A Review of Some of the Craziness in the Authoritarian, Nonconstitutional USA

The craziness referred to in the title above covers a very broad range.  The text below displays only a few examples of some of it.  I'm calling the USA Gov't "nonconstitutional" (as opposed to unconstitutional) because for many years our leaders have ignored large parts of the Constitution.  It's as though the document doesn't even exist.  Here's some of the craziness, as follows.

1.  Our politicians appear to believe that this also is in the Fourth Amendment:  "...none of the provisions of this Amendment apply if there's a national crisis or any threat to national security...or if Congress passes any Law that contradicts any part of this Amendment...".  Of course, none of that is in the Fourth Amendment, but that fact seems to matter not at all.  Certain parts of the PATRIOT Act and a few other Laws are in direct conflict with the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

2.  Once a week (or so), the President meets with others in the Executive Branch to decide which people in other countries are to be murdered with Hellfire missiles from weaponized drones.  Anyone so killed is automatically designated as an EKIA---enemy killed in action.  It doesn't matter if the person is Joe Suspect's grandmother ("collateral" damage) or Joe's ten-year-old son (more "collateral" damage).  They are all EKIA as far as our Gov't is concerned.  This all happens despite the fact that the Executive Branch has no Constitutional authority whatsoever to issue assassination orders.  That authority belongs only to Congress.  The only exception to that is during a war officially declared by Congress.  [We haven't had one of those since WW II.]  Crazy.

3.  According to a portion of the National Defense Authorization Act, our rights to "due process" and "innocent until proven guilty in a Court of Law" are negated if we are suspected of any kind of "terrorism".  [You would be surprised how little it takes to be a suspect in such a case.]  Crazy.

4.  Too many of our militarized Law Enforcement people now do not treat suspects properly.  Instead of innocent until proven guilty, suspects are demeaned, lied to, denied access to rest rooms, or much worse--- sexually abused, shot in the back, beaten or TASED after being handcuffed, or flat-out killed.  No, that isn't rampant in our society, but it's happening way too often.  Here's what's much more common:  nonviolent protesters are pepper-sprayed in the face with no warning, no "order to disperse"...or sometimes their eyelids are held open by one or two officers while another one sprays directly into their eyes... all of this while peacefully exercising their Right to Assembly.  Crazy.

5.  While it isn't yet widespread, small drones have been used by Law Enforcement in lieu of a proper Search Warrant...another violation of our rights supposedly protected by the Fourth Amendment.  Crazy.

6.  Our Executive Branch now bombs other countries, puts combat troops into action in other countries, and in Syria shoots down one of their aircraft...all with no approval of Congress, no involvement of Congress at all, and certainly no declaration of war.  Crazy.

7.  As reported on Democracy Now, since March of this year, U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq have killed about 700 civilians.  All this in a completely unconstitutional war.  Crazy.

8.  Our Military gurus want to send another 5,000 or so ground troops to Afghanistan...to a war with no end in sight...in a land deservedly known as the Graveyard of Empires.  Trump essentially said to Mattis:  go for it.  All ISIS (or the Taliban) has to do is fade back into the woodwork until we leave.  Trump wants to fulfill a campaign promise that's impossible:  "We will exterminate ISIS.".  The Russians couldn't do something similar with 500,000 troops there.  Crazy.
...............................................................
To any of you reading this who believe you are genuine "Conservatives" (not NeoCons), where is your outrage?  Our country is being destroyed by Militarists, Authoritarians, Corporatists, and Empire thugs...and you appear to be supporting the whole shebang.  Please stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.  What will it take for you to wake up?  To those of you who believe you are genuine "Progressives", what are you doing in the Democratic Party?  Ever since 1992, that Party is firmly in the Land of Corporatism.  Please wake up.  We need organized, opposing political forces in this country so a Middle Way can be determined...instead of the Corporatist Dem v. Repub sham that we have now.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

It's NOT About Korea, Syria, Terrorism, or Saving...

civilians from any of that.  It amazes me how some Americans, especially some supposedly "Conservative" Americans, ignore facts, the Constitution, & history and immediately wrap themselves in the flag whenever any group of conniving politicians starts beating the war drums.  Our history as a nation is replete with examples of that.  Here are the real reasons those drums are beating so loudly; this is why private and public Oligarchs now constantly are angling for another major war.  The following points are the main reasons why "Republicans" are so loud and "Democrats" are virtually silent (and thus complicit) on the whole war mess---

1.  The fiat Dollar's status as the world's reserve currency is being seriously threatened.  Countries not only are dumping Dollars, but also are joining together in agreements that bypass the Dollar completely.  That's especially true regarding Russia, China, and other countries in Asia...but also elsewhere.  [Many countries appear to be fed up with the financial & economic Bully-Boy tactics of the highest levels of our Gov't...and justifiably so.]  The PetroDollar is on its last legs everywhere; its collapse is fairly imminent.  The USA's military, which essentially is the Fed Reserve's enforcement/intimidation arm, often has been used to keep countries in line relative to the dominance of the Dollar.  [That's probably why Saddam was taken out.  He was on the verge of selling oil in non-Dollar currency.  Libya and Iran were threatening to do the same.]  Without that Dollar dominance, our fiat Dollar and debt-based economy would be toast...much more than both are already.

2.  The Global Debt Bubble, which is a gazillion times larger than the Stock Market Bubble, is on the verge of bursting.  Arguably, it could be said that it's already bursting.  I suspect that most Oligarchs (especially those in public office) think another major war will kick the can down the road.  Except for the "Defense" (which should be "War") Sector of the Stock Market, investors then would turn to the Bond Market (which should be the DEBT Market)...because they perceive it as less risky.

3.  I also believe that, above all else, Oligarchs have a great desire to keep our debt-based economy rolling along.  Why?  Because it transfers wealth from the Poor and Middle Classes to the Upper Crust better than anything since Feudalism.  Adjusting for inflation, in the last thirty years or so the incomes of the Super-Rich have gone up by 700%.  In the same period, the incomes of the rest of us have remained relatively flat.  Our economy primarily is based on two things:  Debt, and War (referred to as "Defense" by the Oligarchy).  Since the advent of rampant Financialization, "average" Americans have had to go into fairly massive debt in an attempt to simply stay even in terms of lifestyle.  Unfortunately, that debt isn't doing the job in most cases.  Close to 50% of us are living in poverty or near-poverty, and the Middle Class basically has been hollowed out.  Most Oligarchs don't appear to care, but they have very effective Propaganda techniques to make some people think they do care.  Plus, they have tried & tested diversion techniques (such as war, the Two-Party political system, phony "Populist" movements, etc.) to distract us from the greatest transfer of wealth in human history.  [As I've stated several times, none of this is a grand "conspiracy".  Oligarchs mostly do all this simply because they have mutual interests and objectives; it's merely "good business" practice to them.  Sometimes they work together, but most of the time it's done independent of one another.  Even if it were a "conspiracy", of what use would that knowledge be?]
.............................................................
Side Notes:  here's a little history---

1.  Since the end of the Korean Conflict [that's the official, technical name...because then supposedly our participation in that war doesn't violate the Constitution] in the early 1950's, our Gov't has had nuclear weapons in S. Korea aimed at N. Korea.  Is it any surprise then that N. Korea has developed nukes?

