Finally - It's About Time!

A day or two ago, there was a unanimous SCOTUS decision against excessive fines, fees, & civil asset forfeiture imposed by State, County, & City authorities.  Texas, in particular, is infamous for such practices, plus "Debtor's Prison" if you can't afford the freight.  Example:  a fine of $569 (if I recall correctly) for grass too high in a vacant lot (the back lot of a residential double lot).  The "court fees" are added to that...hundreds of dollars more.  If you can't pay immediately, chances are great that you go to jail.  In California, if you run a red light, the fine is $100; but $390 is added to that in the form of "fees".  $490 for trying (and failing) to make a yellow light.  Outrageous.

I didn't see this story on the Corporate TV News, but it was a lead story on Democracy Now.  The Corporate Media seem to avoid any stories that have even a hint of the growing poverty in the USA.

In some local jurisdictions, you can be fined hundreds of dollars for having anything dangling from your interior, rear view mirror...including a simple, small chain.

Civil (not Criminal) Asset Forfeiture (CAF) applies even if you're not convicted of whatever "crime" or code violation is involved.  Your assets can be seized in addition to fines imposed, or simply because they "look suspicious".  When you apply to get your property back, it has already been auctioned off...& you get no cash compensation.  This has been going on in the Land of the Free for about 25-30 years.  It started because counties & cities lost huge tax revenue when manufacturing moved South of the border or overseas---Corporatist Globalization.  So, excessive fines & fees AND CAF have been used to raise local revenue.  SCOTUS finally ruled against it.

Apparently, even NeoCon Justices do something ethical once in awhile.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

George Orwell: the Greatest Political & Social Prophet of All Time

Following are just a few bits of evidence supporting the assertion in the title above.  This all applies throughout the Western World, but especially in the Land I love, the USA.

1.  The word "war" no longer means war.  Instead, it means "leading the world", or "fighting terrorism", or "protecting our allies", or "spreading democracy", etc.  More importantly, war now can be waged at the sole discretion of the Executive Branch in the USA...a direct violation of the Supreme Law of the Land.  They say it's not war.  That's very Orwellian...any time our Gov't bombs another country, anyone with any common sense at all knows that's an act of war.  Congressional approval is no longer sought.  The concept of Unitary Executive Power reigns supreme in our Orwellian Gov't; it has for years & years.  As in Orwell's novel, 1984, the meanings of key words are being manipulated/changed by the highest levels of our Gov't and by other Elites.

Very recently, our President gave an anti-terrorism speech to the Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia.  The extremist Sunni Sect of Wahhabism (adhered to by ISIS & Al Qaeda), which is spread around the world by "True Believers", is Saudi State-sponsored.  Trump then announced billions of dollars in military hardware sales to the Saudis...pretty much on the heels of Obama's similar action when he was President.  Then The Don joined in some kind of silly, celebratory "sword dance" (or something).  All of this is Orwellian to the max.  On top of that, our military is helping the Saudis (logistics, targeting, & equipment) in their devastating war in Yemen.  The Saudis are bombing schools, hospitals, public water facilities, and civilians in general.  The country is on the verge of famine, cholera is spreading, and hundreds upon hundreds of children have been killed by bombs.  This is a Sunni-Shia war; it has little or nothing to do with terrorism, that is to say, the type of terrorism Trump claims to be fighting.

2.  For some time now in the USA, due to CIVIL Asset Forfeiture, a person's property (perhaps certain tools, or a "large" amount of cash, and other things) can be seized by the Authorities without any warrant or arrest just because the items seem SUSPICIOUS.  Law Enforcement people will say, yes, but if everything turns out to be innocent, then you can get your property back.  Try that sometime.  See how much time, effort, and money it takes.  Sometimes the property is auctioned off before your months-long quest to retrieve it is completed.  Often you are stalled in your efforts into infinity, and nothing ever gets resolved.  Local and regional governments are so strapped for income that they resort to exorbitant fines, asset forfeiture, and outrageous fees in order simply to survive.  That's primarily because their manufacturing tax base has moved out of the country.  Local governments often are just as dictatorial as the Fed Gov't sometimes is; that's especially true of County governments.  1984.

3.  Presumption of Innocence until proven guilty, especially in the international arena, is pretty much dead.  One example:  the gassing of civilians in Syria.  It has not been proven that Assad was responsible.  Some people simply assumed it because, by most accounts, the guy is a brutal dictator.  Trump then fires missiles, attacks a sovereign country...an act of war...without any Congressional approval.  By the way, about half the missiles missed the airbase, and the other half hit nothing of critical importance.  Most planes were not hit, the runway was undamaged, and planes flew out of there the very next day.  Nevertheless, none of it should have happened; it was all illegal.  Plus, where's the proof that Assad was the culprit in the gas attack?  The Unitary Executive concept rules.  That's totalitarian absolutism.  Just because it was exercised against a supposedly bad apple does not excuse it.  The President is not above the Law, regardless of what the elite government lawyers claim.

4.  On the domestic front, due process has been disappearing for years.  Without any proper warrant, our private data can be mined, our property sometimes can be seized, and we can be spied upon at will by the Fed Gov't.  Americans don't seem to understand that it isn't only the suspicious people who are being spied upon by the Feds...it's everyone.  Orwellian.  To top it off, high officials such as James Clapper are allowed to lie while testifying before Congress about this spying...with no penalty.  Lying while testifying before Congress is a felony.  Where is the Rule of Law?

