURE INNOCENT PEOPLE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.
The rest of the world has clearly had enough. The question becomes, why haven’t we?
Cyclone
posted by cyclone @ 8:14 AM
50 comments
50 Comments:
You make an excellent point regarding Maher Arar and his being a perfect counter-argument to the changes to the Geneva Convention bush is seeking.
I will now write my Senators and make this same point to them.
Thanks.
I can't stand it anymore, either. Not in my name, damnit! We have become the "good Germans" who looked the other way while Hitler persecuted the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and anyone else he could scapegoat to justify his totalitarian take-over of the government. There seem to be at least 14,000 people incarcerated in overseas prisons for no other reason than to deprive them of any safeguards against torture. It is just unbelievable that we put up with it.
We have a small window of opportunity to resist this by cancelling our subscriptions to the progaganda (Dish sattilite network, cable, etc.), refusing to vote for any encombants of any party that vote for the Patriot Act or the war, writing protests to our elected officials for voting for CAFTA, NAFTA or any treaties that further the global agenda, shunning the big credit card consortiam that puts us in financial serfdom to the big banks, paying taxes that serve the
Federal Reserve, refusing the coming electronic chips that will be implanted in our drivers licenses and credit cards and passports, participating in civil disobediance.
We need to stop being afraid. If we don't get active, all these tactics that the government has been using on civilian populations elsewhere will be turned against us next. Depleated uranium weapons are already poisoning our own troops. Our food in genetically altered with godknowswhat abominations that cause illnesses that require even more chemicals that the grotesque chemical companies produce. Our very own genetic codes are patented and owned by corporations. They've been given this power to own us by a sick and twisted supreme court packed by the corporatists. This whole thing is a gargantuan chess game that is being methodically played out to subjegate the whole world.
I don't know if we have a chance to stop it. But, how can we live with ourselves if this is the legacy that we leave to our children? Refuse! Reject! Resist! At every opportunity, rebuke these sons-of-bitches and send them back from the slime they crawled out of.
cyclone, Canada is not innocent in this thing either.
From Belgium,
At first you don’t notice it; then you don’t want to see it; then you don’t want to believe it and by the time you have your nose put on it for sure, it has become so well established that it is too late to do anything about it.
But once you realise it is true and they are confronted with it, what do you expect them to say. “Sure we know those guys did it, we have a nose for these things, trust us. But if they won’t own up to it, how else are we going to get them to put their name on the dotted line unless we let ferocious dogs half eat them alive”? You know it aint gona happen, of course they are going to lie. Interestingly, I once heard an American military official (can’t remember who now) saying that the US officially did not recognise sleep depravation as a form of torture.
I am afraid it is the old story of why should you need to be vigilant with people you trust. Once trust is disturbed however then you start turning every stone you can find. Then what do you do when you find they have destroyed the system you believed in and you don’t want to put yourself on their level. Personally I would start making exceptions but this is a dangerous game. You could try and find out if this antisocial, pissed off lone gunman theory could work for real. Or you could try and oust them by force but this would have to be directed against the puppet masters not just the ones at the end of the string, a daunting task. People are becoming more aware however, only the ones living in America have a feeling for how big a ball you could start rolling. Perhaps one place to start is with a campaign not to vote for any politician who gives continued allegiance to the Fed. Other than that it is protests and riots.
On the subject of the United Nations I would recommend a look at this video if you haven’t already seen it.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8683417149337063720&q=The+Money+Masters
The only disparaging comment that has been levelled at it is that it was made by the John Birch Society who I gather are the outer fringe loony right. Once you put that on one side and watch the film it makes a lot of sense, at least to me, it is very professionally done and very hard hitting.
On a final point, have any of you noticed that there many photographs on the net of our Christian in Chief, together with other members of his family, giving what is described as the Satanic Salute. For those of you who aren’t aware of it, as I wasn’t, it looks like this. Right hand is raised in the air with the first and little fingers high and the second and third fingers down gripping the infolded thumb. This I have read is supposed to represent the horns of the Devil. Maybe we will find out that it is really the secret sign of the Texas Rangers or some such thing.
What do you think about this article? Amber
September 19, 2006 at 08:15:18
Two Resolutions Eliminating the Two Term Presidency Limit; the Planting of a Nightmare?
by Michael Bonanno
http://www.opednews.com
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_michael__060918_hj_resolution_9_and_.htm
Two proposed congressional bills are intended to repeal the twenty-second amendment of The U. S. Constitution. They are House Resolution 9, sponsored by Democrat Jos� E. Serrano of New York and House Resolution 24, sponsored by Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, also a Democrat.
The twenty-second amendment states:
"Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress."
Hoyer's bill is bipartisan. Republican radical right wing congressman F. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin is co-sponsoring Resolution 24.
Serrano and Hoyer have been working on repealing the twenty-second amendment since the Presidency of Bill Clinton. It's plausible that they wanted to extend Clinton's presidency and now must "prove" that their intentions were nonpartisan.
In introducing HJ Res 24, Hoyer stated that "though I am not a supporter of the current President, I feel there are good public policy reasons for a repeal of this amendment. Under the Constitution as altered by the 22nd Amendment, this must be President George W. Bush's last term even if the American people should want him to continue in office. This is an undemocratic result."
Is the "undemocratic result" of which Hoyer speaks worth giving The Regime, possibly the least Democratic leadership this country has ever had, a legal route by which to cheat their way to a more terms? Changing the twenty-second amendment is far too dangerous.
