A few weeks ago, the saga of the torture memo writers, Jay Bybee and John Yoo, was officially re-visited. David Margolis of the Justice Department rejected the original conclusion reached by ethics lawyers in the Office of Professional Responsibility–that of professional misconduct–and replaced it with the anyone-can-have-a bad-day, poor judgement verdict.

I know this isn’t breaking news, and health care is the issue du jour, but we haven’t yet touched on some of the broader issues involved here on A Cavalcade of Crazy, and it gives me another opportunity to demonstrate the flexibility of the popularly-referenced fourth dimension; to wit, we will not be confined by it’s apparent linearity on this column. Nor, it seems, by short, pithy sentences.

For me, these diversions are more than just salubrious; they’re vital as a defense against the merciless aggravation we encounter with tedious frequency. I don’t wish to utter any more odd, gurgling noises than I already do. Listen to Bob’s show on the HORN on a regular basis and you’ll hear all manner of howls, yowls, rumblings, and groans. I think I even heard some quacking once. And that’s just from the host.

Let’s take a little side trip to seventy years in the past. Some time ago I began kind of a personal honor roll, commemorating during the months of their birth individuals who have profoundly added to my life in extraordinarily positive ways. Although highly subjective and discriminating (at the moment Ray Davies is in final approval), I wondered if any of you would agree that it’s possible, in the case of entertainers for example, to qualify based on a single performance instead of lifetime achievement. Here’s the thing: for my money, a single film –The Philadelphia Story – does just that for three superlative actors. if Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn never acted in another film, they would all make it for that 1940 classic. “C.K. Dexter-Haven,” said a sozzled Stewart to a sober Grant, “you have unsuspected depth.” Your thoughts.

Okay. Next destination: 2001. Not the movie.

The response of the military/industrial/media complex in accord with the Bush administration after 9/11 was to implement and advance a plan already on the table and spin it into a bogus rationale for attacking an innocent country. The record is clear on that. In essence, our own government offended us, and parts of the world, again, and it appears to be okay. Where are all the hearings? Where’s the outrage? Other than slapping Scooter and the two attorneys, who else have we called into account? I can think of a couple who just ignored congressional subpoenas, but that was before Obama took office.

I’ll admit that I’m not aware of all the legal fine points in this case. I know significant punishment has been avoided so far; Yoo is a professor at UC Berkeley and Bybee is a federal judge. Got a bit of an arrogant chip on their shoulders about the whole thing, especially John Yoo. And why not? Both could have been disbarred and Bybee face impeachment. But it’s all so redolent of how Bush and his handlers conducted business for eight years: announce a pre-determined conclusion and then contrive some premise to support it. Solutions seeking a problem. Conceal and control the information. And there was no shortage of loyal party hookers like John Yoo to facilitate these schemes for them. Just like that, Bush and the CIA had what they wanted in writing, a legal basis for officially hurting– even accidently terminating– people, thereby adding Guantanamo, and by extension the United States, to the popular torture destinations of the world. Just wanted to authorize this abuse a little closer to home, I suppose.

Want to take this a step further? I ask you to consider the following words precisely and in context: would it surprise anyone to learn one day that we have put bags over people’s heads and rendered them to a secret location in Utah for some enhanced interrogation? How do we know they don’t? Given our history of covert and nefarious intelligence and military activities going back to the fifties both here and abroad, through countless Freedom of Information requests or investigations by people like Seymour Hersh, Gary Webb, and other determined reporters, it would not surprise me. In fact, why do you need people like John Yoo to sanction your clandestine actions and methods at all? When did the NSA, CIA or the Black-Ops spooks ever care about legal justification? We don’t even know how many billions they appropriate, let alone what they do. What’s your problem? Do you hate freedom, or something?

All too often, the “official versions,” whether rushed to release or too late on the scene, have been leaving much to be desired. It can be downright revelatory when and if the real story emerges. In a nation that ostensibly holds the principles of trust and transparency high, that’s rather sad.

For review:

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=7867

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA%20Hits/CIA_GreatestHits.html

http://www.minnpost.com/ericblackblog/2009/03/11/7310/investigative_reporter_

seymour_hersh_describes_executive_assassination_ring

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/121304.html

Yeah, I know–I’m giving you more to read, but here at A Cavalcade of Crazy we will include references when appropriate. You can peruse as much as you want in your spare time, if you have any. And I won’t link you up to any crackpots– that is, unless they are of a rich and irresistible nature.

Can you get into serious trouble for lying to the wrong people? That depends. Ask Dick Nixon. Okay, that’s a problem. Ask Bill Clinton. Before George Jr & Company’s pre-planned invasion of Iraq, I think the man who should have paid the price was the Grand Old Party’s Ronnie Reagan. Here’s a classic assertion: “We were not trading arms for hostages, nor were we negotiating with terrorists.” Three months later, on March 4, 1987, Reagan admitted he lied right to our faces: “A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.” (Next time any of you are in front of a judge, try that and see how it works.) So although Ronald’s heart was really into that mendacious tale, it just wasn’t going to last. Miss Hall? Yes, Col. North? Start the shredders.

And wasn’t there something about defying the laws of the land and sending the Nicaraguan contras the proceeds from those Iranian arms sales through the back door? Talk about low-hanging high crimes and misdemeanors. If that outrageous affair doesn’t result in impeachment hearings, what does? But we let the Teflon President skate away.

Watergate was nothing in comparison. Iran/Contra should have been the made-to-order centerpiece of a profound and long-lasting neo-con disgrace.

