The angry American on Memorial Day weekend

Looking at my recent postings to the blog I’ve noticed that my tone has been decidedly pessimistic, cynical and angry. By nature I am none of those things. Am I wary of those with big white smiles, fake folksiness and promises that they hold the answer to our ills as a nation? Most decidedly, I am wary. But I’m not pessimistic, cynical or angry as a man. I do have faith in my fellow man, maybe not all of them but I believe that by and large most people are good people, who try to do the right thing and be their brother’s keeper.

What makes good people make bad decisions? For this century to date, fear mongering has clouded our judgement. We are hammered with propaganda and the hard sell on a daily, hourly and by the second basis. Watch TV and you’ll be confronted with angry people yelling that death and depravity lurk ahead on the dark path. In between angry fake rants we are told to buy, buy, buy and the medium’s masters know how to use psychology to make us feel unloved, unwanted and unsuccessful if we don’t plunk down the plastic for this or that.

It’s no wonder we make stupid choices and can’t understand why we made them to begin with. Critical thinking is an obscenity in the current environment and thinking critically will get you ostracized. We are a nation that was founded by radicals and free thinkers of who’s descendants we have become pliable clay, afraid of our own shadow and the common sense of a child in the throes of the “Terrible Twos”.

I detest the hypocrisy and lies of the powerful leaders of the evangelical movement in this country, but I have known more good Christian men and women who do not deserve such God forsaken leaders, than you can imagine. Growing up and living in the south puts you in very close quarters with the most decent, devout and faithful you can imagine, those for whom Wise Blood is an apt description, if I may shamelessly steal from the great Flannery O’Connor.

If James Dobson had to live like and with the common mill worker, who is trying to stay afloat and survive, he would never make it because he doesn’t have the real faith in God that it would require. And chartalins like him manipulate the most vulnerable among us. Dobson is a truly evil little demon who has and will continue to poison our waters. He and his ilk plant the seeds of hate, cruelty and apathy for God's children.

But I still have faith in the men and women who live in small communities in the hills and valleys of Appalachia, who struggle with faith, temptation and doing the right thing every single day. I have no faith in the creatures that would take advantage of those good folks. Faith and empathy for your fellow man are traits that the sociopathic leaders of the evangelical movement only understand as tools to enslave their flock.

I still have faith in some people running for public office because they feel that they can actually change things and make the system fair, and expose those who control that system for the evil crooks they are. Those people are so hard to find today, but they are out there.

How can a political leader maintain their office when raising funds for elections is more important to them than voting and discussing a war in the middle east, as John McCain has recently shown with his absence from the hill? I feel that if the John McCain of 1967, the one who survived the Forrestal flight deck fire, only to be shot down and tortured as a POW, would be sorely disappointed in the John McCain of 2007. 40 years have shown the John McCain of 2007 that the sweet teet of public office bears power and money for those who can maintain their false image.

With the way our society and the world itself has evolved, we have no more use or need for the way things have been, just because that’s the way they always have been. We, the people of this nation, have evolved and changed, our leaders have devolved. And only a few have the bravery and intelligence to admit that basic truth of the matter.

To steal once again from another great southerner, who understood the human nature and faith better than our political, religious, business and economics leaders, till things get better, my posts will be in black.

Rock is dead they say.

In a post a few weeks back, I asked where the danger has gone in rock music. I’m sure that quite a bit of the danger that surround rock and its fans and its musicians, transferred to the hip hop scene some years ago and has transformed into an implied violence of an entirely different nature. There was a time, and a certain number and type of bands, that once elicited the possibility of a fan riot, especially if the police got too hostile or made a show of force. This happened many times at punk shows in LA during the early 80’s.

I don’t believe that the possibility of physical violence was an essential component to the spirit of what was rock and roll, but the danger subtext was always a central and essential component to the music. When I say danger I mean the word in more ways than a simple description of the possibility that people will be harmed. Danger, depending on the era and tone of the community, could mean many things.

The great Wayne Cochran built a reputation of putting on energetic, emotional and wild shows in certain clubs and during a certain time where he pushed boundries that weren't supposed to be pushed. Cochran, the man for whom the term “Blue Eyed Soul” was created to describe, often crossed over to the chitlin’ circuit clubs in the south at a time when not only was segregation was the norm, but also at a time when dogs, black jacks and bullets were used on the black community with little care or concern. This was dangerous. Add in a massive, platinum blonde pompadour haircut and it’s a wonder the man was never beaten half to death by the rednecks with badges.

The act of pure physical expression by young people at shows and their styles of dancing were dangerous to the status quo. Pete Townshend recently posted a quick description of something to his biography blog, which makes this point even more tangible in this regard. Townshend described a woman dancing at an early Who show and this was what he had to say,

“At an all nighter at the Club Noreik I noticed a very sexy blonde girl dancing in front of the stage. She wasn’t a Mod. She looked more like an art student, and was dancing like a lunatic, all arms and boobs.”

If you’ve been to enough shows in your life, you know exactly what Pete is talking about. You’ve seen it, you’ve done it yourself, you’ve probably dated a girl who danced exactly like he’s describing. Maybe you married her. Maybe you were that girl. Whenever I have imagined in my head exactly what describes the essence of rock music, in all it’s flavors, what Pete describes is an image I’ve always drawn upon among others. I even have my own stories where what he described was something I personally experienced. The girl who was a few rows down from me at a James Brown show in 1986, who wore a tight black sweater, and whom I wished was my girl when I saw her letting it go. The girl I dated briefly in Virginia, who danced like that at a Smithereens show we went to in Virginia Beach in 1988 or 89. This girl made other guys give me the eye of envy and anger. It’s an iconic image and so very powerful on levels beyond what you first imagine.

I’ve been feeling very sentimental of late regarding music. Not the syrupy sweet form of sentimentality. I’m talking about the sentimentality that comes from looking back while asking questions about today and tomorrow. The curse of getting older and coping with middle age is looking back with eyes that still see the past as though it happened only yesterday.

I don’t want to go back and live it all over again. I don’t want to be young again today. I simply wish there was a touchstone that I could see which reflected what it is to be a person in middle age today, that spoke to me in the same way that The Minutemen’s “This ain’t no picnic” or Alice in Chains’ “Got me wrong” spoke to me back then. Sometimes the real danger that embodied rock wasn’t violence or girls shaking for all they were worth or young men with pumped fists in the air. Sometimes the real danger of rock was when it spoke of the realities of life and the fans responded with, “Thank God someone said what I’ve been feeling and thinking!”

The dirty bird has been caught

It's official. The bird who did a #2 on the President at his news conference yesterday has been caught. The Department of Homeland Security has released the mugshot of a lovebird known as Tweety. Officials state he is on his way to Gitmo as of this afternoon.

High Weirdness Drifter

Let's take a look around and see what has been posted and linked of late to the sites and blogs I visit regularly.


Kent Steadman appears pretty steamed about the current political belly flop that has all of the progressive bloggers in an uproar, myself included in the uproar demographic. Give 'em hell, Kent! He also has a nice round up of Ron Paul links on the front page today.

Mack White has posted some poignant and heart felt messages to his blog this week about the passing of his Father. I lost my beloved Grandmother last spring to cancer and Mack's postings about his Father's hospitalization was quite heartbreaking to me. It brought back memories of my Grandmother's hospitalization and the hell loved ones must go through in times like that. Much respect to Mack and all his work.

The reviews for Michael Moore's latest film, SiCKO, have been glowing. Regardless of your thoughts about his documentary filmmaking skills or approach, you cannot argue for the current health care system in this country unless you are milking the insurance and health care cow, or are a complete imbecile.

Mad Cow Morning News has run some outstanding investigative reports of late. Their most recent article about the late Jerry Falwell's connection to the Florida flight school at the center of the 9/11 hijackings is amazing. Make sure you check out their "Dusty and the boys" series for an eye opener.

Speaking of Jerry Falwell, the LA Times posted a very good op-ed piece by Larry Flynt about his relationship with Falwell and the Supreme Court ruling that he won and which was famously referenced in "The People vs Larry Flynt".

