This, That, and the Other--- The Arrogance of the Oligarchs

1.  Hopefully you've heard of the TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  It's another so-called "Free Trade" agreement...that has almost nothing to do with trade, but almost everything to do with the Corporate Oligarchy re-writing the laws of individual countries, creating extra-judicial, binding tribunals, and allowing foreign corporations to sue countries for perceived economic losses due to the laws & policies of those same countries.  [I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.]  That means a European corporation, for example, could sue the US (to get some of your tax money) claiming that some health & safety law of ours caused them economic loss.  The "case" would be heard in a "tribunal" outside of this country...and would be binding.

As we speak, Obama is attempting to get Congress to vote him "fast-track authority" to approve this obscene treaty.  For more detailed info on the whole shabby affair, go to the "Democracy Now" news website, search for the 11/21/13 webcast, & look for a sidebar piece entitled "TPP Exposed..." (under "Most Popular"); there's also a sidebar entitled "A Corporate Trojan Horse".  I'll put the link immediately below, but I don't believe that Google allows embedded links on Blogspot anymore...I may be wrong about that---
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/11/14/tpp_exposed_wikileaks_publishes_secret_trade

2.  TAFTA, the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement...ditto number 1 above.  Details are at citizen.org slash documents slash TAFTA-top-ten-factsheet.pdf ...the factsheet describes the top ten threats of this agreement to Americans' daily lives.  Again, I'll attempt to place the link immediately below---
http://www.citizen.org/documents/TAFTA-top-ten-factsheet.pdf

3.  Henry Kissinger once stated, " 'Illegal' we [the Fed Gov't] can do immediately; 'unconstitutional' takes a bit longer.".  Various laws (or portions thereof) are being used by the Fed Gov't to accomplish things that are violations of the U.S. Constitution, especially the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments; never mind the Ninth & Tenth Amendments... for all practical purposes, they no longer even exist.  Those laws include, but are not limited to, the PATRIOT Act (what a misnomer), The War Powers Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act.  Especially those three need to be [if we are to protect our Freedom] either fixed or repealed.

I cannot emphasize this more strongly:  no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution; only Treaties can do that.  If a law contradicts/violates the Constitution, it is automatically null and void under our system of government.  The Oligarchs don't want us to remember that...just my opinion.

The Propaganda Kool Aid

Remember Jim Jones and The People's Temple, the guy who convinced (or forced) about 800 of his congregation to kill themselves by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid?  That's the metaphor for the essay below.

There's no nice way to say this, or perhaps it's that I don't have the time to find a nice way.  So please forgive me if I sound harsh.  I've been observing this scenario for decades, and I'm a bit fed up.

You folks who still believe that voting (in the present system) makes a difference just keep electing the same types of people over & over & over...candidates chosen, groomed, and financed by the Oligarchs. And you both (Repubs & Dems) keep blaming the other side. Here's a clue: they're all on the same side.

What if they put on an election...and nobody showed up to vote? Now THAT would send a message! But it will never happen... because Americans just keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. "Oh, don't you know---it's the Republicans' fault." "Oh, don't you know---it's the Democrats' fault."

Here's another clue: it's the voters' fault...all of you. No one else puts those clowns in office. ALL of them represent the one-percenters, the Oligarchs...ALL of them vote for deficit spending... ALL of them shaft the common people... ALL of them pass laws & implement policies that transfer wealth from the Middle Class to the 1% upper crust. [40% of the wealth of this land now is owned by 1% of the people...& that's not because 99% of us are lazy.] But go ahead, keep voting for them...keep drinking the Kool Aid that says this one is different, this one is on our side, that one over there is the problem. Sorry, but you're dead wrong.

American voters (all of you) are getting exactly the type of government that you deserve...because you just keep drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid. The Oligarchs have divided & conquered us completely. When it comes to politics, I no longer have any sympathy whatsoever for American voters...apparently all you see is the false surface of American politics...the propaganda...Right v. Left, Conservatives v. Progressives, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

There is a better way...actually, almost anything would be better than the fraudulent, dictatorial, crony political parties that run the show now... puppets of the mega corporations. But first, voters have to stop drinking the Kool Aid.

Just my opinion.

The New World Order...Again

Below is a comment I left on CBSNews.com, in response to a brief comment in the Evening News by John Miller about the New World Order.  The recent LAX shooter had yelled out something about the NWO, and analyst Miller stated something to the effect that "conspiracy theorists" believed in the same and in "black helicopters" and the like.  That's the background for this response of mine---
[For this article, I've expanded the original comment a bit; additions are in brackets.]

