Afghanistan...

is known as "the graveyard of empires".  We've been there for something like thirteen years.  The country is the world's largest opium producer, the apparently corrupt Karzai Gov't no longer wants us there, the Taliban are not a threat to the USA, we've more or less decimated their country, a lot of the infrastructure we've built there already has fallen apart, our troops have been killed & maimed, billions of our dollars simply have evaporated, and Al Qaida long ago moved on to Yemen and elsewhere.  The fact that we're still there is just plain asinine.  Never mind the fact that it's an unconstitutional use of the U.S. Military.

Our Fed Gov't has been rotting from within for decades.  Meanwhile, We the People are Distracted by Propaganda & Circuses, Divided by Fraudulent Political Parties, and Conquered by the Super-Rich.

Enjoy the upcoming Fourth of July.

Be Well

Ignorance Abides

I posted the following on the online Corporate Media outlet,
 CBS News, for 6-30-14---

RE:  More troops to Iraq (again)---

"Goooood morning, Vietnammmmm!"

Here's a thought---  Close the world's largest U.S. Embassy
 (that has thousands of U.S. citizens running it), get out of
Iraq, and let them settle their CIVIL WAR by themselves.
 Oh, that's right, too much common sense in that proposal.
:)
.....................................................
[p.s.  About 5,000 people are on the U.S. Embassy Staff in Baghdad.  That's not an embassy; it's a small town.]

.....................................................

There's a huge difference between Isolationism and Non-interventionism.

I wonder, is it ignorance on the part of the Fed Gov't... or something more nefarious?

Be Well

Lessons for Clinton, Bush, and Obama

1.  Exactly where in the Constitution (C.) does it give the 

Feds the power to use our military as the world's police 

force?  The War Powers Act does not supercede the C., 

nor does any other law.  The phrase, "Commander-in-

Chief" does not negate the rest of the C.  Using our blood 

& treasure to quell insurrections around the world may 

be commonly accepted in this country, but it's blatantly unconstitutional.

2.  RE:  the Justice Dept. memo authorizing the killing of 

an American citizen without a formal charge or a trial---  

The Constitution does permit "Letters of Marque and 

Reprisal" (assassination orders) against enemies, BUT 

THEY MUST BE ISSUED BY THE CONGRESS.  

There are good reasons for that, but that's another story.

3.  Fed Law and Judges often are used to subvert/pervert 

the Fed Justice System.  For a case in point, see the 

excellent documentary Bidder 70, the story of Tim DeChristopher's 

battle over an oil & gas leasing auction.  In the court trial, 

the Judge instructed the jury that they were not to judge 

the law...he would explain the law to them.  (All judges say 

that.)  Here's a quote from John Jay, the very first Chief 

Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:  "The jury has the right 

to judge both the law and the facts in controversy.".  From

 Samuel Chase, Supreme Court Justice:  "The jury has the 

right to determine both the law and the facts.".  From 

Harlan F. Stone, the 12th Chief Justice of the Supreme 

Court:  "The law itself is on trial quite as much as the cause

 which is to be decided.".  There are many others of a similar

 nature.  The last civilian bastion of freedom in this country is 

the right of a jury to nullify a bad law, but judges usually 

claim 

that jury nullification is illegal.  Let's not forget that we once 

had the following laws in this land:  The Fugitive Slave Act, 

The Indian Removal Act, and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

4.  Supporting the dictatorship in Egypt is as wrong as wrong 

can be.  That regime has demonstrated over and over that it 

does not believe in freedom.

5.  The Office of President has been converted, especially by

 Clinton, both Bush Boys, and Obama, into a virtual Kingship.  

The Head of our Gov't (whoever it is) now thinks that the

 Presidency is superior to Congress and the Courts.  In actual 

fact, it is co-equal.  Unfortunately, recent Presidents have by-

passed the other two branches with impunity.  [One 

example:

Even though Congress was not in favor of it, Clinton sent 

troops 

to 

Bosnia.  Another example:  in 1993, he gave Mexico $20

billion to bail out Wall Street banks... without the 

approval of Congress.]

6.  Iraq, again?  Don't we ever learn?  No matter what is 

done, 

as soon as we leave (again), the civil war will continue.  How 

many years have we "aided" the Iraq Gov't?  How many 

years have we "trained" the Iraq security forces?  How 

many?

  I'm sorry, but enough is enough.  It should be obvious that 

there's another agenda going on.  I leave it to you to figure it 

out.

..................................................