John Amato's Crooks and Liars blog has really upped the anger quotient over the recent Iraq Supplemental bill passage. The anger that is bubbling out over this unbelievable nose thumbing is maintaining speed and direction.

The excitable and always fun until someone get's poked in the eye message boards are rolling along at their usual pace. Elaine over at Alien-Earth has recently updated her FAQ which made me smile. Elaine is the embodiment of the "doesn't suffer fools gladly" philosophy and I've been a fan of hers since the early days when she took over the message board from Kent's website. For entertainment purposes, and words to live by, here is Elaine's updated FAQ:

Official Censorship Policy for Alien-Earth

I delete cut & paste from rense.
I delete cut & paste from worldnetdaily.
I am tempted to delete posts from FOX, because they are starting to sound like weekly world news.
I delete posts with incoherent ranting about ethnic groups.
I delete posts with personal info on them.
I delete posts that are boring.
I delete posts that piss me off.
I delete posts that I consider a "waste of space".
I delete posts when I'm in a mood, on the rag, or didin't get laid lately.
I delete posts sometimes just to fuck with you.
I delete posts at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the High Weirdness roundup for today.

What will the Friday news dump bring?

Considering the week that the White House has had, this would be a good day to slip as many stories they want to downplay as possible to the press. Between the Democrats turning into overcooked spaghetti and a long 3 day Memorial Day weekend they have a lot of room to work within.

The fired US Attorneys scandal deepened, even if the press doesn't want to connect dots and fill in between the lines for the average American. Goodling admitted that she did in fact break the law and based on her flimsy and amateurish argument on semantics, she admitted so before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The press seems to not want to make the big summation on the list of attorneys to fire. No one who has testified has admitted that they wrote the list or who they know wrote it. The lists didn't just appear out of thin air and they have all dodged the question of where it came from.

The tainted food and health products from China seems to have fallen off the face of the earth in the media's eyes. The FDA did admit yesterday that they are looking closely at toothpaste that was imported from China to see if any can be found which is contaminated with diethylene glycol (a highly poisonous substance found in antifreeze and brake fluid). All imports of toothpaste from China have been halted until the investigation is completed.

Good old-fashioned sex scandals just don't get the response they once did in the press. Palfrey who? Even after two extremely high ranking Administration officials were caught in the web of the scandal, an instructor at the Naval Academy was named as being an escort, many DC power brokers were among those clients on the list of patrons and rumors about VP Cheney's use of the service came to light a big yawn came from the Fourth Estate. The old adage of being caught in bed with a live boy or a dead girl must really apply, I suppose.

At a press conference with the President yesterday, our fearless leader warned us to expect a long brutal summer in Iraq. The "surge" will involve over 200,000 troops on overlapping rotations and he said August is a time we should be prepared for high casualty rates. The bird that evacuated it's intestines on him seemed to draw more response than these comments.

It happens to all of us

The New York Post is reporting that the girlfriend of disgraced World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, has left him. We all know that part of the firestorm which forced him to resign was his cronyism in getting her a job and massive pay increases. So, Wolfowitz is now stuck without a job, without a girlfriend and the still stinking corpse of that Iraq albatross around his neck. It couldn't happen to a more deserving dickweed.

Maybe this will give him some motivation to work on those personal grooming issues?

Profile of the sociopath

I got an email in the overnight hours last night, from someone who thinks I'm going to an extreme by describing certain politicians, namely our President and the Governor of Georgia, as sociopaths. The email's author said they believe I do more harm than good to my arguments by taking such an extremist and insulting position, and anyhow, if I'm not a psychologist I'm making nothing more than armchair calls.

This was an easy email to answer but I think the author of the email has hit upon something I probably should address here on the blog because it helps to further my description of those people as sociopaths. I found a web page not too long ago that put up by someone at CalTech that lists the most common descriptions and behavior of sociopaths. Here is the link to the list, I'll paste the points made by the author below but take a good close look at these behavioral traits and honestly answer this question to yourself. How many of these traits do our leaders not display? Very, very few. In fact it's easier to list how many of these traits that they do not have.

Here goes:

Glibness and Superficial Charm

Manipulative and Conning - They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

Grandiose Sense of Self - Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."


Pathological Lying - Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt - A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

Shallow Emotions - When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.


Incapacity for Love

Need for Stimulation - Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.


Callousness/Lack of Empathy - Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature - Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.


Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency - Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

Irresponsibility/Unreliability - Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.


Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity - Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.

Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle - Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.


Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility - Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution.
Changes life story readily.

Other Related Qualities:


Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world


It's enough to scare the hell out of you, isn't it?

The death of the 100th Georgian in Iraq

A grim milestone has been passed, the 100th Georgia service member has died in Iraq. The most recent fatality was a Sgt. Brian Ardon from Acworth, who died this past Monday in Baghdad. Another of our fellow citizens, neighbors, family members and friends; who is gone forever. How many more are we going to lose in a war that was justified through intentional and blatant lies? The forged yellow cake documents that scream of being faked by someone who is or was from the Intelligence Community. The pack of bald faced lies that were created by the people in the Office of Special Plans in the Pentagon. All of those OSP members were placed in their position with the expressed reason of circumventing traditional methods of Intelligence Analysis.

In the Vietnam War we lost 1,584 Georgia citizens, another war precipitated on lies, fear mongering and corporate greed. A generation later and we are once again in a war that has the same foundational legacy. Lies, fear mongering and corporate greed. How stupid can we be to allow things like this to happen all over again, in almost the same way?

The Democrats that were elected 6 months ago with a true "mandate" in their hands, end this war now, have turned their backs on the will of the American public and the men and women who have died in Iraq. The numbers of the dead keep rising, American and Iraqi. The politicians hand wring and keep on raking in the dough for their campaigns, hand over fist. I guess there is no time for crying when there is money to be made.

I wonder how many of that 100 from Georgia who have died ever got the chance to stand in downtown Atlanta in front of the Capital building, look up through those trees at the beautiful gold dome and at the numerous statues that surround our state house, and feel a certain twinge of excitement and pride at what our system of government represents? Reality is brutal and the fake smile of the "way things are" is cruel. If only we could live up to our potential and see through the smoke and mirrors and bullshit.

Another day, another 100 men and women gone forever. We are the poorer for their passing.

Harbin speaks out - Expresses regret to the family of the utility pole he destroyed.

(photo of Rep. Harbin courtesy of the House website, I have no idea if he has a tall boy Budweiser in his hands out of frame. Anyone know what Harbin's favorite drink happens to be?)


Rep. Ben Harbin, the chairman of one of the most powerful committees in the Georgia State House, has finally issued a statement about his DUI arrest following a 1 AM car crash on Memorial Drive last Sunday morning. Excerpts from his statement with my comments accompanying them:

"Obviously, I would like to express regret over my accident on Sunday,"

Translation – Damn, I hated wrecking that car.

"I would also like to express my gratitude for the overwhelming support and
concern I've received from my family and friends."

Translation – My family and friends are now worried about my political viability and have talked with me about what in the hell I’m going to do now.

"I am thankful to God that I was not injured,"

Translation – Whew! That was a close call. What? Shouldn’t I be glad that I didn’t kill an innocent person when I wrecked? Hell no. Anyone who’s out on Memorial Drive at 1 AM on a Sunday can’t be up to something good. If I had hit ‘em, well, let’s just say my legal bills would be a bit more pricey.

"I pledge to continue my public service to my District and the people of
Georgia."

Translation – Resign from office? Are you nuts! This is one cushy job and I ‘aint givin' it up until ya’ll run me off.

News - The depressing round-up of today's news stories

A daily dose of doom and gloom to get us in the mood for the Memorial Day weekend. So much is happening right now it’s tough to keep track of who’s batting, let alone who is on deck:

As I type this posting, former DoJ official Monica Goodling is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The AP has reported this morning that Goodling broke down into tears in the office of a colleague shortly after the brouhaha over the fired US Attorneys broke, saying, "All I ever wanted to do was serve this president and this administration and this department," My only thoughts over this revelation are that it’s a sweet sentiment to have, hon, but the DoJ is a traditionally non-political and independent department from the White House. Goodling can squirt tears over her unrequited adoration of the President but I wonder how she would feel knowing that her slavish devotion to a man and not her nation or her sworn oath has damaged this country. I think Monica needs to spend more time at match.com than trying to please a sociopathic President.