The twenty-second amendment was passed in 1951 after FDR had been elected four times between 1933-1945. Roosevelt died shortly after his fourth term began.
Part of the reason Roosevelt was elected four times was to maintain consistency of leadership during World War II. That conflict had specific goals which, when met, would signal the end of the war.
Members of The Regime warn that the so called war on terrorism is a "different kind of war". The enemy can be anywhere at any time, doesn't represent a nation state and doesn't wear a uniform. The number of enemy "combatants" is unknown. Consequently, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to gauge when the "war on terrorism" is over.
If Resolution 9 or 24 succeed, The Regime could remain in power indefinitely citing the importance of seamless leadership during times of "war".
Following what happened on September 11, 2001, this country invaded Iraq. If the official narrative of the events of 9/11 is true, it constitutes a crime committed by 19 hijackers, none of them Iraqi, not a declaration of war.
The logical reaction to 9/11 would have been to hunt down and capture the remaining Al Qaeda criminals. Invading Iraq was the wrong response.
However, The Regime claims that the invasion of Iraq is part of the "war on terror", not a response to a crime. Therefore, a case could be made for "seamless leadership during war time". Repealing the twenty-second amendment could appear to "make sense".
If the amendment isn't repealed before November of 2008, there's another method The Regime could use to extend its term in office. It would involve the threat of a terrorist attack.
The Regime has tried to keep us in constant fear and the mainstream media is controlled by Regime supporters. Controlling the Homeland Security Advisory System color chart is a powerful function and it's come in handy for The Regime in the past. The Regime's media would gladly cover a "legitimate and imminent threat" of a terrorist attack on US soil in October or November of 2008.
The Regime can then place the nation under Martial Law and the Commander and Chief of the military can delay the election indefinitely to "protect the safety of the American people".
George W. Bush, The Regime's Front Man, and its leader, Dick Cheney, make reference to September 11, 2001 when that reference aids their cause. At times, they appear to be all too willing to stay in office well beyond January of 2009. Bush's recent statement that only he, not some future president, can successfully execute a conflict with Iran reinforces the idea of a "postponed" presidential election.
The following is the Definition of Martial Law
"Military rule or authority imposed on a civilian population when the civil authorities cannot maintain law and order, as in a time of war or during an emergency."
Using Executive Orders is not new to The Regime, but here are a few that may be utilized by The Regime after it declares Martial Law. These Executive Orders can be found in the House of Representatives Law Library.
Executive Order 10995: All communications media are to be seized by the Federal Government. Radio, TV, newspapers, CB, Ham, telephones, and the internet will be under federal control. Hence, the First Amendment will be suspended indefinitely.
Executive Order 10997: All electrical power, fuels, and all minerals will be seized by the federal government.
Executive Order 10998: All food resources, farms and farm equipment will be seized by the government.
Executive Order 10999: All modes of transportation will go into government control. Any vehicle can be seized.
Executive Order 11000: All civilians can be used for work under federal supervision.
Executive Order 11490: Establishes presidential control over all US citizens, businesses, and churches in time of "emergency."
Executive Order 12919: Directs various Cabinet officials to be constantly ready to take over virtually all aspects of the US economy during a State of National Emergency at the direction of the president.
One may say that this opinion serves to spread the kind of fear which we blame The Regime for spreading.
If The Regime can use fear to keep itself in power, either by skewing the truth or by abusing its present power to ensure the perpetuation of its "term", this article can serve as a reminder that too many Americans still adamantly support The Regime.
Hopefully, Congress and/or The Supreme Court will find the courage to confront The Regime if it tries to pull this off.
http://minusthemusic.blogspot.com
Michael Bonanno is a published poet and musician who lives in the San Fransisco Bay Area.
He's had two essays published by the Dana Literary Society.
His album, "Flameland", is for sale at CD Baby. It includes a dedication to Casey Sheehan called "Casey's Song".
Bonanno is a political progressive, not a Democratic Party apologist. He believes it's necessary for our government to help the needy. He adamantly believes that leaving the people's well being to the so called "private sector" is social suicide. Bonanno is well aware of what "the private sector" does with its power and money.
Belgium,
The sign you refer to is also "hook em horns," a salute to the University of Texas athletic teams. They are called the Longhorns, so I would imagine that this is what the fool and his family members are demonstrating, rather than a signal to the Devil. As much as I would like to believe it.......
Cyclone
anonymous 11:50,
You are indeed correct. The Canadians pointed Arar out to us, and we were more than eager to oblige them by sending him away to Syria for some torture. However, at least the Canadians had the kahunas to investigate the situation after the fact, and cleared his name. Something that we have no desire to do, simply because we do not care who we lock up and torture.
Cyclone
Gentle people, load you pistols,i think its time to cast your vote,i talked with cricket and she said [when all of the things that make life worth living come to an end its time to die]...........fellow warriors and warrioresses,here we are in the land of plenty and are about to fight for our lifes and the lifes of our comrades and the family of our forbears, i ask you, how can we do this without hurting anyone,?? is stupid question?/ are we not the very end of human evolution? right now i feel like we just played hookie to many times, either that or the conditions were such that it was unnecessary to do such.
So the question was presented to me was this [can we have war without war?] that seems to be about where we are at now. somehow, no one on this site would actually take another persons life except for the most of unusual circumstances, and who in the fuck would go there if there was an alternative?
