Monday, October 29, 2007
How to Rewrite History
While the power to rewrite history is only available to a select few, the process is relatively simple. The first step is to create a foreign enemy; one that is hell bent on the destruction of life as we know it. Immediately after the moment has passed suspicions will arise in the direction of the enemy. In the after math, seemingly random and obscure facts will form the "official story," subsequently replacing the "original stories," reducing them to mere "conspiracies."
This is how you rewrite history.
A prime example can be found in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The subject has never really fueled my imagination beyond the Oliver Stone film. Like every good student of Civics I know the President was shot by Lee Oswald. Some of the details are a little hazy: his Communist ties, the type of rifle, his exact location. But in the end the assassin was killed by Jack Ruby, and America closed the book -- save a few "conspiracies" that persist to this day.
The "original stories" include dozens of rubber-neckers running to the "grassy knoll," with a barrage of film footage capturing the chaos. Nevertheless, Lee Oswald was picked up immediately after leaving the building he worked at. Of the many interviews that captured his statements, Mr. Oswald repeated that he had no idea why he was being held, and was refused any type of legal representation. He was abused by the police, and eventually murdered before any trial by his peers.
This is how you rewrite history.
But thankfully "we the people" now have access to the social control mechanisms of media, allowing us to capture the lost footage which was buried in the deluge of the official story. Such power in our hands help put an end to the demonization of foreign enemies, and block the hypnotic beat of the war drums as the "official stories" flood our media. This power is nothing less than Truth in the hands of the American people -- a power which must be wielded as a weapon to protect the values of our Democracy.
Friday, October 26, 2007
The World According to Dr. Tricky
Here's an old site I stumbled across called Dr. Tricky's Kung Fu Lounge. He's got a handful of poorly illustrated maps of the world according to America, Texas, amongst others. Take a look at some of these below:
The World According to America
The UK According to America
The World According to Texas
And they call us Uneducated!
The World According to America
The UK According to America
The World According to Texas
And they call us Uneducated!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Declaration of War vs. The People
On October 23, 2007 the U.S. Government declared War on the American People. By a vote of 404 to 6, the U.S. House of Representatives approved HR 1955: The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This act designates every American who acts -- OR PROMOTES ACTION -- against the U.S. Government to be a TERRORIST. Simply put: If you've ever said that George W. Bush should be hanged as a war criminal, you sir, are a Terrorist.
While the news has been unremarkably disinterested since the bill was introduced back in Mid-April of this year, the press has been provided with sound bytes where the lack of funding is quoted repeatedly, along with the intention to merely study the habits of would-be terrorists. Those who oppose such a bill would be assumed to have "something to hide," or considered a sympathizer for the Terrorists, without completely understanding the ramifications.
Up until now the Government has primarily focused on people who were directly connected to terrorist organizations. Those investigated and accused ranged from foreign aide organizations to a university professor in South Florida. Although the majority of cases have ended in mistrial, some speculate the total number of 'Black Listed' Americans to be somewhere in the ballpark of 770,000. That was before the Government considered its own Citizens to be Terrorists.
Once this bill passes through the Senate and is signed into Law by the President, it will no longer be safe to speak out against the Government. Any word spoken across telephone lines, or written and recorded on the Internet, could potentially be scrutinized by the Department of Homeland Security, and lead more innocent victims to secret prisons to be subjected to violent acts of torture.
I urge everyone reading this to contact members of the press, to call or write your local Senators, and beg them to protect your Constitutional Rights as Free Citizens. Our Democracy requires your action BEFORE the next election. The cost of failing to do so could be greater than any of us currently imagine. Help stop the Declaration of War Against the American People before it is too late.
While the news has been unremarkably disinterested since the bill was introduced back in Mid-April of this year, the press has been provided with sound bytes where the lack of funding is quoted repeatedly, along with the intention to merely study the habits of would-be terrorists. Those who oppose such a bill would be assumed to have "something to hide," or considered a sympathizer for the Terrorists, without completely understanding the ramifications.
Up until now the Government has primarily focused on people who were directly connected to terrorist organizations. Those investigated and accused ranged from foreign aide organizations to a university professor in South Florida. Although the majority of cases have ended in mistrial, some speculate the total number of 'Black Listed' Americans to be somewhere in the ballpark of 770,000. That was before the Government considered its own Citizens to be Terrorists.
Once this bill passes through the Senate and is signed into Law by the President, it will no longer be safe to speak out against the Government. Any word spoken across telephone lines, or written and recorded on the Internet, could potentially be scrutinized by the Department of Homeland Security, and lead more innocent victims to secret prisons to be subjected to violent acts of torture.
I urge everyone reading this to contact members of the press, to call or write your local Senators, and beg them to protect your Constitutional Rights as Free Citizens. Our Democracy requires your action BEFORE the next election. The cost of failing to do so could be greater than any of us currently imagine. Help stop the Declaration of War Against the American People before it is too late.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Imagine the Possibilities on Television
What if you could be anything you've ever wanted, just by turning on the television or surfing the web. Imagine if you could do whatever someone else is doing simply by watching them do it. Would you watch your favorite TV shows to socialize with the stars? Or turn on a karate flick and kick the crap out of your brother?
As strange as the question sounds, scientists are learning the phrase "Monkey See, Monkey Do" is a lot closer to how our brain functions than we originally thought. The act of watching a baseball game fires off the same areas of our brain than if we were actually swinging a bat or catching a ball. We learn to do by watching others do it.
But imagine if learning was as simple as Rainman counting toothpicks on the floor. By studying the brain activities of savants such as Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet, Scientists may one day learn how to simulate the effects in our own minds. In other words, you might seriously want to consider what you're watching!
Let's take a look at the latest National Nielsen ratings to see what Americans are learning to do:
1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Flip on the switch and tune in the worst of human depravity. Whether by field examinations or intensive lab work, most Americans would choose to dissect human cadavers in an effort to uphold the law. Sounds pretty intense to imagine everyone taking samples everywhere they went.
2. Dancing with the Stars - Suddenly life explodes into a hot and sexy, twisting, turning parade of people dancing to and from work and school; to the dentist, at line in the bank; a slow waltz for funerals, and a Cha-Cha-Cha before dinner. This might just be a solution to the Obesity Epidemic!
3. Grey's Anatomy - Two things are apparent: America wants Drama, and America wants Health Care. While I admit the idea of a Nation of Doctors would come in handy, I'm not entire sure I understand the Soap Opera. It does make sense, however, for a healthy life to follow a life that is healthy.
