Only So Much

Today we feature a post by Peace Tree Contributing author, Lori Hahn.

Only So Much
By Lori Hahn

Every day, I go to work past the Loaves & Fishes and the Salvation Army—where the homeless can get a meal and maybe even find a job. It’s in a rough warehouse area. Not inviting at all to the city’s residents as a whole. Men in wheelchairs, women on bikes, people walking with their shopping carts or bags full of their life’s belongings form an endless stream of people running from the river banks from one direction to the bushes and alleys downtown from the other, all converging at this point because breakfast is about to be served. There is no progression through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs here—it’s pure survival, baby.

I take frequent trips around the block at the office, mostly to clear my head, but sometimes just to see what’s going on outside the confines of the space I share with smart, sane, college-educated folks that may worry about where they might find a good happy hour after work but haven’t known hungry night or the felt the indifference of others. I’ve come to recognize many of the folks on the street and have spoken to more than a few…mostly to tell them I have neither change nor a smoke for them. Some hope for the largesse of the capitol employee-set to put a couple bucks in their pocket, one quarter at a time. Some rage in scary ways if you dare look their way—and have self-medicated that day with drugs or alcohol. Most don’t take their legal medication, if they can get medication at all. But, they’ve created their own community; one in which they are understood and accepted, and where they form friendships based on security and a strength-in-numbers outlook. Many of them will spend tonight in jail or will be rousted from their box by the riverbank, where they share camp with other lost souls.

I just keep thinking of the guy who was probably 40, now haggard and hunched over in his wrinkled, dirty fatigue jacket as he stood outside of the store I popped into. I’d seen him before, at the same corner, kickboxing an imaginary opponent. I told him I had no change as I went in but said to him on the way out, “I had no change, but now I do, here.” As he looked into his palm at the 78 cents, he said, “Thanks, have a wonderful day, young lady.” I said, “You, too.” He broke out into a great snaggle-toothed smile, and said, “Thanks, that made my day more than this money.”

These days, I have more questions than answers regarding what I believe are the pressing social issues of my community. Where do we begin to help? Our lack of humanity as a species of thinking humans makes me feel a little helpless sometimes. I could carry on about how Reagan’s policies of the 80s shut off many avenues for long-term assistance for the mentally ill and how general hospitals, nursing homes, and jails and prisons have become the new, but ill-equipped solution, but it really doesn’t matter anymore. We need to rethink this issue now and provide tangible solutions that allow them their personal dignity while providing safety for themselves and for the greater community. Please visit the National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness to learn more.

Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/ The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./ Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,/ I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

~ Emma Lazarus

Sunday Poetry Series: Just Truth

Our selection this week comes from Peace Tree Poets Society member, Tina Louise.
Thank you Tina for the insight and beauty you bring with your words.

Tina Louise on Just Truth:
Every once in a while I read something that is so obviously truth that the lies of everything else become more obvious and I wonder how I was ever fooled so easily.

And now......


Just Truth

You and I are not the good
The bad or the undecided fool.
Swayed by life’s ebbs and flows
Each of us knows only the truths we can see,
But none is beyond the grace of immortality.
Forever gives us all the chances,
To have those second glances,
At the mirages
Masquerading as truth,
That we have trusted since our youth.
Those greying institutions,
Baying restitution,
Holy vows,
Holy cows,
Sacred texts,
Manipulated, vexed,
Completely out of con-text.
But the truth,
Disrobing slowly,
Seductively teasing,
Easing gently,
From darkened gown,
False crowns fall.
As truth unclothes herself
From heavy garments,
Gaudy enhancements,
Plastic wrapped
Clinging film of lies,
Dying now.
No longer preserved,
Best before long gone.
Use by expired,
All the words now tired.
Curled yellow parchment,
Of men’s falsehoods,
Shrivelling shrinking decomposing,
Manhood.
As all-kind feed,
Suckle at the open spaces,
Where truth seeps
Through,
At slower paces.
And all as one,
Will once
Again be,
Visible for all to see.
Not guarded buried eternally,
Truth was just resting beneath the folds,
Slumbering sweetly,
Covered nearly completely by fresh lie-falls,
That rained down,
Coated the truth beneath safe ground.
Now awoken with a start,
Truth imparts her wisdom,
Infectiously transmits her reasons,
Infests fresh in spring’s rebirth season,
Alights the dark,
Rewrites remarks,
Re-scents reclaims replenishes.
Remains,
Our saviour,
Succulent manifestation of creator,
Morsel of the flavour,
Of the universe.
She is the power supply that cannot fail,
The wind that lifts the veil,
The beauty none can ignore,
The shining heart of our galactic core.
No blindfolded,
Weight conscious,
Waif like woman,
Dispensing laws,
More much more.
The wide eyed,
All seeing,
Understanding,
Core
Of us,
The truth of us…..
…Just

Please visit Tina Louise at her home site to enjoy her entire collection of work.
Tina Louise Poetry
Arms Against War

Let Us Not Speak Falsely Now

What follows my personal commentary is an article that should get the undivided attention of every single American Citizen.

The last call to awaken has been sounded.
Be you Left, Right or in the Middle.

While we all debate the polls, speculate on theft of elections and make satirical fun of the decider in chief, Bush has quietly signed into LAW, let me repeat that, signed into LAW the means by which dissent will be dealt with in The United States of America.

We like to make our statements and comment on the issues of our times, you may have noticed as I have, there is no longer any real debate about those issues. The reality we find in our midst today is not a situation of debate and then decide. It is one of decisions made in secret, by a small group of people with extreme conflicts of interest and only given the illuision of debate when and where the aftermath of these decisions are uncovered.

You are either with us or against us. Period.

How does one debate the finer points of torturing another human being? I surely do not know and I feel quiet certain I never will, which I might note, has been pointed out numerous times in comments from the right as putting me squarely in the same category as a terrorist. No middle ground, no debate whatsoever, it is as we say decided.

The Republican controlled Congress has relegated the Democratic minority to the role of red headed step child within the halls of Congress with no voice in governing what so ever. The Republican majority have effectively had no serious opposition and no desire to engage the minority party in the process of lawmaking.

Many of us dare to hope that will change after Nov. 7^th but I think if we are honest we really expect to find ourselves reliving the nightmare of elections past. I for one do not believe for one brief moment that these folks have any intention to honor the will of the people. Based on simple observation of them so far, I personally find that a very logical expectation.