In addition, too many people (suspects) are being shot in the back, TASED & then shot, handcuffed & then TASED repeatedly, forced to die of thirst while being held in jail, beaten to a pulp after surrendering, repeatedly harassed for exposing wrongdoing by authorities, arrested on bogus charges which the authorities know will be dismissed, etc., ad nauseam & ad infinitum.  Orwellian.
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If we are to have any chance of overcoming all this, then it seems to me we should consider doing the following.
1.  Start with the premise that most Elites (public & private) are not working in favor of Main Street.
2.  Stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid coming from the Elites on the political Right and Left.
3.  Shun the disastrous, dictatorial, so-called Two-Party political system in the USA.  It's a sham.
4.  Shun Corporatism whenever possible.
5.  Understand that effective Propaganda always has some elements of truth in it.  That doesn't mean any conclusions put forth are accurate or logical.
6.  Think critically.  Don't be gullible, and beware of great-sounding catch phrases.
7.  Hold all politicians not only to the Rule of Law, but to high ethical standards as well.
8.  Speak out.  Be a whistleblower.  Governments are not above the Law...except in an Orwellian world.
9.  Abraham Lincoln once said, "Factions destroy republics.".  Instead of Red or Blue, consider Purple.  Be an Independent.
10.  Boycott.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Quagmires and Plain Craziness, in the USA and Abroad

1.  Our Gov't continues its two and a half decade war in Iraq.  If I recall correctly, that war started in 1990.  There were a few brief respites between then & now, but not many.  [I count "sanctions" as acts of war... because History does as well.]  Just prior to 1990, Saddam & our Gov't Oligarchs were best buddies.  He was taken OFF the Terrorist Watch List by Reagan, I think it was, because Iraq was in a war with Iran.  We continue on in Iraq not because of "spreading democracy" or "fighting terrorism" or whatever the current excuse may be, but rather because our access to Iraq's oil is not yet secure.

2.  Similarly, our Gov't continues to wage war (Gov't Oligarchs call it "counter-terrorism") in Afghanistan because geologists estimate that a one trillion dollar bonanza in minerals lies under the ground there.  [Some of those minerals are rare and just about mined-out everywhere else.]  The U.S. Gov't wants to secure access to that bonanza.

3.  Our President continues to meet every Tuesday with some number of other Executive Branch outlaws in order to choose which people to murder in "counter-terrorism" drone attacks.  [In most cases, such people are SUSPECTS.]  Again, I point out that such action by the Executive Branch is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.  One of the clauses in Article I, Section 8 clearly states that Letters of Marque and Reprisal (assassination orders) are to be issued by the Congress.  The Executive has no authority in that area.  Being Commander-in-Chief never has meant that the President gets to ignore some parts of the Supreme Law of the Land.

4.  Our Govt's Terrorist Watch List (or whatever the hack politicians call it) is completely illegal.  Admittedly, I'm not an attorney...thank Buddha-Mind (or "God", if you prefer); however, I do have a fairly good grasp of Logic and I'm very familiar with the Constitution.  I say that List is illegal because it accuses and harms people without them knowing about it until it's too late.  Plus, there's no appeal, no recourse, no chance to defend oneself.  You are deemed guilty until the Gov't changes its mind.  That whole scenario is not fair, just, or legal.  It's one more piece of evidence that we are in a Soft Fascist State.

5.  The Gov't of Turkey is now bombing both ISIS and the Kurds in northern Iraq, the same Kurds who are fighting ISIS.  Institutional idiocy.

6.  The Gov't of Germany (the richest country in Europe), along with the European Central Bank and others (including Hedge Funds), have refused to write-down Greece's debt to a point where it can be repaid.  After WW I, that's exactly the break that Germany got relative to its debt.  That's why, prior to Hitler, Germany was at the pinnacle of European culture and productivity.  The Germans were able to recover from WW I because their debt was reduced by their creditors.  [By the way, some portion of Greece's debt has been purchased at discounted prices by Hedge Funds, which stand to benefit greatly from the "Austerity" being imposed upon Greece.]  So now, pensions in Greece are being reduced to about $94 per month.  Public infrastructure will be sold to mega corporations.  Taxes will be raised in an already devastated economy.  Way to go, Germany, et. al.  Save the rich creditors, ruin Greece.  Great plan.

7.  The Police State in the USA continues on.  Read the headlines.  Plus, because cities & counties have lost so much tax revenue (due to Oligarchs moving manufacturing out of our country), in some places a driver can be ticketed & fined for having anything hanging from the rear view mirror...such as a deodorizer or a chain.  Then, too, there is Civil Asset Forfeiture.  With no charge, no indictment, no trial, nothing, your cash and other property can be seized by police because it's "suspicious".  For example, a significant amount of cash can be taken from you because the cop suspects that you may buy drugs with it...probable cause is not required.  Another example:  if you have certain tools in your car, they can be taken with no due process... because the cop thinks you're going to commit a burglary with them.  Have mercy.

8.  Saudi Arabia continues to behead people for "crimes" such as sorcery and blasphemy.  These barbarians are our allies, folks.  Again, have mercy.  Never mind that the State there sponsors the most radical form of Sunni Islam (Wahhabism) in existence... they behead people for "crimes" such as blasphemy and adultery.  Wake up, DC politicos.

9.  Obama continues to deny that his wars are war at all.  Instead, they are deemed "counter-terrorism".  Orwell would be proud.  The Constitution is clear about who can put this country at war... and it's not the President.  It appears, though, that very few Americans care whether or not our "leader" is violating the Supreme Law of the Land.  Amazing.

10.  It looks as though most Americans are gearing up for the phony national election next year.  For eight years, I've used this blog to detail why our whole political scene is a farce... so I won't repeat myself now.

Not just my opinion.  Be Well