4. Desperate Housewives - At this point we've fallen into the realms of pure decadence, where we are all free to live life like a Hollywood movie. The lights are bright, the pace is fun and exciting, with twists and turns around every bend. I'm just thankful to have an Off button on our current technology.
5. House - A final look at what American's are learning to do reveals more Doctors, more Drama, more Mystery, more Romance; more of a good story that takes you on an Adventure with a beginning, middle, and an end (with a whole lot of commercialism thrown in-between).
Unfortunately, it seems that relatively few of us are doing exactly what we'd rather be doing. Instead, we're staring into a television tube which promises the impossible, as if we are seeking comfort in the dreams we're being sold. Though ultimately unobtainable, the dream is so much better than reality.
Fortunately, along with the advances in technology comes an evolution in the way we think. As the old world showed us promises to lure us into buying the dream, the new world is built on our own dreams. Through user created content and direct audience participation, we're building a new world in our image.
This means that the next time you flip on your screen, and adjust your learning capabilities to maximum potential, you'll enter a world filled with guides to build green houses, and videos that show you how to nit. In no time at all you'll be a master of your world, with a single press of the button.
As strange as the question sounds, scientists are learning the phrase "Monkey See, Monkey Do" is a lot closer to how our brain functions than we originally thought. The act of watching a baseball game fires off the same areas of our brain than if we were actually swinging a bat or catching a ball. We learn to do by watching others do it.
But imagine if learning was as simple as Rainman counting toothpicks on the floor. By studying the brain activities of savants such as Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet, Scientists may one day learn how to simulate the effects in our own minds. In other words, you might seriously want to consider what you're watching!
Let's take a look at the latest National Nielsen ratings to see what Americans are learning to do:
1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Flip on the switch and tune in the worst of human depravity. Whether by field examinations or intensive lab work, most Americans would choose to dissect human cadavers in an effort to uphold the law. Sounds pretty intense to imagine everyone taking samples everywhere they went.
2. Dancing with the Stars - Suddenly life explodes into a hot and sexy, twisting, turning parade of people dancing to and from work and school; to the dentist, at line in the bank; a slow waltz for funerals, and a Cha-Cha-Cha before dinner. This might just be a solution to the Obesity Epidemic!
3. Grey's Anatomy - Two things are apparent: America wants Drama, and America wants Health Care. While I admit the idea of a Nation of Doctors would come in handy, I'm not entire sure I understand the Soap Opera. It does make sense, however, for a healthy life to follow a life that is healthy.
4. Desperate Housewives - At this point we've fallen into the realms of pure decadence, where we are all free to live life like a Hollywood movie. The lights are bright, the pace is fun and exciting, with twists and turns around every bend. I'm just thankful to have an Off button on our current technology.
5. House - A final look at what American's are learning to do reveals more Doctors, more Drama, more Mystery, more Romance; more of a good story that takes you on an Adventure with a beginning, middle, and an end (with a whole lot of commercialism thrown in-between).
Unfortunately, it seems that relatively few of us are doing exactly what we'd rather be doing. Instead, we're staring into a television tube which promises the impossible, as if we are seeking comfort in the dreams we're being sold. Though ultimately unobtainable, the dream is so much better than reality.
Fortunately, along with the advances in technology comes an evolution in the way we think. As the old world showed us promises to lure us into buying the dream, the new world is built on our own dreams. Through user created content and direct audience participation, we're building a new world in our image.
This means that the next time you flip on your screen, and adjust your learning capabilities to maximum potential, you'll enter a world filled with guides to build green houses, and videos that show you how to nit. In no time at all you'll be a master of your world, with a single press of the button.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ron Paul Round-Up
Paul introduced The Sanctity of Life Act of 2005, a bill that would have defined human life to begin at conception, and removed challenges to prohibitions on abortion from federal court jurisdiction.
Defining embryos and fetuses as persons would make abortion murder and outlaw fetal stem cell research and some contraception and fertility treatments.
In 2005, Paul introduced the We the People Act, which would have removed "any claim based upon the right of privacy, including any such claim related to any issue of ... reproduction" from the jurisdiction of federal courts. If made law, either of these acts would allow states to PROHIBIT ABORTION.
Ron Paul's bill to provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.
http://tinyurl.com/yuo3ta
Ron Paul's bill to prohibit any Federal official from expending any Federal funds for any population control or population planning program or any family planning activity.
http://tinyurl.com/2h6y7w
Ron Paul's bill to limit the jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and for other purposes.
http://tinyurl.com/2sts73
Ron Paul was the only member of congress to vote against a bill (HR 180) to prohibit spending federal tax dollars on companies doing business with genocidal warlords in Darfur.
http://tinyurl.com/2cazda
Ron Paul voted against establishing Bill HR 5252 Amendment 987(Jun 2006)[169], which would have legally protected network neutrality.
http://tinyurl.com/27xg44
Ron Paul failed to vote against the FISA amendment that legalized warrantless wiretapping of US citizens.
http://tinyurl.com/2p3t65
Ron Paul believes that all federal taxation should be eliminated.
http://tinyurl.com/yuvdk2
Ron Paul wants to eliminate the federal reserve and replace the U.S. dollar with a currency based on the gold standard.
http://tinyurl.com/2dhx28
Ron Paul wants to amend the constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship.
http://tinyurl.com/2gh52n
Ron Paul wants to end US membership in the UN
http://tinyurl.com/yoajxb
Ron Paul wants to build a 700 mile wall between the U.S and Mexico.
http://tinyurl.com/2yunzn
Ron Paul opposes universal health care.
Ron Paul is a fundamentalist born-again Christian who believes there is a war on Christmas being waged by the secular left.
Ron Paul supporters seem to be composed largely of people who oppose the war in Iraq, but for some reason believe they have no choice but to support a Republican over any Democrat (in addition to the smaller number of hard-core true believers). These casual supporters need to be aware that the vast majority of his views are bizarre and extreme.