So, one is naturally led to ask the question:
What will you do if you find yourself, once again, witnessing power delivering power unto itself?

Call in sick from work again?

Spend the day crying because you know the truth and you can’t do one damn thing about it?

Apply for your passport and pick out your new home country?

Decide to stay and fight for the country that once was and could be?

Grab your protest sign and hit the streets?

They say you reap what you sow.

Did we collectively give a shit that aside from Saddam, his family and some military officials who ordered soldiers to do things strikingly similar to what our own leaders ask of our soldiers, that most of the people we were about to incinerate, obliterate, and annihilate were just trying to survive our oppressive sanctions and a ruthless dictator simultaneuosly and were in no position to pose a threat to us whatsoever?

The answer is no, as a nation we did not. Prime time, Shock and Awe Baby, and the nation ate it up.

Did we really care enough about all those dead Iraqis with white phosphorous all over them to raise our collective voice as a nation against it, and after all it was too late anyway right?

The answer is again, no we did not. The United States would never improperly use an incendiary weapon on civilians unless the evidence forced them to admit they had.

Were we sufficiently appalled that our Government tortures people to rise up, as a nation, and say with unity and commitment we would not tolerate it?

No. Out of sight and out of mind is the American way.

God knows how may Iraqis, along with thousands of American Soldiers bear witness every day to the way Bush and Company pursue whatever the hell it is they want while they enrich themselves and their corporate partners, with only the vaguest of lip service, flipping the channels and changing the stories of war and conquest as if they were changing their socks.

Have we listened to the conscientious objectors or is it easier just to call them cowards?

If you find yourself thinking about rising up and making your voice heard at this late date, you may want to consider that President George W. Bush has just signed into LAW the means by which your government will deal with you should you decide to attempt to publicly assert your right to demonstrate your disgust with them.

The ultimate irony, of course, is that you could enjoy a stay at the Halliburton Center for the Unpatriotic and Unrepentant that your own tax dollars paid to construct.

It is called Martial Law, also known as a Police State.

I am utterly saddened that America has come to this, a brutal and corrupt government seeking to protect its own interests from the people. Saddam would be proud, except that he is going to be executed for doing just that, since he decided to run his own game and not play ball anymore with the Bush gang.

And the irony just goes on and on.

By the people and for the people, that was a really a great idea. Too bad it never got the chance to be all it could have been in America. We the people gave it all away, bit by bit and what hurts the most is deep inside ourselves we know it was our game to lose.

How long have we watched this very thing go on around us? How often have we turned our faces away from those who would warn us that our own Government has been deeply involved in creating this very scenario in other countries around the world?

Are we about to find out first hand just exactly why "they" hate us so much?

I for one don't think Bush is signing this law because he got bored with looking at the ranch on Google.

Bless us all, we are going to need it.

Read on and then you can draw your own conclusions about your reality.

In the immortal words Bob Dylan “let us not speak falsely now, the hour is getting late”

Peace y'all

____________________

Bush Moves Toward Martial Law
Written by Frank Morales
Thursday, 26 October 2006

In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.

Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act of 2006. In a sense, the two laws complement one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home, preparing to order the military onto the streets of America. Remember, the term for putting an area under military law enforcement control is precise; the term is "martial law."

Section 1076 of the massive Authorization Act, which grants the Pentagon another $500-plus-billion for its ill-advised adventures, is entitled, "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies." Section 333, "Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law" states that "the President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of ("refuse" or "fail" in) maintaining public order, "in order to suppress, in any State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy."

For the current President, "enforcement of the laws to restore public order" means to commandeer guardsmen from any state, over the objections of local governmental, military and local police entities; ship them off to another state; conscript them in a law enforcement mode; and set them loose against "disorderly" citizenry - protesters, possibly, or those who object to forced vaccinations and quarantines in the event of a bio-terror event.

The law also facilitates militarized police round-ups and detention of protesters, so called "illegal aliens," "potential terrorists" and other "undesirables" for detention in facilities already contracted for and under construction by Halliburton. That's right. Under the cover of a trumped-up "immigration emergency" and the frenzied militarization of the southern border, detention camps are being constructed right under our noses, camps designed for anyone who resists the foreign and domestic agenda of the Bush administration.

An article on "recent contract awards" in a recent issue of the slick, insider "Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International" reported that "global engineering and technical services powerhouse KBR [Kellog, Brown & Root] announced in January 2006 that its Government and Infrastructure division was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the event of an emergency." "With a maximum total value of $385 million over a five year term," the report notes, "the contract is to be executed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," "for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) - in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs." The report points out that "KBR is the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton." (3) So, in addition to authorizing another $532.8 billion for the Pentagon, including a $70-billion "supplemental provision" which covers the cost of the ongoing, mad military maneuvers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places, the new law, signed by the president in a private White House ceremony, further collapses the historic divide between the police and the military: a tell-tale sign of a rapidly consolidating police state in America, all accomplished amidst ongoing U.S. imperial pretensions of global domination, sold to an "emergency managed" and seemingly willfully gullible public as a "global war on terrorism."

Make no mistake about it: the de-facto repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) is an ominous assault on American democratic tradition and jurisprudence. The 1878 Act, which reads, "Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both," is the only U.S. criminal statute that outlaws military operations directed against the American people under the cover of 'law enforcement.' As such, it has been the best protection we've had against the power-hungry intentions of an unscrupulous and reckless executive, an executive intent on using force to enforce its will.

Unfortunately, this past week, the president dealt posse comitatus, along with American democracy, a near fatal blow. Consequently, it will take an aroused citizenry to undo the damage wrought by this horrendous act, part and parcel, as we have seen, of a long train of abuses and outrages perpetrated by this authoritarian administration.

Despite the unprecedented and shocking nature of this act, there has been no outcry in the American media, and little reaction from our elected officials in Congress. On September 19th, a lone Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) noted that 2007's Defense Authorization Act contained a "widely opposed provision to allow the President more control over the National Guard [adopting] changes to the Insurrection Act, which will make it easier for this or any future President to use the military to restore domestic order WITHOUT the consent of the nation's governors."

Senator Leahy went on to stress that, "we certainly do not need to make it easier for Presidents to declare martial law. Invoking the Insurrection Act and using the military for law enforcement activities goes against some of the central tenets of our democracy. One can easily envision governors and mayors in charge of an emergency having to constantly look over their shoulders while someone who has never visited their communities gives the orders."