Ours is a Gov't of "Enumerated Powers" [Google it]; if the 

power isn't listed, the Feds don't have it.  Furthermore, the

 Constitution enumerates...it does not "imply".  The 

Executive Branch is out-of-control...especially because of 

Clinton, Bush, and Obama, with their despotic concept of 

the "Unitary Executive".  The "updating" of the Constitution 

must be done by the formal Amendment process or the 

holding of a Constitutional Convention...no other way is legal.

If we're going to ignore the U.S. Constitution because the 

document is not convenient, then I suggest we just throw 

it out.  Ignoring it, as has been done for decades, has the

 same effect.

p.s.  I'm not a Democrat or a Republican, nor a so-called 

"Liberal" or so-called "Conservative".  Those outdated 

labels essentially are meaningless in this time of the 

Oligarchy.

Be Well

Part III: The Bush-Obama Doctrines

1.  Give countries that in any way support fanatical Islamists a hard time... unless, of course, that country is Saudi Arabia.  The Wahhabi Sect, a radical offshoot of the Sunnis, is a State-sponsored religion in the Saudi Kingdom.  The majority of the 9-11 hijackers were from the Kingdom.  Osama bin Laden was a Saudi.  There are numerous other suggestions (not proof) that the soft dictators in Saudi Arabia don't really oppose fanatical Islamists.  The House of Saud has been bound to the House of Bush in a business sense for years and years.  When Obama met the "King" of the Kingdom, he bowed deeply to him.  Such deference coming from a President is a bit much... not especially significant, but still, a bit much.  Obama, like Bush and every other President in my long memory, ignores the downside of Saudi Arabia--- for one, the fact that it's a dictatorship... for another, the fact that it supports what is essentially a fanatical cult.  Wahhabis have zero tolerance for Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Shiite Islam, even some Sunnis, and democracy.  [A couple of Arab political analysts have proposed that what's currently going on in Iraq is a proxy war between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.]

2.  Continue the over-half-century, outdated, vindictive U.S. Policy toward Cuba... a land where, about a hundred years ago or more, our Fed Gov't stole at gunpoint Guantanamo Bay; a land where our Fed Gov't supported the brutal dictator Batista; a land where for years & years, the CIA tried to assassinate Castro; a land where for years and years, our Govt's NeoImperialism reigned supreme.  Yes, the Castro Gov't once was a threat to us; no reasonable person thinks that now.

3.  Continue the policy of letting the Fed Reserve Board of Governors arbitrarily set interest rates... rates that should be determined by a Free Market.  The only people being served well by the Fed are the Hedge Funds and other speculators on Wall Street.  The Middle Class suffers... and those at the very bottom of the economic ladder are completely screwed.

4.  Similar to number 3, continue the policy of unsound money.

5.  Continue to allow mega banks to use depositors' money for risky, often shady so-called "investments"... instead of requiring them to raise their own capital for such activity.

6.  Continue on with the antiquated, underfunded, understaffed SEC, which cannot possibly oversee the automated, algorithm-driven, split-second, computerized Wall Street "trading" of today.

7.  Continue to promote and support the window-dressing "reform" laws relative to the out-of-control Financial Sector.  That will assure large, future campaign contributions from white-collar thieves.

8.  Continue the myth that the President can write "Executive Orders" on just about any subject he/she pleases... and that such actions are "implied" by the Constitution and have the full force and effect of Congressional Legislation, even if Congress opposes those "Orders".  That is complete nonsense and utter claptrap.  There is no such implication in the Constitution.  Again, We the People are being played for chumps. [To see exactly which Orders are permitted, go to Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution.  Only two are enumerated... no others are listed, or implied.  The first is that the President may require in writing the opinion of each Executive Department Head on any subject relating to their duties.  The second is that the President may order pardons for offenses against the U.S. (except in cases of Impeachment).  The Constitution enumerates powers, it does not imply them.  If the power isn't listed, the Feds don't have it.  To get a new, unlisted power, they must Amend the Supreme Law of the Land.  To believe that the document implies this, that, or the other is to accept the idea that it can mean pretty much anything that anyone wants it to mean.  That makes it worthless.]
........................................................

The point of this three-piece series on the Bush-Obama Doctrines is simple:  when it comes to significant and substantial matters, there is little to no difference between (at the highest levels) modern-day Republicans and Democrats.  They're merely two branches of the same (and only) major political Party in the USA.  Furthermore, it's obvious that they no longer serve the best interests of We the People.  "Voting" doesn't necessarily guarantee a representative government, especially when 99.9% of all candidates at the national level are selected, groomed, and financed by an Oligarchy of the super-rich... while the very few honest politicians are completely ignored, or smeared, or otherwise marginalized.  There is a better way, but first we must stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.  That's essential if we are to generate a fair, just, prosperous, and free society.