Ron Paul is the candidate backed by the White Supremacists...
http://tinyurl.com/36k9rw
... to the point they even arranged to have supporters bussed to the straw polls in Iowa...
http://tinyurl.com/32kwtb
...and extensively cover anything Ron Paul, see e.g....
http://tinyurl.com/2mfyvq
Ron Paul has reciprocated the love from the White Supremacy groups by giving interviews to David Duke.
http://tinyurl.com/2jqhan
The 9/11 Truth movement also endorse Ron Paul, see e.g....
http://tinyurl.com/399wqb
He wants to ban abortion, legalise the teaching of creationism and remove the seperation between church and state. His politics stink of Christian fundamentalism and to believe otherwise is a fantasy.
A vote for Ron Paul endorses irrationality, dishonesty, bigotry, racism, fundamentalism, obscurationism and an incredibly retrograde and backwards worldview. If you vote for Ron Paul, you are voting for these things. You don't get to pick and choose and claim that your vote endorses a "balanced budget" and not "a 19th century style deportation project estimated to cause over a hundred thousand deaths".
JOIN THE RON PAUL ANTI-SPAM ARMY! COPY AND PASTE THIS ENTIRE POST INTO ALL RON PAUL STORIES! IT DRIVES THE SPAMMERS NUTS! BURY DOWN RON PAUL ARTICLES! TAKE A STAND AGAINST RON PAUL AND HIS ARMY OF SPAMMERS IN THERE NEVERENDING QUEST TO RUIN DIGG!LET THEM KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH THEM OR THEIR SPAMMING TACTICS ANYMORE ! TAKE BACK DIGG FROM THE SPAMMERS !
Defining embryos and fetuses as persons would make abortion murder and outlaw fetal stem cell research and some contraception and fertility treatments.
In 2005, Paul introduced the We the People Act, which would have removed "any claim based upon the right of privacy, including any such claim related to any issue of ... reproduction" from the jurisdiction of federal courts. If made law, either of these acts would allow states to PROHIBIT ABORTION.
Ron Paul's bill to provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.
http://tinyurl.com/yuo3ta
Ron Paul's bill to prohibit any Federal official from expending any Federal funds for any population control or population planning program or any family planning activity.
http://tinyurl.com/2h6y7w
Ron Paul's bill to limit the jurisdiction of the Federal courts, and for other purposes.
http://tinyurl.com/2sts73
Ron Paul was the only member of congress to vote against a bill (HR 180) to prohibit spending federal tax dollars on companies doing business with genocidal warlords in Darfur.
http://tinyurl.com/2cazda
Ron Paul voted against establishing Bill HR 5252 Amendment 987(Jun 2006)[169], which would have legally protected network neutrality.
http://tinyurl.com/27xg44
Ron Paul failed to vote against the FISA amendment that legalized warrantless wiretapping of US citizens.
http://tinyurl.com/2p3t65
Ron Paul believes that all federal taxation should be eliminated.
http://tinyurl.com/yuvdk2
Ron Paul wants to eliminate the federal reserve and replace the U.S. dollar with a currency based on the gold standard.
http://tinyurl.com/2dhx28
Ron Paul wants to amend the constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship.
http://tinyurl.com/2gh52n
Ron Paul wants to end US membership in the UN
http://tinyurl.com/yoajxb
Ron Paul wants to build a 700 mile wall between the U.S and Mexico.
http://tinyurl.com/2yunzn
Ron Paul opposes universal health care.
Ron Paul is a fundamentalist born-again Christian who believes there is a war on Christmas being waged by the secular left.
Ron Paul supporters seem to be composed largely of people who oppose the war in Iraq, but for some reason believe they have no choice but to support a Republican over any Democrat (in addition to the smaller number of hard-core true believers). These casual supporters need to be aware that the vast majority of his views are bizarre and extreme.
Ron Paul is the candidate backed by the White Supremacists...
http://tinyurl.com/36k9rw
... to the point they even arranged to have supporters bussed to the straw polls in Iowa...
http://tinyurl.com/32kwtb
...and extensively cover anything Ron Paul, see e.g....
http://tinyurl.com/2mfyvq
Ron Paul has reciprocated the love from the White Supremacy groups by giving interviews to David Duke.
http://tinyurl.com/2jqhan
The 9/11 Truth movement also endorse Ron Paul, see e.g....
http://tinyurl.com/399wqb
He wants to ban abortion, legalise the teaching of creationism and remove the seperation between church and state. His politics stink of Christian fundamentalism and to believe otherwise is a fantasy.
A vote for Ron Paul endorses irrationality, dishonesty, bigotry, racism, fundamentalism, obscurationism and an incredibly retrograde and backwards worldview. If you vote for Ron Paul, you are voting for these things. You don't get to pick and choose and claim that your vote endorses a "balanced budget" and not "a 19th century style deportation project estimated to cause over a hundred thousand deaths".
JOIN THE RON PAUL ANTI-SPAM ARMY! COPY AND PASTE THIS ENTIRE POST INTO ALL RON PAUL STORIES! IT DRIVES THE SPAMMERS NUTS! BURY DOWN RON PAUL ARTICLES! TAKE A STAND AGAINST RON PAUL AND HIS ARMY OF SPAMMERS IN THERE NEVERENDING QUEST TO RUIN DIGG!LET THEM KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT UP WITH THEM OR THEIR SPAMMING TACTICS ANYMORE ! TAKE BACK DIGG FROM THE SPAMMERS !
Sunday, October 14, 2007
An Open Source Religion
When I was a young teenager I snuck into the attic over our garage and dug through the old boxes filled with books and papers from my Father's college days. Being the good Dungeons & Dragons geek that I was as the time, I pocketed a small book of the world's religions -- seeing the opportunity to compare it to my copy of Gary Gygax's Demons and Deities. Reading through the book connected my imagination to the workings of the real world, opening the Christian beliefs that had been instilled in me to a world of possibilities, filled with a host of new gods and alien faiths.
I carried this book with me through my own college experiences, signing up for classes on comparative religions. By my early twenties I was snapping my fingers with the poets, bouncing back and forth between Buddhism and Taoism -- whichever proved more beneficial to my intellectual debates. However, neither choice resulted in the spark of Faith that believers carry through the darkness. Regardless of the number of conversations I won I never got to carry the title of Believer. After nearly twenty years of searching for the Truth I believe the light has finally been revealed.
The movie Zeitgeist begins with the idea that Jesus is an anthropomorphism of the Sun; and that he shares his story of a birth from a virgin mother, his crucification, his death and subsequent rebirth, etc., with numerous religions from around the globe, as far back as 10,000 years or longer. To make it even easier: If you're looking for the son of the Creator, you have no further to look than in the sky above your head. Just because the Christians have their own version of the story doesn't mean they own the rights to the original source.