So,whats to do,i mean really really? what can a mother fucker do? i can't believe that we are so stupid that someone in the family can not come up with a fucking solution to this stupid bullshit that is going on!!
i don't have a clue in regard to the number of people that frequent this board but if you have an idea no matter how fucked up it might sound..././././. present it to us so that we might have more data to help cure this world of us,
with all the tangable evidence lopsided and accurate, i this day say ,
i love you most beautiful of brothers and sisters,
peace, i think we have campfired here before many times,
cricket chirps
her beautiful wings of green shine in the full moon and the love song floats through the air to the next generation of chirpers, ....we love you ,we love you we love you we love you we love you
montana freeman
mf,
I look with hope into the untainted face of my 16 year old son as he creates his music, see the purity of dreams not yet realised, and can only hold close to the essence of that promise that goes far beyond the degradation of the human spirit with which George and those who orchestrate his actions try to hold us...what are we to do, if the violence that so appalls us is our only weapon against extinctiontion of this life as we know it ... our rights, our freedoms, our liberties ...I am a pacifist, but I am confused...I am angry that what we have come to know as basic human rights is being jeopardized...I am saddened, for I proceed through this life with love and can only hope that so many will also...but I may have to cast down my ideals to save the generation that follows...but how do I compromise what I know as right and peaceful to fight all this that I know is so wrong ...I don't know...I am not a warrior, but I know we must defend ourselves and human justice...
From Belgium,
I am overjoyed that Cricket is back and at the sentiments she expresses.
Amber,
If you want to create a Civil War inside America, allow this stuff to occur. It will not happen,
Cyclone
montanafreeman,
Your thoughts are beautiful, as are the thoughts of cricket. What to do? Your request for ideas is as good a place to start as any,
Cyclone
anonymous 9:47,
You are welcome. This is a good case for countering the Boosh madness. Good idea about writing. They should all know that people will not stand for this type of activity. Will it do any good? Who knows, but it certainly can do no harm.
Cyclone
RP,
Bless you, my friend.
Cyclone
My Brothers and Sisters,
Back in the day, after ingesting a fair amount of Sunshine, I stepped into Lake Michigan, and suddenly had the intense knowledge that I was stepping into the same waters as had my mother and grandmother, and that I was the culmination of the hopes and dreams of all those who came before me. We are a continuum. Our lives are important and we have a responsibility to those who went before and those who will come after. And, I knew that if we heal ourselves, we heal us all.
Cricket said "When all the things that make life worth living come to an end, it's time to die." She didn't say "It's time to kill."
She reminded me of Tic Naht Hann, the Buddist monk in Vietnam who organized the resistance that came to set themselves on fire in protest of the war. When that happened, I knew that the wars was lost (by us). They had assumed the higer authority. They were willing to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of others. They turned themselves from a particle to a wave and became more powerful in the process. Jesus taught that lesson as well. (Not many got it, though.)
This morning I heard a commentator on the Bush address to the UN. The commentator said that "Bush has lost moral authority, so nobody is listening to him now." Terrorists who kill innocents are morally wrong in my bood, nomatter what their "cause." The only life we should have dominion over is our own.
I'm not advocating that we set ourselves on fire. But I am cautioning that if we use the same tactics as Rumsfeld, then we are equally as bad as he. Who would I torture? Nobody. Not even Cheney, the slimeball. Not even Rove, the evil prick. If I were to kill or maim or torture, then I would become one of them. And, I would rather die than become one of them.
But, if we have the power of our conviction that we would be willing to die for our ideals if it came to that, then we become a potent force for change. Nelson Mandela was willing to spend 17 years in prison for his ideals. And when he got out, he owned the nation.
I think we'll have to play it by ear. Be the guy who stood up to the tank in Tiennamon Square.
And, Rockpicker, I like the idea of painting our faces...
Folks,
Interesting comments on this post. What I would like to emphasize is that while I detest with a passion, everything about the present 'leaders?' of this country they are for the most part puppets to others with even more power than they have and an agenda of even more repression. Directing our anger solely at the leaders of the U.S. is misdirection, for the PTB will simply turn that to their advantage. Such as making scapegoats of Bush and maybe his crew, and presenting us with someone that promises a fix, and this is the scenerio that I expect to happen. It appears that enough people are disatisfied with how Bush and crew are doing things, so the Dems have a chance at coming back in power, this and the next election, since we have been presented with no choice at all with real alternatives to the national power structure. This is with full malice and forethought by the people behind all of this.
I rather suspect that the only way to wake up the general population to the severity of the situation is NOT to elect the Dems. Otherwise there will be the assumption that things will get better. Ask yourselves the question, is that true? Changing the actors on the stage for an act that is written and scripted is not a solution to changing the script. It will simply be a feel good exercise in futility.
From Belgium,
Murph
Hear, Hear!
Murph,
Of course you are right about your premise that the behind the scenes script will not change.
However, one thing that might change is another country's attitude towards us. I think it is playing a dangerous game keeping the Rep's in power, my fear is that we may well be more likely to be attacked by a rogue nation or group of thugs.
Along those same lines, I almost (numerous times) did a post on the theory sort of opposite of what we all seem to think re: the validity of 9/11, the convenient timing of various events that always seem to happen to favor the Rep's. Our initial instinct is to say that Booshco arranged it all. But, what if they didn't? What if our enemies, who are certainly as smart as this crew, timed things to happen when they did simply to keep these stooges in power? Manipulating the American psyche is not a difficult thing, as evidenced by being Booshwhacked for 8 years. That ENTIRELY changes the dynamic of who the puppetmasters are mastering.