2.  Not too many years ago, N. Korea offered to freeze its nuke program in exchange for concessions (such as the lifting of economic/financial sanctions) from our Fed Gov't.  Our Gov't refused even to have talks about that proposal.

3.  Even more recently, N. Korea offered to freeze its weapons-delivery program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.  Again, our Gov't refused to have talks about it.

4.  China has been trying for years to get our Gov't to just sit down and talk with N. Korea.  No luck.

5.  The 1950's Korean "War" never officially ended.  A "Cease-Fire" Agreement was made between military muckiwups on both sides, but the Gov'ts involved have not yet signed a Peace Treaty.  Technically, they're all still at war.  Any good or common sense appears to be lacking on both sides.

6.  Various reports indicate that most of N. Korea is experiencing famine to one degree or another.  The Gov't there is desperate for relief...one way or another.  I can't think of one good reason for not sitting down and having talks with them...rather than threatening an unconstitutional First-Strike with a nuclear option.
.............................................................
More Notes---

It should be obvious by now that Hillary Trump is not:  "America First", or "draining the swamp" in DC, or going to favor the little guy over outfits like Goldman Sachs (now, even more so, it's Gov't Sachs), or going to make sure that "everyone has healthcare", etc., etc., etc...ad nauseam.  The man is Same-Old, Same- Old, except that he's a much more dangerous version.

Relative to the title of this piece, the bottom line is this---  the war drums are all about maintaining the American Empire, the world fiat Dollar, our debt-based economy, and the tools that make the Super-Rich richer.  They have almost nothing to do with saving average people or helping other countries.
...............................................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Extreme Ignorance of the Don... and the Rigged Game

Let me state again at the outset:  I don't support Clinton, either.  In fact, there isn't a single candidate running this year that I would even consider supporting... not necessarily because of the individual, but rather because the entire System is rigged.  In the present Crony Capitalist atmosphere, it doesn't really matter at all in any significant way who gets into high office.  For that to matter, first the corruption must be changed by peaceful pressure from outside the Rigged Game.  People have been trying to change it from the inside for at least about 100 years...no luck.

Donald Trump can't be a serious candidate...not with the statements he has made for months now.  I'm beginning to suspect that his only function is to guarantee the coronation of Clinton.  Following are just a few of (supposedly) the Don's beliefs... which are extremely ill-informed.

1.  He stated today or yesterday that Iran is the biggest supporter/promoter of State-sponsored terrorism in the entire world.  One only can assume that by "terrorism" he means that of ISIS and Al Qaida... you know, the ones who are Sunnis... the ones who are the sworn enemies of Iran... that same Iran that is in the Shia sect of Islam.  Apparently (& we certainly don't know this for a fact) Trump is unaware that there's a Sunni-Shia civil (or religious) war going on throughout the Muslim portion of the Middle East.  I find it quite incredible that a major candidate for national office here would be unaware of such a thing.

2.  Not long ago, he stated that Obama was the "Founder of ISIS".  He didn't explain why, but I'm fairly sure where that reasoning lies.  [By the way, I'm certainly no fan of Obama's...I think he's a Corporatist and a Perpetual War Hawk, as well as a gross violator of the Constitution.]  It is true that when Obama took office in January, 2009, he was in a big hurry to exit Iraq.  After we left that country, the U.S.-installed Shia gov't there began to oppress the Sunni residents even more...and the Muslim civil war continued, thus giving rise to ISIS (disaffected Sunnis).  Trump's reasoning, however, ignores the Americans who were 99% responsible for generating ISIS:  Dick Cheney, Dubya Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Paul Bremer, and a whole slew of behind-the-scenes NeoCon theorists.  By the time Obama first got in office, the whole thing already was a complete shambles.

3.  His statements regarding "extreme vetting" and Cold War style identification & handling of those "hostile to our values" essentially is a call to return to the McCarthyism of the 1950's.  Any major candidate calling for such a thing nowadays would have to be a total ignoramus.  That rhetoric appeals to perhaps 10-15% of the electorate...and turns off everyone else.  No serious candidate would ever make such a proposal... because instituting that policy would be completely un-American.  [Instead of "Hoo-ah", the Don's call to action is "H.U.A.C.".]  Anyone who can't see why that would be an extremely dangerous, slippery slope simply is not thinking on all cylinders.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Big Problem is Not Immigrants, or Black People, or...

Poor People, or Any Minority, or Even "Terrorists".  Our biggest problem is Oligarchs and/or Plutocrats.  They promote and practice the politics of War, the economics of NeoFeudalism, and the governing of Fascism.  If you want to send them a peaceful, legal, and effective message, don't vote at the national level in November.  That's the most powerful message you can send.  If you simply must vote, then vote for a worthy second Party; Republicans + Democrats are the first Party.  At the highest levels, they are Neoliberal Corporatists.  They're on the same Team...and it's not yours.

On a somewhat different note, notice how the Corporate Media are straining to connect the mass murdering, mentally ill guy in Nice, France to extremist Muslim "terrorism".  Here's the definition of that word from Webster's Dictionary:  "the unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion."  In the case of extremist "jihadists" (a tiny minority of Muslims), I suppose we should throw in "religiously motivated" as well as "politically motivated".  From what has been in the news thus far (& I haven't yet seen tonight's news), it's an incredible stretch to believe that the depressed, violent, crazy guy---those terms are from his family---driving that truck was either politically or religiously motivated.  But you see, the Oligarchy needs that connection.  Without it, the War Propaganda doesn't work as well.

On another different note, and using the reasoning of those who favor stricter "gun control" laws, I propose a ban on "Assault Trucks".  Obviously, they can be used for mass murder...and it's fairly easy to gain access to one.  At the very least, we should institute stricter "background checks" for those wanting a truck driving license...and maybe even strict checks for people who buy gasoline, which could be considered the "ammunition" or "gun powder" of a truck.  While we're at it, perhaps we should ban knives, swords, baseball bats, dynamite, short clubs of any type, chemical acid, rat poison, smaller trucks, cars, chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide (found in drain cleaners), gun powder, denatured alcohol, etc.  They all are fairly easy to obtain...and could be used to wreak havoc on the public.  [Criminals of any kind don't care, or worry, about bans or background checks.  They'll find a way around them.  Also, keep this in mind:  there are lots of guns in Canada, but those folks don't have the gun violence problem to any degree close to that in the USA.  An important question is:  why is that the case?]

On a more serious note, sincere condolences to the people in Nice...and everywhere there are innocent victims, whether they are victims of unconstitutional drone attacks, or of temporarily insane mass murderers, or of medieval, backward, indoctrinated terrorists.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Are Most Adult Americans Totally Bamboozled by Propaganda?

Most of the time, it seems so to me.  For the life of me, I cannot figure out why most of my fellow citizens appear to either believe, or alternatively, to not object to the following falsehoods.

1.  Our Presidents can issue pretty much any Executive Orders that they so desire.  [Any 12th-grader reading Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution easily could determine that only two such Orders are permitted:  the Pres can order his/her Department Heads (or any one of them) to submit a Report on anything having to do with their individual Departments; and, the Pres can order a Pardon for a convicted criminal...except in the case of Impeachment.  That's it...those are the only two Exec Orders permitted by the Supreme Law of the Land.  Presidents usually justify others by citing some general duty of theirs to protect or defend the United States.  Any such duty cannot legally contravene other parts of the Constitution.  Well, maybe it can in Alice's Wonderland or some other la-la, loony tunes Land...but to allow such actions permits the Executive Branch to make Laws... and that's a function expressly reserved to the Congress.  With that power, a President essentially is a Feudal King.]