On one of his recent shows, I thought Bob Kincaid made a decent case for that negligence being a direct line to our dismaying situation today. If we throw Reagan out, or even George Sr. (whose fingerprints were all over that operation), none of this is a sure thing: The Bush 41 presidency and his pardon-fest, Newt and his farcical “contract,” mass media right wing craziness, human blot George Jr, or the invasion of the Middle East. Or John Yoo. The torture memos and their authors don’t enter that picture.

At least things might be a lot more manageable today. It goes back to Ford preemptively pardoning Tricky Dick. Rumsfeld, Cheney and those freaks don’t crawl out of their coffins to abuse us again. Not to mention sending an always prudent reminder to future executives. I’ll take it back to John Kennedy. I think you can argue that from November of 1963 until today, a few well-placed assassin’s bullets, together with our critical failure to finish seeing a handful of select weasels all the way to Leavenworth has led straight to the mess we are in right now. 

While I’m not especially pleased with the latest watered-down assessment of Bybee and Yoo, at least we followed up. The rest of the gang responsible for implementing the death and destruction machine in the name of the War On Terror have slipped away and are still at large. As is Bin Laden. We should come down on these mercenaries and profiteers like the pirates they are and just see how many can go for a spin in that Large Hadron Collider for a while. The shit these werewolves are getting away with up and down the line, including thousands of people literally dying because of their actions, deserves some measure of examination, if not judgement. A little justice for their rampage, you know? Mr. Yoo! Please take your place with the others inside the machine.     

I thought defrauding Congress and the people of the United States, looting the treasury, and slicing up the Constitution were criminal offenses. For your last trick you can’t just give us all the finger one last time as you walk out the door. Except I guess you can.

Sigh.

And before anyone gives them a pass, for any reason, know this: when they get their hands around your neck, there will be no passes for you.

The one thing that’s supposed to be dependable in a nation of laws is not that corruption is preventable but that there are valid and effective ways to take you down if you violate our rules of conduct. But the devious connections have grown so powerful, and the implementation of oversight so difficult, that isn’t a sure thing. In fact, too many of our elected officials are more apt to simply yield to this pressure than to exert effort on our behalf. Where is Sam Ervin? Where is Jimmy Stewart when we need him? Damn, he’s back there in paragraph four. I see no choice in the matter of official investigations into the possible crimes of any administration, especially when they leave such a trail of deceit.

What is ultimately more important than protecting our trust? Well, I’ll admit that changeover to all-digital TV is pretty big. I really don’t know how we let this go. There is a constitutional imperative to re-affirm the legitimacy of our systems and the authority of our laws. Otherwise many just descend into apathy, some into anarchy, but all lose even more confidence in government. And that is music to the ears of the powers that be.

” The government…teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law…To declare that the end justifies the means – to declare that the government may commit crimes – would bring terrible retribution.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ––Louis D. Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice, 1916-1939

Reverbo

Critic-At-Large

Next time – Spotlight on The Republican Party:  Just Sayin’ No Since 1935.

Why is this organized destruction of the reputations of innocent people allowed to go on like this? The DA down there should be bringing all the powers of the justice system to bear on this group of jihadists like a ton of bricks.  Arrest Grisham immediately for libel, criminal harassment, and violating citizens’ constitutional rights of life and liberty under the law.

The first amendment shouldn’t protect this crap. They can spend the rest of their lives compensating their victims for the injury and suffering they’ve caused. Not another person should be terrorized by these law-breakers. I have two words for this so-called Army of God: David Koresh. It’s past time to line up the battle wagons against Grisham and his goons.

Wrong country, wrong century, wrong god. Unacceptable on every level. Only twisted religious freaks could believe Jesus would ever endorse this kind of hate and persecution. Oh, and Grisham is also a security guard at a nuclear weapons storage facility? Great. General Ripper meets Randall Flagg. No reason to be concerned about that.

Here’s what you do, Dave. Move your operation to a repressive place like Iran. You’d fit right in over there. Of course, you’d probably have to switch religions. Better yet, save yourself the inevitable court costs and legal fees and drink the Kool-Aid now.

It’s disgraceful that the City of Amarillo is evidently content to do nothing but watch this happen to their neighbors. And always shameful to see some employers in town piling on the people who were libeled instead of turning against the holier-than-thou inquisitors. That they still have a long way to go in Texas has sure become a tiresome observation.

Reverbo

Critic-At-Large

Hello, how are you? It’s good to be here. I’m Cliff Yablon, but some of you may already know me from Bob Kincaid’s show as Reverbo, Critic-At-Large. No, that’s not an old photo of me. That’s President Rufus T. Firefly from Duck Soup, who when asked by the Ambassador of Sylvania if war could be prevented, remarked “It’s too late. I’ve already paid a month’s rent on the battlefield.” The humor there is a bit tempered by the fact that the previous president of our own country basically did just that and worse in Iraq. As leader of the bankrupt nation of Freedonia, Firefly also reduced workers’ hours by shortening their lunch breaks, something George Jr. and his handlers were no doubt considering.

In Horse Feathers, Groucho sings “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It.” Sound familiar?

So is everything just an endless movie or is this real life? Anymore, it’s hard to tell. As Twain once said, “Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.”

But, back to my intro. As much fun as I have listening to Bob, and emailing and calling his show for two years, why not see if this works in print, and hopefully adds to the already high level of thoughtful and entertaining discourse. In short, I’ve been invited to be a columnist on the HORN blog. My literary arena is not that of journalism, but of commentary and satire, and I hope you come along, too. Sound like fun? I’ll say. As Critic-At-Large, just about everything is fair game, and while I try to do my homework, what I may sometimes lack in the erudition department I believe I can make up for in the comedy sector. Somewhere I remember reading someone a lot smarter than I who suggested that arguably every human act is shaped in some form by politics, that in fact, our entire lives and the choices we make have some political framework. As Richard K. Morgan said in Altered Carbon, “The personal is political.” There. I’ve just given us a pass to go anywhere we want.