A few weeks later, on the 29th of September, Leahy entered into the Congressional Record that he had "grave reservations about certain provisions of the fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Bill Conference Report," the language of which, he said, "subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the military's involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law." This had been "slipped in," Leahy said, "as a rider with little study," while "other congressional committees with jurisdiction over these matters had no chance to comment, let alone hold hearings on, these proposals."

In a telling bit of understatement, the Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."

Senator Leahy's final ruminations: "Since hearing word a couple of weeks ago that this outcome was likely, I have wondered how Congress could have gotten to this point. It seems the changes to the Insurrection Act have survived the Conference because the Pentagon and the White House want it."

The historic and ominous re-writing of the Insurrection Act, accomplished in the dead of night, which gives Bush the legal authority to declare martial law, is now an accomplished fact.

The Pentagon, as one might expect, plays an even more direct role in martial law operations. Title XIV of the new law, entitled, "Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Legislative Provisions," authorizes "the Secretary of Defense to create a Homeland Defense Technology Transfer Consortium to improve the effectiveness of the Department of Defense (DOD) processes for identifying and deploying relevant DOD technology to federal, State, and local first responders."

In other words, the law facilitates the "transfer" of the newest in so-called "crowd control" technology and other weaponry designed to suppress dissent from the Pentagon to local militarized police units. The new law builds on and further codifies earlier "technology transfer" agreements, specifically the 1995 DOD-Justice Department memorandum of agreement achieved back during the Clinton-Reno regime.(4)

It has become clear in recent months that a critical mass of the American people have seen through the lies of the Bush administration; with the president's polls at an historic low, growing resistance to the war Iraq, and the Democrats likely to take back the Congress in mid-term elections, the Bush administration is on the ropes. And so it is particularly worrying that President Bush has seen fit, at this juncture to, in effect, declare himself dictator.

Source:

(1) http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200609/091906a.html and http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200609/092906b.html See also, Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, "The Use of Federal Troops for Disaster Assistance: Legal Issues," by Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, August 14, 2006

(2) http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill+h109-5122

(3) Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International, "Recent Contract Awards", Summer 2006, Vol.12, No.2, pg.8; See also, Peter Dale Scott, "Homeland Security Contracts for Vast New Detention Camps," New American Media, January 31, 2006.

(4) "Technology Transfer from defense: Concealed Weapons Detection", National Institute of Justice Journal, No 229, August, 1995, pp.42-43.

Source: Toward Freedom

"Songs For The Movement" by Amy Ray

Sometimes we all get a little tired and little down when it seems that the world is hell bent on destroying itself.

Amy Ray is a voice that never fails to inspire me. Grounded, real, often dark and never pretentious, her music speaks to the Soul of life and the struggle to find peace through it all.
Thanks, Amy.

"Tether"

Whatever it was, is wasn't manumission
To spill the blood, to pull the weed
You can bury the past, but it's a mausoleum
With the ghost of a fist that won't let us be

Can we bring it together,
Can we call from the mountain to the valley below?
Can we make it better,
Do we tether the hawk, do we tether the dove?

I kicked up the dirt, and I said to my neighbor
"We keep making it worse, we keep getting it wrong"
He tucked in his shirt, he stood a little bit straighter,
He said "We need a few less words dear, we need a few more guns."

But will it bring us together,
Can we call from the mountain to the valley below?
Can we make it better,
Do we tether the hawk, do we tether the dove?

Enduring love

Why so much and so strong, beyond this short existence?
So don't be still
You say there's a long line behind you
And it's hardly worth the mentioning
But I will

Cause we may flicker and fade,
But we never will be through with this

I see this world battered but not broken
There's a fallow heart, it's waiting on a sowing hand
You can grow what you want, But one day it's gonna rise up
So plant what you need to make a better stand

And we'll bring it together
And we'll call from the mountain to the valley below.
And we'll make it better

Let go of the hawk, we let go of the dove.

I sing to you, all you true believers
With the strength to see this and not be still.
I'm telling you now, find the hope that feeds you,
Don't let 'em bleed you of your will.

Yeah, now thats what we're talking bout.

Peace y'all

Let's Talk About Context, Shall We?

In answer to the comments and e-mail I have received regarding my post on the statements made by Rush Limbaugh about Michael J. Fox as being based in liberal bias and taken out of context.

Call it biased if you like but,

Here's your context:

It is called the world according to Rush:

"Citizen service is a repudiation of the principles upon which our country was based. We are all here for ourselves."

"One of the things I want to do before I die is conduct the homeless Olympics . . . the 10-meter shopping cart relay, the dumpster dig, and the hop, skip, and trip."

"If you're working to make the playing field fair and level, you're working for the wrong reasons. Work to take the opportunities that arise and use your individual talents to excel at those opportunities."

"The culture war is between the winners and those who think they're losers who want to become winners. The losers think the only way they can become winners is by banding together all the losers and then empowering a leader of the losers to make things right for them."

"I don't consider myself an offensive guy. I am just a harmless lovable little fuzzball."

"Enraging liberals is simply one of the more enjoyable side effects of my wisdom."

"Once again we find conservatives able to be totally honest about who liberals are. And I'm telling you, the liberals cringe. They go ape! When you dare be honest about them, they call it an attack!"

"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back."(To a black caller.)

"Why should Blacks be heard? They're 12% of the population. Who the hell cares."

"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"

"The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies"

"If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people -- I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do – let the stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."

"I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen."

"The feminist movement was created to allow ugly women access to the mainstream of society."

"Women were doing quite well in this country before feminism came along."

"They vote with their vaginas."

"Some of these babes, I'm telling you, like the sexual harassment crowd, they're out there protesting what they actually wish would happen to them sometimes."

"When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult; it's an invitation."

"When you strip it all away, Jerry Garcia destroyed his life on drugs. And yet he's being honored, like some godlike figure. Our priorities are out of whack, folks."

"If the owl can't adapt to the superiority of humans, screw it"

"The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do after you cut it down."

And last but certainly not least, particularly Foleyesque,

"And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

Thanks to Richard Mathis for compiling this bit of context.

Federal Inmate #16377-004, Michael G. Santos

Today I am pleased to present a piece from Peace Tree contributing author, Lori Hahn.

You can read all of her work at her home blog, Hahn at Home.