2.  Our Presidents legally can have our military cross an international border, bomb that country, and kill people without Congress declaring war.  [This has been going on since the end of WW II.  Politicians usually justify it in one of two ways:  by claiming the action is not war; or, by citing some LAW passed by Congress that allows the Pres to choose when & where to engage in war.  In the first case, I refer you to the Korean Conflict (the official name) in the 1950's, the Vietnam Conflict (the official name) in the 1960's and 1970's, and the Counter-Terrorism activities of Bush-Obama.  In the second case, I refer you to the War Powers Act.  Those justifications are blatantly wrong because in the first case, if you bomb a country & kill people, it's ridiculous to claim you're not at war; in the second case, no Law trumps the Constitution.  That's why it's called the SUPREME Law of the Land.]

3.  The gravest, most dangerous threat to the USA is that of Islam.  [You have a bigger chance of being killed by lightning than by the comparatively few criminals who are so-called jihadists.]  Because of that "threat", we must willingly sacrifice certain Rights in order to be "safe".  [These beliefs by seemingly many Americans are at once ridiculous, tragic, and comical.  Can't anyone reason anymore?  Can't anyone recognize manipulative Propaganda anymore?  Can't anyone see how the Powers-That-Be are eliminating our Right to be Free with this BS?]

4.  Our Economy is "recovering".  Unemployment is now at "4.9%"...[or some other equally & wildly inaccurate low number.]  The Stock Market is rebounding and soon will be in great shape again.  Manufacturing is on the mend.  [Those claims are beyond the pale...completely asinine.  The Powers-That-Be are so used to most Americans accepting their outright lies that such lies have become larger and more numerous in recent years.  See several of my past posts for an alternative view... or see almost any non-corporate media source for something much, much closer to the truth.]

5.  Donald Trump, or Ted Cruz, or Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders, or any of the other current candidates will make good on their promises... and really make a difference in our lives.  [Please.  Not without Congress they won't... unless they do it illegally by Exec Order.  Furthermore, keep in mind that the President represents the State (as in Statism), not the People.  We the People supposedly are represented by the Congress, not the Executive Branch... although, with all the Crony Capitalism and corruption in the Gov't, even the concept of Congress representing us is highly questionable.  The only way out of this political mess is by means of peaceful outside pressure.  No one inside the Rotten System ever will be able to change much of anything...not anymore.  The fact is, we live in a criminal Fascist State... criminal at the highest levels.  The Supreme Law of the Land is violated by Gov't Elites on an almost daily basis.  Don't ever think that one has to be a Judge or Attorney-at-Law in order to comprehend the Constitution.  That document is long-winded in parts, but it's very plainly written and fairly easy to understand.  Most politicians ignore most of it.  Where's the outrage over that?]

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Notice How the Corporate Media Take a Terrorism Story...

and beat it to death...over and over...day after day.  I'm not saying these fanatical, philosophically ignorant, "true believers" are not dangerous (whether it's "jihadists" or some nut attacking Planned Parenthood), but the fact remains, you have more chance of being killed by lightning than by a terrorist.  Plus, while the stories of terror attacks are "in-depth", there's hardly a peep from the Corporate Media about how the U.S. Govt's military misadventures (especially drone attacks) are generating terrorism, not preventing it.

Here's what we all really should be afraid of---
1.  Neoliberal politicians---such as McConnell, McCain, Obama, Schumer, etc. ad nauseam---who are backing policies and laws that are destroying this great Land economically.
2.  The fact that we are in a deep Recession with an imploding economy.
3.  The fact that the world economy is in deep trouble...mostly because the Powers-That-Be still are shifting wealth from the Lower & Middle Classes to the Upper Crust...at an astounding pace.
4.  The Fed Reserve engenders Boom-Bust economic cycles; it doesn't prevent them.
5.  The true unemployment rate in America is somewhere between 20% and 40%.
6.  The fact that Edward Bernays style Propaganda continues to mold minds to the benefit of the Rich and Powerful, and to the detriment of the rest of us.

I vote for some in-depth reporting on those fearsome items.  I realize that the true economic situation may not be "flashy" news, but it's much more valuable than the fact that the latest nutcake criminal pledged her allegiance to ISIS...which I've heard on the Corporate Media now for about four straight days.  Who gives a damn about to whom she pledged anything?  Yes, Terrorism poses a danger of sorts; but Neoliberalism is a much greater danger.  Bizarre financial derivatives and Financialization are much greater dangers.  Wall Street still running amok is a much greater danger.  Economic/Financial Bubbles bursting are a much greater danger...especially now.  A Police State is a much greater danger.  Outright lies by politicians and bureaucrats such as Clapper and Brennan and Obama and Trump are a much greater danger.  Blatant Propaganda is a much greater danger.  Criminal Mega Banks (whose CEOs think they are Masters of the Universe) are a much greater danger.

The Corporate Media are complicit with other Powers-That-Be (both public & private) in distracting, dividing, and in general, conquering Lower & Middle Class Americans, thus completely destroying the "American Dream".  They all do it not just for money, but for power and control as well.  Finally, once again, it's not any kind of grand "conspiracy".

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Astounding PROPAGANDA from the State-Corporate Complex

Below is a copy of an email I sent out tonight.  The title was "A Perfect Example".

The brilliant Glenn Greenwald explains EXACTLY how the State-Corporate complex dupes people via shameless Propaganda.  This instance is in regard to terrorism, Snowden, Gov't officials, the recent Paris attacks, etc.  Too bad more people will not see this.  It shows how many, especially those on the so-called Right (but also those on the so-called Left), are being subjected to misleading info & outright lies, led down the path to more war, led into Islamophobia, and being flim-flammed into accepting the destruction of the Fourth Amendment...as well as other parts of the Constitution.  All of these efforts by the Powers-That-Be are not only un-American, but also anti-American.  The whole thing is disgusting.

The segment after this one also is illuminating relative to the submissive Corporate Media in the USA.

If we continue to accept the rubbish put out by the Gov't & Corporatist Media outlets, our grandkids will be living in Orwell's Animal Farm.  Guaranteed.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/19/glenn_greenwald_shameless_cia_exploits_paris?autostart=true

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Powers-That-Be are Lying

The Oligarchs don't lie about everything, but there are several crucial subjects about which they do lie often.  Following are some of those.

1.  Price inflation is stagnant.  The State-Corporate Complex can say this with a straight face because when they figure how much prices have increased, here's what's not included:  the costs of food, housing, and energy.  Those items are not part of what's called "core inflation".  To give credit where it's due, the Powers-That-Be are correct regarding energy costs...even though those are not counted.  Oil has tanked, no pun intended; that's good, but a guy like me drives only about 20 miles per week.  "Low" gas prices don't make up for the constant increases in food and sundry grocery store items.  Manufacturers of those goods either are raising prices outwardly or doing it surreptitiously by shrinking the size of product packages.  Plus, rent for housing in the USA (with a few exceptions) is skyrocketing.  An old dog like me cannot believe how high rental costs are nowadays.