Anyway, the airheads and fools of the world deserve all the ridicule intelligent people can dish out, and most of them ask for it. And those who promote reason, dignity and honor deserve our praise.

So what do we mean by comedy? It’s subjective, to be sure, but for me the best kind demonstrates consistency. One way to find out it is to apply a simple test to an idea, event, or even a word, and ask yourself, does this at least stay as funny, if not actually get funnier, the more you think about it? Here’s a concept: hindquarters. Does that meet the funny test? See what I mean?

Try the test with this headline: Spotlight on South Carolina. Or this idea:  Embracing your inner moron. Passes with flying colors, I think. High jinks and monkeyshines await.

Let’s talk more about me. I like, not necessarily in this order: Kurt Vonnegut, The Onion, Dr. Strangelove, Claudia Cardinale, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Salvador Dali, surf instrumentals, and private-eye jazz themes from late 50s television. As a matter of fact, I wish there was a way to have that Mancini-styled crime jazz playing in the background every time I spoke. I like vegetables and fruits but I have made peace with carrots: I don’t like them, and that’s that. I think in italics. I’m in love with those gorgeous French astro-physicists from the Go-Go 60s – you know the ones – and I have finally discovered my spiritual community. I realized I’m a Humanist. I don’t suffer for any gods and they don’t suffer for me. Most of us have our hands full dealing with our own lives, not to mention other human beings, and the last thing we need is to throw some supernatural creatures into the mix. I dig Joe Biden; that guy is one smooth V.P. And I can summarize Arlen Spector’s political career in four words: single brain cell theory.

I grew up in the East, then spent most of my life in Colorado, presently live in the South (my astrological sign is the possum), and will soon head north again to Maryland. At one time I thought I was a conservative Republican, but the only way to describe what happened to that party is madness. I share the ideals of progressives, whatever their stripe, and my appreciation of art and culture transcends party lines. My search for a Nelson Rockefeller Pez dispenser goes on. (That vice-presidential Pez series? Impossible to find a complete set.)

I’m fine with capitalism, I just don’t appreciate the reckless kind. When you put profits over people you’ve stepped over the line, and even the shitbrains ought to grasp that. Democracy doesn’t work everywhere–you wonder how well it’s still working here– so I don’t condone dropping it on people, unsolicited, from 10,000 feet. I hate those who conflate patriotism with loyalty, the truth is never a matter of opinion, and I dislike bamboozlery of any kind. There’s another one. Try saying the word bamboozle without grinning.

Are you still with me? This is what happens all too often. Some of you know exactly how this works. One thought leads to another and before you know it, you’ve been on the air with Bob for half an hour. I also realize this will be tough sledding if the pessimism level stays too high, but though I’ve been politically aware since the 60s, never before have I been so cognizant and awed– and infuriated– by the power of the forces against us, and how readily our elected officials will whore for them. It is definitively clear to me there is a vibrant third party in american politics– the Corporate Party– that’s enjoyed great success by sponsoring the two other parties that actually appear on our ballots. With few exceptions, the United States Senate is basically a club of fat, dysfunctional aristocrats. That’s dismaying; there’s no doubt about it. These people are supposed to be working for us.

A friend of mine once remarked that the world as we knew it ended on December 31, 1969, and it’s hard to dispute that. It’s 2010, folks, and we’re still arguing about the same things – the economy, poverty, the environment, education, taxes, energy, security, et al. Isn’t it about time we figured out the role of government and got it rollin’ for everybody? We can’t just set things on cruise control anymore; that’s long gone. Is anyone going to step up and actually fix anything while I’m still around? It’s still the People against the Establishment.  With apologies to the Ramones, Southern Culture on the Skids, and surf music’s Third Wave, you can argue rock ‘n’ roll basically had it’s last hurrah at Woodstock and then Altamont. The passionate idealism and alternative directions of the 60s and the voices who championed that collapsed in apathy or were silenced by assassination. Meanwhile, Honeywell released the first under $10,000 16-bit mini-computer, the H316 (designed for the kitchen, no less), the middle class was peaking, and The New Frontier culminated that summer when three Americans actually made it to the freaking moon, and the Commies couldn’t even make a decent car. The 1960s was the ultimate manifestation of the United States.

I haven’t forgotten about Vietnam and never can. Though I didn’t serve in it, that would have been my war. For many of us, The Great Society was far from great. To be sure, the 60s, like today, was a time of unbelievable extremes, but nevertheless – and unlike now – we were poised to realize and flourish in our incredible potential. About all we can do now is put up signs on each coast that say “Closed For Repairs.” I think it could take a generation – possibly less if certain people either pitch in and help or sit down and shut up – but so far there’s no evidence of that happening anytime soon. And whatever the outcome, it will never be the same here again.

At any rate, some say it was essentially over forty-one years ago, that the whole thing came to an end on the last day of 1969 just like the final twenty second crescendo of the Beatles’ A Day In The Life. That we were right there– as close as we’ve ever come– in the midst of a glorious, triumphant run. Instead of the floor pie-eating Homer Simpson we had the trim, space-age Jetsons, and Martha and The Vandellas asked, “Are we ready for a brand new beat?” It felt like we were on the verge of something we’ve never quite re-captured. Has it really been all downhill from there? Or have we always existed, as Joe Bageant says, inside an elaborately constructed hologram of America, our values and feelings– in fact, our decisions– already selected and programmed for us? Then we are not only faced with taking back our government and our country, but our minds. When I visualize again the all-too-recent image of that smirking weasel we got for eight years at the beginning of the 21st century it’s hard not to be nostalgic for a brighter time.