The Democrats not only failed in their attempt to end the war in Iraq, they also rolled over and allowed the President to see their soft underbelly too. No word on whether or not he scratched their bellies. The President has infamously stated that being the President is hard work, now the Democratic leadership has proven to me once again that doing the only moral thing they can do as representatives of our nation, end the war in Iraq, is hard work if you aren’t willing to take responsibility. Don't go on Meet the Press and tell us we need a bipartisan plan, damnit we need to end that miserable lie and failure that is Iraq and try to pump the water out of this sinking ship called America. If you folks in DC don't have a pair give me a call. I'll loan my cajones out to you for a few weeks as long as they don't come back shaven or pierced.

In what can only be described as an overt threat, nine warships, including two aircraft carriers, entered the Persian Gulf yesterday for “training” in the full light of day. We now have three aircraft carriers in that sandy bottom bathtub known as the Persian Gulf. Transiting the Straits of Hormuz is tricky and dangerous to begin with. Masking operational intentions and maintaining OpSec has always looked at a nighttime transit of the Strait as a necessity. Doing so in broad daylight, in formation and with such sensitive ships as carriers is a pure double-dog dare you move by this administration and a terrifying scenario waiting to happen. The stakes are far too high and tensions too strained for this sort of bullshit bravado by the sociopaths of Washington. This story actually gives me chills and it worries me a great deal.

Gas is..well..gas is like a Mylar “Happy Birthday” balloon that has broken loose and is soaring higher and higher.

The melamine and cyanuric acid story is off the radar. Apparently Americans think it’s okay and safe, otherwise, why would we be able to eat off Melamine plates if it wasn’t safe?

Barry Bonds is 10 dingers away from tying the Home Run record set by the great and beloved Henry Aaron. Aaron, I believe can be argued, was the greatest all-around pure hitter the sport has ever seen. This paper argues that it’s ok to root for Bonds, after all, he is innocent until proven guilty. I say bullshit because we the fans aren’t a sequestered jury and that defense just doesn't cut the mustard unless you are a lawyer or on trial. Bonds did the juice and we all know it so let's stop making excuses for him and call the damn strikes and balls like we see them. This pussy-footing around the issue insults the intelligence of even the casual fan and is a slap in the face for lifelong fans who have followed the sport for decades. Henry Aaron is still a great leader and has been a true gem as a pillar of the community in Atlanta since retiring from the sport. I’d wash Mr. Aaron’s car and not ask for a tip or recognbition. I wouldn’t let Bonds pump my gas.

Michael Vick has morphed from miracle working hero of Atlanta football into the worst kind of trash imaginable. If only Steve Bartkowski were 25 again.

On a positive note, Memorial Day weekend is upon us and the two greatest race spectacles known to man will be run, the Grand Prix of Monaco and the Indianapolis 500. My weekend will be spent at home this year, saving gas, watching the two races, doing damage to my “to be read” stack of books and posting to the blog. Hurry up and get here Friday!

Commentary - The political conspiracy of the Evangelical movement in America

Under the radar and away from the collective consciousness of Americans, there has been an open plot by the extreme evangelical movement to undermine and take control of American government. With Presidential elections a year away, the political commentators and pundits on both sides of the aisle talk about the Republican candidates and whether or not they can appeal to the Republican “base”. The “base” they are describing is not the traditional group of fiscal conservatives, the Republican party has morphed and the Goldwater conservatives are long gone as the demographic being catered to. Even the Reaganites who were created a generation ago have lost their luster and place within that party. The course of the Republican party is steering from a chart plotted by the evangelical movement.

This movement has not shirked away from their stated goals, to assume control of the American government, overthrow judicial rulings that do not conform to their theocratic ideals and to force all Americans to live under their vision of America and God. The conspiracy of this movement has never kept its goals a secret and the conspirators willfully and openly admit what they want to achieve. With the recent death of Jerry Falwell, the subjects being discussed among the Republican Presidential hopefuls and the scandal of the fired US Attorneys this is a good opportunity to look at a few aspects of this movement.

I have to admit to a certain amount of underestimating on my part about this movement. In the 1980’s when Pat Robertson’s cache grew within the political right and ministers such as he, Falwell and others openly discussed a future where evangelicals ruled the courts, I dismissed and scoffed at the claims. My sentiment at the time was that the evangelicals attempting to gain political control of the nation were sadly gullible. Time and time again they had attempted to make in-roads of gaining political clout, only to be disappointed by the actions of the leaders they had backed, Reagan included, when they were cast aside. I misjudged how sly these leaders could be.

Instead of putting all their eggs into the overt basket of one political leader, the leadership of the evangelical right-wing bet the farm on a covert, yet fully in the open plan of education and changing policy from within the structure of government. Universities such as Regent began churning out lawyers and a grass roots movement of evangelical lawyers began to grow. Their goals were clear and concise – turn the nation into a theocracy through an aggressive legal campaign. With a changing political landscape in the mid-90’s, one which they had a major hand in shaping and one in which fear and loathing became the modus operendi, the evangelical movement created and nurtured the political alliances that would allow them to inject their legal commandos for God into the upper tiers of the American judicial and legislative branches. With the election of George W. Bush to President, the third branch of power was the missing piece and full sympathy to their goals was found.

The most worrisome aspect of this conspiracy is that the stated goals of this movement are to literally turn America into a theocracy and they have been active in actually making this happen. They do not want to simply have freedom of religion, where all people are allowed to worship as they desire with no fear of retribution, they wish to change the fundamental way in which Americans are allowed to live.

Civil rights would vanish as even the most centrist of these leaders are violently opposed to gay rights, abortion and free speech. Abortion would not only be outlawed under their vision for America, sexuality would be criminalized outside the marriage between man and woman. Free speech would suffer as criticism of religion and religious leaders would be tantamount to blasphemy and the overall tone of adult discourse would be watered down as literature, film and music would be affected by classifying words and ideas that they consider obscene.

The hidden agenda of these leaders is far more dark and frightening than what they extol on the surface. Time and time again we can see that what most Americans would consider to be extremist beliefs are widely shared by these evangelical leaders and their followers. When confronted with their statements after they have been made, insincere apologies are made, but the cat has been let out of the bag. The comments made by Falwell after the 9/11 attacks are an example, but there are far more examples of this type of belief.

If the mainstream media ever decide to fully report this movement and report their beliefs, goals and actions in a serious, compelling tone then perhaps the public at large will recognize the danger that these sociopaths present to the nation as a whole. I fully support and wish that every person can worship and live their lives the way they feel is best. I do not condone silencing the extremists of the evangelical movement. I do however believe that when dangerous fools show their true nature, it is the responsibility of others to expose these frauds and hypocrites. The cultish quality of the modern evangelical movement and the hatred they display are dangerous, labeling their actions as religious freedom is an affront to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Agnostics and Atheists -- in other words, all people, all children of God.

Litvinenko assassin officially accused

Prosecutors in London are today making formal accusations in the Litvinenko assassination. This case has interested me on two levels since Litvinenko’s poisoning with polonium-210 was first announced. Most obviously, it deals with an aspect of how intelligence agencies work. Secondly, Litvinenko was one of the most prominent accusers that the Russian FSB was behind the Russian Apartment Bombings of 1999. The first time I can recall hearing the phrase “false flag operation” was in relation to his descriptions of this event.

While the prosecutors accusations will now enter a phase where the diplomats discuss the case and there will be the usual posturing between England and Russia over justice, it will still be a curious event to follow. My hope is that someone, anyone from the mainstream American press would discuss at length Litvinenko’s false flag claims. When his poisoning first made headlines here in the states, the press really only mentioned his accusations of the Russian government assassinating their critics but they failed to bring the apartment bombings the bright light of investigation.