2.  Unemployment in the USA is now 5.X%.  This lie is so egregious as to make one physically sick.  Reputable, credible economists and former Fed Gov't officials all across the political spectrum estimate that the true unemployment rate is somewhere between 20% and 43%.

3.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement will be good for everyday Americans.  The details of that abomination now are finally public; some were released earlier by WikiLeaks, but now we have the entire disaster available for scrutiny.  The critics (such as Lori Wallach of TradeWatch) are saying, "It's worse than we expected.", and they were harsh critics before the full text was released.  I've written about this before, so I won't repeat myself.  The details of this miserable Treaty can be found in lots of places, not the least of which is Citizen.org/TPP.  Promotion of the TPP by many in Gov't, the Corporate Media, and various other Mega Corporations is proof positive that Oligarchs don't give a damn about us.

4.  We are not at War...it's "counter-terrorism"; therefore, Geneva Conventions, Due Process, the Constitution in general, Ethics, and even Morality do not limit us when dealing with "enemy combatants".  That lie is so outrageous and defies Logic so much that I'm beginning to think that George Orwell was the greatest political prophet in all of History...bar none.  The Powers-That-Be are trying to sell us on the concept that the people we're fighting are neither soldiers nor criminals.  Sorry, Oligarchs, they have to be one or the other.  The term, "enemy combatant" is a fiction.  Due Process applies to everyone, even soldiers or criminals.  If it doesn't, we no longer are civilized, ethical beings.

5.  It is necessary to monitor everyone in the National Surveillance State.  Good grief, that is pure, unadulterated Propaganda...it's bullshit to the Nth Degree.  Why people are buying into that is beyond my comprehension.  Have mercy.

6.  We are in an Economic Recovery.  That statement is so blatantly ridiculous it defies not only Logic, but the imagination as well.  All one has to do to see it's not true is take a little time to do a serious, critical study of our economic condition...utilizing a wide variety of credible sources while ignoring Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  The USA, and most of the world, is in a deep Recession and heading for a Depression that very well may be worse than the one in the 1930's.
........................................................................................
It's important to keep in mind that when it's "crunch time", when Institutions are in a bind, any Institution will protect itself rather than individuals or Individual Rights.  Natural Rights, possessed by all people, will be sacrificed by any Oligarchy upon the altar of expediency.  It is Institutions that constantly must be monitored...by us.  Remember the words of an Eastern philosopher:  we be many; they be few.  That is precisely why we are inundated totally with Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  It's important to us and future generations that we think critically, speak out, deny unwarranted power to Institutions run amok, boycott those entities that trash Natural Rights, and do it all peacefully.  Violent actions beget more violence and complete suppression of the individual.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Craziest 9-11 Conspiracy Theory...The One We Accepted

9-11 will be here shortly; perhaps we briefly should reflect upon it.  I'm talking about the one that happened in the USA, not in Chile in 1973 (that one essentially was engineered by Henry Kissinger).  I'm no expert in these matters, but I do have a Science background (both academic & practical) and am thoroughly familiar with the Scientific Method of Inquiry.  The paragraph immediately below summarizes the craziest 9-11 conspiracy theory I've seen thus far...

Nineteen losers armed with box-cutters conspired to outwit & outmaneuver the entire U.S. Gov't Defense, Intelligence, & Security apparatus...and were successful.  Now that's a doozie of a theory.  Every poll I've seen indicates that slightly more than half of American adults no longer believe it.

I'm not going to re-hash all the contradictions in that theory.  We've all seen them in documentaries and/or read about them in articles and books...ad infinitum.  Much of the information was from reputable individuals or teams, both in the fields of Science and the Military.  Most likely, none of us ever will know the full story of what happened (and why, and how) on our 9-11...but I'm relatively sure about one thing--- the Govt's version of the story really stinks.

Some people appear to believe there are only two choices relative to an explanation of what happened.  According to them, either it's the way the Gov't described it OR our Gov't did it.  Either one of those could be true, but those certainly are not the only choices.  Please, think.  There are probably at least a dozen other logical possibilities (not necessarily probabilities).  Here's just one, as follows.

A few people, some high-ranking military or ex-military and police, claim that the Israeli Mossad somehow was involved.  There is a little evidence supporting that hypothesis, but it is far from being conclusive.  Before you completely poo-poo the idea, however, consider this.  In the 1940's, the Brits essentially were driven out of British Palestine due to the terrorism perpetrated by the Jewish Irgun (founded in 1931 by a group of Haganah commanders).  The well respected Menachem Begin was Commander of the Irgun (which split from the Haganah) and ordered armed resistance to the Brits...including the bombing of the King David Hotel.  Brit Military Headquarters were there.  [One country's "Terrorist" is another country's "Freedom Fighter".]  To this very day, two things generally are recognized about the State of Israel & its leaders:  they are masters of Black Ops; and they will do anything to protect their State.  I'm not necessarily denigrating them for that, rather just stating what many consider absolute facts.  Though not proof of anything, it's also true that Israel has benefitted greatly post-9-11.

I don't know exactly who was responsible for our 9-11, but it should be obvious that the investigation (though appearing otherwise) was badly flawed---from start to finish.  IF the Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) did pull the wool over our eyes regarding 9-11, that's tragic; but what's also tragic is that they do it regarding mega bankers, the economy, employment, health care, war, monetary policy, fiscal policy, elections, and on & on.  It's known as "molding the public mind" via Edward Bernays style Propaganda.  Both public & private Oligarchs consider it an absolute necessity in a "democracy".

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Malcolm Nance Comments on the Iraq-ISIS Crisis

Who is Malcolm Nance?  He's a retired combat veteran and U.S. Counter-Terrorism Officer who was in Iraq as far back as 1987.  He's Arabic-speaking and a recognized expert on Jihadist tactics, the Iraq insurgency, and Al Qaida's worldwide structure.

He had a good deal to say about the Iraq quagmire today on DemocracyNow.org, Democracy Now!, the War and Peace Report, with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales.  To me, his most cogent statement was this:  "Invading Iraq after 9-11 made about as much sense as if we would have invaded Mexico after Pearl Harbor...the Intelligence just wasn't there [meaning, Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11].".  Amen to that.

Going way back to the 1950s, a U.S. Government Strategy Report (can't recall the exact title) stated that one of the U.S. Government's primary strategic goals was to secure access to Mid-East oil.  As recently as a few years ago, in an interview with Henry Kissinger, he stated, "Although it's not politically correct to say so, the Iraq invasion was about the oil.".  Most people recognize that today, and yet even now, the highest levels of our Gov't still say we're there for another reason or reasons---now it's the Boogie Man, ISIS.  When the White House spokesmen or Pentagon spokesmen claim that ISIS is a threat to our National Security, what they mean is:  we can't let them control that OIL.

Our President is now in Desperation Mode relative to all the above.  Our recent "support" of the Iraqi Army started out with about 300 "trainers and advisors"; presently, that number has jumped to about 3,000.  Obama today is considering moving the number up by another 500 or so.  It seems logical that the number will continue to rise.  He knows that the public here will not stand for sending in 100,000 troops (or some such number) all at once, so he's doing it incrementally.  He knows full well that an air war and "training" the Iraqi Army will not "defeat ISIS" (which is his stated objective).  In order to secure access to that oil, he must utilize U.S. combat ground forces.  That, of course, is beyond stupid...because we would have to occupy that country forever.  ISIS always can fade back into the population and reappear whenever it wishes.  So, once again the highest levels of our Gov't have stuck their noses into another civil war for reasons they refuse to acknowledge.   And the propaganda rolls on.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well
p.s.  Keep in mind that all our military adventurism overseas is paid for by borrowing more & more money from foreign countries.  That's the only way we can afford it.