Well, we might have come close, but darkness returned with Nixon, Watergate, and then more madness with Reagan, Iran-Contra, the Bushes, the Second Great Depression – we all know what happened. (Vonnegut was always on to it, too. At the end of his 1982 novel Deadeye Dick, he wrote: “You want to know something? We are still in the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages—they haven’t ended yet.”) It’s tempting to speculate how different things would have been had both Kennedys lived to serve their terms. But they didn’t. And as much as I think the 1960s was the most creative, energetic and intense decade in which to grow up, the fact is, that’s my generation and we didn’t get it done either.  

Our moon adventure reminded me of that scene in Vacation, when the Griswolds visit the Grand Canyon on their way to Wally World. Chevy looks over the rim at that breathtaking vista for all of five seconds and announces “Well, we’re outta here.” Hell, all we had was a cup of coffee up there, and then it was “Buzz? Neil. Where are you? All right, I see you. Listen Buzz, Houston really wants you to stop jumping around out there now, and get back to the ship, okay? We gotta go.”  What happened to the moon bases? Where are those futuristic helium-filled pants I ordered forty-five years ago? We let our future become hijacked, plain and simple. Instead of Tomorrowland, we ended up with Greedyland, our hands still grimy with oil and the earth still pockmarked with bomb craters, and all but a connected few of us broke and disillusioned. Or downright crazy. And deadly. Look out for the Angry White American With A Gun. He’s polluted with right-wing hate, he’s armed and activated, and he may be coming to a town near you. Or, flying into one, as happened in our latest domestic attack on February 18, by the terrorist Andrew Stack III.

I know Bob Kincaid and the HORN community gets it. It’s clear Bob and his listeners understand that we really are all downstream, that the actions of people and nature are undeniably connected.  And so he and the network keep pushing ahead–pressing on–heading on, but what we do is up to us. Blatantly, our adversaries refuse to get it, and the worst of them have the arrogance to believe they not only live upstream, but that it’s their stream to piss in. With the mass media awash in deranged idiots, and Fox sticking a mic and a camera into the face of every nutcase around, it’s seems like a bozo explosion everywhere you turn. At times you’d think we were back in the 14th century. The only way you can tell it’s not is because those new high-def plasma TVs make the brain-damaged Michele Bachmann seem so lifelike.

Groucho was almost so surreal at times that the other actors often didn’t get his jokes. Some readers may not always get mine. I know Homer doesn’t. He claims he does, though. “I get jokes…I get stuff.” Yeah. Homer Simpson, Atomic Dad. The icon for our time. In any case, while I’ve read and listened to many, most of my thoughts and words are mine. Whether you write by nature or profession, the key is, through a combination of invention and synthesis, to find your own voice and then hope it’s a perceptive and engaging one. And always be open to constructive criticism. By the way, if anyone’s nodded off next to you, please tell them I’m sure my pieces won’t all be this long, but I wanted my opening night to be a strong one.

That about does it for now. I better save some copy for my next installments if this ends up working out. What have I forgotten? The most important part. The HORN could be on the cusp of breaking out right now. This may be their time. I think the internet is an excellent vehicle for progressive radio; that’s where broadcasting is headed and where there’s room to establish new and alternative markets. The HORN was out front on that and has been chugging along for a while now, building an impressive foundation and reputation. The landscape has changed and this network could be in position to really make something happen. With enough support we can increase our efforts, magnify our message, and be a leading liberal voice into the next phase of exposure and attention.

I’m pleased to be associated with everyone on the HORN and glad for the opportunity to contribute to the cause. Hopefully I’ve opened up an entertaining and stimulating dialog and a range of topics. Your thoughts, comments and feedback are welcomed and appreciated. That’s the idea.

Reverbo

Critic-At-Large

HORN listener ‘Kevin from Brooklyn’ has been kind enough to send along an excerpt from his upcoming book, “Coming of Age in the Era of Conservatism”. It’s a candid look at how Haiti’s economy left the country in such a fragile condition, and how the United States isn’t too far behind, especially if we don’t stop following failed republican economic policies.

Since the time of Columbus the Caribbean has been responsible for the rise of at least five maybe six Empires if you were to count the former Soviet Union. Whether it has been political, economic, religious or military no other region on the planet has experienced such a massive transference of wealth outside of its base than that of the Caribbean. Reason begin we are wealthy enough to buy their goods but politically,economically and militarily weak enough not to demand a fare price for our goods for export hence they dictate the price we sell our goods for. Also no other region has been the “dumping ground” for imported goods than the Caribbean. It is my personal belief what is the most tragic about the Caribbean is the transference of the “Human Capitol” out of the region that has existed for over 500 years starting with the Arawak, Taiono and Carib people who were brought back to the various courts of Europe as imported household help. We Caribbeans regardless of the achievements and contributions to the various empires we have served, we have often been looked upon as imported “household help”. If you do not believe me just look the way they treated newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Sotomayer.

I often look into my family in which many had to leave their homeland in order to “better themselves” and create opportunities for loved ones. My Grandfather spent much of his working life in the industrial cities of Northern England in order to provide a decent life for my Grandmother, my Mom and Aunts and Uncles in Jamaica. Being a banana planter you are subject to the global market place and natural conditions such as droughts and famine. When such factors occurred many of heads of households simply worked abroad in order to keep their farms. I have often thought about the challenges and strain that puts on a marriage, I know from personal experience. I guess my grandparents had a very strong partnership.