Be Well

Part II: The Bush-Obama Doctrines

PREFACE
These blog pieces should not in any way, shape, or form be viewed as "anti-American".  The principles of We the People in the USA have not been represented by the Fed Gov't for decades.  I'm talking about the principles of freedom, Free Market Capitalism, fairness, and justice.  Our Gov't has been co-opted by a fairly disorganized (but nevertheless effective) Oligarchy whose members don't believe in any of those things.  That has been going on for a very long time.  The dissidents in America are far more patriotic than the Oligarchs can ever hope to be or care to be.

Now, on to the Bush-Obama Doctrines, Part II.  [Many other Democrat and Republican Administrations could be included, but for clarity I'll stick with only those two.]

1.  Dictators around the world should be opposed... unless, of course, they march to the tune of the U.S. Fed Gov't.  Then they should be supported.  [Example:  the Feds fairly recently gave the military dictatorship of Egypt 1.5 BILLION dollars in aid.  This is the same dictatorship that conducts court trials of hundreds of dissidents at once; each trial lasts about 30 minutes.  This is the same dictatorship that overthrew a democratically elected government.  Previous to all that, the Bush Administration gave similar amounts of aid to the Gov't of the dictator Mubarak.]

2.  Continue to inundate the People with Edward Bernays style propaganda.  [Examples:  lies about NSA surveillance; lies about the health of our economy; lies about Oligarchs "creating jobs"; lies about the power of the Office of President; lies about the role of the U.S. in world affairs; lies about mega banks; lies about conflict of interest in DC;  lies about so-called "Free Trade" Agreements; and many other items too numerous to list.]

3.  Tell the People whatever you think it is that they want to hear... even if it's untrue, or utter nonsense.  [Examples:  "Saddam is linked to Al Qaida"; "Our troops will be out of Afghanistan by 2014"... a bit later--- "Our troops will be out of Afghanistan by 2016"; "This is not anything like our involvement in Vietnam"; "We will assure the People of Iraq and Afghanistan the right of free choice"; "They hate us for our Freedom"; "We're fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here"; "Our economy will collapse if we don't do this"; "Congress has NSA oversight"; "All NSA surveillance is authorized by a court...it's all legal and Constitutional" (no mention that it's the kangaroo, rubber-stamp FISA "court"... a secret court... and no explanation of exactly HOW/WHY it's Constitutional... because it isn't.); etc., etc., ad nauseum.]

4.  Originate (Bush) and continue (Obama) the concept of the Unitary Presidency... an absurd, false principle concocted primarily by John Yoo, former Counsel to Dubya.  It's basic premise is that the Office of President legally can bypass Congress, the Courts, or anybody when undertaking actions previously denied by our system of Checks and Balances in government.  [Google:  Unitary Presidency.]  The result has been to convert the Office of President into that of a virtual King.

5.  Prosecute war criminals and terrorists... unless, of course, those same people are in the U.S. Fed Gov't.  [Richard Clarke, former Counterterrorism "Czar" under Clinton, and for a short time under Bush, has stated publicly that he believes some of the actions of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld measure up to "war crimes".  Noam Chomsky--- political dissident, political analyst, Professor Emeritus of M.I.T.--- has stated publicly that he believes the invasion of Iraq was in itself a war crime.  Other prominent people in the world believe the same thing.  I would ask this:  did Iraq, a country that did not threaten or attack the U.S., and also a country that we supplied arms to in the '80s (including chemical weapons), have sovereignty in 2003 or not?  Yes, Saddam was a brutal ruler; however, that has absolutely nothing to do with the Constitutionally permitted use of our military.  Nothing at all.  That war was completely unconstitutional.  It was an exercise in NeoImperialism & Big Bullyism perpetrated by a President and supported by Senator Obama who both are puppets of the mega corporation Oligarchy.  The Feds even provided tutorial conferences (relative to the war) for mega corporations, showing them how to belly-up to the Federal Money Trough, the Fed Gravy Train.]

6.  Sign International Agreements relating to war crimes and terrorism... but exempt the USA's Gov't from being subject to any prosecution under their provisions.  [That has been going on for decades.  The Fed Gov't always has self-immunized itself from any such prosecution.  That is understandable to some degree... until the Feds (as they often do) chastise some country or another for violating "International Law"... the Law to which the Feds are not subject... by their own insistence.  That is completely bizarre.]

Out of time.