Guantanamo, Exceptionalism, Neoliberals, and the Feds

In 1898, our Gov't stole Guantanamo at gunpoint.  That was during the time when "we" were "saving" various parts of the world from............................ Spain.  In 1903, Cuba essentially was forced (at gunpoint) to sign a perpetual lease, one of the terms being that our Gov't was to pay Cuba $2,000 a year... in gold.  I wonder if the USA held up that end of the bargain.  That also was during the time when Mark Twain became a founding member of the American Anti-Imperialist League.

The USA no longer engages in Imperialism.  Our Gov't (which hasn't represented We the People for quite some time) now engages in NeoImperialism.  That's so much better... one doesn't have to occupy a country in order to essentially control it.  Simply surround it with some of the almost 1,000 military bases the US has around the world.  The warships help, too.  Waging financial and economic war (or threatening to) is a big help as well.  Oh, and then there's the NSA spying...............on our allies.  None of them, of course, are permitted to spy on us; that's a crime.  When our Feds do it to others, that's okay.  [We the People did not delegate the power to the Fed Gov't to do any of that insanity.  The Constitution ENUMERATES all legitimate powers delegated to the Feds.  That document must be legally changed in order to add any new powers.  Interpreting it differently will not suffice.]

1898 was a banner year.  The Fed Gov't also "saved" Guam and the Philippines... and "annexed" Hawaii.  ["Annexed"--- that's Gov't-Speak for stole.]  When other countries do similar things, that's wrong... even a crime in many cases.  When the Fed Gov't does it, it's just, moral, ethical, and helpful.  That's because of American Exceptionalism---the concept that the USA is, you know, special (that's Gov't-Speak for "better").  "We" are exceptional because... well, just because.  [Usually promoters of American Exceptionalism say that it's because we have so many freedoms here (and value them so).  What they leave out is this:  those freedoms must conform to certain moral (not ethical) standards.  Other freedoms, even if they do NOT infringe on anyone's genuine rights or property, are not permitted.  So, for example, if one wishes to possess & imbibe a plant substance in the privacy of one's own home, behind locked doors, that is a crime.  There's nothing ethically wrong with it, but it doesn't meet certain moral standards.  Morality is subjective and varies from person to person and group to group.  Ethics are objective, carved in stone, and do not vary at all...ever.  Ethics are based on the science of Logic.  Doing the same with America's drug of choice (booze), of course, is okay, not a crime.  Hypocrisy abounds.]

Nowadays, and for some time, our Gov't is so special that it gets to be the World Police.  On what authority?  Well, you know.......................... none.  It's just that we're so exceptional.  That's it.  For example, when our Gov't kills children, that's NOT terrorism; when others kill children, it IS terrorism.  When our Gov't bombs civilians, that's NOT terrorism; when others do it, it IS terrorism.  Why?  Well, you know, our Fed Gov't is exceptional.  It does almost nothing wrong.  When it does do something wrong, it rarely holds anyone accountable for that wrongdoing... except for some low-level, unfortunate person.  As Obama recently said (paraphrased) in relation to the Senate torture report:  yes, some things were done wrong, but I prefer to move forward rather than dwell on the past.  It's a familiar refrain from those at the highest levels of our Outlaw Fed Gov't.

Don't misunderstand me.  I love this Land and its People.  At the same time, though, I pretty much dislike the highest levels of our Fed Gov't, the political Oligarchs.  Why?
1.  We no longer have a representative government in this country.  According to the respected, late historian, Carroll Quigley (Bill Clinton's mentor at Georgetown U.), we haven't had one since well before the 1960s.  The overwhelming majority of national political candidates are selected, groomed, and financed by the rich & powerful... and dance to their tune... at the expense of the rest of us.
2.  The Neoliberals (both Democrats and Republicans) at the highest levels have killed the Republic by trashing the Constitution of the United States.
3.  The Neoliberals (Democrats and Republicans) in Gov't, the Corporate Media, educational institutions, and mega corporations have been inundating this Land with Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid for decades.  The highest levels of the nonrepresentative Fed Gov't are the worst offenders in that regard.
4.  The Neoliberals (Democrats and Republicans) at the highest levels in the Fed Gov't are grossly hypocritical when it comes to spying (especially spying on allies), pre-emptive invasions, exposing wrongdoing (as in the cases of whistleblowers), complying with International Law (e.g., the Geneva Conventions), economic sanctions (sanctions are an act of war), etc., etc., ad nauseum.

Please visit my YouTube Channel for more.
http://www.youtube.com/user/scotthaley12

Not just my opinion.  Be Well

The CURRENT WARS of Obama's Fed Government

The USA's Fed Gov't is involved in the following wars.  They are wars because Obama is having the U.S. Military (not Law Enforcement personnel) shoot at people and kill them.  That's war.  These all belong to Obama now.

1.  The Third Iraq War, the one launched just recently.

2.  The ongoing War in Pakistan, the one where the highest levels of our Gov't order Hellfire missiles to be shot (from drones) at SUSPECTS.

3.  Ditto the War in Yemen.

4.  Ditto the War in Somalia.

5.  The War in Afghanistan, our longest war, and the one nobody is quite sure anymore why it is that we're still there.  Obviously, the Carlyle Group, Halliburton, Raytheon, CACI, GE, Boeing, McDonnell-Douglas, and several other transnational mega corporations are enjoying tremendous benefits from that never-ending war, but surely that's not a good enough reason to STILL be there.  Is it?  Well, yes, if you are a member of the Plutocracy in a soft Fascist State such as the USA---where the public constantly is being bombarded with Edward Bernays style propaganda---then it is a good enough reason.  Follow the money; war is Big Business...very big.

Those are the wars of which I am aware and/or can remember at the moment.  Perhaps there are others as well.  Some may attempt to argue that those five wars really are all one war--- the War on Terrorism.  It's a tempting argument, and we certainly have been propagandized enough to believe it.  If, however, we engage in some critical thinking, that argument quickly falls apart.  Consider the following.
1.  The fanatics we're fighting are all in separate entities; there is no "central command".  There is no group with the title, "Terrorism".  So, for example, the Taliban (whose leaders we hosted here in 1997 in order to negotiate a pipeline in Afghanistan) have completely different objectives as compared to ISIS.  They only want to run Afghanistan, as they were doing in 1997 when we invited them here for a business deal.  [Query:  did our Gov't consider them nasty brutes then?  If so, why were we treating them as potential business partners?]
2.  The propaganda is this (especially amongst so-called "Conservatives"):  there is one group we're fighting; it's "the Muslims", in particular, the fanatical element of the Muslims.  Really?  So, are they Sunnis or Shiites?  The fanatics, the extremists in Islam (not the mainstream) are at each other's throats.  They are not one group.  They appear to be worried more about each other than about us.  Plus, from what I can see, the Taliban don't give a damn about anything except Afghanistan.  Us still being in that country is complete nonsense.  To think of "the Muslims" as a monolithic, homogeneous entity also is nonsense.
3.  Specifically, whose military are we fighting in this supposed "War on Terrorism"?  The people we're fighting are not in an Army; they are a bunch of heterogeneous criminal gangs (of a sort).  They each have their own agenda.  Should any of them ever attack the USA again, it is a matter for Law Enforcement, not our Military.  Most all of the plots against our country have been thwarted by LAW ENFORCEMENT Agencies, not our Armed Forces.  Soldiers are not cops, and shouldn't be expected to fulfill that function.