There is a saying “debt equals slavery”, the great tragedy of the Caribbean and the third world altogether is that once we obtained political power, we went deeper into economic slavery. The Caribbean like much of the third world has suffered from one failed economic policy after another. One has to ask themselves how is a region the Caribbean so rich in natural resources can have so much poverty. One also has to ask the parallel question, How can a region primarily Europe be so limited in natural resources and be so wealthy, the answer is economic serfdom and economic racism. In 1492 when Columbus landed in the New World, the seeds of modern day capitalism began to be sown. From the start economic bigotry made its way into the early days of New World settlements, were Native Americans were put to work in a manner that was subservient to Europeans. As a result of extreme harsh working conditions, disease and down right brutality many of the Native Americans died off in massive numbers quickly. In order to replace the diminished Native American population, many European colonial authorities started shipping their convicts and displaced serfs to the New World. This would hold especially true with the Celtic people.

The Celts having a long tradition of serving in various European armies as mercenaries often faced the risk of life long indentured servitude in the plantations of the Americas if captured. In spite of this practice, it still was not enough to fill the demand for labour in the New World. In the year 1502 the first African slaves were brought to the Island of Hispaniola, which is now called Haiti and the Dominican Republic to replace the nearly wiped out Native American population on that Island. Like the Native Americans and Poor Whites, the African also would be pulled to capitalist system in a subservient position. The first two centuries the plantation economy did offer a certain level of upward mobility for all, Indentured servants and slaves could either purchase their freedom and began to farm their own lands, or move up with the ranks of the plantation system by becoming an overseer or learn a skill such as blacksmithing, As European settlements expanded in the Americas and more Native Americans began to disappear and due to the greater demand for physical labour. That small window of social mobility particularly for Africans began to disappear. European labour would continue to enjoy the opportunity of being able to rise up the social-economic ladder in the New World.

By the end of the seventeenth century the social order in much of the New World was solidified, with Europeans regardless of economic status on top, Africans on the bottom and Native Americans not even being in the equation. Mixed race people their station in life could vary from, being the on the upper tiers of the social economic order to the very bottom, however most would be some where in the lower middle class. No other place would exemplify this social order more than the Island of Hispaniola. In order to really grasp the sociological ramifications of the western hemisphere one really has to study the history of the Island of Hispaniola what is now called Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The island of Hispaniola is “ground zero” for much of the sociological issues that people of color has faced for the past five centuries. This Island was such a highly prized possession the Kingdoms of France and Spain in order to prevent them from going to war over it decided to split the island in two. When Great Britain decided expand its empire in the Caribbean they tried to invade the Island of Hispaniola and it was a total disaster so they conquered Jamaica instead which was a Spanish colony for the first one hundred and fifty years of its post-Columbian history.

Once Known as Saint Dominique on the French controlled portion of the Island and Santo Domingo on the Spanish controlled portion of the Island at the time, The French colony of Saint Dominique exemplified the aforementioned institutionalized racism in its purist form. The racial caste system of Saint Dominique during the eighteenth century had a very complex structure of Grand Blancs (very wealthy whites) Petite Blancs (poor whites),Free Blacks and Slaves. Saint Dominique also established names for its Mulatto or mixed race class such Octune, Quadrunes so on and so forth. During the middle eighteenth century Haiti along with Jamaica produced almost seventy five percent of the worlds sugar. This high production rate involved the harsh brutality of the slave population on both Islands. Another factor for being responsible for much of the global supply of sugar is because both Britain and France had the Naval Power to insure that they would export almost seventy-five percent of the Worlds Sugar. Keep in mind Brazil, Cuba and Santo Domingo also produced as much sugar however the Naval strength of those colonies were never a match for that of Britain and France. Many historians agree that had Haiti not been the first Black Republic it would have been most likely Jamaica. Both were under constant threat of slave revolts, The Plantocracy of Jamaica basically bought off much of the renegade African population known as Maroons. This relationship was established when the British signed a formal treaty with the Maroons granting them political autonomy on 1st of March 1738.

Throughout the eighteenth century until the early nineteenth century Great Britain and France engaged in a series of wars for Global domination. Many Historians may say that this was technically ,” The Real First World War”. By 1791 Haiti was a tinderbox of human bondage just waiting to explode. Heavily influenced by the French Revolution and its spiritual doctrine “The Rights of Man”, What was thought of as being the typical slave revolt, snowballed into what can be described as the “Black Theatre of the French and American Revolutions.” The first issue it brings up the rights of humanity on a broader scale. In the language of the eighteenth century, the term Human or Man, had a very narrow definition. That definition only applied to European males with a certain level of financial means. So when Thomas Jefferson wrote in the American Declaration of Independence ”All men are created equal,” it was based upon the mind set of the day which was all white, financially well-off males are created equal.

The second issue it brings up is, the need to power share as much as possible even in times of crisis. All to often in those who study history present historically notable individuals as a Moses like figure that came out of no where that will go out to set things right. Even though this makes wonderful material for books and films it is not the reality. This Moses like figure if in power too long can easily become a despot themselves. If you look at the early stages of the Haitian Revolution, there was no real “Leading Man” but an ensemble cast of characters who were all very capable leaders such as Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture and Alexandre Pétion, Haiti during this time Haiti was an Island Citadel. Almost every major power in Europe took a break from their World War (The Napoleonic Wars) in order to assist in subduing this revolution. Every army that went into Haiti was destroyed this was owed in great part to the competent political and military leadership of Dessalines, Louverture and Petion. It should also be noted almost every republic in South America owes their independence to Haiti. Simon DeBolivar while in exile raised an army of Haitians to venture to South America to fight for the Independence of much of South America. This historical fact would be a major influence in the Cuban Revolutionary leadership of assisting oppressed people on a global level while still fighting for your own self determination.