Thanks Lori, for your continued support of The Peace Tree and your willingness to share your work with us.

Federal Inmate #16377-004, Michael G. Santos
By Lori Hahn

I have the pleasurable acquaintance of some kids who are adopted. Okay, they call me “Mom.” Fortunately, with the advent of open adoption, all of the kids have contact with one of their birthparents. It’s a convoluted story, as most such tales are, but this has all worked out well, in its quirky little way.

The unfortunate part of this story is that the birthfather of part of this brood is spending time in a Federal Correctional Institute, where he’s been for the last four years and will remain for the next seven, for drug crimes. Admittedly, I don’t understand one damned thing about life behind bars or the criminal judicial system outside of what I saw on Perry Mason or Matlock. Somehow, I sensed at a young age that criminal defense attorneys were not so fortunate to always have both an innocent client and to be wily enough to get them off despite the frames, double-dealing by the prosecution, and borderline nefarious nature of the detectives.

So, a couple of years ago, I started reading and searching the Internet to try to understand so I could help explain this to the brood. In my reading, I ran across Federal Inmate #16377-004, Michael G. Santos. Michael has been in Federal custody since about 1987, when he was 23. His downfall was those heady cocaine Wild West days in Florida in the 80s—very Miami Vice, only on the flip side. His story is interesting, however. What struck me is that he takes full responsibility and has made definitive steps toward rehabilitation. In the Federal system, there is no early parole, so he does his minimum time, which will put him out about the same time as birthfather. This guy has managed the rare feat of moving from maximum security to a minimum security working camp. He’s published numerous books about life in prison, one of which is a “how to” for people facing prison for the first time. He makes no money from these publishing enterprises as all the money goes toward paying his astronomical fine. His most recent book, “Inside,” met with critical praise.

While I think that his website operates for the right reasons, there’s always been a bit of skepticism lodged deep in the recesses of my mind. He’s got a pretty good PR marketing tool in the website (maintained by his second wife and childhood friend, Carol). I want to believe everything he says because he states his case compellingly and articulately. I do believe that drug crimes often carry a stiffer penalty than is necessary, and so many violently dangerous people who molest or murder have done far less time. Was it as clear-cut as he states? If so, then, I think the term he is serving is too lengthy and if his record is as clean as he states, he should be considered for clemency. I mean, is our goal to rehabilitate or is strictly to punish? If the answer is rehabilitation, then I think the clemency board would have to take a more than casual look here.

One of his most recent book reviewers used the word, “dispassionate” and another “stilted” in describing his prose—perhaps that’s what’s been bothering me—he is articulate, but seems to lack the passion in his written word (which is all we, on the outside, see) to come across as completely and totally credible, which in turn, may appear to the folks that hold his fate in their hands as disingenuous or that he’s just another con artist trying to work the system to his advantage.

As a greater and greater percentage of our population spend time in prison for longer and longer periods, the state of our collective (read: government) “corrections” philosophy and the execution of its policies becomes more and more pressing a concern. What do you think? I’d like to hear your opinions.

Visit Lori at Hahn at Home!

Limbaugh and The So Called Apology

I realize that Rush Limbaugh is considered a hero by many Americans, who are deeply enamored with his particular brand of irreconcilable moralism. The thrill of the uninformed, unconcerned and self-centered cheap shot delivered for effect without regard to any of the finer human sensibilities.

The rage of one who knows no respect for anyone who does not agree with his personal interpretation of reality at any given moment.

So absolute is his sense of righteousness that he never saw the derision he poured out upon Michael J. Fox as a clear reflection of the depths of his own depravity.

He may not have but a lot of other people certainly did.

This display was graphic, nauseating and sad, an example of what the right has come to represent in America to those who still care about our fellow human beings.

Rush Limbaugh’s reaction to Michael J. Fox’s physical appearance in the Missouri ad, where Fox says:
"As you might know I care deeply about stem cell research. In Missouri you can elect Claire McCaskill, who shares my hope for cures."

Limbaugh:
"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

"This is the only time I've ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has," Limbaugh said. "He can barely control himself."

Yes Rush, that is something that happens to people with Parkinson’s.

Not everyone out there has an agenda they need to personify in less than an honest fashion. I wonder if you may be assuming he was just doing what you would do if put in the same situation?

Perhaps we could get an opinion from someone who does know what they are talking about.

"Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease," said Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist in Baltimore who co-wrote "Parkinson's Disease and the Family." "Any other interpretation is misinformed."

And so we come to the apology, complete with a self-aggrandizing reference to how “bigly” Limbaugh personally finds his action and also the ever important caveat that it only stands “if” in fact he is wrong.

What a guy.

On his Web site Tuesday:

"All I'm saying is I've never seen him the way he appears in this commercial for Claire McCaskill," says Limbaugh. "So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox, if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act, especially since people are telling me they have seen him this way on other interviews and in other television appearances."

Guess there was no time to check out those other sources before you opened your “bigly” mouth and put your pompous right foot in it.

Then just to prove he truly has no human decency he goes after Fox from a different angle:

"Michael J. Fox is allowing his illness to be exploited and in the process is shilling for a Democratic politician."

You are a sad excuse for a human being Rush Limbaugh, you should spend less time condemning sick people for seeking help in finding a cure for a horrendous illness and work on your own issues, and it looks to this observer that you are suffering from a terminal case of self-righteousness. Or is it really just an act?

Peace y'all

HERU (To the Core)

READ THE POEM +/-

Another round of Heru! Enjoy!

Heru Speaks.com

If You Sell Your Principles To Retain Power.....

Greetings All,

Today we feature another guest post from Peace Tree contributing author, Chris Wilcox. He can also be found at his home blog, Red Hog Diary

If You Sell Your Principles To Retain Power Does That Make You A Whore?

An 80-year-old man goes for a physical. All of his tests come back with normal results. The doctor says, "Roger, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God?" Roger replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom; poof.... the light goes on. When I'm done, poof....the light goes off." "Wow, that's incredible," the doctor says.

A little later in the day, the doctor calls Roger's wife. "Ruth," he says, "Roger is doing fine! But I had to call you because I'm in awe of his relationship with God. Is it true that he gets up during the night and poof.... the light goes on in the bathroom, and when he's done, poof....the light goes off?" "Oh my God!" Ruth exclaims. "He's peeing in the refrigerator again!"