That explanation is convuluted, I know. That's why I need to do a post to make it make some sense. I've thought about this theory for over a year, and can't find too many reasons to discount it. And none to discount it entirely. It would damn sure make the idiots less evil and more stupid, and other things much simpler, on the surface anyway.
Cyclone
From Belgium
Freeacre,
Yes we are all the product of what went before and we are all the product of our own selves, a constantly modifying continuum
On your last point, I try to avoid the let’s see where it goes scenario so far as possible. Back in the days when I did business meetings I would try to work out three or four ways the meeting could go and three or four steps down each route. If you have 90% of it worked out in advance then you only have to think 10% on your feet. Having said that I have no idea how this one is going to play out. I think Amber has made a valuable contribution playing the ‘what if’ game. We need some more serious what if scenarios so we can formulate a plan based on possible ways this can evolve.
From Belgium,
Cyclone,
The double game is always a difficult one to see through, if for no other reason than the double gamaes can switch back and forth into the single game anytime they want to. That doesn't mean that this scenario should not be addressed.
Belgium,
Point well taken.
Cyclone
Cyclone,
I have no doubt that the PTB have had a hand in keeping the stooges in power in this country, and will continue to do so as long as their agenda is being advanced. Like most people that get into powerful positions, and particularly if of low intellect, they start to delude themselves about just how much power they have and start to move into agendas that is counter productive. Then they get slapped down or marginalized or eliminated by the PTB.
As for getting attacked by other countries or thugs. Would that be better or worse in the long run? Is a long slow lingering death better than a quick end to it all? What I am truly concerned with is just a further lock step fall that is excruciating, with more and more repression till there is nothing left but carnage. Is the grand fight better in the end? I know it is speculation either way. I have no hard answer.
Your speculation of foreign governments orchestrating events has as much validity as any other speculation I suppose. My next question is; Is there behind that scene other manipulators? If we agree that all these events are about money and control, then we have to look at the prime movers, which I suspect are the bankers that are in the control of the really powerful, the Rockafellers and Rothchilds and their ilk.
No matter what group is responsible, if it is all about money and control and not for some idealistic concern that we have been fed, (the one world government) then that is where we need to focus attention. If other nations are intent, for idealistic reasons, on breaking the grip of the capitalistic economies and the vast military that can be thrown at them, and it is not about money and control, then we look at it entirely different.
Personally, I come down on the side of the control freaks that want a serf society world wide. I have pretty much abandoned concepts that assign idealistic motivations to any government anywhere. But I do think the smart thing to do is follow the money and see how it works in either case. That will be where the real power lies.
From Belgium
My feelings come down on the money and control side too. But if you take a step back and realise that the screw has been imperceptibly tightened over the last say 150 years then the plan is likely to come to fruition about the same time, give or take a bit, that oil runs out. Surely this will not have been lost on the PTB. So what is it that they will ultimately be masters of? Will they have other people to forage for them? It is a bit like eggs, you know they are for real but when you really consider it you know they don’t make sense. I think this economic thing is a runaway train that is going to take some stopping.
Belgium,
Yup, probably about the time oil runs out. Seems like we can make two speculations about this. Either they are just as fucked up and dumb like most everyone else and miscalculated big time, Or, they figure that thinning out the population but not destroying it is the plan to keep them in their privledged position. This country wasn't too bad with 150 million pop. (1950's?)Then they can ration oil usage, keep some productivity, harshly limit what non developed countries get, and exploit the hell out of anyone that has what they want. Of course to make that work over the long run, they are going to have to vastly limit freedome (already getting us used to that), harshly limit population growth, and regulate resources.
I think if there is a glitch in this analysis, it is that the PTB's did not take into account the problems involved in producing enough to feed whatever population is left. Of the land area in the world, 40% is arable and of that 60% is highly dependent now on petroleum. So we take away petroleum to raise food, or drastically reduce the use,just how many people world wide can be fed.
I was living in Iowa for 5 years, heartland for food production. I lived out in the boonies, literally on a road going through the corn fields. Where crops were raised, the land was dead. Not a bug in sight, when it rained there were no earth worms to be seen. Right next to the house I lived in the landloard (retired farmer)had a garden that would grow most anything in profusion, had insects and worms and he used no pesticides or fertalizers, didn't believe in them he said. Some of his neighbors were raising the GM corn "Star". It was literally taking over the corn production no matter whether you wanted it or not. He was an old timer, ornery as hell but he was again' that too. The water table was contaminated like hell, I wouldn't drink it before runing it through a chacoal filter, and wasn't sure then. Contamination of everything from farm runoff, animal wasts and single crop intensive farming has ruined most of our farmland. I have driven by farmland in the spring and fall that appeared to have the surface coverd in small crystals, fertilizers. So food production is in doubt too. Wonder if the PTB's took that into account in their plans.
Murph,
This is why I should have saved this for a post, rather than a comment. I cannot adequately articulate what I mean at the moment, and have confused the issue.
I am not suggesting that foreign governments are controlling things, but that the actual "puppets" may be someone or someones other than the obvious suspects, meaning Booshco.