The movie continues to point out the number of similarities to these religions -- but not to discount their truth. The fact that so many shared the same dates, used the same ideas, and told the same stories reveals a deeper connection to our world and the cosmos -- not some magical fantasy filled with Hells and redemptions. It shows the 12 disciples as the 12 segments of the sky defined by the twelve constellations, more commonly referred to as the Zodiac. The story of His birth and death, along with the subsequent celebrations, is a story of our lives through the seasons, along with our progression through the ages.
In that so many religions have sought to control this story shows us the power it has over us. The failure of Christianity is the lie it propagates in order to control its followers. However, the same could be said of Science in its dismissal of our connection to the planet and the stars as being merely circumstantial. The Truth revealed in the original source is known by the plants who turn their attentions, along with the animals that gather en masse, according to the rhythms of the sun and the stars. Our connection to the source is of great importance if we are to continue living on this planet.
I believe the first step in connecting to the Source is to start by reclaiming the code for ourselves. Much has been written by the ancients on the location of the stars and the effects their alignment had on our planet. Further writings reveal an even greater connection to our planet and its place the the cosmos -- another fact that is vital as we enter into a new age, one that leaves the fish of the Messiah behind us, and welcomes the water bearer as we enter the Age of Aquarius. The Mayans believe this will happen in the next decade so we might want to begin as quickly as possible!
So begins the world's first Open Source Religion.
I carried this book with me through my own college experiences, signing up for classes on comparative religions. By my early twenties I was snapping my fingers with the poets, bouncing back and forth between Buddhism and Taoism -- whichever proved more beneficial to my intellectual debates. However, neither choice resulted in the spark of Faith that believers carry through the darkness. Regardless of the number of conversations I won I never got to carry the title of Believer. After nearly twenty years of searching for the Truth I believe the light has finally been revealed.
The movie Zeitgeist begins with the idea that Jesus is an anthropomorphism of the Sun; and that he shares his story of a birth from a virgin mother, his crucification, his death and subsequent rebirth, etc., with numerous religions from around the globe, as far back as 10,000 years or longer. To make it even easier: If you're looking for the son of the Creator, you have no further to look than in the sky above your head. Just because the Christians have their own version of the story doesn't mean they own the rights to the original source.
The movie continues to point out the number of similarities to these religions -- but not to discount their truth. The fact that so many shared the same dates, used the same ideas, and told the same stories reveals a deeper connection to our world and the cosmos -- not some magical fantasy filled with Hells and redemptions. It shows the 12 disciples as the 12 segments of the sky defined by the twelve constellations, more commonly referred to as the Zodiac. The story of His birth and death, along with the subsequent celebrations, is a story of our lives through the seasons, along with our progression through the ages.
In that so many religions have sought to control this story shows us the power it has over us. The failure of Christianity is the lie it propagates in order to control its followers. However, the same could be said of Science in its dismissal of our connection to the planet and the stars as being merely circumstantial. The Truth revealed in the original source is known by the plants who turn their attentions, along with the animals that gather en masse, according to the rhythms of the sun and the stars. Our connection to the source is of great importance if we are to continue living on this planet.
I believe the first step in connecting to the Source is to start by reclaiming the code for ourselves. Much has been written by the ancients on the location of the stars and the effects their alignment had on our planet. Further writings reveal an even greater connection to our planet and its place the the cosmos -- another fact that is vital as we enter into a new age, one that leaves the fish of the Messiah behind us, and welcomes the water bearer as we enter the Age of Aquarius. The Mayans believe this will happen in the next decade so we might want to begin as quickly as possible!
So begins the world's first Open Source Religion.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Zeitgeist: Mother of All Conspiracies
The Internet Age has produced a number of independent, high quality films that are primarily composed of numerous YouTube videos stitched together with dramatic narration. The latest is a film entitled Zeitgeist which could be described as the 'Mother of All Conspiracies,' as it begins with the foundations of Christianity, travels through the myths surrounding 9/11, and end with the New World Order directed the elite international banking community. What makes this film so important is the underlying call to act against the forces which currently seek to destroy our Democracy.
Hardly anything in the film is new, as we've seen such atrocities enacted on our Freedom before. When America provoked the Japanese trough trade embargoes and looked the other way after Australia warned us of their route towards Pearl Harbor; when America sent the Lusitania into German waters after their embassy took out an ad in 50 East Coast newspapers warning us it would be attacked; when an incident at the Gulf of Tonkin turned out to be the same ruse used against us time and time again -- our Freedoms have been attacked before.
But to question what is happening right before our eyes is an intentional act of stupidity. While the government was performing over five dozen anti-terrorist scenarios around 9/11 including one on the World Trade Center; while every single plane involved in the attack simply disappeared before our very eyes along with almost a hundred videos of the attack on the Pentagon; while every single news outlet reported explosions in the World Trade Center before and during the collapse; while we responded by destroying not one but TWO nations on the similar grounds of false pretense; while America sits back at watches television that AT ITS MOST LIBERAL exposes these atrocities then sends us to SLEEP: Goodnight America, and Good Luck.
Wake Up America, and Get Angry! These "Invisible Dictators" hi-jacked Democracy back in 1913 when they used the same scare tactics against our banking system to provoke a financial crisis which lead to the creation of the Federal Reserve -- a privately held, multi-national Corporation that is "no more Federal than Fed Ex," subsequently destroying the Gold Standard and coercing the American public into giving back their gold under the duress of incarceration. In that same year our Constitution was attacked through direct taxation of our income, which currently takes over a third of every American income to pay off the interest of the money borrowed from the Federal Reserve! We are slaves to the system through financial servitude -- for this reason alone WE SHOULD BE PISSED OFF!
But instead, we rely upon the upcoming elections between Pepsi or Coke? Will you elect the same mouth pieces that have been chanting the lies of the war to carry us into Iran, or will you elect the better half of the president who sat back and watched these same planned attacks on American soil ten years before September 11th -- that will also lead us into a war with Iran? Or will you wake up to the New World Order of Private Corporations who have "Unionized" the European banking institutions, and seek to do the same throughout North America with the creation of the Amero? Do you not see the violent "Unionization" happening in South America or throughout the Middle East?