When the mainstream catches on to a conspiracy theory.

First it was Kent Steadman who linked to this article, now Crook and Liars is also linking:

Bush Anoints Himself as the Insurer of Constitutional Government in Emergency

It's interesting to me that ideas which were once the domain of conspiracy theorists are now being addressed by more mainstream voices. Some highlights from the posting at progressive.org:

It defines a “catastrophic emergency” as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government function.”

This could mean another 9/11, or another Katrina, or a major earthquake in California, I imagine, since it says it would include “localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies.”

For those of us who have spent any length of time studying Rex 84, this new Presidential directive comes as no shock and the sweeping powers are something we foresaw many years ago. What was once a subject of "conspiracy nuts" is now being seen as a sinister and all too real possibility.

Far too often the critics of President Bush make light of his seeming lack of intelligence to give him credit for being a dangerous socio-path. Never underestimate those in seats of power, least of all, never underestimate their capabilities or their limitations. Occasionally I too wrestle with the question of what appears to be sheer incompetence and stupidity of the current administration, especially in light of failures as blatant as the Katrina debacle. Always remember that it isn't a case of incompetence or negligence, in all cases of crisis created by or exasperated by our government the crisis isn't accidental. The actions, or inaction is planned, condoned and intentional.

Silence of conspirators, how it is achieved

Over the weekend I thought a bit about a central argument that arises in the discussion and debate regarding the validity of Conspiracy Theories. The argument involves the necessity of co-conspirators who are able to maintain silence. Time and time again we hear how a massive conspiracy could not be pulled off because it would be impossible to maintain secrecy, that someone would sooner or later spill the beans and the secret would be out. I believe a major conspiracy can indeed be pulled off where a large number of people are able to maintain silence and we actually have real world examples of big secrets being kept for quite a while.

The Manhattan Project is one such example. Before a single person in Congress knew of the existence of the project, two years of funding and research had gone into the work of creating the first atomic bomb. Before the American public knew of its existence almost than $2 billion dollars had been spent over 5 years. Adjusted for inflation this would equal $23 billion dollars in 2007. More than 130,000 people were employed by and involved in this project and yet John Q. Public was completely in the dark with regards to its existence.

The creation of, and work performed at, Oak Ridge alone is worthy of mention. Anyone who has seen this massive set of facilities can attest to the incredible level of security that was maintained to keep this location and it's role, a secret. Some civic leaders as close as Chattanooga and Knoxville may have known small and general details of what was going on at Oak Ridge but very few who did not need to know actually knew what was going on there.

I believe it’s easier to gain and maintain silence from co-conspirators than credit is being given on this subject. The use of threats and the stroking of patriotic emotions can of course go a long way in gaining silence but there is one other aspect of how these secrets are kept that I believe have been downplayed by many debunkers and CT enthusiasts.

One way of maintaining silence is blackmail. With the recent sex scandals erupting from Washington since last year’s outing of Florida Representative Mark Foley, the possible use of blackmail from sexual adventures is very much in my mind these days. The recent DC Madame case has exposed several high value DC politicos and there are hints that VP Cheney is among the clients. Ultra-conservative minister Ted Haggard was also exposed in his own sex and drugs scandal. This is an old trick, one that the CIA also perfected and expanded on with Operation MIDNIGHT CLIMAX and I believe the descendants of that program are being used this very day.

What type of sexual blackmail would be sufficient to earn the silence of a co-conspirator? The Franklin sex scandal is a good indicator of what could be used in a most extreme fashion. In the Franklin case we have seen much evidence that an underground pedophilia ring once (still?) existed in which a number of politicians and power brokers were involved in a child sex ring that found its victims via kidnapping. The old saying in politics was that the only way a sex scandal could harm a politician would be if he were found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy comes to mind. I can’t help but think that there is a bit of background truth, and a cautionary tale, to this old joke.

The exact nature of how sexual blackmail is used would be a case-by-case scenario. For some people, the simple use of a prostitute and a heterosexual relationship would be sufficient. In the case of Ted Haggard we had an anti-gay minister caught in a homosexual scandal, illicit drugs were also involved. To the Intelligence Community a person’s weakness is their greatest point of blackmail.

Of course, sexual blackmail is just one form of behavior modification that can be used to gain the silence of a number of people. Bribery with money and promises of advancement to more powerful positions in government and business is another. Possibly even the promise to turn a blind eye, or an open invitation to join in even more exotic sexual behavior is yet another bribery angle that could be used. Stanley Kubrick’s film Eyes Wide Shut directly referred to this notion in regard to the participants of the orgies depicted in the film.

There are a number of methods at the disposal of conspirators to ensure the silence of its participants, all of them valid, all of them easily attained. Dismissing conspiracy theories out of hand based on the argument that people just can’t keep their mouths shut does not hold water when you consider the varieties of methods that can be used to ensure silence.

Ben Harbin is an excellent driver

(For more commentary on the Harbin DUI story, click here to read my other posts about Georgia Politics - The Conspiracy Theory Blogger)

If the folks in Augusta aren’t already wondering what in the world their state representative was doing on Memorial Drive at 1 AM on a Sunday morning, with a buzz on and a wrecked car, I’ll wonder about it for them. For a state representative spending what appears to have been a weekend in Atlanta, Memorial Drive isn’t the first place I would think of him hanging out, in fact it's probably on the list of the last 5 places on earth that I would expect him to be. But, apparently that’s where he really wanted to be and that’s where he wrecked his car, leading to a DUI arrest. I’ll at least give the man some credit, a witness who was quoted in the AJC about the accident said this of Rep. Harbin,

“Shortly after the crash, Robby Russ, a waiter at the Standard Food & Spirits, heard what he said sounded like a boom and looked out through the large window of the bar to see a utility pole "crooked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa."

Russ, 41, said he ran out to help. He said Harbin was coherent and without any visible signs of injuries. He wasn't in "bad shape on the intoxication level," said Russ, who has been tending bars for 18 years.

"I know he's been charged with DUI, and I know he's an important guy. But he wasn't wasted," he said. "He wasn't slurring his speech or falling over his face. He composed himself very well."


There you have it. A professional expert on drunken behavior gave the man two thumbs up for not acting wasted and that should account for something. Right? So, for all you folks down in Augusta who are worried and maybe upset at this little incident, be proud that Rep. Ben Harbin at least looks like he can hold his liquor. He may not be able to drive while he's loaded but he at least looks good with a snoot full. That should be worth some credit. It carries a lot of weight in my book.

News tidbits from the edge of the VaTech massacre

While the mainstream media waits for it's next four wall coverage event, more tidbits of information about McNeil Technologies dribble out. McNeil Technologies is the Virginia based company that employs the sister of the VaTech shooter. McNeil has deep and longstanding connections to the US Intelligence Community.

Washingtontechnology.com is reporting that McNeil and DynCorp (both owned by Veritas Capital) have won a $4.6 billion dollar contract with the US Army to provide translation and intrpretation services in the Iraq War.

In an interesting addition to the services that McNeil Technologies provides, the Rochester Business Journal reported in April that McNeil now has a partner in providing private screening services to the Rochester Airport. McNeil's new partner in the Rochester contract is Raytheon, the multi-billion dollar US defense firm. Rochester International Airport was also one of the test platform locations for the Ingersoll Rand Schlage Recognition Systems biometric recognition program that went into effect in 2004. McNeil has been under contract to provide security and screening services to the Rochester Airport since 2002.

And in business news for Veritas Capital Management, within the past month their collection of companies has grown with the acquisition of:

Cornell Companies Inc. of Houston Texas. A multi-million dollar provider of correctional facilities services.

Vangent, Inc. Formerly known as Pearson Government Solutions, an international business services company who's clients include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice and Labor; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

How the press is complicit in the tainted food scandal and how this promotes the goals of Big Business.

The recently unearthed scandal of tainted food imported into the US from China brings a host of problems to light. How government trade policies with China are flawed, how our food safety system is ineffective and how the investigative journalism of America’s once-great fourth estate is no longer capable of performing the basic “Five Ws” of reporting.