How does a country with so much potential in its beginnings end up being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? My theory is economic siege warfare, after gaining its Independence Haiti was cut off economically from the world. The main proponent of this economic isolation ironically enough was the United States. The United States feared the Haitian Revolution would lead to slave uprisings and destroy much of the commercial interest in the South. Haiti would be the first country experience what is known as Neo- Colonialism, which is in theory you do not necessarily have to plant your flag on a country in order to run the country. How was this done? It was done by what I like to call the D.I.C.E method of submission.

D=Divide. Haiti covers the eastern third of the Island of Hispaniola. At one point in their post Revolutionary history, Haiti took over the entire Island. This was viewed as a symbolic and political threat to the interest of Europe and the United States at the time. Even though no outside force was able to influence the Haitian leadership, the alliance consisting of Africans and Mulatto’s was a fragile one. This would be key when the United States offered refuge to the many of the Islands French and Spanish leaning Mulattos in the newly acquired former French territory of Louisiana, with most of them concentrated in New Orleans. Automatically this act would cause deep scars within the African Diaspora in the New World. Haiti would be politically and economically isolated which is what the letter I stands for in this equation. Once the Island was divided in two, with the European leaning dominated government of the Dominican Republic set in place, Haiti would fall deeper into economic turmoil and political unrest also France would demand compensation for the half next century for all revenues lost as a result of the destruction a lucrative sugar trade. The next letter C which is to conquer, by the middle of the nineteenth century Haiti was politically weak and in economic turmoil. This would lead to the installation of a Mulatto political and economic elite, which would serve in the political and economic interest of Europe and North America. The last letter of the equation was the letter E, which is to exploit. By the 1850’s with the Island of Hispaniola ripped in two parts, and that generation of competent revolutionary political leadership dead, in jail, exiled or discredited, Haiti would be on the global open market. During the middle of the nineteenth century European and Middle Eastern immigrants would see Haiti as “A Land of Opportunity”. Thousands of German, Eastern European and Middle-Eastern immigrants, would buy out large tracks of land and formed businesses with the established mulatto elite acting as “middle-men”. This would form an economic and political alliance that still in existence today.

Haiti represents the beginnings of neo-colonialism in its most pure form. The Economic and Political scars of Haiti run deep, not only for the Haitian people also for people of colour globally. To understand Haiti is to understand the plight of the African people and people of color in the America’s. This practice would replicate itself throughout the entire third world in one form or another and in many predominately black or brown areas of the United States. If you don’t believe me, just walk into any business in a predominately black or brown area in the United States and look at who owns and operates the businesses and look who makes up the professional and skilled classes in these neighborhoods. This setup was not designed by accident and I know at times I have been accused of being a conspiracy theorist but you have to ask yourself. Why did the Bush II administration and its Allies in the middle of the night sent a force to kidnap the Democratically elected president of Haiti Jean- Bertrand Aristide and planted him in the middle of the Central African Republic a country where torture is practiced on a regular basis. What is it about Haiti an impoverished, politically and militarily weak country that makes the United States and its allies want to perform such extreme covert measures? Even though the official reason was he was turning the Island into a dictatorship, as American history has well proven on many occasions the US does not have a problem with brutal authoritarian dictators here and abroad, so it must be some other reason besides the one given. What is Haiti today, a political and economic wasteland with one of the highest illiteracy rates on the planet, this once bio-diverse paradise, is slowly becoming a desert. Last much of its intellectual and skilled classes, its human capitol, are living in exile in other countries as second-class citizens.

Much of humanity’s future can clearly be seen in Haiti as a result of extreme deregulated greed and capitalism and media misinformation. Haiti is the true predictor of America’s future if the false Reaganomics gospel of “less government in business and business can police itself” continues to flourish and be accepted as economic policy. The United States needs quick and immediate political, social (especially its deep-seeded bigotries towards Race, ethnicity, religion and sexual preference), educational and most of all economic reform if the United States wants to truly be the “Global Powerhouse“ that its entertainment and information industries portrays it to be.

Will Durst is one of my favorite political writers. He once said something to the effect that he would declare Democrats were afraid of their own shadow, but he wasn’t sure they even cast one. After 2009, it’s a safe bet to say they don’t.

What was left of the Democratic Party’s spine in 2009 died. It’s gone. Bury it. It was a victim of the adage “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Had the Democratic Party bothered to exercise its spine even just a couple of times over the past year, it would have been spared from withering away to nothingness. And what the Democrats’ ego thought was the weight of the world causing their back pain, was actually their spine going through the process of atrophy.

Oh, sure, it’s very easy to agree while pointing to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid or President Obama, and claim that 2009 would have been the year we turned this ship around if not for their failed leadership, but I’m not even talking about them. I’m talking about the Democratic/Liberal/Progressive base that acted every bit as whipped as our representatives in DC. Now, here’s where some of you will get all huffy and offended. That’s good. It’s exercise for your spine. It’ll likely be the most exercise some of your spines have gotten, since your last tirade about how the minority republican party is holding this country hostage.

It all boils down to an issue of respect – who gets respect, who earns and deserves the respect they get, and who isn’t worthy of the respect they have heaped upon them. You see, respect is like trust. It can be won, and lost, and won again. It can never be demanded. Expecting someone to offer their respect to someone that means to do real harm to others is absurd, yet the Democratic/Liberal/Progressive base expects us to do exactly that. How many times have we heard those on the left this year promulgate that while talking to the teabaggers, or the birthers, tenthers, and all the other factions of the minority republican party base,  that we need to be “polite” and “respectful.” “Don’t be insulting.” Yeah, sure. How’s that working out of us? Maybe we should do a little year-end inventory. (For the remainder of this entry, I shall refer to all of the teabaggers, birthers, tenthers, republicans, their cohorts, and any of the other maggots they attract as neocons.)