If that doesn't piss you off to the point of a Revolution, what the HELL does the New World Order have to fear from your "attacks?" Allowing the Democrats to win the majorities means nothing to the minority who loan our monies to us with interest. Their term limits span those set by our puppet government, and if their actions weren't so obvious to those without their blinders pointed towards the media spectacle of bread and circus, I would say THAT is not only a "weird ass dictatorship" -- but the WORST Dictatorship our world has experienced.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Evolution of the Pledge
Here's a quick history lesson on the evolution of the Pledge of Allegiance in the United States.
1892
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
1892 to 1923
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1923 to 1954
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1954 to 1984
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1984 to Present
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United Corporations of America, and to the Economy for which it stands: one Nation under Contract, with Terms and Conditions for all.”
1892
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
1892 to 1923
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1923 to 1954
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1954 to 1984
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."
1984 to Present
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United Corporations of America, and to the Economy for which it stands: one Nation under Contract, with Terms and Conditions for all.”
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
America Hangs to the Right
In a recent conversation someone snidely remarked: "Maybe you should explain the differences between Conservatives and Liberals in American politics." A variety of definitions were given, ranging from the Dixiecrats to the Neocons, and all the little Independents in between. The simplest explanation described an axis, where Conservative thought appeared on the Right and Liberal to the Left. All in all, I'd call the conversation a basic primer to American Politics.
But when the conversation came to include those from outside the American borders a different picture arose; one that showed our Left as a fairly Conservative notion. When you broadened the spectrum a little wider than our basic education you see alternatives such as Communism and Socialism. From our American perspective, these ideas are either outdated or completely Evil; or simply put, they're not American. We don't have "Commie Pink-o Fags" in our Government, and even the great Ron Paul: The Republican Hope of the Internet preaches against the tenets of Socialism.
What disturbs me about this picture is that America doesn't look as free as I used to believe. In fact, we seem more similar to the "Muslim Extremists" than I initially imagined. And while pictures and imaginations lend themselves well to Academia, in reality, our Government has been at war with these ideas since the Cold War. All the Wars and Conflicts have been a part of the same battle for control. Where the Left would hand control over to the greatest number of Citizens, the Right keeps the power in the hands of the Few. It seems that America wouldn't have it any other way.
When I imagine myself on this spectrum I consider the fact that an Open Democracy would fall to the Left -- possibly the most extreme form of Liberalism that one could imagine. But upon closer inspection the images drawn on an Open map reveal clusters of nodes that connect on a multi-dimensional plane. The very concept of our ideas lying somewhere in 2-Dimensional space sounds more like a Flat Earth philosophy. It appears that the idea of an Open Democracy might not fit in the minds of the people simply because we've never thought of the world in those dimensions.
Ultimately, when asked if I'm Conservative or Liberal, I'd rather answer that I'm Open to new ideas.
But when the conversation came to include those from outside the American borders a different picture arose; one that showed our Left as a fairly Conservative notion. When you broadened the spectrum a little wider than our basic education you see alternatives such as Communism and Socialism. From our American perspective, these ideas are either outdated or completely Evil; or simply put, they're not American. We don't have "Commie Pink-o Fags" in our Government, and even the great Ron Paul: The Republican Hope of the Internet preaches against the tenets of Socialism.
What disturbs me about this picture is that America doesn't look as free as I used to believe. In fact, we seem more similar to the "Muslim Extremists" than I initially imagined. And while pictures and imaginations lend themselves well to Academia, in reality, our Government has been at war with these ideas since the Cold War. All the Wars and Conflicts have been a part of the same battle for control. Where the Left would hand control over to the greatest number of Citizens, the Right keeps the power in the hands of the Few. It seems that America wouldn't have it any other way.
When I imagine myself on this spectrum I consider the fact that an Open Democracy would fall to the Left -- possibly the most extreme form of Liberalism that one could imagine. But upon closer inspection the images drawn on an Open map reveal clusters of nodes that connect on a multi-dimensional plane. The very concept of our ideas lying somewhere in 2-Dimensional space sounds more like a Flat Earth philosophy. It appears that the idea of an Open Democracy might not fit in the minds of the people simply because we've never thought of the world in those dimensions.
Ultimately, when asked if I'm Conservative or Liberal, I'd rather answer that I'm Open to new ideas.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Middle East Quiz
Question: Which country alone in the Middle East has nuclear weapons?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and bars international inspections?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East seized the sovereign territory of other nations by military force and continues to occupy it in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely violates the international borders of another sovereign state with warplanes and artillery and naval gunfire?
Answer: Israel
Question: What American ally in the Middle East has for years sent assassins into other countries to kill its political enemies (a practice sometimes called exporting terrorism)?
Answer: Israel
Question: In which country in the Middle East have high-ranking military officers admitted publicly that unarmed prisoners of war were executed?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East refuses to prosecute its soldiers who have acknowledged executing prisoners of war?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East created 762,000 refugees and refuses to allow them to return to their homes, farms and businesses?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East refuses to pay compensation to people whose land, bank accounts and businesses it confiscated?
Answer: Israel
Question: In what country in the Middle East was a high-ranking United Nations diplomat assassinated?
Answer: Israel
Question: In what country in the Middle East did the man who ordered the assassination of a high-ranking U.N. diplomat become prime minister?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East blew up an American diplomatic facility in Egypt and attacked a U.S. ship, the USS Liberty, in international waters, killing 34 and wounding 171 American sailors?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East employed a spy, Jonathan Pollard, to steal classified documents and then gave some of them to the Soviet Union?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country at first denied any official connection to Pollard, then voted to make him a citizen and has continuously demanded that the American president grant Pollard a full pardon?
Answer: Israel
Question: What Middle East country allows American Jewish murderers to flee to its country to escape punishment in the United States and refuses to extradite them once in their custody?
Answer: Israel
Question: What Middle East country preaches against hate yet builds a shrine and a memorial for a murderer who killed 29 Palestinians while they prayed in their Mosque.
Answer: Israel
Question: What country on Planet Earth has the second most powerful lobby in the United States, according to a recent Fortune magazine survey of Washington insiders?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East deliberately targeted a U.N. Refugee Camp in Qana, Lebanon and killed 103 innocent men, women, and especially children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East is in defiance of 69 United Nations Security Council resolutions and has been protected from 29 more by U.S. vetoes?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East receives more than one-third of all U.S. aid yet is the 16th richest country in the world?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East receives U.S. weapons for free and then sells the technology to the Republic of China even at the objections of the U.S.?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely insults the American people by having its Prime Minister address the United States Congress and lecturing them like children on why they have no right to reduce foreign aid?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East had its Prime Minister announce to his staff not to worry about what the United States says because "We control America?"