Be Well

The Bush-Obama Principles and Doctrines

1.  Respect a country's sovereignty only when it serves the interests of the U.S. Fed Gov't and the Oligarchs who own that Gov't.
2.  Never refer to the Constitution except when saying, "Stop telling me about the Constitution; the Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper."  ~ George W. Bush.
3.  Refer to those in a civil war who are not the puppets of the U.S. Fed Gov't as "terrorists".  [Example--- A day or two ago, Obama referred to the Iraqi Sunnis (who are in a civil war with the Iraqi Shiites) in that exact way.  He also said that, short of sending in ground troops, he would aid the Iraqi Gov't in order to defeat said terrorists in Iraq...and so, too, to make sure they never attack our Homeland.  Query:  do people really fall for that line?]
4.  If a whistleblower exposes Fed Gov't criminality, then criminalize that whistleblower.  [Examples---  Tom Drake, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and several others.]
5.  Bail out financial institutions who have made reckless, incredibly speculative investments...and who should (according to the principles of Free Market Capitalism) eat the consequences and fail.  Lie to the People, saying that if those Financialization Institutions are not bailed out, our entire economy will collapse.  Protect the mega banks that swindled investors from criminal prosecution.
6.  Allow mega corporate cronies to become Fed Gov't cronies, and in the process, give them a capital gains tax break of hundreds of millions of dollars.  [Example:  Hank Paulson...capital gains tax break of $200 million.  There are others as well.  Put out a cover story saying that's how we attract the best people to Gov't.]
7.  Do whatever Israel says.  Ignore and/or suppress the fact that the founders of the State of Israel were once themselves terrorists...back when that land was British Palestine.  Ignore and/or suppress the fact that current Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories violate International Law.
8.  Support all so-called "Free Trade" Agreements...especially when they facilitate the export of jobs and manufacturing from the USA, thus allowing the super-rich to become even richer.
9.  Cover up Fed Gov't criminality by using this phrase over and over:  National Security.
10.  Talk the Egalitarian Talk, but then do what's best for the Oligarchy.  Continue mega corporate welfare at the highest level possible.  Make certain that billionaires essentially can buy elections.
11.  Continue the lie that the Fed Reserve benefits Main Street.  Don't let the People know that the Fed provides essentially free money (the Discount Window) to so-called investment banks...and that those "investments" are not for job creation, but rather are for speculative derivatives that benefit only insiders.
12.  Continue the myth that because of certain legislation the Congress supposedly does not have to declare war before the President can put troops on the battlefield.  [That LIE has been one of the most successful falsehoods ever put forth by the highest levels of the Fed Gov't.  The false premise in that concept is that Laws supercede the U.S. Constitution.  Please.]

I could go on...and on...and on.  Time constraints do not permit it.

Be Well

Crony Capitalism and Why the American Economy Still is Doomed

In addition to the USA, this whole business applies to many, many other countries.

If you're a harsh critic of David Stockman (Reagan's Budget Director), as I have been for years, please try to suspend any prejudices about him and watch the fairly recent Bill Moyers interview of Stockman found at the link below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscD9pGGwIU

That interview is the best explanation I've seen of why/how:
1.  Crony Capitalism, which has devastated our economy, differs from Free Market Capitalism.
2.  The labels of "Republican" and "Democrat" really don't matter anymore.
3.  Oligarchs in BIG Business (mega, transnational corporations) have taken over the Fed Gov't.
4.  Financialization has contributed greatly to the ruination of our economy.
5.  In the last 20 years or so, Repubs and Dems have had essentially the same economic policies.
6.  Mega corporations such as GE have decimated the USA manufacturing base.
7.  The "Free Markets" of the last 20 or so years are not Free Markets at all.
8.  Corporate welfare (only for mega corps.) is expected as an entitlement by the Big Boys.
9.  Bill Clinton, Dubya Bush, and Obama all have rigged the economic Game to favor super-rich Oligarchs.
and
10.  The bailouts of "Too Big to Fail" constituted the greatest heist in our history by financial institutions that presently are even larger than they were before the bailouts.

In addition, Stockman points out something I've indicated on a previous post:  30-40 years ago, the Business Culture in America was significantly different than now; CEOs were concerned about the health of not only the company, but also the health of their communities and the American economy.  Today it's mostly about only short-term profits and golden parachutes.

This is not the same David Stockman of years ago.  This guy has nailed what's wrong with today's American economy.  He agrees with many others (and I agree with them as well) that despite so-called "reforms" by Congress, almost nothing has changed since "Too Big to Fail".  Another economic crisis currently is in the making...and there's a chance that it will be even larger than 2008.  He also agrees that this whole scenario is not due to one political party or another; instead, the fault lies at the feet of Crony Capitalists.

The interview is about 25 minutes long, and it's a must-see for anyone hoping to understand why our country is going down the drain.  [This is not pessimism, it's plain reality.]  For things to change, we have to stop drinking the Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid.  We're being played for chumps by both Repubs and Dems at the highest levels.  It really is time to wake up.

Be Well