The question of why Chinese exporters are intentionally using toxic substances in the food items being exported is not being fully investigated. We are being told that melamine was placed into the faux wheat gluten to boost nitrogen content in the product, which would then indicate a high protein level. The mass media in America has left that answer as being the final word on why the melamine was present in the food items with little follow-up to the story.

The foreign press has performed a much better service than their American counterparts. What they have unearthed is a global effort by Chinese exporters of food, medicine and hygiene products to add toxic substances to the products they manufacture. Over 100 Panamanians have been killed in recent months after taking Chinese manufactured cold medicines that contained di-ethylene glycol. Di-ethylene glycol is an ingredient found in anti-freeze. This isn’t a one-off case as the same chemical has also been found in toothpaste made in China that has also killed numerous Panamanians and an unknown number of other Latin Americans.

This problem cannot be simply brushed aside as a case of human error. Too many of these cases show forethought and the intention to deceive regardless of the consequences. This cannot be brushed aside as a case of greed. Sooner or later the mounting deaths and fallout over safety will flare up and someone will have to pay the price.

There is a much darker reason behind the organized and systematic poisoning of our food and health items. When our own government admits that they cannot inspect all food that enters out country, which they have done, only two things can be done. One; is to increase the funding for food inspections to a level far beyond what it is at this moment. The effect of this is to anger Americans over the cost and condition us into accepting that this is something far to big for us to control. The other thing that can be done is to simply accept this as a new fact of life and we will have to learn how to live with the threat posed by imported food items.

Our government will not address the root cause of this problem because this would alter the power of the new global economy. In the end it would adversely affect the bottom line for existing and emerging big businesses. In the end it promotes a greater agenda where the lives, money and future of all people are controlled by big business. Fear and feelings of powerlessness are two methods of conditioning that are used by these people to control our lives and as this story evolves watch for the media to promote fear and portray the process of inspecting all food products to be an impossible task.

The daily dose of Doublespeak

One aspect of the current administration that constantly amazes me is the skilled and precise manner in which they have perfected Orwellian Doublespeak, and the methods they display of using language to condition the American public. A recent news report of the violence in Iraq underscored this ability and what appears to be our complete disinterest in studying the effects of Doublespeak. Words have indeed changed their meaning under President Bush and it goes beyond the jingoism that has been a component of American politics for many decades.

The use, meaning and variations of the word insurgent is one of the most clear-cut examples I can think of. The words insurgent and insurgency have been overused in frequency and as an all-encompassing description for describing attacks in Iraq and the words have taken on a new meaning. Late this past week a group of more than 50 “insurgents” attacked a US base in Baqouba, a Sunni stronghold, which required US forces to call in reinforcements. Officials state that only six of the attackers were killed.

When you think of the words insurgent and insurgency what do you think they mean? As time has passed and the use of those words has grown to describe attacks and attackers that range from a single sniper or suicide bomber up to a large, organized group of individuals it seems that the White House, Pentagon, CIA and our press have given the words a whole new meaning. The usage has brought to mind a loose and rag-tag group of individuals, with no strategy other than the use of single attacks and death-by-a-thousand-cuts type of approach to their goals. Small and large attacks are lumped together and over time the real meaning of those words has diluted.

Attacks like the one in Baqouba are not rare, they have now become common and this has fallen almost off the consciousness of the American public. We focus more on the IED and suicide bomber attacks than large-scale operations such as the one in Baqouba. The large-scale attacks are a sign of organization, training and intelligence gathering within the Sunni and Shiite factions and a transformation in theater. My belief is that this is the result of work by the CIA and paramilitary groups such as Blackwater, but this is the subject of a future posting. The subject today is Doublespeak.

Support the troops is another gem from the President and the Republican Party. The recent disclosure that the White House is not backing a small increase in pay for members of the military, as well as an increase in benefit pay to the families and survivors of service members is telling. The pay increases that the White House is against would result in an increase of only $7 per week for a typical E-3 enlisted person (Navy Seaman, Air Force Airman 1st Class, Army PFC or Marine Corp LCPL), but that has been shot down by the administration. They believe their current proposal is “sufficient” for the military. With the scandals that have erupted over treatment of wounded veterans, the constant and deliberate gutting of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the absolute disregard for the well being of our military is all the proof you need to see that “Support the troops” is nothing more than a hollow, insincere attempt to illicit Pavlovian style conditioning from the American public.

The insurgents have now formed militias and their skills grow with each day. Our troops are not being supported by the current Presidential administration regardless of what they claim. These are just two examples of the Doublespeak we must sift through on a daily basis in America. Take the time to think about the other examples you can easily find on the evening news and in your local newspaper.

I always miss the better parties

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- A 400-pound gorilla escaped from his enclosure and ran amok in a Rotterdam zoo Friday, biting one woman, dragging her around, and causing panic among dozens of visitors before he was finally subdued, officials and a witness said. The Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo was evacuated and the 11-year-old gorilla, named Bokito, was eventually contained in a restaurant within the park, police spokeswoman Yvette de Rave said. Four people were injured, including the woman who was bitten, zoo director Ton Dorrestijn said.

Too bad that I always miss the great rampaging gorilla parties. I usually wind up at some dive in Doraville sitting between these two. As the Atlanta Rhythm Section used to sing, New York is fine, but it 'aint Doraville.

Has the President declared the entire US population to be enemies of the state?

A significant and terrifying revelation came to light in this week’s round of testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The revelation is subtle and nuanced and a small amount of decoding is necessary to unravel its meaning, but it is there. Former Deputy Attorney General Jim Comey testified that Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House Counselor Alberto Gonzales attempted to trick then Attorney General John Ashcroft into reauthorizing a domestic eavesdropping program while he was hospitalized. This, of course, is what was widely reported but the details of that program and the reasons why it was not reauthorized is the actual story.

From statements made by government and White House officials from the President all the way down the chain of command, its obvious that they are talking on one level and we are listening on another. This is being brushed aside by many as classic Orwellian Doublespeak but what they say and how they parse their words, combined with their actions and those of the telecommunications industry point to a much more sinister and frightening reality.

First off, most people assume that the comments made by the President and various government officials about this situation are directly focused on the FISA and warrantless wiretap situation. In actuality, when they testify and comment to the press they are actually referring to other programs being run at this very moment. Let’s look at this item by item:

1) FISA – While the focus of the media, political and conspiracy theory commentators and the average citizen has been placed on FISA there are comments being made by those involved in this scandal that are obviously intended to divert our attention away from the authorization of wiretapping program that circumvented FISA. The question has been “why was FISA circumvented?” when the question should have been, “What program are you using that supersedes FISA and under what authorization?”

2) The AT&T/NSA collusion – No one in the government or the telecommunications industry wants us to know more about the authorization which forced the telcos to allow the US Intelligence Community to literally tap into all data and voice transmissions coming and going from US soil. They are attempting to hide something much deeper than what we see on the surface.

3) The program that the White House was trying to trick Ashcroft into authorizing is not FISA or the AT&T/NSA programs. Comey, Gonzales and Bush have admitted so by deflecting questions or giving misleading answers for.

4) The program that the White House sought approval for from Ashcroft was so illegal and so un-Constitutional that every person who refused to sign off on the program threatened to resign if it were authorized.

5) The details of this program are not yet known, but this much is known: the program was indeed authorized by someone and it allows for spying at levels far beyond what we are being told with sweeping powers far beyond the pale of any program in history.

The press and the rest of us make much of the President’s power grabbing exploits and the un-Constitutional aspects of these powers. One thing has been overlooked. In all cases a justification has been made for their legality by Bush neophytes even if the justification is flawed and self-serving. The actual legality and Constitutional standing of these authorizations have not been contested to date because we have not seen the documents that are allowing the programs in question. What we have seen in the form of FISA, the AT&T/NSA wiretapping and even with the torture authorization scandal are appearing to this blogger to be nothing more than a smokescreen. Something is peering from the cracks that are forming in this smokescreen.