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East was cited by Amnesty International for demolishing more than 4000 innocent Palestinian homes as a means of ethnic cleansing.
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East has just recently used a weapon of mass destruction, a one-ton smart bomb, dropping it in the center of a highly populated area killing 15 civilians including 9 children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely kills young Palestinian children for no reason other than throwing stones at armored vehicles, bulldozers, or tanks?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East signed the Oslo Accords promising to halt any new Jewish Settlement construction, but instead, has built more than 270 new settlements since the signing?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East has assassinated more than 100 political officials of its opponent in the last 2 years while killing hundreds of civilians in the process, including dozens of children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East regularly violates the Geneva Convention by imposing collective punishment on entire towns, villages, and camps, for the acts of a few, and even goes as far as demolishing entire villages while people are still in their homes?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East is the United States threatening to attack because of fear that it may be a threat to us and to our allies?
Answer: Iran
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and bars international inspections?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East seized the sovereign territory of other nations by military force and continues to occupy it in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely violates the international borders of another sovereign state with warplanes and artillery and naval gunfire?
Answer: Israel
Question: What American ally in the Middle East has for years sent assassins into other countries to kill its political enemies (a practice sometimes called exporting terrorism)?
Answer: Israel
Question: In which country in the Middle East have high-ranking military officers admitted publicly that unarmed prisoners of war were executed?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East refuses to prosecute its soldiers who have acknowledged executing prisoners of war?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East created 762,000 refugees and refuses to allow them to return to their homes, farms and businesses?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East refuses to pay compensation to people whose land, bank accounts and businesses it confiscated?
Answer: Israel
Question: In what country in the Middle East was a high-ranking United Nations diplomat assassinated?
Answer: Israel
Question: In what country in the Middle East did the man who ordered the assassination of a high-ranking U.N. diplomat become prime minister?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East blew up an American diplomatic facility in Egypt and attacked a U.S. ship, the USS Liberty, in international waters, killing 34 and wounding 171 American sailors?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East employed a spy, Jonathan Pollard, to steal classified documents and then gave some of them to the Soviet Union?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country at first denied any official connection to Pollard, then voted to make him a citizen and has continuously demanded that the American president grant Pollard a full pardon?
Answer: Israel
Question: What Middle East country allows American Jewish murderers to flee to its country to escape punishment in the United States and refuses to extradite them once in their custody?
Answer: Israel
Question: What Middle East country preaches against hate yet builds a shrine and a memorial for a murderer who killed 29 Palestinians while they prayed in their Mosque.
Answer: Israel
Question: What country on Planet Earth has the second most powerful lobby in the United States, according to a recent Fortune magazine survey of Washington insiders?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East deliberately targeted a U.N. Refugee Camp in Qana, Lebanon and killed 103 innocent men, women, and especially children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East is in defiance of 69 United Nations Security Council resolutions and has been protected from 29 more by U.S. vetoes?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East receives more than one-third of all U.S. aid yet is the 16th richest country in the world?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East receives U.S. weapons for free and then sells the technology to the Republic of China even at the objections of the U.S.?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely insults the American people by having its Prime Minister address the United States Congress and lecturing them like children on why they have no right to reduce foreign aid?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East had its Prime Minister announce to his staff not to worry about what the United States says because "We control America?"
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East was cited by Amnesty International for demolishing more than 4000 innocent Palestinian homes as a means of ethnic cleansing.
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East has just recently used a weapon of mass destruction, a one-ton smart bomb, dropping it in the center of a highly populated area killing 15 civilians including 9 children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East routinely kills young Palestinian children for no reason other than throwing stones at armored vehicles, bulldozers, or tanks?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East signed the Oslo Accords promising to halt any new Jewish Settlement construction, but instead, has built more than 270 new settlements since the signing?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East has assassinated more than 100 political officials of its opponent in the last 2 years while killing hundreds of civilians in the process, including dozens of children?
Answer: Israel
Question: Which country in the Middle East regularly violates the Geneva Convention by imposing collective punishment on entire towns, villages, and camps, for the acts of a few, and even goes as far as demolishing entire villages while people are still in their homes?
Answer: Israel
Question: What country in the Middle East is the United States threatening to attack because of fear that it may be a threat to us and to our allies?
Answer: Iran
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Redefining our Corporate Economy
The concept of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) didn't sell too well in the 90's, mostly because it wasn't for sale. The modern businessman carrying the manta that "you get what you pay for" didn't see much value in a product that didn't cost a dime. In response to these concerns, advocates dropped Free Software from the title, and Open Source was born. As the image of shoddy software developed by hobbiests faded, the reality of Linux and other Open Source projects revealed an affordable alternative.
At the same time, the Cold War had effectively put an end to all things Socialist, making the concepts of Free and Open particularly dangerous to an economy that had steadily been progressing towards privatization. In order to survive, the Corporate Economy had to reflect upon itself in this same light. The image of rich and powerful board members wielding the power of nations was described by enthusiasts as highly responsive Free Markets which promised higher qualities at lower prices.
The consequences of a Corporate Economy are apparent to most Americans. While the media describes the actions of Enron and Exxon Valdez as a few bad apples, few can deny the effects that McDonald's and Wal-Marts have had in transforming our communities into freeway exits and temporary strip malls. If left unchecked, the Free Market would stop at nothing to charge for every inch of life that can produce a profit, without any respect to the communities that depend on them.
The unabashed greed of many Corporations has escalated to the point of corrupting our government. But instead of rising against the Kings which have invaded our Democracy, most interpret this as a failure our government. This apathy has given support to a "Strict Constitutionalist" as a Presidential Candidate, who seeks to devolve the development of Democracy to its origins, and remove control over the Economy from the hands of the people and place it instead under private jurisdiction.
While the Free Market is an admirable spin to the truth behind Private Ownership, the answer (as always) can be found in the Open Source model. Even though the Marketing Department has found a majority willing to buy burgers with questionable content, the people must be free to choose if they wish to be subjugated to miles of cheap plastic crap, or instead to produce better walls around New Orleans, or reduce the number of troops in the Weapons and Arms Race.