I 100% agree that the goal is serfdom for the general population, and also agree that it all revolves around money and not principle.
As for which "death" is better, I suspect that I go for the quick strike rather than the long, drawn out agony that we are currently suffering.
I will shut up now, before I confuse myself more than I already have confused others.
Cyclone
Cyclone,
lolol, confusion is the sign of an advanced form of thinking. I got that all the time.
Cy;
Tee shirts came today
Murph;
These assholes love living dangerously. Nothing is ever quite for certain with them, and that's what makes it exciting. It's better than sex for these perverts. But rest assured, as Cy has said, it is never about principals. It's ALL about power and greed. When Fitz got too close for comfort, they sat him down and showed him some footage from the cutting -room floor and that's all it took to back the Irish wolfhound down.
Freeacre;
You and Oldensoul are the hardest to deal with, because you are right. And we angry old men are wrong. And we know you are right. And we know, in our heart of hearts, Gandhi and Jesus were right. And we know we are not clean enough. Not hard enough to be as soft as you demand.
Forgive your enemy? Ask God's tolerance for those who 've tresspassed against us? God bless you , ladies, for we have sinned.
My heart agrees with all you say,
washing the feet of my persecuters is the way to teach my extraordinary renditionists the ultimate impracticality of their way...
But too many multi-syllabic concepts
get in the way. I am slow to perceive. Slower, yet, to say my piece.
Always, on this continent, the men have known, we are expendable. It is our small wind, that lifts the feathers tied agaist the staff. Forgive us this vanity. For we will die any unprepared-for death, mid-morning, stacking stones when
sentries arrows drop in dust and we, surprised, resist, to buy you women time to hide our children in the brush.
Bless you, who keep our names and tell our children how we fell.
But do not ask us not to kill the deranged painted strangers who fall on us with no warning, and no holy words to explain this viscious binge.
Give us this honest loss.
We love you so.
From Belgium,
Harking back to more practical matters, it looks like the recent Lebanon conflict was a case of Iran fighting them over there so it didn’t have to fight them over here. What I didn’t realise was how distraught the turn of events had left the Israelis. Now Bushcos ally in the Middle East has had the fight knocked out of it and reality is setting in, it will be interesting to see how the US carries on with its own time sensitive agenda.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=755
Belgium,
Not sure which article you are directing to. Went through several and didn't find one pertinant to your comment.
Rockpicker,
i have the absolute certainty that you speak for so many of us,your ways are wise, and i've known all along that the power that allows you to create the most beautiful rockwork is the same force that allows you to reach deep into your soul and bring to the surface that which must be said.
You are a hero to me my friend,may spirit watch over you and keep you safe.
cricket chirps for you.
mf
From Belgium,
I opened the right page from the link I posted – curious.
It just occurred to me that it is a two line link I hope you referenced both lines
Here is the headline of the article I was referring to.
Israel counts the cost of war
The ceasefire is a month old and the country is trembling, says Israeli writer Igal Sarna
Here it is again
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=755
Here are other interesting pages referenced from the above link, maybe you have more luck with these.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=682
and
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=1&subID=613
Let me know if you can’t get it and I will post the article, it is not so long.
From Belgium,
The story gets murkier with each convoluted twist. Project Censored is an organisation which every year publishes on the net the top 25 stories, in its opinion, which never made the news. All of the stories are worth reading, but story No.2 is a gem.
It seems that between 1992 and 2005, which includes a period when Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton the company knowingly broke US sanctions and sold nuclear reactor parts to Iran.
Below is a quote from Cheney in 1992 and then a short paragraph from the article.
“Let me make a generalized statement about a trend I see in the U.S. Congress that I find disturbing, that applies not only with respect to the Iranian situation but a number of others as well,” Cheney said. “I think we Americans sometimes make mistakes . . . There seems to be an assumption that somehow we know what’s best for everybody else and that we are going to use our economic clout to get everybody else to live the way we would like.”
Cheney was the chief executive of Halliburton Corporation at the time he uttered those words. It was Cheney who directed Halliburton toward aggressive business dealings with Iran—in violation of U.S. law—in the mid-1990s, which continued through 2005 and is the reason Iran has the capability to enrich weapons-grade uranium.
It was Halliburton’s secret sale of centrifuges to Iran that helped get the uranium enrichment program off the ground, according to a three-year investigation that includes interviews conducted with more than a dozen current and former Halliburton employees.
What a hypocrite! First he sells plant to Iran then he wants to launch a war against them so they can’t use it. What is right and wrong for Cheney depends on who he is working for at the time.
http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2007/index.htm
Other stories worth a read are:
#4 Hunger and Homelessness Increasing in the US
#8 Pentagon Exempt from Freedom of Information Act
#11 Dangers of Genetically Modified Food Confirmed
Belgium,
That is pretty standard operating procedure for this country. We created Saddam Hussein during the Iraq/Iran war, then took him down. Anything similar here?
Our "friends" are who we need them to be to advance our interests at the moment, long term consequences are never considered.
This is a "NOW" society, and we are about to find out what "NOW" means. NOW the rest of the world has turned on us, as evidenced by the recent performances at the UN meetings. NOW we will pay the price for our arrogance and misdeeds over the last many years.
Cyclone
Damn! Take a little time off to fix the old wood stove and get some firewood up and all hell breaks lose!
Freeacre, and Oldensoul,
Ghandi never raised his hand or filled it with a weapon of any kind! Yet, he broke the back of the British Empire, and drove it from India.