Finally, the five wars listed above are all illegal, unconstitutional wars.  Three uses of the military are permitted by the Constitution:  to repel invasions (of this country); to quell insurrections (in this country); and to enforce the laws of the land (in this country) when minor rebellions make that necessary---for example, the Whisky Rebellion of the late 1700s, or the refusal to integrate schools in the South in the mid-sixties.  No law trumps the Constitution, so the War Powers Act cannot be used legally to justify going to war for some reason other than the three scenarios listed above.

That leaves only TREATIES to justify wars outside the USA (if we haven't been attacked at home).  Treaties do trump the Constitution.  IF that's what's being used to justify the five wars above, I'd like to see those Treaties...especially the one with Somalia or any of its neighbors.  [As to Afghanistan, it wasn't the Taliban who attacked us on 9-11-01.  Their refusal to turn over Osama supposedly justified us going to war with Afghanistan.  The truth is:  the Taliban replied to our Fed Govt's request by saying essentially this:  show us some proof of his guilt and we'll turn him over to you.  Our Gov't refused.  Being a guest of an Afghan tribal society is a really big deal in their culture.  I think the Taliban's request for proof was reasonable.]  The funny thing is, I've never heard the DC Plutocrats use any Treaty to justify the wars in question.  Usually they claim the right to go to war based on the War Powers Act and/or the duties of Commander-in-Chief.  They certainly couldn't use a Treaty to justify invading Iraq in 2003; Saddam hadn't attacked any other country then, whether our ally or not.  The Bush Administration's justification was that Saddam was guilty of PRE-Crime.  [Explained in a previous post on this Blog.]  As Bush put it, "If we wait for the smoking gun, it will be too late."...sounds good, but that's a completely illegal reason to attack and invade another country.

Any way you examine supposed justifications for the above-listed wars, they turn out to be illegal, unconstitutional, unethical, and even immoral.  Welcome to the Soft Fascist States of America, a land I love, but sincerely regret the fact that we no longer have a representative government...and that's been true for decades.  Carroll Quigley was right in 1966.

It's a genuine shame.

Be Well

Three Liars: Obama, Netanyahu, and Susan Rice

Yes, it's a harsh title, I know.  Perhaps I'm wrong.  If they aren't lying, then they're extremely uninformed, ignorant, and/or naive.  You decide.  I'm taking a break from painting, so this piece will be somewhat short.  In my opinion, the three characters mentioned in the title above perfectly illustrate how Oligarchs (or their puppets) sometimes operate.  Consider the following points.

1.  The tunnels---  Hamas has built tunnels into Egypt as well as Israel.  After the current dictator of Egypt took part in a military coup that overthrew a democratically elected gov't, he had the Egyptian ends of the Hamas tunnels SEALED.  Israel could have done the same thing with the ends of the tunnels crossing their borders.  The Israelis claimed that one of the reasons they bombed and invaded Gaza (killing hundreds of civilians and destroying thousands of homes) was to destroy the tunnels.  They could have been permanently sealed from the Israeli side.  This was expressed by Norman Finkelstein on Democracy Now.  Rarely reported in the Corporate Media is why there were tunnels into Egypt.  It was because Gaza is under blockade... not just weapons are restricted, but all kinds of civilian goods as well.  Those tunnels allowed the Palestinians to obtain much needed civilian goods and supplies.  The Israelis allow only minimal amounts to be imported into Gaza.  Gazans are not permitted to be a free people; they basically are confined to an area that is six times more densely populated than Manhattan.

2.  Obama and the Congress have given foreign aid to Egypt that amounts to over a billion dollars.  The sole reason for that appears to be because the Egyptian dictatorship does not support Hamas.  [Let's not forget that decades ago, the Israeli Irgun was a terrorist organization as well, operating in the very same land where Hamas dwells.]

3.  The rockets---  First of all, the Hamas "rockets" hardly can be called rockets at all.  That term implies a degree of sophistication; nevertheless, they are explosive projectiles of some sort.  The author, Norman Finkelstein, claims they amount to something a few degrees above fireworks.  In any case, they certainly are dangerous... so, that begs the question, why are they being fired into Israel?  The Corporate Media rarely go into that, and if so, just barely.  I have to be brief, too... Hamas is trying to get Israel to end the almost eight-year blockade of Gaza.  In addition, I suspect that Palestinians are still pissed off that for more than 65 years, the Israelis have been trying to drive them off their land.  Palestinians refused to accept the U.N. partition of their land (Palestine) in 1948 into two States (Israel and Palestine) because they had been living on that land in a majority for hundreds of years.  They considered all of it their land.  The Israelis, by means of terrorism starting in 1946, finally forced the British to go to the U.N. for some sort of solution to the "Palestinian problem".  The Israelis "reclaiming" land on which their ancestors lived a couple of thousand years ago is akin to me & my "clan" returning to Ireland and "reclaiming" some place where my ancestors lived a couple of thousand years ago.  Perhaps the American Indians/Native Americans here in the U.S. should reclaim their land.  [You see how the whole idea breaks down in modern times.]

4.  The Iron Dome---  Theodore Postol, an M.I.T. Professor, a physicist, and expert on missiles, rockets, and military defense systems, stated on Democracy Now that the Iron Dome is at most perhaps 5% effective.  He explained his claim quite well, but I don't have the time to detail it.  He also said that the lack of Israeli death and injury from Hamas attacks is not due to the Iron Dome, but rather to the advanced Israeli early warning system and the fact that Israeli homes, by law, must have an artillery-shell-proof shelter within.  In addition, of course, there are many public shelters throughout Israeli towns and cities.
Meanwhile, Obama and our Congress have authorized $225 million MORE to bolster the almighty Iron Dome...which, according to a top expert, is 5% effective.  Who benefits?  Raytheon Corporation, that's who.  Plus, National Security Advisor Susan Rice states publicly what a great defense system is the Iron Dome.

5.  The lobbyist-funded love affair between the U.S. Gov't and the Israeli Gov't---
Norman Finkelstein, on Democracy Now, also pointed out that Obama started out touting the righteousness of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.  Then after the Israelis essentially murdered so many civilian bystanders and even U.N. personnel in schools and hospitals by deliberate targeting of same, he had to change his tune.  According to Finkelstein, Netanyahu withdrew his troops because Obama said publicly that the Israeli actions were deplorable and indefensible.  The author said that this is the beginning of the end of the love affair between the two Gov'ts.

6.  Even IF Hamas was using civilians to shield military activities, a HUMANE Gov't does not go ahead anyway and target civilian homes, schools, and hospitals...thus killing hundreds of innocent men, women, and CHILDREN.  CHILDREN!  As to the Israeli military warning civilians that their homes were about to be bombed, the question arises, to where should they run?  U.N. shelters were also bombed... killing refugees, as well as U.N. workers.  That is insanity; there is no justification for it.  These are war crimes.