For Mr. Miller---RE: the New World Order---


1. You may or may not know, but former President Bush (Sr.) told us that we could look forward to a "New World Order". It's not a conspiracy theory.

2. Forget the "black helicopters"...I suspect that very few believe in that scenario. The one of which Mr. Bush spoke is much worse...and again, it's NOT a conspiracy. It's right out in the open.

3. The actual New World Order involves the creation (ongoing as we speak) of a world economic structure run by transnational, mega corporations (including mega banks). [The results already are evident: neocolonialism in the Southern Hemisphere; manufacturing & jobs beginning to disappear in the Northern Hemisphere; Financialization (nothing but paper) replacing productive work; competition shrinking; and an exponential transfer of wealth from the Middle Class to the 1% upper crust.  That's the real NWO.] Again, it's out in the open for all to see.

4. As David Rockefeller stated publicly in 1991 (paraphrased due to memory): "Surely it is preferable to have the world run by [business] elites than by nations and the corrupt politicians of the past."...that's the goal of the Corporatocracy...and it's not a conspiracy. The Oligarchy believes it's simply good business...at least, that's my opinion of what they believe.

5. The Corporate Media love to conflate these two different New World Orders, and call the whole mess a "conspiracy theory". That phrase is used by Oligarchs to squash serious discussion of controversial subjects. But in the last several years or so, we commoners (I believe) have seen through that ploy. The propaganda won't work anymore. More and more, people are realizing that NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, [Credit Default Swaps, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Financialization,] etc. are not good for not only the USA, but the world as well.

6. Thus, my suggestion is for the Media to stop using that tired phrase ["conspiracy theory"]. Your credibility is at stake. [It's already in the toilet, but perhaps if you stop, then maybe you'll get some credibility back.] We just don't believe it anymore.

Just my opinion.

The Endless War of All Wars, and Kill Lists

I just finished watching a 2013 documentary, "Dirty Wars", which is about U.S. covert operations in the so-called "War on Terrorism".  The film is by Jeremy Scahill, the guy who broke the story of abuses in Iraq by the private security company formerly known as Blackwater.  This is an excellent film.

In previous blogs, I've lamented the fact that our Outlaw Fed Gov't (those at the highest levels) orders the murder of terrorist SUSPECTS.  One of those was an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki (or perhaps more accurately, -Aulaqi).  Scahill points out that two weeks after Awlaki's murder, our Gov't killed another American citizen in another targeted assassination---Awlaki's 16-year-old son.  Gov't spokesmen claimed that the son's death was not intentional, but rather "collateral damage".  Perhaps...perhaps not.  Perhaps it was a weird type of "pre-emptive strike" because the Powers-That-Be were worried about what the kid might do in the future.  [The entire concept of pre-emptive strikes is atrocious; it's naked aggression while claiming to know the Future.]

The U.S. Constitution DOES permit targeted assassinations through the mechanism of "Letters of Marque and Reprisal".  Here's the catch, however---and this is crucial--- Letters of Marque and Reprisal can be issued only by the U.S. Congress, not by the Executive Branch.  So once again, our Fed Gov't (in this case, the President) is violating the Supreme Law of the Land.  My guess is that the justification for the President marking those suspects to be killed is some "law" or another.  So again, I'll point out that no law supercedes the Constitution...not the War Powers Act, or any other law.

Our Gov't now is engaged in a whole series of undeclared "wars" and is doing so in blatant violation of the Constitution.  We've attained the Machiavellian concept of Perpetual War, a tool used by rulers throughout History to maintain power and control the citizenry.  Very little of this is about "safety"; most of it is about Empire and money.  Neocolonialism, Oligarchy, nonparticipatory democracy, power, mega transnational business, Edward Bernays-style propaganda, and money for the super-rich are all the order of the day.  All adult Americans should be thoroughly ashamed.