My belief, based on Bush administration history is that there is a massive and all-encompassing surveillance program that has been authorized behind the FISA and AT&T/NSA programs that is beginning to be seen in pieces. The White House is desperate to maintain the FISA and AT&T/NSA facade but their actions and words hint that those two cases are not their central concern. Their actions and words are directed at a program that is sitting directly behind those two cases. This program, a Program X as it were, is so invasive and overwhelming that their greatest fear is that it’s existence will be known.

What could this program entail? At this point all we can do is guess but based on the issues at stake, the methods and means used and the severity of the fallout my guess is this:

The President has secretly declared that all Americans are potential enemies of the state and he has authorized all Intelligence Agencies of the federal government to monitor, classify and identify who we are. To expedite this process, all of the major telecommunications providers, the owners of the backbone, have been federalized. In other words, an undeclared and modified state of martial law is in effect. This explanation would cover the lengths the government has gone to in hiding the details of the FISA and AT&T/NSA scandals. It would also explain the curious Doublespeak being used in discussing these cases. What we see our government doing and what it really is doing are two different things. What we are allowed to know and what is easily discovered by investigative journalists are smokescreens to draw our attention away from what lies behind them.

Two politicians walk into a bar...

I often joke with my family that they should never be too disappointed with the black sheep status that I hold by telling them, “Things could be much worse. Imagine if I were a politician. Why, you’d never again be able to walk into the Piggly Wiggly with your head held high.” My favorite politician joke that I tell to close friends is, “What’s the difference between a politician and a prostitute? The Politician is the only one who enjoys the fucking that they are giving.”

What brings these things to mind this morning is a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the amount of money given to our illustrious Governor, Sonny Purdue, for his second inaugural ball. AT&T gave him $200,000 and two of our state utility companies gave him a combined $75,000. All of this so a bunch of politicians and businessmen could dress up, get a little drunk, eat fancy food, dance like the white folks they are, and, of course, cut deals.

While it’s legal to do it, it still frustrates me because we all know why they give and spend so much money for fat, balding sociopaths. It makes me wish that my job worked in a similar manner. Imagine if your job held all of the benefits and nuances that are found in the life of a Governor or a Senator.

If that were the case I would work three days a week and I wouldn’t be at the office 52 weeks a year. The customers of the company I work for would give me millions of dollars every year, just to ensure that I keep my job. I’d book first class seats to exotic and beautiful places all over the world to my employer’s bill and call them “fact-finding missions”. If I didn’t want to mingle with the unwashed masses in first class, I’d borrow a company jet from one of my contributors. I’d play the links at Augusta, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews every year.

I’d return the favor, of course. The company clients would get sweet deals on the services we offer and I may even let them write some of the companies policies for employees. I’d let them have full access to our internal network and see all of our files, data and maybe even the data we have for other clients we have. They would get what they want and I’d get my beak wet, as Don Fanucci would say.

Yes, I can definitely see the allure of being a politician. Hmmm..I wonder how important it really is for my Mother to shop at the Piggly Wiggly with her head held high?

News roundup about the missing honeybees

The continuing mystery of the missing honeybees appears to be deepening based on web published news reports I’ve found this morning. The most striking of these reports is an article published in Ireland that provides a good, overall picture of this problem on a worldwide scale. According to the Mayo Advertiser of Athlone, Ireland, the problem is indeed a worldwide phenomenon and the numbers involved are staggering.

The paper reports, “A decline in bee numbers in Europe together with a 50 per cent drop in the number of managed honeybee colonies has been recognised as a global phenomenon known as the “pollination crisis”.” Until now the reports I have read focused only on the problem in America and referenced past examples of this occurring in other countries, but this article is reporting that this event is happening worldwide.

In yet another article, this time from the Hudson-Star Observer of Hudson Wisconsin, a beekeeper interviewed added this interesting observation, “The biggest beekeepers, however, take bees around the country (for a fee) and turn them loose on farmers’ fields, etc. That’s where the disappearing bees are turning up.” There are two ways you can interpret that statement but the way I am interpreting it is that the bees that are disappearing are the bees that are being taken to pollinate crops.

If the bees are disappearing when they are taken to farms to provide pollination services, this is a big smoking gun. It should certainly concern us all as to exactly why those crops are causing the disappearances. Are pesticides to blame? There have been previous colony collapses that were caused by lethal pesticides. Are genetically modified (GM) crops to blame? That angle has been getting a lot more comments from the conspiracy theory community. Environmentalists have debated at length about GM crops for well over a decade now with one processed food manufacturer that I know of (Linda McCartney Foods) banning their use in all foods made by the company.

A final and far more disturbing article comes from Infoshopnews.org. The author quotes a Penn State Extension Specialist who said:

"I’ve had several people in Washington, D. C., in the last several months telling me that honey bees are a canary for the human race. The canary is what was used in mines to see whether there was oxygen, or not enough oxygen, for the miners. If the canary fell over, why it was time to get out. And Penn State has already found it looks like the immune system has been broken down on these honey bees. So, if the immune system is broken down and this stuff is going into our food supply, how much does it take to take out humans?

You know, I hate to be pessimistic about the situation, but it just doesn’t appear good."

Later in the interview She continues:

"First of all, a third of the food supply in the United States – and actually the world – a third of the food supply is directly related to the honey bee: fruits, vegetables, nuts, just a lot of stuff that we eat, that we’re accustomed to have every day, the honey bee is directly responsible for it. And then, there is probably another 30% of what we consume that honey bees are indirectly responsible for. Take the milk we drink. The cows have to have hay. They’ve got to eat clover and alfalfa to produce milk. And if you go back and listen to what (Albert) Einstein told us – he said if the honey bees disappeared off the face of the Earth, within four years, all life would be gone. Even the wildlife depends on plants pollinated by the honey bees for berries and so on. So, it’s not just humans not being able to get apples and carrots. We’re talking about a real big, serious problem!"

For more posts on the honeybee mystery click here or click the Honeybees tag at the bottom of this posting.

Has VP Cheney been caught with his pants down?

To be taken with as many grains of salt as possible, Wayne Madsen has been reporting of late that Vice President Dick Cheney is among those who frequented DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s escort service when he was the CEO of Haliburton. Madsen, for those who are not familiar, runs an interesting political news website that sometimes has reported both rumor and conjecture as fact and often confuses commentary with reporting. But I still find his website to be valuable and an excellent resource for information because of the questions his reports often leave with me. Madsen’s site is an excellent alternate point of view clearinghouse.

Let me begin this posting by saying that it makes no difference to me what sexual preferences any person has. As long as the partner doesn’t walk on hooves or paws and no one is getting hurt and it’s between consenting adults, go for it folks. I don’t necessarily agree with the whole prostitution angle but if that is where you need to go for sexual fulfillment, by all means, do your thing. Where I do have a problem is when people in positions of power frequent or experiment in alternative sexual means. This isn’t a question of ethics or morality, it’s a purely pragmatic stance I have.

When the CEO of a large, international corporation or a powerful politician, who has a family and reputation to maintain, indulges in sexual promiscuity they open themselves up to the possibility of being blackmailed. If the Vice President is dipping his wick somewhere other than Mrs. Cheney, he is opening himself up to being a victim of blackmail from other politicians, business leaders or the Intelligence Community of other nations. In other words, his sexual desires and tastes can damage his ability to maintain his loyalty to the oath of office. This also opens him up to a potentially embarrassing internationally known scandal.

All men and women in positions of power, political and business, cannot underestimate the lengths that other people, people with agendas of their own, will go to in order to get what they want. The more powerful a position in society that a person holds the greater the need for that person to maintain control of their own desires. This is not only applicable to sexual desires but also true for money and notoriety. When a person in power makes a conscious effort to continue their exploration of sexuality by using more discreet means its simply a sign that even they recognize the necessity of their activities being kept secret. In effect, their actions validate the idea that great risk to themselves and their position is at stake.

If the Vice President has patronized the services of this or any other escort service, he should resign his position. Not because his actions are immoral or unethical, but because his actions have made him a risk to the security of our nation and it’s people.