Enough of the lies from the Establishment... enough of only part of the history of Israel and Palestine.  Israel is not the Little Miss Goodie Two Shoes portrayed by Obama (until very recently), Netanyahu, Susan Rice, and the Corporate Media.  There are two sides to every story of conflict.

Partly just my opinion.

Be Well

Addendum to: Signs That the Elites in Our Gov't Have Lost It

As reported on Democracy Now! ---

1.  The FBI has deemed Ryan Shapiro's PhD Dissertation on Animal Rights to be a threat to national security.  Ryan, an Animal Rights activist, is a PhD candidate at M.I.T.  He also has submitted more Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Feds than any other American.  Perhaps the tagging of his Dissertation was Gov't payback for all those FOIA requests...who knows.

2.  In 2006, Dubya Bush signed into law the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA).  As a result, animal rights activists who go undercover into Big Ag factory farms and film deplorable conditions and gross mistreatment of livestock may be charged with terrorism.  Nonviolent, peaceful activists who stage sit-ins or lie-downs at such factory farms are not just practicing civil disobedience protests anymore; they may be charged with terrorism as well.

3.   The Feds have tagged the underground Animal Rights activists (not the out-in-the-open protesters) and the underground environmental protesters as the number one domestic terrorist threat.  So, if you break into, say, a fur farm at night and release all the critters, you're part of the number one terrorist threat in America.  Really?  Imagine if you stole an apple in the process.  Admittedly, a few of these eco-activists and animal rights activists who are clandestine have burned structures to the ground or otherwise damaged the property of Big Business in the past...but, the number one domestic terrorist threat?  I don't think so.  As far as I know, not one person has been injured as a result of their illegal actions.

4.  In the course of monitoring the peaceful "Occupy Houston" protest not too long ago, the FBI discovered a sniper plot against the leaders of that rally.  The FBI kept that fact from everyone.

5.  In a memo and a scenario similar to a portion of the old COINTELPRO, the FBI describes how peaceful Animal Rights activists can be neutralized by spreading false rumors that certain ones of them are FBI undercover agents.  More lies from the Fed Gov't.

6.  Ryan Shapiro (see number 1. above) is suing the NSA, FBI, and DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) for their refusal to disclose the USA role in the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela.  Shapiro also wants to know why the Gov't kept Mandela on the Terrorist Watch List until 2008... which is another indication of how the management of all this unwieldly "terrorism" info is really beyond the capability of the sprawling Fed Gov't.  The right hand often doesn't know what the left hand is doing.  I think there's a misconception amongst the public that the central government is one big monolith.  In reality, it's thousands of semi-autonomous institutions which often are competing for turf and funding.  The result is what you see today...some of it good, much of it miserably bad.

Partly just my opinion.    Be Well

Obama---King of the Drone Strikes

As reported by Karim Kahn's attorney on Democracy Now, about 1400 innocent people have been killed in Pakistan by U. S. Fed Gov't drone strikes.  A few years ago, Kahn's brother and son were killed in just that way.  He became an activist (wouldn't you?) and launched a couple of lawsuits against both the U.S. and Pakistani Gov'ts.  Just recently, he was abducted, hooded, taken to a basement cell somewhere, beaten, and tortured by masked men.  They "interrogated" him about terrorism.  After nine days of that, he was released.

Other victims (on the broadcast) told of watching their grandmothers, sons, daughters, and other family/friends literally blown to pieces by Hellfire missles from drones... basically right in front of their eyes.  Some of the witnesses were injured as well.  You won't see those stories on the Corporate Media news; they're too busy reporting on the weather...for anywhere from one-third to up to two-thirds of their whopping 15-17 minute broadcasts.  [Yes, the weather can be important; but, it can be covered in two minutes.]  Democracy Now reports significant news...for an hour.

According to the rules laid out in the Constitution of the United States of America, which NO LAW over-rides, we are not currently at war---not in Pakistan, Waziristan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Colombia, or anywhere else.  So presently, in terms of killing people without a trial, the only Constitutional justification for that is Letters of Marque and Reprisal.  Those are permitted by the Constitution.  Legally though, those cannot originate from Obama (or any President); they can be issued only by CONGRESS.  Whether anyone likes it or not, that means we have (at the highest levels) an Outlaw Fed Gov't.  Obama is ordering drone strikes and JSOC incursions (assassinating suspects) at a level higher than any President in our history...and it's all unconstitutional.  That makes it beyond ironic that he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

The Drone Strikers and JSOC Assassins don't even know for certain if they're getting the right people.  The victims are suspects.  That's not taking into account the ones who are later found to be totally innocent victims (not even suspects)---wrong place, wrong time---hundreds of them, perhaps thousands.  Obama recently lied in a speech in which he claimed that the drone strikes were so targeted, so precise that there was very little chance of innocent bystanders being injured or killed...shades of Rumsfeld pontificating on the strikes in Iraq, another falsehood.  There are too many witnesses in Pakistan and Waziristan who contradict him.  The illegal manner in which suspects are killed by drones is somewhat akin to a person shooting an RPG round into a house filled with people...in order to kill an ant.  The whole business is shameful.  Not too long ago, a long-time Drone Operator quit because he believed the Constitution was being violated relative to permitted uses of the military...he was absolutely correct.  He also had great concerns over how suspects were being identified...largely by NSA metadata and cell phone tracking.  I guess the CIA and the military have never heard of cell phones being stolen, or lost, or borrowed, or loaned out, or left "on" when discarded.

We have been propagandized and bamboozled.  The "War on Terrorism" is not a legal war; fighting terrorism is a Law Enforcement issue, not a military action issue.  Our Constitution is being ignored every single day...never mind common sense, morality, ethics, and justice.  Relative to "war", this dismissing of the Supreme Law of the Land has been going on for decades.  Because of that, many (perhaps most) Americans think that we legally are at "war" with someone.  It's a lie, and a blatant one.  It's pure, unadulterated propaganda...and it has a long history.

Every Obama-ordered drone strike or JSOC incursion is unconstitutional.  We are not legally at war, and as far as I know, Congress has issued no assassination orders.  The War Powers Act does not trump the Supreme Law of the Land, nor does the PATRIOT Act, or any other law.  As Commander-in-Chief, any President is constrained by Constitutional use of the military.  Read that document---find out specifically what the military can be used for---there are only THREE legal uses permitted.  That can be changed by Constitutional Amendment...but there has been no such Amendment.  Furthermore, at the risk of beating a dead horse--- NO LAW TRUMPS THE CONSTITUTION.  [Only a Treaty can do that, so beware of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade Agreement, both of which are being promoted by Corporatist Obama...and many, many other Democrats and Republicans.  All at the behest of the Oligarchy...and as I've said over & over, it's not any kind of "conspiracy".  It's almost completely out in the open; that includes the promotion of "war".]

With these unconstitutional drone strikes and JSOC incursions, we're making more and more enemies around the world.  Never mind the illegal gathering of bulk data by the NSA.  Never mind the fact that FBI Agents now can write their own warrants...no due process needed.  Never mind the fact that we're holding suspects for years & years with no charges, no trial, and little hope.  Never mind the insanity of having hundreds and hundreds (900 was the last report I saw) of American military bases around the world.  All of the above are making us less safe, less free. and more despised.  It breaks my heart to see my once-respected country go down this Corporatist, Fascist path.