Just my opinion.  Be Well

Allodial Title

This piece is prompted by my recent experience registering my truck for the first time in the State of New Mexico.  I won't bore you (as I probably did with friends and family via emails) with those details; suffice it to say that it was a long, drawn-out process culminating in an 80-mile round trip.  The whole thing made me curious about registration and titles relating to one's property.  In doing research on this subject, I did my best to primarily stick to "legitimate and reputable" sources of information.  Nowadays, though, some of the "nutcake" sites seem to make more sense than many of those considered "reputable".  That's mostly because of Legal-Speak.  :)

Most people, perhaps all of us in some instances, do not hold full title to any of our property even if it's paid off.  For example, 85% of land owners in the USA do not own any mineral rights to their land.  That's why some ranchers in Wyoming are, against their will, being forced to accomodate oil drilling operations on "their" land.  The vehicle title that you may hold is not a full, paramount title unless you have the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) of the vehicle...and that is held by the State.  You are not allowed to possess it.  [In almost all cases, new car dealers automatically submit MCOs to the State...unless you insist that it be given to you.]  As soon as you "register" your vehicle, if you have an MCO, you must submit it to the State.  I imagine that the State has what it considers good reasons for this process, but the point is, you are left without an "allodial title" to that property.

An allodial title is one that is free and clear of any "feudal duties", including taxes, fees, etc.  In other words, the property is un-a-lienable.  Obviously, this concept originated in Feudal times when the King was paramount.  Please note, however, that the concept carried through in both English and American law all the way through the founding of the United States of America.  Many early European-Americans were granted allodial title to their land.  As you might guess, eventually this created problems for both the Government and the landowner.  The Government's problem is obvious:  no taxes.  The potential landowner's problem is:  who is going to make a mortgage loan on property upon which no lien can ever be placed?  [No problem if the buyer has the full cash amount.]

Over time, the Government solved its problem the way government sometimes does:  it simply, for all practical purposes, abolished the allodial title system.  Presently there is only ONE State in the USA where one can obtain an allodial property title---Texas.  From what I've read however, the process is so drawn out and convoluted that it may as well not exist.  Other States/jurisdictions have allodial titles, but in "modern" times they've all passed laws stating that individual property owners with allodial titles are subject to taxes, fees, liens, etc.  In other words, Government still calls them "allodial titles", but they're not.

Various local or regional groups within the Sovereignty Movement have manuals up to 75 or more pages in length instructing people on how to convert a standard title to an allodial title.  [NOTE:  I'm guessing that about 99.9% of the folks in the Sovereignty Movement are completely nonviolent; despite that, the Fed Gov't and many State Gov'ts have deemed them all to be "potential terrorists".  That's important because under the National Defense Authorization Act (in my opinion, a completely unconstitutional "law"...and thus null and void under our system of gov't), such people now can be arrested without a warrant, detained indefinitely without access to a lawyer, and even EXECUTED without a trial.  That's according to a piece in Forbes.  All that and nary a peep from the People...incredible.]

It seems to me that the efforts of the Sovereignty Movement relative to allodial title are a waste of time.  Governments never again will allow INDIVIDUAL landowners to hold such a title.  They may call it "allodial", but as I pointed out above, it won't be.

Time and energy constraints prevent me from giving this subject the treatment it deserves.  It's a fascinating history with huge implications for so-called modern times.  I hope some of you will look into it further.

Happy Trails

Game Over

This is a Comment I made on the CBS online newscast for 9-18-13---  [The ADDENDUM below is not part of the original Comment.]

ScottHaley says--- 
1. RE: Fed to keep interest rates low by buying more bonds--- Ask yourself, where does the Fed get the money to "buy bonds"? Is it from the Treasury (fiat printing, out of thin air), or from its member banks (which, according to a 1984 Fed Court case, "are not Federal instrumentalities, but are private corporations")? ["Buying T-Bills or Gov't Bonds" is Gov't-Speak for loaning the Gov't money.] Who gets the interest payments when the Fed "buys bonds"?

2. The Fed Reserve is authorized by the 1913 Fed Reserve Act, a LAW. That Law allowed the Congress to abrogate one of its required constitutional duties: to regulate the value of our money. But there's a problem with that, long ignored by the DC politicos: no law supercedes the U.S. Constitution. Politicians know that full well, but ignore it. This issue is important because Congress supposedly answers to the People, but the Fed (according to Greenspan on a PBS interview back when) "answers to no one"..."no one has authority over us".

3. RE: Obamacare--- According to my research and what was reported on CBS News, a policy via Obamacare tailored to me personally would cost approximately $600 per month. I can't afford a policy for $100 per month. So much for the grand benefits of Obamacare...at least, in relation to me.