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported October 6^th that wages and salaries made up the smallest share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ever. For as long as we have been keeping track, for the entire statistical history of tracking how much of the pie Joe Worker is earning, in my entire life time and beyond the workers of America have never received less compensation as a percentage of total income in the United States. But according to George W. Bush and his good ol’ boy buddies of the executive suite the American economy is robust! The economy is doing great! If you don’t believe them they have statistics to prove it. I guess it is all true because the same report claims that the percentage of income going to corporate profit is at the highest level in 56 years. Yep, that is a government that is looking out for me. I should thank them for providing all the wonderful opportunities that they have. If only I will sell my soul to ambition, back stabbing and workoholism I too can partake royally of the Bush Economy.

What this tells me is that the rank and file Republicans of this world are a bunch of sheep who just keep lining up for the slaughter. I have to laugh at the ignorance of any American who earns less than a half a million bucks a year and supports Bush’s economic policies. Of course with the track record of George W on worker safety, the environment, education, national security, civil rights and international relations I can not imagine that there is anybody with the slightest amount of real intellect who would still believe George W has been good for America. Really, if you still support the little big oil man from Texas you have a serious character flaw and I guess I might feel safer if you were put away somewhere.

Did you hear that with the $310,000,000,000 we have spent on the war in Iraq so far we could have provided 16 million four year full ride scholarships to Americans wanting an education? Let me think, what will we have to show for our investment in Iraq? Um, nothing. Which may have been a better investment in the future of America? Gee Dubya is finally talking about changing his strategy in Iraq and to be honest, I think I thought he had more integrity when he was squealing his “stay the course” crap. I had no respect for that policy and hope beyond all hope that he will change course but the fact that he is only now, in light of the very real possibility that his party will lose control of maybe both the House and the Senate, finding it politically advantageous to consider the merits of his strategy. The bull crap he and his henchmen spewed upon us liberal cut and runners only to now entertain the idea that we were right seems all too whorish to me. The GOP will do anything and everything to retain power and that scares the living bejesus out of me.

Bush, Cheney and Rummy are pissing in the refrigerator and a huge voting block of the Christian right believe it is because they are at peace with God. Heaven help us! Only 13 days left until Election Day. Make plans now to vote. Tell em, the Red Hog sent ya!

Catch all of his work at Red Hog Diary!

Peace y'all

Just Nod If You Can Hear Me

I was making the rounds of my favorite sites today and I came across this little item at Crooks and Liars. It boggles the mind that one so incredibly obtuse, so stunningly disassociated and one dimensional could actually hold the office of President in The United States of America.

But he does.

Maybe this is really just a bad dream?

Nope, he's still there.

Maria Bartiromo of CNBC asked Bush the burning question on all our minds these days:

“Have you ever Googled anybody? Do you use Google?

Here is the answer our President delivered:

“Occasionally. One of the things I’ve used on the Google is to pull up maps. It’s very interesting to see that. I forgot the name of the program, but you get the satellite and you can — like, I kind of like to look at the ranch on Google, reminds me of where I want to be sometimes. Yeah, I do it some. I tend not to email or — not only tend not to email, I don’t email, because of the different record requests that can happen to a president. I don’t want to receive emails because, you know, there’s no telling what somebody’s email may — it would show up as, you know, a part of some kind of a story, and I wouldn’t be able to say, `Well, I didn’t read the email. 'But I sent it to your address, how can you say you didn’t?' So, in other words, I’m very cautious about emailing.”

He likes to look at “the ranch”.

He tends not to use e-mail.

He does not use e-mail.

He is very cautious with the e-mail he does not use.

He does not use e-mail because he is paranoid about it.

I know this sort of Bush speak is nothing new but it still just blows me away every time.

Peace y’all

Sorry IE Users

I give up.

IE users please excuse the formatting problems with the header. I have tried to correct the issue with IE to no avail.

If it really annoys you, please consider trying out Firefox.

I use it.

I love it.

And no formatting problems.

you can get your free download from the center column of the blog ------->

Thanks y'all,

Kim

Sunday Poetry Series: Thrusting America's Love Outward

The selection this week comes from Peace Tree Poets Society member, thepoetryman.

Please be sure and visit his site via the link at the bottom of this post for more of his amazing poetry!

and now...

THRUSTING AMERICA'S LOVE OUTWARD

I compel you to love your country.

To draw her into your arms ever so tenderly,
To embrace her softly, dearly to your heart,
To huddle close, near together her masses,
And sense her least sustained yearning.

I compel you to love your country.

A nation that lifted the breast of humanity
Caressing it tenderly toward equality’s rapture
With gentle fingers of selfless, searing desire
Exploring over her ever toward paradise.

I compel you to love your country.

Freedom lovers damp in stiff-limbed writhing
Stumbling kisses upon red-barreled bravery,
Softly probing her robust and supple liberty,
Heed now her cries of woeful sovereignty!

I compel you to love your country.

Between her Trail of Tears and Mount Misery
She still waits upon the coupled plains of affection
Ready for our design and mastery of this worlds love
Panting heavy expectation upon her shape.

I compel you to love your country.

Perched upon the shore of Rolles Creek she waits
With Mount Pleasant in reach of her willing fingers.
With expectant sounds of closure now within her folds
She lunges forth with an expectant mouth!

I compel you to love your country.

O! Gentle sleep now beckons to her languid pink flesh
As the rogues tongue laps at her ebbing shores of joy
And beckons her let go of her valuable love’s embrace
Lunging forth behind her eager lips!

She counters not… for she is the boiling hunger we seek.

What a devoted worship we’ve had with the motherland.
Many a great poet has written their songs upon her flesh;
Their bright and shimmering waters lapping her shores
In ardent freedom’s want of hopes howling, dripping heat.

I compel you to love the world!

On this day of days let us remember her youthful glow,
Her ripe fruit of wonder, her drowsy ache of emancipation,
Her most alluring burnish upon our exploring of her skin.
(The burden of immense throbbing now falls upon her heart!)

I compel you to love the world!

America, carry your waves to all shores. Hope, not savagery,
In your goodness, not in impudent desire to control destiny.
Leave not the naked child, but your desire alone on the road.

Shelter not your intentions, but those most needful and hungry.

I compel you to love the world!