In other words, the Free Market should not be free to do as it decides -- anymore than anyone of us should be able to do as we will, regardless of the consequences to our people our our environment. We should be held by the same regulations held by those in the highest seats of Corporate power. Their freedom is our freedom, and our freedom is Open Source. If that three second sound byte isn't enough to convince you, consider the following choice:
A Nation Powered by Microsoft vs. a Nation Empowered by Linux.
At the same time, the Cold War had effectively put an end to all things Socialist, making the concepts of Free and Open particularly dangerous to an economy that had steadily been progressing towards privatization. In order to survive, the Corporate Economy had to reflect upon itself in this same light. The image of rich and powerful board members wielding the power of nations was described by enthusiasts as highly responsive Free Markets which promised higher qualities at lower prices.
The consequences of a Corporate Economy are apparent to most Americans. While the media describes the actions of Enron and Exxon Valdez as a few bad apples, few can deny the effects that McDonald's and Wal-Marts have had in transforming our communities into freeway exits and temporary strip malls. If left unchecked, the Free Market would stop at nothing to charge for every inch of life that can produce a profit, without any respect to the communities that depend on them.
The unabashed greed of many Corporations has escalated to the point of corrupting our government. But instead of rising against the Kings which have invaded our Democracy, most interpret this as a failure our government. This apathy has given support to a "Strict Constitutionalist" as a Presidential Candidate, who seeks to devolve the development of Democracy to its origins, and remove control over the Economy from the hands of the people and place it instead under private jurisdiction.
While the Free Market is an admirable spin to the truth behind Private Ownership, the answer (as always) can be found in the Open Source model. Even though the Marketing Department has found a majority willing to buy burgers with questionable content, the people must be free to choose if they wish to be subjugated to miles of cheap plastic crap, or instead to produce better walls around New Orleans, or reduce the number of troops in the Weapons and Arms Race.
In other words, the Free Market should not be free to do as it decides -- anymore than anyone of us should be able to do as we will, regardless of the consequences to our people our our environment. We should be held by the same regulations held by those in the highest seats of Corporate power. Their freedom is our freedom, and our freedom is Open Source. If that three second sound byte isn't enough to convince you, consider the following choice:
A Nation Powered by Microsoft vs. a Nation Empowered by Linux.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Four Liberals of the Apocalypse
Ask any Liberal the number of catastrophes our world is currently facing and you're likely to get numerous stories, ranging from Global Warming to the newly popular Avian Bird Flu featured in the BBC's Pandemic. That's probably what makes the Republicans such lovable candidates as they generally tend to focus on just one: Terrorism. However, that leads to a relevant question: Are we focusing on the right threat? Or, are threats simply a form of "Shock Capitalism" intended to hold our attentions?
My fears are that most people have become so disenchanted by our current leaders that they're simply looking for a change. Some find solace in the nuance of a black or female leader, while others are willing to throw 200+ years of Democratic development out the window by supporting a "Strict Constitutionalist." The problem still remains that most of these candidates focus on the same hot button issue of the War in Iraq, with the exception of a few "non-candidates" who are running with the other hot button issue: Global Warming.
So we've got two hot button issues -- possibly three if you include Corporate Corruption -- but none of these reflect the fact that many local governments are preparing for a possible outbreak of the Avian Bird Flu. While the general public accepts it as news worthy, or at worst, another Liberal conspiracy to increase our tax dollars, the issue lags behind the tired discussions of Abortion Rights and Gay Marriage as quintessential planks in the two party platforms.
But there's something else we can take from the BBC's Pandemic Special. The model for a viral outbreak not only applies to biology and computer science, but to thoughts and ideas as well. When we tell someone an idea we have it carries from one person to the next -- assuming it has developed well enough to carry at the utterance of a few simple words. The hope we gain from watching the special is the possibility that Open Source will spread with greater ease than a possible mutation of the Bird Flu.
We also see two other Open Sources in the movie: the first being the physical connectivity of the planet, and the second: YouTube. When the military rolls in to lock down the town, allowing nothing but tight lipped doctors, with all the reporters kept behind the police lines. Thanks to the efforts of one little girl, people were able to experience the event and learn what to expect in advance. Such knowledge and reassurance is critical for any possible threat we face.
In this simple act we gain a glimpse at what might be the most important challenge we face: Open Communication. It is this type of communication that allows us share a medical solution to the outbreak, or a crystalline structure to gather sunlight more efficiently, or at best: the ability to decide for ourselves. This is the virus we must evolve in the minds of every life we touch, in order to transform our ideas of Democracy into a truly Open Source.
The Temptatious Dangers of Ron Paul
Many months ago I fell under the allure of Ron Paul -- the Republican Hero of the Internet. With all the support coming from sites such as YouTube and Digg, it was difficult not to notice the sensation which was taking American apathy by storm. People who once saw the government as a breeding ground for corruption and perversion began waving the Republican flag in opposition to the Totalitarian ruler at the helm of our Executive Branch. It wasn't until his appearance on the Colbert Report that I began to question the wisdom of a "Strict Constitutionalist."
Steven ended by naming a variety of organizations which Ron Paul responded to by raising his hand in support of their abolishment. Department of Education? Tear it down! Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, the IRS: ABSOLUTELY! (Raising his hand even higher to the amusement of the crowd.) UNICEF? Well, he would tear that one down last. Apparently the rights and well being of our children aren't so high on Ron Paul's list as to warrant their destruction right from the start. Really shows the compassion he shows for America's future.
In the immortally misquoted words of Bill Hicks: "The Anti-Marketing Market is a Huge Market!" So many Americans have become so overwhelmingly disenchanted by the corruption of the American Government that they've adopted a "Tear It All Down" mentality. Furthermore, the rising prices of every aspect of our lives have left many without the ability to keep up with all the new iPod models. These two attitudes have created an "Anti-Government" market which seeks to destroy any regulations that carry the stink of Socialism, selling the country instead on the benefits of Capitalism.
What surprises me is the fact that so many have failed to recognize the effects of Privatization -- what Noam Chomsky and the Bolivarian Revolution refers to as NeoLiberalism. Once our Oil and Energy were sold to private institutions the prices began to soar. As the country continues to decline we see the rise in Privatization in our roads, our schools, our medicine -- everything a society needs to both survive and prosper. Instead of control over these vital organs resting in the hands of the people, Ron Paul advocates issuing command to the Corporations, depending on the power of the dollar as the great equalizer.