Herfing (2) from Fred Thompson's coolerdor (1)

I’ve been following the tit for tat exchange between filmmaker Michael Moore and politician/lawyer/actor/cigar lover Fred Thompson with a bit of a smirk on my face. Its not Moore’s filmmaking or Thompson’s political aspirations that is making me smirk, it’s those damn Montecristo cigars that have suddenly jumped into the limelight. I’m a smoker who also has an appreciation for good cigars so this has my attention, even if I’m not a big Montecristo fan, except for aged #2s. La Gloria Cubana, Punch and Sancho Panza are my favorite, go-to cigars actually.

I started smoking premium cigars in 1998 and I understand the allure that those mysterious cigars from the Island South of Miami (ISoMs) can hold over the cigar lover. There is an entire sub-culture and market that deals with these creatures and based on comments I have read over the years from various cigar smokers all over America, they are far more common that you may think. Even in small, middle American towns you can find clutches of illegal Cuban cigars stashed in coolerdors. The owners will freely admit they buy and own them in Internet message boards and they will even mail them to other cigar smokers in Secret Santa style fashion.

With that said let me state that I not only do not own Cuban cigars, I’ve never even smoked one. The reason is simple. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting busted over them and paying a fine and losing the cigars in the end over something I know is wrong. It’s not that I have anti-Cuban feelings, I believe buying Cuban cigars is wrong because it is against a law that I feel is just, and buying those cigars does in the end support a regime that I do not believe has the best interest of its citizens in mind. So, I’d rather wait until the day comes when the embargo ends and the market adjusts to the supply and demand after the novelty of legal Cuban cigars passes. When a good, legal, Cuban Punch Churchill is available at my local cigar shop and the price is less than twice that of a Honduran Punch, that’s when I will buy my first Cuban cigar.

Moore has brought attention to a certain segment of cigar smokers that I first came to know around the 2000 Presidential elections. I discovered that there was a certain group of die-hard conservatives who smoked Cuban cigars and had absolutely no problem with the hypocrisy that those two things entailed. It was kind of funny to me when those same people pitched a fit after China captured a Navy spy plane in 2001, complained to high heaven about the Communist Chinese, yet found a way to justify their own purchases and ownership of illegal Cuban cigars. Thompson, apparently, is one of those people too.

From all that I know about fine Cuban cigars I can completely understand wanting them as I too am really looking forward to the day when I can experience the complexity that a Cuban cigar has. Once the embargo ends and the market adjusts I’m going to start stocking my coolerdor with singles and maybe boxes if I find something I really like at a great price. The key to this is “when the embargo ends”.

This episode brings to light Fred Thompson’s real feelings about the law, what is right and personal responsibility can be seen from this episode. Thompson believes that the law applies to you and not himself. He believes that if he wants something, the law is an inconvenient speed bump to what he desires. He believes he is above the law. I wonder what Thompson’s thoughts are on marijuana possession, driving under the influence and tax evasion. Those are all illegal too just as is possession of embargo era Cuban cigars. Thompson’s possession of illegal cigars is simply a sign of what is really happening in this country. Those in positions of true power view the laws that you and I must follow and something that does not apply to them. They put their wants and desires above the rest of us and they have no problems with flaunting that in our faces.

(1) A coolerdor is a large cigar humidor made out of a large ice chest, usually an Igloo or Coleman brand.

(2) Herf is that Godawful looking facial expression all cigar smokers make while trying to get a good draw and a good mouthful of smoke from a particularly robust cigar.

We are all casualties in the War on Drugs

One of the most simple and effective ways of controlling the thoughts and actions of the American public is, and always has been, the War on Drugs. Through this “War”, those who hold true power in this country can redirect the anger, dissatisfaction and sense of justice that the citizens become self-aware of as a collective entity every few years. This allows those in power to shape the common ideal of who is desirable and undesirable as Americans and who can be scapegoat for punishment. The most vulnerable of our society, those with little or no money and those with no political or economic leverage are the ones who are targeted for punishment.

We allow this to happen because we are conditioned to accept the jingoism of the propaganda created by our political and business leaders. The payoff we receive for unquestionably following the conditioning is the promise that someone, who is always stereotyped as less worthy and productive as the rest of us, will be ostracized from our society and incarcerated. We will be given a self-fulfilling sense of pleasure that “good” is being done for our society at large and that our self-righteousness will lead to greater safety in our own homes and for our loved ones. The beneficiaries of this propaganda are not the average citizens; the beneficiary is in fact the ones who maintain economic, political and theocratic control over America.

Poverty and lack of education are often cited as the two main causes of drug addiction. My belief is that while drug addiction is indeed a socio-economic problem, the actual root cause is hopelessness and pain. Poverty may increase the chances a person will become an addict but a lack of good paying jobs, fear of what tomorrow may bring and an ultimate sense of “giving in” to the futility of being a “tilting windmill” is what causes the impoverished to turn to drugs. The emotional pain that comes with this act of giving in is no different than what is felt by the victims of tragedy or abuse. The latter, tragedy and abuse are aspects of drug abuse that know no socio-economic boundaries.

No one aspires to be a drug addict when they are young. Addicts turn to this vice in response to what they believe about the outside world or to numb internal pain. Feeling good or better than your outlook on life is alluring, deadening pain is critical when all you feel is pain. These are traits that are shared with not only the addict but also the casual drug users who often get caught in the net of the War on Drugs. Their fate of the recreational user is the same as the addict if they do not have economic or political ties that may shield them from the full brunt on the American legislative and judicial branches.

The closed loop system of drug abuse, drug addiction, drug trafficking, drug legislation, enforcement of drug laws, state mandated drug treatment and incarceration is self-sustaining and needs little outside stimulus to maintain itself. The War on Drugs and a variety of legislative practices do not limit or reduce this system but instead cause growth of the system, which in turn increases the size and power of government as an end result. Society does not benefit from drug addiction and the War on Drugs does not benefit society either. This “War” merely marginalizes citizens and dehumanizes the victims of addiction as well as the one-off cases of individuals who self medicate for the treatment of any professionally diagnosed medical condition that decreases the quality of life of the patient.

The central method the government uses in delivering anti-drug propaganda is to demonize all drug users as deviant, dangerous and crazed. They are portrayed as immoral and outsiders of accepted society. This removes any and all sympathy the average citizen may have for the victims of drug addiction. Punishment of drug offenders satisfies the sadistic and vengeful impulses of the citizenry.

If 10 meth labs were raided in a single day, in a single state, and only 1 person was arrested for possession of the drug, the law enforcement agencies would use the single arrest of a user as justification for increasing their funds and power. The labs would be verification that their policies and laws are valid, the single drug addict would be the sign that even more needs to be done.

Law enforcement, judicial and penal systems do not grow when crime rates are down. All three of those systems need a constant rise or growth of crime to not only maintain their funding but in reality they need an increase of crime to justify what they always demand, more money. What those systems gain from the War on Drugs is far more than just public funding. What they gain is greater control of the public at large and in the end they gain a person’s money, property and life.

When a person is arrested for possession of drugs, depending on the type of drug and the amount of the drug they are arrested for, the following things occur:

1) The accused is now added to the state and local drug crime statistics.

2) The accused may try to make bail or bond out of jail, which adds money to the local bail bonding industry. If the accused does not show up for their hearings, trial dates or sentencing date the bail or bond is forfeited to the state or local coffers.

3) The accused must seek legal representation, which they may or may not be able to afford. If they can afford the legal expenses they are adding money to the local legal community. If they cannot afford representation they must petition the court, which places an added burden on the government budget.

4) If the accused is found guilty they will be paying fines, which adds to the government income. They may spend time in jail, prison or on probation and in all three cases a burden is placed on the government’s budget.

5) The guilty may have to forfeit all property they own to the government depending on the law they violated. This also adds to the government coffers when the property is auctioned to the public.

6) If the guilty receives a prison sentence there is a strong likelihood that they will be forced to provide cheap labor while incarcerated, which also adds to the government’s coffers.

7) The government will use that person’s arrest and conviction in its statistical reports for its budgets. With an increase of crime, especially targeted crime there is a corresponding demand from law enforcement to gain funding to combat that crime.