Reverend Martin Luther King, never took up any arms except his voice! Yet, he conquered Jim Crow, which had been the status quote for much of the south since The Civil War.
At The Masacre at Sand Creek, White Antelope stood under an American flag, with a white flag of truce underneath it. He had given his word that he would not fight. He was mudered along with 250 unarmed Arapoho, and Cheyanne men women and children by forces led by Reverend James Chivington, (Christian charity, indeed!), rather than break his word! He is remembered to this day by people, both red, and white for his courage and honor.
There are many ways to fight, and not all entail the taking of life. But to win, you must fight! A warrior is not measured by the bodies left in his wake, but by the victories.
To every one else,
I stand with all that I have against this madman, and his cabal! It is good to know that I do not stand alone!
I would rather not bare arms against my country, but if the government of my country forgets The Constitution of The United States of America, which I have sworn to defend, then I have no choice!
Raccoon is one of my spirit guides, and I have learned many fine tricks from him against those who would destroy my tribe, and it's people. I will speak no further of them, in case the boys from "Fort Fuck 'em All" are listening in. I will say this much! I will be in the last place you think I am,-or the first.
Hello, All,
I have been reading, but not talking much. Some of you who know me may wonder why I haven't commented. I have been around, but silent. I am still here in heart.
This post seems to point to what the basic answer may be, to the problem which needs to be solved. Let me propose a start toward an answer.
We as Americans (as a whole) tend to look for the quick answer. We let ourselves be sucked into apathy, or disinterest, or dis-enfranchisement. We use many excuses;
-What can I do?
-It's not my problem?
-How can one person do anything?
-It's for the greater good.
All excuses, all bull. We take the lazy way out. Besides, who wants to put all the work into it when we can take the short way. That is America, the quick buck, the easy answer; never looking more than a few feet in front of us. We never think into the future. We always take the quick way, instead of the best.
I am wrong you say? I am full of it? PROVE ME WRONG!
Let me give you an assignment, if you dare. Look into our past, be it colonial, revolutionary, farmers era, civil era, the world wars and beyond. See if you can find the pattern.
Pick up and read "Thunder on the Mountian" (for the dumbed down who need a screen, you can watch the movie "Matewan") andf look for a parallel to what we see today. See how the mine corporations raped the citizens, and used poor education, religion, lies, and apathy to do it. Read about the logan march and the coal miners wars and how little the government did for them then.
Now come back to the present. Move back to now, my friends.
Is it time to vote for a new liar, or is it time for Logan and Mingo to march?
Is it time to call the Governor, or is it time to solve it yourself?
Is it time for a new debate, or is it time for a solution?
You tell me,
Lludwig
Lludwig,
I like your comment. You might consider making more of them.
You might like to add on; Those who value security more than freedom will have neither.
I think we have a quite different situation today than in the historical times you cited which makes action such as civil disobedience more risky for those that do it, and a much bigger question of effectiveness. For the first time in our history, the corporations have almost total control of the government, redress there is not likely. Those sympathetic with the world domination schemes of this government control the health care we receive, the drugs that we take, the major part of the food supply, almost total control over the mass media, the evidently exercised capacity to spy on us and to limit our communications, and have continually raised the penalty for disagreement with policy. In previous times, there was the expectations that if grievances were presented strong enough to the government, something would change, and it often did.(not always of course) The level of arrogance and deceit and lies and manipulation has increased exponentially with no recourse to limit its spread or power. We are governed by mad men. Smart, but severely psychotic, with connections to or part of the elite that have been pushing their agenda for a very long time, and feel they are about to realize the end product and are not about to give in to debate or disagreement concerning the morality or ethics of their decisions.
One of the very big problems with public dissent today is not understanding the degree of viciousness with which these people in power are prepared to go in pursuing their agenda. The 800 or so internment camps in this country are not for gulf outing for company CEO's or meeting places for conventioneers. Not to increase civilian security from outside threats are the development and deployment of crowd control assets in technology and personnel.
While the actors in this drama change, the script is the same. I agree that action needs to be taken. Confrontations will continue to become more deadly than they already are. However, how many people would it take to stop this? 20 million, 60 million? 10? It appears to me that the greater society is simply going to have to experience at home what is happening directly before you will get any consensus of action. I am waiting for that to happen. Meantime I grit my teeth and write and talk and try to raise people awareness of what is about to sweep over them. Whether it sweeps them up, or they rebel is open to question.
From Belgium,
I have been waiting for the first person to reply to that comment, and it is me. No doubt the blog will continue on and do more good work but that from Murph was in my view, the pinnacle comment towards which this blog has been working.
Ludwig, what Murph says is true. Hurting the government will not hurt the Elite and they are the ones who are in control of events. The only useful protest that could be made is to smash the presses at the Federal Reserve, destroy the IMF building as the Government so callously destroyed the WTC, then make a stand against other national banks around the world. But like Murph said, I doubt if Joe and Josephine have the energy to get off their couch. Sad but true. So long they can watch American Idol from their call at a Halliburton camp they will be happy enough.
Lludwig,
Thanks for your comments. I hope you continue to comment in the future. I will ponder what you wrote before commenting further. However, welcome.