We have been witness to our dove, crippled and flailing in terror!
We’ve been onlookers to our expectations emerging fruitless.
Watching unmoved while our oily desire bleeds into the waters
And the cold white eyes of death tread progressively before us.

I compel you to love the world!

Come now, peace. Come now, warriors, lay down your guns
To witness the beauty at your hands as she lays down your sword
And with dripping red lips envelops your craving to possess her.
Do you not hear the night voices calling you with an angels whisper?

I compel you to love the world!

To open the door and step out into the bright sun, desire can wait.
Take notice of the many tender, breathing, soul-caked living.
Gaze upon the world’s most unbendable faith in humanity.
Gently touch her skin, delicately massage her furious soil.

I compel you to love the world!

Enter her sculpting space and weave a covering made of lifeless war.
Paint upon her face a gentle art made of your temples sweat.
Scribe a love song upon her back with the eagle’s most willing blood.
Erect in her a tower of light for all to see that they might weep.

I compel you to love the world!

The masses of age lie here and we should not be so ready to die
Like confused animal’s hooved in selfishness, deficient and artless.
The world is full of freedom lovers damp in stiff-limbed writhing
Stumbling kisses upon red-barreled bravery, tenderly probing liberty.

I compel you to love the world!

Amid her supple lands and majestic mountains she waits our affection,
Ready for our desire and design embracing her most ready warmth
Needing our hot hope upon her shape, wanton as wide-eyed first love.
(Heed now the world’s hot desire for freedom pulling us in.)

With hopeful whisper's within her waters, she leans forth, expectant.

Copyright © 2006 mrp / thepoetryman

Visit A Poetic Justice today and stock up on all you political poetry needs!

How To Stop Terrorism? A Just U.S. Foreign Policy Would Be A Good Start.

I was proud to serve my country as a Paramedic in The United States Air Force during the first Gulf War.
I am proud today of each and every service member serving in the United States Armed Forces.
As a civilian now, it is my duty to use my voice to speak out with other veterans against putting soldiers in harms way as a means to an unjust end.

America's sons and daughters as well as untold numbers of Iraqis have died and are dying right now as a direct result of our trusting an administration that has cleaned out the treasury and handed over the cash to their preferred corporate partners who then failed to deliver anything of substance to stabilize Iraq when the opportunity was there to do so.

I believe those who have given their lives for their country would expect us to honor them by exercising our duty as Americans to question the motives and the actions of the power that asked of them the ultimate sacrifice. These soldiers deserve to have those of us who are free to speak and act challenge the multitude of questionable actions undertaken by our government under the umbrella of fighting terrorism.

The dead and wounded deserve that we ensure their sacrifice is made in the service of the constitution and not wasted in the service of power, profit and empire.

The following is a great article I found at OP-ED News.

The Big Truth
by John Scanlon

Op-Ed News

The war on terror is a lie. America is fighting for empire in a gross contravention of American ideals. Justice in American foreign policy would eliminate ninety percent of the terror against us, but instead of reversing our aggressions this Administration is planning new aggression in Iran.

Outline of a speech to Democratic Clubs –

9/11/2006 Version

Part 1 - Past: Stopping Terror with Justice

Part 2 - Present: Intentional Dysfunction in the Occupation of Iraq

Part 3 - Future: "Just say No" to an attack on Iran

Stopping Terror with Justice 08/01/2006 Version

The six points of the new "Democratic Vision" to be used by our precinct workers includes (1) Honest Leadership and (2) Real Security – "We will protect Americans at home and lead the world by telling the truth to our troops, our citizens, and our allies." I submit we shouldn't just promise to tell the truth. Win or lose, we should be telling the truth in all our campaigns for Congress. I submit the truth is Republicans don't have a national security policy; they have a national aggression policy. The "Big Truth" is that the war on terror is a lie; we are fighting for empire in a gross contravention of American ideals.

We don't need a war on terror. Justice in American foreign policy would eliminate 90% of the terror against us. The Danish cartoons were only minor provocations. Muslims dislike us for many substantive reasons:

• Our aid to Egypt's Mubarak and petrodollars to the Arab Monarchies enable them to oppress their people

• Iran (See below.)

• We supported an arms embargo of Bosnia that left Serbs well armed and Muslims less able to defend themselves against genocide, systematic rape, and ethnic cleansing. In addition, we allowed Karadzic and Mladic, the President and General of the Bosnian Serb Republic, to live in NATO controlled areas with impunity for years even though they are two of the most egregious, genocidal terrorists on the planet.

• We have helped pay for Israel's aggression in the Occupied Territories for a generation. 400,000 settlers east of the green line is aggression and/or conquest. These terms apply. Israel under Olmert is planning to partially reverse this aggression, but that doesn't change the fact that Israel has pursued a greater Israel plan since 1967 with our aid.

• We committed unprovoked aggression against Iraq, and a John Hopkins University Report estimates more than 100,000 Iraqis have died.

Actions such as these have combined to create the hatred against us. But, we can eliminate this hatred and its resultant terror with justice. Where America has been in error, we must recognize those errors and make amends.

Intentional Dysfunction in the Occupation of Iraq An Executive Summary 1/15/2006

Our guys are killing and dying in a war they are not being allowed to win. It will take a combination of military and political action to win this war, but the Administration is not willing to take the necessary actions. I believe Mr. Bush has intentionally created instability in Iraq to rationalize an unending occupation. Intentionally and/or incompetently, Mr. Bush has created a decrepit, dependent Iraq and facilitated the creation of an insurgency that could be as unending as this occupation. I believe the following combine to indicate intention rather than mere incompetence:

• The Bush Administration is philosophically opposed to peacekeeping and nation-building.

• In 2002, Rumsfeld closed the Army's Peacekeeping Institute which trained officers in post-conflict issues.

• The Pentagon did not adequately plan for post-war operations and ignored extensive State Department studies on how to achieve stability after an invasion.

• There have never been enough American forces in Iraq to provide security for themselves let alone security for Iraqi civilians.

• Ammunition dumps all over Iraq were unsecured, giving insurgents access to unlimited supplies of arms. As of 10/2004, the military estimated a minimum of 250,000 tons of munitions remained unaccounted for.

• After less than a month, General Garner was fired. He supported early elections, opposed privatization, allowed low level Baathists to keep their jobs, and planned to call up half the former Iraqi Army to provide security and aid with reconstruction.