So, after a year of treating the neocons with the utmost respect, regardless of what bullshit baseless stunt they’ve pulled, not a single American child cried their self to sleep last night because they were hungry, right? I mean, all of our placating finally made the neocons realize the importance of food stamps, and the need to expand the program to help our own citizens that don’t have enough to eat, right? It hasn’t?? Oh. But, you still want me to give my respect to, and make the person who would rather let the child starve feel more comfortable than the child itself, right? Ohhh.

After a year of treating the neocons with the utmost respect, regardless of what asinine lies they’ve told, every American has equal access to the health care they need, right? I mean, a whole year of neocon ass-kissing fawning has surely made them aware of how important a healthy society is, right? It hasn’t ?! Hmmm. But, you still want me to give my respect to, and make the person who would rather let people drop dead where they stand than pay for a freaking office visit, feel more comfortable, right?? Hmmm.

After a year of treating the neocons with the utmost respect, regardless of what shitty shifty tricks they’ve pulled, our nation is well on its way to energy independence, and is dedicated to eliminating oil spills, blasting apart mountains for coal, and making Wall Street speculators rich off the back of a 19th century fuel, right? I mean, surely a year of explaining to them that the environmental impact man has made on the Earth will be with us forever, has made them change their mind about destroying it all, right? Wait a minute. What the hell do you mean “NO.” But… you still want me to… give my respect to… people who would rather see my friends and family in West Virginia die of coal mining poisons or… let mass quantities of wildlife die in the next oil spill… right?? Ahem, of course.

After a year of treating the neocons with the utmost respect, regardless of how abhorrently they behaved, the tax breaks for the rich that have bankrupted this country, the warrantless wiretapping, the Geneva Conventions abuses, the flagrant law-breaking of the previous administration, the illegal occupations by our military, the rebuilding of the Gulf coast, our civil rights that were stripped away, the right of people to join a labor union, extending hate crime protections to gay people, expanding the ability to get a decent education – that’s all been taken care of right? And we did it by being respectful and courteous to the people who generally don’t give a damn for anyone but themselves, right? RIGHT?!

So, there you go. You can do the math yourself, but it won’t change the results. Being respectful to the neocons yields a great big honkin’ zero. It gets us nowhere. It extends suffering. It extends the denial of rights. It extends the neocons’ moxie and encourages them to continue behaving as they are. And, quite frankly, I am sick and tired of the left’s base expecting me to take a knife in the back during the course of a conversation, just so they can pat themselves on the back for living up to some imaginary standard of decorum.

Let’s say you’re a parent with two kids, both boys. They’re both sitting at a table, with a pile of rusty stick pins in front of them that they need to make their Superman capes. The 1st boy is trying to clean the pins up, and the 2nd boy is taking pins and breaking them off inside the other boy’s arm. Each time the 1st boy has another pin shoved in his arm, he shouts at the 2nd boy “Knock it off, a$$hole!” What do you do? Do you tell the 1st boy that he needs to stop insulting the 2nd boy? If you answered yes, please, do me a favor, and stay the f-ck away from me. I want absolutely nothing to do with you.

It’s time Democrats/Liberals/Progressives had a reality check. You can live by the idiom of “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”, but as sure as you’re reading this, someone else will die by it. The neocon fly will not be caught, and the longer you live in your Kumbaya Shangri-la, the more idiotic you look. The HORN community is great, because nobody here buys into the “if we just hold hands, things will work out” delusion. In fact most HORN regulars, who are probably the most politically active group on the entire web, are likely quite bored with this post, so I’ll wrap it up.

It used to be that the only people I “hated” were the neocons, but it’s to the point where I’m beginning to hate some of the people on my own side of the aisle. Demanding that I be respectful to some freakish neocon, who would rather let a hungry child cry than pay one penny more in taxes, is enabling that neocon’s behavior. If you think for one minute that I need to be polite to scum like that in a conversation, then you better by god make sure that it’s yours, and ONLY your child that is crying because they are hungry, or sick, or any of the other problems that still exist one year later.

There are people with real needs in this country, who need our help urgently. If you want to play pattycake with the party that helped shoved these people into such dire straights, and worked overtime at making sure they stayed there, then go sign up and rally with them. You’re as dead to me as the Democratic Party’s spine.

-Sue and the Ranting Keyboard

OK,  HORN family, here’s a trick question for you.

On October the 8th, 1871 there were two large fires in the U.S., Peshtigo, WI and Chicago, IL. Which caused the greater loss of life?

No, not Chicago. The most accurate body count there was 300. There is no accurate count for Peshtigo (PESH tuh go) but the estimated minimum is 1500. Students of the event say the number is more like 2500.

As for what happened, the bullet points are:

• Drought conditions in upper Wisco started in May of 1871.

• As a center for logging and saw mills, Peshtigo was surrounded by the largest concentration of felled trees, rough cut lumber, and standing trees, mostly conifers, in the world.

• With everything dry as a bone, a cold front came in from the west bringing high winds.

• When the fire broke out on the western side of this fuel concentration, the result was all too predictable.

• Eight communities of varying sizes were leveled.

• Creeks and ponds were boiled dry.

• The firestorm was so powerful it jumped Green Bay. The body of water is 20 miles wide at that point but the fire jumped it and started anew in Door County.

• One point two million acres were burned to the ground. Not a typo, 1,200,000 acres.

• The heat so intense, most bodies were never found.