To entrust the Almighty Dollar in place of our vote is to welcome a class division unlike any we've seen in this country, where the wealthy wield the power of governments (with enormous economies and privately funded militaries). While your dollar may carry enormous influence over McDonald's Dollar Menu, it won't mean squat when you go to fill up your gas tank, or pay your electricity bill, or post on the Internet where usage requirements prohibit the slander of your service provider, assuming you're able to afford them.
In order to get past the temptatious dangers of Ron Paul, you need something that he clearly rails again: A Plan. The Founders had a plan when they Drafted the Constitution. They knew that a single document would not protect our Democracy alone, that its Citizens would be required to be vigilant, and make the necessary amendments to protect them from the rich and the powerful who wield enough influence to shackle the people in the shadow of the Kings they fought so hard to overthrow. Tearing everything down is not the answer. Building a better tomorrow is.
Recognize that the Cold War has evolved into a War against the People. Every Democratic state our government has overthrown was an attempt to keep control over the resources out of the People's hands. Time and time again the Military Industrial Corporations have funded military dictators by supplying them with weapons and money, only to turn around around "free" the people by unleashing the American Government. We're currently caught in this same war, with the same players fighting for the same resources.
Allow me set the record straight by highlighting the fact that a Democracy is "by the people, for the people." This huge conspiracy that the eradication of Government is the only path to Freedom is a myth. The Government is Our Voice! We must be vigilant to make our vote count. Relying on the dollar to represent us is absolute insanity! The same Government you fear meddling in all your personal affairs would be replaced by a Corporation which dictates your rights to you. Such a choice would effectively mean the end of Democracy as we know it.
The solution is Open Source. Do NOT vote to silence your voice in Government, but instead: Show your support for the system that replaced the backbone of the Internet, the Internet Browser, the corrupt channels of media, the music and entertainment industry with Open Source. This is our revolution: The Open Source Revolution. We must carry this to the highest levels of Government in order to ensure that the People are in control, NOT the Corporations. We must be strong and enact the Open Source philosophy on our Constitution in order to ensure that Democracy remains "by the people, for the people."
The Secret Government of Bill Moyers
This is the full length 90 min. version of Bill Moyer's 1987 scathing critique of the criminal subterfuge carried out by the Executive Branch of the United States Government to carry out operations which are clearly contrary to the wishes and values of the American people. The ability to exercise this power with impunity is facilitated by the National Security Act of 1947.
The thrust of the exposé is the Iran-Contra arms and drug-running operations which flooded the streets of our nation with crack cocaine. The significance of the documentary is probably greater today in 2007 than it was when it was made.
We now have a situation in which these same forces have committed the most egregious terrorist attack on US soil and have declared a fraudulent so-called "War on Terror". The ruling regime in the US who have conducted the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, are now banging the war drum against Iran. We have the PATRIOT act which has stripped us of many of our basic civil rights justified by the terror of 9/11 which is their own doing.
Friday, October 5, 2007
In Rememberance of Bill Hicks
Thirteen years ago, on this very day, Bill Hicks wasn't doing a fucking thing because he was dead. This underground, dark poet of comedy was virtually unknown in the United States, but a sensation the world over. During the 31 years he spent tearing the world a new asshole, Bill Hicks underwent a variety of transformations from a cocky little teenager doing stand-up about his parents, to a dark guru of mystical knowledge on the subject of human evolution. While much of his comedy was pointed at the ultra right-wing conservative class, his intentions were simply to open the eyes of his fellow Americans.
So why take the time to remember another mostly forgotten Lenny Bruce? If not for the magic of the Internet we'd certainly succumb to the same temporary punchlines spewed out by the same late night talk shows that censored Bill Hicks the first time around. Why is this more important than the War in Iraq, or perhaps, the identity of the female nerd in Beauty and the Geek? Because Bill Hicks dedicated the last few weeks of his life, while battling with Pancreatic Cancer, to show America the comedy act that The David Letterman Show refused to air, and instead, destroyed the film entirely.
The video above is an hour long documentary on Bill Hicks which ends with the act that he wanted America to see. It isn't his best work. You'll not see any impressions of the Devil or hear any revelations about feeding the hungry and exploring outer space as a unified planet. He wasn't out to break any more boundaries than he already had, but instead, offer the country a new perspective than they were used to. When the Corporate Executives decided that it wasn't up the standards of selling alcohol with half naked women, he dedicated himself to performing the act until his final performance, so that you could use your brain to decide for yourself.
If you're still curious to know why we should remember Bill Hicks today, it's because he provides a well-needed remedy to the ignorance and violence which is leading the American Nation down the same path of greed and destruction which existed longer than thirteen years ago. The situation has worsened to the point that our entire nation is engulfed in sheer stupidity, whereby the destruction of a couple buildings could inspire such a bloodlust as to unify the nation on a mission of revenge. And if you think that we're beginning to uncover the truth, you need to go back to Dane Cook bitching about his boy friends. Bill Hicks pushed an entirely different envelope.
He believed in the corruption which held a stranglehold on everything we think or feel. There wasn't any room for the RIAA or the Department of Homeland Security. This was seen by Hicks as another way the system commanded your servitude. He wasn't afraid to point out Corporate Slavery, but most importantly, he didn't believe in tearing it all down in the name of Destruction. He saw a light at the end of the tunnel that was brighter than most could conceive -- a world of infinite possibilities where every human was in touch with the Creator which would lead to eternal life if we could manage to get over ourselves.
So today we remember Bill Hicks, sitting up in Heaven with Saint Peter, laughing at all the prudish non-smokers bitching about abortion in Hell. We remember Bill Hicks in hopes of finding that same brutish voice in our own souls which tells us to get the fuck out of Iraq. Maybe we'll find the strength to shrug off the shackles of our Corporate masters, stop building bombs, and focus on those without food, education, or health care. If we can hear this voice of reason and learn to respect the ideas and nuance of our fellow man, maybe then we'll be able to evolve into the beings of Light that so many of us hope to achieve.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, published research on fascism in which he examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized.
5. Rampant sexism - The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are intertwined - Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Benito Mussolini - who knew something about fascism - had a more straightforward definition: “Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”
Abraham Lincoln stated, “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me, and causes me to tremble for the safety of our country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed.”
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized.
5. Rampant sexism - The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are intertwined - Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Benito Mussolini - who knew something about fascism - had a more straightforward definition: “Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”
Abraham Lincoln stated, “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me, and causes me to tremble for the safety of our country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed.”
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