Cyclone
Murph,
I am also going to ponder my response to your response to Lludwig. I think that I disagree, but I don't want to get into another situation where I cannot be coherent in countering. So, it will have to wait until I have time to re-read your comment and organize my thoughts. I will say this much. Though the PTB are clearly not the government players, deposing the government players may be necessary, would make a dent and shake up some folks. The PTB are likely unreachable.
Cyclone
From Belgium,
Cyclone,
Disposing of the government players is a work in progress; in fact Bush is near enough history already. He has outlived his usefulness for the PTB and is already a liability. Apart from that the electorate don’t like him not that matters overmuch. Don’t believe that the Dems will be an answer to all problems. They will achieve the same objectives with a velvet glove instead of an iron fist. But will they dismantle the Fed; will they dismantle the Halliburton Camps; will they dismantle the war; will the housing bubble start to deflate? My guess is not. All that will happen is that they will smile and wish you a nice day as they tighten the screw.
Ach! Cynicism comes with age and I sure aint getin any yunger non.
There have been some very interesting comments made thus far on this particular topic. I will attempt to add just a bit more. I am weiting this with the words of Hugo Chavez calling Bush the Devil in front of the UN council in my mind…. Still makes me laugh, he has cajones!
I agree that the government is not the people in the position of power. The true power resides behind the scene and this is what truly makes that class of vermin pure evil. They care not which particular flavor the governing class, to this level of evil they control both sides of that equation.
I think what we are seeing regarding Bush and his short time left in the BIG CHAIR is that the true power elite have left him hanging. His last couple national addresses hold proof he is in some sort of free fall with out a parachute and I suspect he will, in a desperate attempt do something radical to try gain back favor. He has gone past his expiry date for freshness and I would wage dollars to donuts these evil pricks are already grooming the next person to carry forth their bidding. My guess is that it will be a high profile democrat.
Also in my view, other real criminals in this are pretty much all the corporate leadership of the companies who actively lobby for favor from the government. This particular type of scum in my eyes, are lower than whale shit. Theirs is a single endeavor, to make themselves and a select few shareholders stinking wealthy with no regard for social or economic consequence what so ever. If there should be a revolution it should be structured such that these evil persons are rounded up and punished as well. I do not know why but I still have this image of a recent news release of a CEO of a large oil company smiling like the cat who ate the canary after an announcing that the company he leads had a multi billion dollar quarter. To be able to smile like that while there are people who struggle daily to find food, shelter and hope indicates lack of soul. To my eyes people such as these, CEO’s and corporate executives who only serve the bottom line are evil beyond description.
Unregulated capitalism (oxymoron??) as I have written in past posts in my way of thought should be regarded in the same manner as we now regard communism. It should be stigmatized as bad as we stigmatize communism and for myself I would be happy with the present type of capitalism being outlawed. When we allow companies to run rampant in any manner they deem necessary to achieve a greater profit with no regard to social and economic structure for the communities they operate within, again that is evil. Yes you can argue that they pay taxes and that has a benefit in the community, but I will argue that many have a whole cadre of legal eagles and accountants that find every available loophole to avoid paying as much tax as possible. Why? It is because they can. If it was my wish and there was the opportunity during a revolution these merchants of poverty would pay dearly.
Now to the matter of how to awaken the masses to the atrocities happening around and to them if in fact that was possible. To site a few examples, the erosion of personal and civil liberties, an astonishing increase in poverty, an increase in terrorist threat directly due to this administrations foreign policies just to keep this list short. I do not think it easily possible to waken the masses and I do not think it a good thing for it to happen were it possible.
OK I will admit the one thing that probably would get people to sit up and take notice would be to announce that the government is canceling the new season of American Idol and Survivor..lol
To awaken the masses at this point, in my mind would serve no useful purpose. My view is that people have become far too complacent in their everyday lives, to the point that as Ludwig has alluded, people expect someone else to take care of the situation. If people actually woke up and took back control it would only prolong the march to the inevitable demise of the American empire. I am in the camp that the demise should be quick. It will be painful but then people can begin to focus on what is important. That is back to family values, back to caring for the community and the environment and back to being responsible and caring global citizens.
So who is to blame for this mess? Is it the government? Is it the power brokers behind the scenes? I would suggest it is all of us collectively. We do not do enough to prevent these types of people from elevating themselves into a position to do such damage. We do not do enough investigtation into the past lives of these people to determine if they are worthy to represent both you and I.
I recall an on the street interview during the election of Clinton a few years ago. It personifies what I think of the electoral populace. The reporter candidly asked this person what candidate for president they would be choosing, the reply was for Clinton. When asked why this person in all seriousness stated that their choice was because he looked better then the other candidate…WTF???? That for ever will resonate in my mind as to the intelligence of some of the voters in America.
If people were more active in the electoral process, if the voting population had the same interest in electing a leader as they do for the next Idol, and they were truly interested in selection of the best possible candidate then how in Gods green earth would a failure in business such as GW Bush, ever become the leader of the free world??? People have to get beyond whether the candidate is a Republican or Democrat and get their collective heads from their asses and start to elect the one who would do the best job period.
OK OK this is gone too long my humblest apologies…lol
Ely
Cyclone,
Thank you for your welcome, but I have been here before. Also, please feel free to reply with anything. I take nothing personal, except lies. I have never seen you do that.
Lludwig
murph,
Thank You for your welcome. I am glad to comment again. Thank you for continuing my thoughts, as well. Liberty or death is a favorite.