8) Once the guilty is released from prison they now have a criminal record that will adversely affect their ability to gain honest and good paying employment. This reduces the taxable income that the government can access and it can add to a burden to other government programs such as welfare if the guilty has to support a family.

9) If the guilty is desperate enough they may turn to a full time life of crime that adds to this cycle.

This doesn’t include the ancillary charges that can be brought up against most addicts and dealers. Possession of illegal weapons, tax fraud, possession of stolen goods and many other ancillary crimes are committed by both the addicts and the dealers who live in the world of drug addiction. With the rise in meth labs being raided what we also see is a number of child endangerment cases as well and homeowners and apartment managers who rent to a person who runs a meth lab on their premises are also looking at massive bills to cleanup what are now being defined by the EPA as contaminated sites.

The War on Drugs as it has been waged does not address the root causes or the prevention of drug addiction. It targets users and sellers of illicit drugs to fund it’s own goals, expand the reach of government over it’s citizens and centralize the people who benefit from the spoils of this war. Its sole purpose is to consolidate power, perpetuate itself and ignore the root causes of the war.

A person can provide and contribute more to the overall health of society by being a tax paying, law abiding and conscientious citizen. All people in a community share in the wealth that comes from keeping people happy and employed as the citizens will pay taxes, work to improve their standing in society, help their fellow citizens and reduce the burden of the cost of government by being model citizens. Why is the War on Drugs focused on finding the addicts, drug suppliers and drug manufacturers and “eliminating” them instead of eliminating the factors that lead it’s citizens to create and fuel the demand for drugs?

If a society were to reverse the flow of funds from the legislative, judicial, law enforcement and penal systems that drain resources and talent for this War on Drugs and direct those funds to repairing the problems that cause drug addiction what would be the end result? What would need to be addressed?

As I mentioned earlier, it is my belief that drug addiction begins in the local community. When there is little or no hope for the citizens of a local community or if there is no advocacy of people who suffer emotional trauma, those people will turn to substance abuse to deaden their sense of pain. This means that local communities must maintain a strong local economy and provide medical treatment for those people who have suffered deep emotional trauma if they wish to reduce the drug problem in their community.

Local communities are severely limited by how much money they can generate from their citizenry. Property and sales taxes, possibly a small income tax, are all they can draw from. Too much taxation and they stifle the economic viability of their community. They have necessary services that they must provide such as law enforcement, maintaining roads and utility services. This leaves little for reinvesting into the promotion of the local economy. Providing basic medical care for its citizens is out of the question under these conditions.

Under these conditions a local community would need funding from the state and federal government to provide greater economic investment opportunities and medical care for its citizens. States have a much greater reservoir of taxable resources than local governments. They can tax not only income and property but they can also tax the sales of fuels, targeted business and industrial sectors, as well as taxing the use of its road systems via tolls. The state also has the same budgetary issues of providing necessary services but its pool of taxable resources is much greater and the state can also provide basic medical care for its citizens.

To address economic growth and medical care for its citizens the state is in a much better financial position to address those needs than a local government but they still do not have the massive resources that the federal government has. Not only can the federal government collect income and property tax from its citizens it can also tax imported goods from other nations, negotiate the interest rates it must pay for loans, it can also generate funds by charging for a much wider range of services that it oversees. Telecommunications services, postal and other communication channels and medical coverage are prime examples of federal government generating income outside taxation.

Let’s suppose for a moment that the funnel of funding and disbursal of funds were aimed at state and local governments instead of keeping the pool of money at the federal level and spending it on federal programs. State and local governments could share the burden of economic growth by sharing the funds directed at them. State governments could address general and physical health concerns and the local community could be funded to address the mental health of its citizens by creating local community hospitals, hiring mental health professionals and providing both long-term and short-term assistance to its citizens. Victims of assault, natural disasters and poor upbringing could be offered high quality mental health care from professionals who live and are a part of their local community. The driving interest of improving your community and empowering your fellow citizens is a powerful lure to many and this quality can be found in teachers as well.

The local government would benefit from this by having a larger group of healthy, happy and optimistic citizens. This base of workers would in turn be appealing to private business not only because of the capability to maintain quality in the production of its goods and services, but also for the lower overhead that would arise because they would no longer need to provide or assist in the payment of health care services for its employees.

The state government would benefit because a large pool of happy, healthy and optimistic citizens contribute to the overall quality of economic selling points it can make to businesses who are considering a move to their state. The more businesses you have in your state and the more they produce, the greater the amount of money that can be generated by a state government in the form of taxes. Healthier, happier and more optimistic citizens and companies will steadily raise their incomes over their lifetime, which leads to more money generated by taxation.

The federal government benefits off this scenario by lower overall costs for medical care, a lower cost for providing social services, a lower cost in the enforcement of its laws since there would be a decrease in crime and it sees a greater tax base from which to draw from.

Addressing the root causes of addiction reduces the overall problem of drugs by taking away the demand for drugs. There would, of course, be a group of people that cannot be helped or aided no matter how much money is spent trying to help them. We as people have free will and we have to accept that some people simply would not accept help or want to change their lives. This is a fact of human nature that cannot be avoided but it should not be used as an excuse to not address the root problem. The key to this aspect of the War on Drugs is to recognize that the numbers of people who are beyond reach is small in comparison to the sheer volume of people that are swept into the net under our current policies. They, like career criminals, are a portion of society who will not change their behavior and they are a much smaller segment than we are currently dealing with.

This scenario as I described will never be addressed seriously. It may be hinted at or even discussed in a general sense, but it will not be addressed seriously at the higher levels of power in this nation. The reason is simple. The way we currently address the drug problem narrows the group of people who actually benefit short and long-term in the War on Drugs. These people bring true and pure power to the problem and sharing the benefits and wealth of the War on Drugs is not what they want. Who, then, benefits from the status quo in this war?

On the first level of the war, law enforcement gains funds and power. Law enforcement is the foot soldier and pawn of those in power. Law enforcement allegiance is bought and sold by those who wield true and pure power. In some instances the US Military is used in the same way as law enforcement in the war on drugs. They also act as a kind of canary in a coal mine when those at the top of the chain of power want something. If the ends they wish are new laws that restrict the freedoms of Americans, the means of that goal would be to make the law enforcement officials demand new laws to be enacted that they claim will make Americans safer. Use the statistics gathered from arrests to validate the point and people will fall into line when this propaganda is used.

The second level of this war is comprised of the individuals and companies who make a profit off this war. This level includes the obvious people and groups such as lawyers and corrections departments but there is an entire multi-billion dollar industry that drives this second level. That industry comprises companies such as Wackenhut and Aramark who provide outsourced services to the correctional facility industry by providing administrative, maintenance and food services to jails and prisons. Also in this level are the companies who make millions of dollars each year in the construction of new jails and prisons. This is the middle area where cash can be split, transferred and washed by those at the bottom and the top.

The third level of this war is the legislative and judicial branches of government, who provide the legal precedents, legal representation and oversee the funding for this war. These people guide the direction of the war to enhance and expand their power. They have even carried this power to the point where every citizen is considered a criminal regardless of what they actually do with their lives. All one has to do is look at the current missions of the US Intelligence Community and what it is doing in the NSA spying scandal as well as the process that the Intelligence Community uses when it accesses the private databases of companies such as ChoicePoint, to see that we all are being actively monitored in an attempt to not only catch us in the act of committing crimes but to predict when and/or if we will commit crimes.

The War on Drugs is a facet of a much larger operation of consolidating true power into a small group of individuals. Its sole purpose is to create instability in our communities, breed paranoia and suspicion about our fellow citizens and marginalize and target a select group of our own citizens. The very select few gain in this while the vast majority of Americans pay the price. The true price is our freedom and rights.

Even if you and I take no drug stronger than aspirin, we are still a part of the War on Drugs. We pay the price with a weaker community, a weaker economy and a more powerful government. We pay the price because we are under constant surveillance by our government and its representatives. The price we pay is our freedom.