4. RE: shutting down the Gov't v. raising the Debt Ceiling--- For the past 80-85 yrs or so, the Fed Gov't has been adhering to Keynesian Economics...essentially, institutionalized deficit spending. It's not a matter of the Gov't being bankrupt in the future; it's already bankrupt, & has been for decades. The politicians have no intention of ever eliminating the National Debt; the Debt Bubble will continue to grow until, like all bubbles, it eventually bursts. The recent "sequestration" efforts did nothing substantial to reduce spending; those efforts only addressed the proposed INCREASES in spending. Even those are being exempted by Congress passing laws to that effect. Deficit spending is continuing, & will continue, until the Debt Bubble bursts. Then it's goodbye Keynes... & our economy...game over.  

ADDENDUM: Since going completely off the Gold Standard in 1971 (under Nixon), the only reason the dollar has any value at all is because it is the world's reserve currency.  With ongoing institutionalized deficit spending and the ever-increasing national Debt Bubble, inevitably the time will come when other countries decide that the dollar should no longer be the world's reserve currency.  That's when the bubble will burst; countries will dump their U.S. dollars.  That will cause our economy to tank.  Game Over.  What can be done to prevent that scenario?  In my opinion, nothing substantial---the propaganda favoring Keynesian Economics is too thick.  Will we recover from the biggest crash in history?  I believe so, but it will be an incredibly long, difficult and painful recovery.

Throw Out the Constitution...

because ignoring it has the same effect.
One thing is glaringly obvious regarding the discussion about Syria & the authority to attack: no politician in DC and no one in the Corporate Media has said much of anything (perhaps nothing) about the Constitution. Instead, we hear about "precedents", the War Powers Act, Humanitarian imperatives, etc. There's a very good reason for that. Nowhere in the SUPREME Law of the Land is power delegated to the Fed Gov't to attack a country that is no threat to the USA and has not attacked us. If I'm wrong about that, I'd like to see anyone in the Gov't or anyone in the Corporate Media point out exactly where that power is enumerated in the Constitution.

I'm not asking commenters on various public forums to show me the constitutional authority... because my experience with comments there the last few days has shown me that (if those forums are representative samples of Americans' constitutional knowledge) most Americans nowadays know almost nothing about how this Republic is supposed to operate legally.

Someone needs to tell "Bomb-Bomb-Iran" McCain that the War Powers Act, along with every other LAW, does NOT supercede the Constitution. If Laws trumped the SUPREME Law of the Land, there would be no point at all in having a Constitution. For decades, the puppets in DC have ignored the Constitution at will. Not long ago, I saw a clip on YouTube in which a Congressman (can't remember his name) said to an interviewer, "Half of what we do is unconstitutional. What's the big deal?". That pretty much says it for politicians.

The Supreme Law of the Land is crystal clear on the permitted uses of the military, there are only three...1. To execute the laws of the land (as in the case of the Whiskey Rebellion in the mid-1790s). 2. To repel invasions. 3. To quell insurrections. [Numbers 1 & 3 appear to be so similar that in the last 50 years I've usually said there are only two permitted uses.] People sometimes retort that this is modern-day America; all that old stuff is completely out-of-date. Perhaps so; that's why there are two mechanisms for updating the Constitution---the Amendment process and the Constitutional Convention. Both were purposely designed to be cumbersome...changing the Supreme Law of the Land should not be easy.  For a time, the DC puppets did use the Amendment process to update the Supreme Law, but then they quit. It was easier to pass laws. They gambled that the American public would not know the difference; apparently, they won.  I guess it never occurred to the Founders that We the People would allow our servant government to ignore the Constitution.

The Commander-in-Chief is constrained by the permitted uses of the military enumerated in the Constitution. I've been appalled to read or sometimes hear people say something like: The Constitution doesn't prohibit the President (or anyone in Gov't) from doing thus-&-such; therefore he/she/they can do it. We are a Gov't of Enumerated Powers [Google it]; the enumeration of things that the Gov't can do IS the prohibition. Creating a comprehensive list of prohibitions would be impossible---the list would be endless. [Isn't American Government taught in schools anymore?]

President Obama claims to be a constitutional scholar; I see no evidence of that at all. Or, if he is one, then he's deceiving the public. Again, I challenge ANYONE in Gov't or the Media to show me legitimate, constitutional authority for attacking Syria...constitutional authority. Anyone in Gov't or the Corporate Media.  [I'm not naive enough to expect a response.]   I like Woody Allen's old joke:  I feel much better now that I've given up hope.  :)