• Mr. Bremer, who replaced Garner, under orders from the President, issued a de-Baathification decree that kept Iraq's most capable and experienced leadership out of the governance and reconstruction of Iraq.

• Mr. Bremer disbanded the Iraqi Army. Without more American troops, this army provided the only other means to provide peace and security to the people of Iraq.

• On 6/13/2003 hundreds of American intelligence officers were transferred from Iraq to Florida, leaving only 30 Intel officers in Iraq for counter insurgency work.

• Only 13 billion of 30 billion that Congress allocated for rebuilding Iraq and training its security forces had been spent through August 2005.

• The Administration has refused almost all international, non-military help rather than lose sole control of Iraq.

• Iraqification has been a failure. After two and a half years, American training had created only one Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without US help.

This is not just historical information, most of these errors continue. Gross errors that continue without correction indicate intention. The Bush plan to "stay the course" is a plan for unending occupation and empire. An immediate withdrawal as an alternative is not supported by most Americans as they don't want our forces to have killed and died for an Iraq that is worse off than it was before the invasion. There is, however, a third way.

We will only win this war with a combination of military and political action. Iraq is in a vicious circle with the occupation causing an insurgency and an insurgency rationalizing a continuing occupation. We can and must break this circle. I believe we can do so by meeting the legitimate political demands of the Sunni nationalist insurgents with a substantial re-baathification and a timetable for a full withdrawal of all American forces. See the full article with sources at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/21/20152/6266

"Just say No" to an attack on Iran 10/12/2006 Version

Unfortunately, instead of reversing our aggressions, the Administration is now considering new aggression in Iran.

America, with Britain, overthrew the popular prime minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddeq in 1953 transferring power to the Shah who, with his Savak secret police, oppressed his people for a generation. We supported Iraq, the clear aggressor, in the 1980's Iran Iraq war, and 400,000 Iranians died. In 1979 Iran took Americans hostage.

One of their primary demands was that we not interfere in their internal affairs (as we did in 1953), and all hostages came home. America has done great harm to the people and state of Iran, while Iran has not done great harm to us.

An attack on Iran's nuclear sites would be an act of war and lead to a significant escalation in both war and terrorism. It would not be a surgical strike as Iran's nuclear sites are hardened and dispersed throughout the country.

Time is of the essence. An attack on Iran may be only months away. Iran may be years away from nuclear weapons, but Israeli intelligence estimates Iran is less than one year away from knowing how to make the bomb and believes that any military action taken after that "point of no return" will only be delaying action.

"The Bush administration is ruling out a guarantee not to attack Iran to induce it to halt development of nuclear weapons."

Demand the Bush Administration commit to non-aggression in return for no nuclear weapons in Iran. If Iran does not agree, demand the United Nations be allowed to deal with Iran as it should have been allowed to deal with Iraq. If the Bush Administration refuses these demands, Congress must declare war, or our military must support the Constitution by refusing illegal, executive orders to attack Iran. Just say No.

In conclusion, we don't need to spend the additional hundreds of billions we have been spending since 9/11 on defense, security, and intelligence. We don't need to be occupiers and torturers. We don't need an empire to be secure – quite the opposite. We're creating more terrorists than we are eliminating. We don't need to give up our privacy and our freedom. Democrats don't need to prove ourselves strong on Defense. Rather, we need to prove ourselves strong in the defense of truth and justice.

Iraqi Sunnis, Iraqi Shiites, Iranians, and real Americans must unite to stop aggressor Americans, preferably non-violently.

See related articles at:

http://www.john-f-scanlon.dailykos.com/main/2

http://www.sdvfp.org/members-pages/JohnScanlon.html

I've been a Democrat since 1984 and have been politically active periodically since then from working against Contra Aid to working against the war in Iraq. I'm a mere Irish-American, a retired bank examiner, and a former Marine.

I am also a contributing author at Op-Ed news and I encourage you to visit and support the work Rob is doing there.

Peace y'all
Kim Gongre
USAF Gulf War Veteran

Kevin Tillman's Message to America

I came across this letter written by Kevin Tillman, brother of former Arizona Cardinals receiver Pat Tillman. Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan by what was eventually admitted to be a tragic case of friendly fire.

Source: Truth Dig

After Pat’s Birthday
Posted on Oct 19, 2006

Pat and Kevin Tillman
Courtesy the Tillman Family

Pat Tillman (left) and his brother Kevin stand in front of a Chinook helicopter in Saudi Arabia before their tour of duty as Army Rangers in Iraq in 2003.

By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we get out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.

Somehow this is tolerated.

Somehow nobody is accountable for this.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman

Well said, Kevin.

Peace y'all.

The Neo-Cons Last Stand, Starring.....

I did a post some weeks ago that was focused on the Republican plan to spend millions on attack ads. In the days that have followed we have seen a political spectacle unfold that will surely rival any in our nations history.

An unraveling network of corruption and influence peddling on a level never before seen in American politics.
The eviceration of our constitution.
Child exploitation.
Suspension of Habeas Corpus.

Just to name but a few.

So, what does Ring Master Karl Rove have in store for the American voter in the final days before the election?

You know it.
You have been trained oh so well.
It is your duty as Americans to respond when the bell is rung.

Osama Bin Laden

Osama will be coming to your living room courtesy of the GOP to remind you that if you do not vote for The Republican version of "Democracy".....
Well let's just say you will all be sorry.

Fill in your own details with whatever personally frightens you most.

Don't expect a seasoned veteran of the election wars like Karl Rove not to have a back-up plan just in case we are Osama'd out.
If the stunning ease with which previous elections have been hijacked is any indication, the new and improved 2006 version should be something to behold.

Source: Prison Planet

Neo-Fascists Threaten Terror Unless Voters Approve Dictatorship

Bush junta deploys Osama campaign videos to frighten sheep into tacitly supporting unitary decidership.

The Associated Press reports,

"The Republican Party will begin airing a hard-hitting ad this weekend that warns of more cataclysmic terror attacks against the U.S. homeland."

"The ad displays an array of quotes from bin Laden and his top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, that include bin Laden's Dec. 26, 2001 vow that "what is yet to come will be even greater."

The Neo-Fascists have employed their most loyal servant - Osama Bin Laden - to star in campaign videos threatening the American people with armageddon unless they tacitly approve the occupational dictatorship of George W. Bush.

When questioned on exactly what he meant in promising an "October surprise" Karl Rove made reference to the formulation and massive investment into the production and dissemination of these ads.