I agree that the creditors are the problem. they were in Mingo in the aforementioned comment. The one mistake that the miners made in Logan was to stop when they saw the army.
the correct course of action, and the same today, would have been to tell the army, "this was not your business when they were shooting us, so please step aside and let us finish our own business ourselves.
Maybe, if the government doesn't want to get involved to help us, we should follow their advice and help ourselves. They say they are neutral. Let us find out. March on wall Street, March on The big three, March on the airlines and on the Walmarts and tell them that this is no longer a "company town."
Since they don't seem to want to step in and help us when we are being screwed to the wall, maybe we should see if they are really on someone elses side.
Alot of good folks in New Orleans are being told they can no longer live in housing that is fine, that they cannot return to their homes. How many would love to move back in anyway? Maybe they should! What would they do?
thousands of our friends in Detroit would like to go to GM, or Delphi, or FORD and collect the pension and the retirement and the insurance they were promised. Maybe they should just go get what is owed to them. It is only fair. They are not the ones stealing. They just want what they were promised.
The government says that we should take care of ourselves. We should thank them for their advice, and do just that.
They do nothing to help us, they do nothing to protect us, and they do nothing to serve us. They say that they just want us to have more of our own money. They say that the consumer should decide. well, the votes are in. our money is better spent elsewhere. they need not put any more of it in their OWN pockets.
If they mean what they say, then they can keep their promises, and take their sorry asses home. Their services are no longer required.
If they don't mean what they say? Well, that is a different story...
Viva la Libertum!!!
Lludwig
Ely,
You speak with much wisdom, and I find you fascinating.
As you well know, you and I agree more often than not on what is best for the "future" of this nation, if there is to be one. I believe that we have each reached the point of simply wanting it to be over, and until the day finally comes when the whole ball of wax melts into a messy pile of mush, nothing much will change. Even after, the elite will still do okay, albeit maybe in a different locale. But, they will always be pulling the strings of others, and attempting to manipulate the masses. What is left to manipulate is the real question, I guess.
I truly hope that before the end occurs, you and I can sit over a beer or the beverage of your choice and tell lies. I'll even buy!
Cyclone
Lludwig,
I couldn't agree more. Now might be the perfect time for your suggestion, the armed forces appear to be otherwise occupied, or occupying, or somehow entangled in other matters. When Iran is soon tossed into the mix, there will be few left to defend the thieves.
The real question is, who has the desire and energy for such a thing? If one could gather together the Enron victims, the Savings and Loan victims, the Katrina victims, Delphi, GM, etc. victims, all the victims of this sordid government over the last few decades, perhaps a dent could be made. One would think that slightly more than half the population who voted against Boosh would be ready, but that hardly seems to be the case. Sad, but apparently true. Are you a good organizer? Stoney is always available........
Cyclone
Cyclone,
I think that the organization may already be underway. Between dissenters, dropouts, fallouts, and the disenfranchised; dissatisfaction with the government is at a low like never seen before. It doesn't matter if the individuals share the same reason. The end result is the same. The ship is almost empty, and the commanders cannot possibly handle the sails on their own.
Even in the middle of the Revolutionary War, support for the british government was higher than what this government has now.
Their days are almost over. There will not be enough support for long. A vast section of the country is dropping out, and the rest will not be able to support the priviledged for long. The only question is how they leave. I, personally, would like to see it be with a large boot in the ass. Why not sned 'em out with a bang?
Listening for the encore,
Lludwig
Cyclone
Thank you for your kind words and I can say that there have been many times when you have put forward comments that echo many of my own thoughts...
I look at the present US situation with dismay most days, while I do not live in the US anymore, and although my life there was for only a short time, I still have many many friends, and family that live there, and despite my harping on what I see happening, the plain truth is that the average American (family and friends included) does not see the very economic environment in which they live.
I see the present US economic situation as I would view an extreme home renovation.
It needs to be GUTTED. The external structure and frame remain solid but their needs to be a total internal reconstruction to make it livable once more. It is, in my opinion for this situation,not good enough to implement band aid solutions to make things look better, so to my way of thinking the faster it comes apart the sooner we can work to rebuild it.
In keeping this short Cylcone I wish to thank you for this blog. I continue to follow many commentary blogs however this is one of a select few that the commentary actually stays civil. I enjoy the level of intelligence (yes that includes you Montana) and the no BS hype/put it out there and lets discuss it attitude.
In closing I too wish for a day when we could sit together with you and and all who come to this place and enjoy a cold one or two, swap tall tales, and just know that we are in the company of good friendship. Alas for now we will have to make due with the internet...
Ely
One other note it appears the French secret service have leaked some information regarding the Osama Bin Laden death of some time ago... ;-)
Oh give them (humans) a break, what do you expect from a fallen, depraved race? Your complaints would ring true at any point in the species history - get use to living on planet earth - travel visas are not available.
usuallymike,
Ok, what complaints are you referring to? Not specified. I do hope you are not offering an excuse for bad behavior?
You are right, we cannot get travel visas off this planet, yet, maybe never, or at least till we are dead. For this reason we got to try and be tolerant with evil doers?
Torture - despicable and inhumane. And there's only one being we know of who's NOT human and is capable of such evil - El Diablo.
So, I guess Hugo was not far off, after all.
hey, thanks for stopping by cyclone.
There are a lot of very suspicious things going on behind the scenes these days.
God only knows what they have in store for us next.
All we can do is keep our eyes peeled and stick together.
Peace.
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