Partly just my opinion...and that of many, many others.
Be Well

This and That

1.  I see by yesterday's headlines that Afghanimization is going about as well as did Vietnamization---Nixon & Kissinger's plan to turn over the fighting in Vietnam (back when) to the South Vietnamese Army.  Similar conditions exist in Afghanistan as existed in Vietnam during that war---a corrupt government, a native Army incapable of defending itself, a native people who do not support the corrupt/puppet government, and a native people who want us out of their country.  And yet we continue... completely ignoring the lessons of History.  Young troops being maimed & killed for the sake of the Corporatocracy...the Oligarchy...the Plutocracy...whatever you wish to call it...and, the estimated one trillion dollars worth of unmined minerals...the natural gas & oil pipeline corridors...Brzezinki's "American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives".  Shameful...and utterly so.  Apparently most Americans still believe that the present war is protecting us from TERRORISM, the Boogie Man that replaced the other Boogie Man, Communism.  Please.  That's about as true as the line that the Vietnam war was protecting us from Communism.  Let's see, N. Vietnam won...and life everywhere else went on pretty much the same.  No dominoes fell.  We now trade with Vietnam and visit there at will.

2.  Kudos to Snowden, the guy who blew the whistle on the NSA.  The NSA's actions were the result of orders from the FISA "Court", a secret "court" with absolutely no oversight by anyone...not Congress, not anyone... except of course, the Dictator-in-Chief (any President, not just Obama).  Where are the "checks and balances"?  Over the last 2-3 decades, the Executive Branch has seized an incredible amount of unconstitutional power.  Defenders of that obscenity can go on & on about how this or that secret action---with no oversight---prevented this or that calamity.  They miss the point---our Constitutional Republic cannot legally operate that way.  We have, in effect, an Outlaw Government.  Defenders of the current obscenity can go on & on about how, as Obama put it, "no one's conversations are being listened to".  Really?  How do we know?---there's no oversight.  Plus, the NSA actions included the internet.  I didn't hear anyone say, "no one's web surfing is being watched".  Again, how do we know...there's zero oversight.  Our Republic exists in name only...the checks and balances are long gone.  Long gone.

Be Well

The State and Perpetual War

According to a couple different news stories, one in the New York Times, recent setbacks in Afghanistan have put a "cloud" over the Administration's timetable for withdrawal of troops in that country. Big surprise. :) I remember when they created that timetable; it seemed at the time that few people paid much attention to the phrase, "depending upon conditions on the ground". Most folks seemed to focus on the announcement that we would begin serious troop withdrawals in July of 2011. I also remember when then Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld stated that "major combat has ended in Afghanistan". That was in 2003. Will we ever stop trusting these politicians? Apparently they either are extremely short-sighted, incompetent, or out-right liars.

It seems to me the chances are good that we will not be leaving Afghanistan next year, or even in 2012. If by some chance we do leave, I suspect that we'll simply "invade" another country, perhaps Pakistan, or some other -stan in Central Asia, or maybe Iran. We don't, of course, technically "invade" any country (except Iraq); instead, we are invited in by some corrupt puppet government or "government-in-exile", thus it all seems above board. The reason for our 700+ overseas military bases once was the threat of worldwide communism; now it is worldwide terrorism. Or so the story goes.

I agree with those who believed that communism (from certain quarters, at least) was a threat, and I believe that terrorism (from certain quarters) is now a threat. But terrorists usually do not engage in conventional warfare, as did the communists in, say, Korea. Terrorism is best handled by intelligence agencies and law enforcement. If you disagree with that premise, consider this: if we are to combat terrorism with conventional military forces, then those forces will have to remain forever in countries where terrorism is found. If they don't, what happens when we leave? The terrorists simply will come out of the woodwork and pick up where they left off; we will never kill or capture all terrorists.

If one takes a serious look at human history, the conclusion reached regarding war almost certainly has to be that the State loves (or those that rule love) that activity. War provides certain advantages to rulers: common people are manipulated more easily if they have a common enemy; there is the opportunity to obtain and/or secure natural resources; if the rulers have a vested interest in defense industries, then there is the opportunity to make a lot of money; and there is the opportunity to obtain and/or secure transportation routes for resources such as natural gas and oil. [Our interest in Afghanistan seriously began years ago when Big Oil wanted right-of-way for a natural gas/oil pipeline across most of the country.]

A long time ago, Machiavelli refined the concept of "perpetual war" in order to control the masses and gain resources. I don't think much has changed regarding War and the State since that time.

At the risk of sounding like a "conspiracy theorist", I don't believe that the national politicians in DC "rule" this country. I also don't believe that the People "rule" this country. Instead, we are ruled by multi-national, mega corporations...Crony Capitalists (not genuine Capitalists). [Crony Capitalists are more like Fascists...they are married to the State.] Most importantly, it's NOT a conspiracy. It's right out in the open for all to see. If you haven't seen it, then apparently you're not looking very hard.

So what can we do to correct the situation? Somehow we have to figure out a way to elect people to office who will not become unduly influenced or controlled by the Corporatocracy. How do we do that? Good question. Perhaps a start would be to demand term limits and genuine campaign finance reform. A Constitutional Amendment may be required. But how do we demand anything? I think different forms of boycotting may be the answer. For example, boycott incumbents of both political parties. Better yet, boycott the parties themselves. Why keep electing and re-electing the politicians who have brought us to this point? It makes no sense. We could boycott elections, but I doubt that will ever happen. Because we really do have taxation without true representation, we could stop paying taxes...but most likely that will never happen, at least, not within my lifetime. I'm open to other suggestions.

I don't claim to know the solution, but I believe that if we don't do something decisive, then this country...We the People as sovereigns...are doomed in terms of a free society. Alexis de Tocqueville warned us in the 1800s of what he termed "soft despotism". Google his name and that term, and see what you think.

Indefinite Detention for Pre-Crime

This nightmare is right out of the movie, Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise. http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=5258 If the link doesn't work, go to www.independent.org/blog and do a search for: McCain-Lieberman Bill Flirts with Totalitarianism.

These pathetic, anti-Constitution, national politicians are proposing that the U.S. military be able to detain U.S. citizens without trial (and indefinitely) in the USA for suspected activity. This goes right along with King Obama's idea for "extended detention". No habeas corpus, no lawyer, no trial, no due process, and all based on suspicion...not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

It's unclear to me exactly what it will take to wake up the American people. If this legislative bill doesn't do it, I fear nothing will. Many (perhaps most) of our elected representatives apparently feel that all they have to do is utter the word "terror", or "terrorist", or "terrorism" and they then have the right to ignore the U.S. Constitution. It's incredible.

Please help send a message this Fall: vote these Fascist types out of office (and that includes Obama in 2012). If bills like this are ever passed, almost anyone could be considered an "enemy of the State" and held indefinitely without trial. What if you say something "suspicious", or buy the "wrong" book, or a genuine terrorist misdials your phone number? What if your neighbor has a grudge, or simply doesn't like you, and then manufactures "suspicious activity" on your part?

I think "...Flirts with Totalitarianism" is a gross understatement. Each of us is a sovereign individual with unalienable rights (and responsibilities). Our Government is not going to protect that status, even though that is its function. It is up to us.