The fact that the terrorists within the Bush administration would again threaten terror unless the dissenters and the waverers got back in line is hardly a surprise. The only real stunner is that they still have the temerity to believe this lowest common denominator propaganda still has a significant impact on the body politic of the nation - in the face of example piled atop example of hoax terror alerts that have left the public fatigued to the rumor mill of "the inevitable attack."

Recent polls show only a third still support the war in Iraq and just 16% of the population believes the entirety of the government's version of what happened on 9/11.

In saying that however, the massive voting block of the elderly, ostracized from the red pill of the Internet, largely still buy the scam that only cokehead Bush can protect them from his business partner Osama.

Karl Rove is messianically clinging to the belief that he can scare enough soccer moms and pensioners into helping the Neo-Fascists retain both Houses - or at least get close to it and let the CIA run electronic voting machines do the rest.

If there's a manufactured scare around election day the threat of chaos and the need for a focused government response could quickly silence enough vote fraud naysayers to re-entrench the power monopoly of Bush's unitary decidership.

A leaked November 2005 GOP memo which discussed ways of avoiding a comprehensive defeat in the mid-terms touted a terror attack as one of the few ways Republicans could reverse Bush's sagging fortunes. Another suggested scenario was the announcement of the capture or death of Osama Bin Laden.

The Neo-Cons are threatening violence in an attempt to influence the actions and democratic participation of the citizens of the United States of America.

That is the very definition of terrorism.

ter-ror-ism –noun

1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.

2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.

3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.

It is time to get wise, America.

Peace y'all

You Can Sign But You Can't Hide

Bush has placed his pen to what he hopes will be his own pardon for war crimes. Surely, the CIA and others who deliver the torture can rest easy now as well.

Bush may believe that he will be the one to decide what is and what is not officially torture, but he is not. He may feel he is entitled to decide who shall be subject to indefinite detention without due process, but he is not.

Bush may actually have delusions that a unitary executive will fly in this country but he is wrong. Americans may be extremely susceptible to long bouts of apathy but this is pushing the envelope way too far.

If there is anything left of our decency as Americans this will be challenged in the courts and these distinctly unconstitutional acts will be ruled as such.

America is waking up to the nightmare of our own governments decline into fascism and the implications of that decent into darkness for all of us.

The question is are we courageous enough to drag our own boggey men out from under the bed and into the light?
or
Pull the covers over our heads and hope they just go away?

We know the difference between right and wrong. We know what is torture and what is not.
That is not the real question here.

The real question is will we torture other human beings. Period.

Bush says yes, we certainly will.

He says that course will lead us to victory.

I say it only leads us to Hell. The one we are allowing to be created on earth, right here, right now if we accept this twisted view of morality as our own.

Peace y'all

Has CENTCOM Visited Your Blog Yet?

I wondered about those hits to my blog last month. Visits from CENTCOM. I admit that for a brief moment I wanted to believe that maybe some folks there might be interested in a more peaceful and sane world but then I though it more likely I had just been visited by Big Brother. Apparently I was right.

I did not get the memo (e-mail actually) so, perhaps the folks at CENTCOM found my site to meet their ideal for the fashionably patriotic, new world order, stay in lockstep blogger.

Stop laughing. Go on, I was kidding. The database has probably just not gotten around to spitting mine out yet.

I know you righties out there are going to read this and say something like "You're glad their watching the liberal peacenik blogger apologists" but let me remind you, its a very, very short step from me to you and you may find there are lots of reasons for the taking of it that do not have one, single, solitary thing to do with your being on their side right now.

You may never question your own alligence to the agenda but it is becoming increasingly apparent that you can't be quiet sure about theirs. The difference between certain and maybe not applicable to you could change your life in ways you never imagined possible.

CENTCOM is visiting my blog. Earth to Major Tom. We got issues here.

I predict there will come a day when the oh, so right will be embarrased to show thier faces to anyone who was willing to stand up and oppose it now. I won't hold it against you, but not everyone may be so inclined. The meek shall inherit the earth, did you think that was just bullshit or what?

The Raw Story has once again presented the reality of our world, not the official version of that reality.

Raw obtains CENTCOM email to bloggers

RAW STORY
Published: Monday October 16, 2006

An email sent by United States Central Command (CENTCOM) to bloggers about the "global war on terror" (GWOT) has been obtained by RAW STORY.

CENTCOM announced earlier this year that a team of employees would be "[engaging] bloggers who are posting inaccurate or untrue information, as well as bloggers who are posting incomplete information."

The email was not addressed to RAW STORY.

"The main interest is to drive their readers to our site," Maj. Richard J. McNorton, chief of CENTCOM "engagement operations" said in a March release.

In the same announcement, McNorton said that the emails have a "viral effect," as many bloggers then link to the CENTCOM website, driving Internet news consumers to CENTCOM's Web site.

"Now [online readers] have the opportunity to read positive stories. At least the public can go there and see the whole story," he insisted. "The public wants to hear these good stories."

The email, in its entirety, follows:

Subject: CENTCOM.mil: Just visited your site Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 11:36:07 -0400 From: "Erickson, Christopher J. SPC USA" [redacted by RAW STORY] To: [redacted by RAW STORY]

Greetings!

My name is SPC Chris Erickson with U.S. Central Command Public Affairs. I came across your blog today and noticed your interest in different topics, particularly on the GWOT.

As a member of the US military, I like seeing open discussions on the happenings of the world, although many times I'm not able to get involved (especially if it gets political). I would like to invite you to check out our web site, www.centcom.mil. It's one more resource for information and you are free to use any of it (video, audio, photos and articles) in conversations on your blog.

Also, if you would like, you can be added to our mailing list. We send out news stories and press releases about US military and coalition forces operations, humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. This information is also available via RSS on our site. Most of the time we can get CENTCOM information out to bloggers before it appears in the main stream media.

I appreciate your time today and I do look forward to hearing back from you.

V/R
Spc. Chris Erickson Electronic Media Engagement Team U.S. Central Command Public

_________________________

Chris "just came across" this blog and noticed the blogger has an interest in the global war on terror?

CENTCON can get me...Joe blogger the latest official propaganda before it even hits the main stream news propoganda machine...wow. Joe blogger on the official front lines of the GWOT.

Imagine the possibilities.

Peace y'all