The estimates of the dead had to wait for months as families reported those that never came home. That is if anyone in the family unit was left alive to submit the report. Three hundred and fifty were laid to rest in a mass grave, unidentified.

Oh, later there came a usefulness of sorts from the fire. The technical data gathered by British and US military researchers in the 1870’s was used decades later to fine tune the fire bombing of Japan and Dresden.

Additionally, there were two unrelated fires on the Michigan side of Lake Michigan that had similar loss of life to the Chicago fire. Those are even harder to know about than Peshtigo.

Chicago was a good sized city and well known in 1871. Peshtigo was remotely located and had maybe 1700 inhabitants. The fire was so destructive that it took days for the news to leave the general area. It was days before the world knew about the greatest loss of life to fire ever in the history of the US. To this day, the greatest. Hell, there were people in Wisconsin that had never heard of Peshtigo let alone know how to pronounce the name. So, why should the national media work too hard to tell the story?

That’s the point.  An event of massive human toll but in an area away from population centers simply did not go to page one, above the fold. Too damned much work to get the story and nobody in New York cared to know about Peshtigo. Didn’t fit the business model. Papers in the 1870’s acted a lot like media today, grab the eyeballs and move to next thing that will grab the eyeballs. That, and further the interests of power. Likely the Otis fellow that put the LA Times on the map or that swine, Wm. R. Hurst, was a template for our Mr. Murdock of today.

Peshtigo answered forever that old advertising question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one’s there, does it make a noise?” Barely reported, the story barely existed.

So now as fewer and fewer people do any real reporting there will be fewer and fewer reporters ” out in the woods” of our world. The golden age of investigative reporting, 1935 to 1985, is not coming back. Just like 130 years ago, that ain’t where the money is nor does power want to see it happen. So, if it isn’t properly reported, did it happen? What are the real facts, if it did happen? And if we know, why should we care ?

I can hear the Great O’Really…err…Oz now, “Now now America, relax. Everything’s just fine, really. What Rush doesn’t tell you, Glenn will. If Glenn doesn’t, I’ll be there looking out for you, all fair and balanced style. And if I don’t mention it, you don’t really need to know, now do you? But now, now back to The FlackTor for coverage of the War On Christmas Pageant supported by ACORN featuring a gay colored Jesus that we hear will run on PBS this season.”

-David in Tennessee

All week long we’ve heard the repiglican, neocon, teabagging, birther and bat-shit crazy factions of American society going on about how President Obama shouldn’t be pitching America to host the Olympic games. And just a few minutes ago, they got their wish.

Chicago was eliminated from consideration to host the 2016 Summer games. Go ahead, have your laugh. OK, you finished? Good. Now let’s take a look at how you’ll want to play the rest of this out.

Your next talking point will be “Obama couldn’t even bring the Olympics here, which just proves he can’t run the country”, or something along that line. You’re so ridiculously transparent, we can see it coming a mile away. You’ll ridicule President Obama for something you didn’t even want in the first place. But while you’re busy proudly waving your hypocrisy, let’s examine a couple of possible reasons why America was rejected.

We’ll begin with the way you sore losers have behaved since the election last year. You’ve done nothing but spew bigotry. You’ve had your sheets and hoods on since November, and the world has taken notice. Olympics are a global event. Many countries have contingencies made up of people, who share the same African heritage as our President. The Olympics committee would never send citizen athletes into a country, where hate-filled rhetoric runs rampant.

Simply put, when the world sees the number of death threats being levied against one American citizen, based solely on their race, the risk of putting others into that same country is too great.

But your hatred doesn’t just end with black people. You’ve made it clear how much you hate anyone who isn’t a white, Christian American. You’ve persisted in spouting that President Obama is a secret Muslim, and you hate Muslims. You go on lynch mobs looking for Mexicans you believe are here illegally. You call the French “faggots” because they don’t want to kill the same people you do. The Canadians are “pussies”, all of the Germans are “Nazis” (just like Obama, right?), and all of the Chinese are “commies.” Yeah, that’s some welcome mat you’ve put on America’s doorstep. How proud you must be.

And then there’s all of the shootings. Disaffected white guys go around murdering people because they’re at a Jewish museum, or they’re at a Democratic state headquarters, or they’re in a “liberal” church, or they call police to their house and start shooting it up because a black man was elected President. And let’s not forget what happened the last time America hosted a Summer Olympics. Eric Rudolph set off a bomb at the Olympic park in Atlanta, because he didn’t like abortion or the “homosexual agenda.”

The founder of the modern Olympic games, Pierre de Coubertin, stated the 5 rings on the Olympic symbol “represent the five parts of the world which now are won over to Olympism and willing to accept healthy competition.” But the only “healthy competition” the bigots of America want to participate in, is how badly they can slander or murder anyone non-white, non-Christian and non-American.

The debt a host-city incurs, and the grotesque commercialization of the Olympic games is an entirely different rant. Frankly, I don’t watch much of the games because they have turned into a boondoggle for the corporations, rather than encouraging amateur athletes to strive for their personal best. As of the time I an writing this, the city who won the honor to host the 2016 Summer games has yet to be announced, but I wish them luck.

In so far as America being the first country kicked out of contention, it’s the clearest example yet of the world’s rejection of your behavior. For the last 8 years, the world watched as President Bush spouted hateful resentment at large segments of the world’s population. For the last 10 months, the world has watched the Bush followers take that hate to a level not openly seen here since the days of segregation. The world is not amused by your behavior – only you are.

So it looks like you’ll have to get your passport, and buy a very expensive plane ticket, if you’d like to go wave your American flag in people’s faces while chanting “USA! USA! USA!” at the 2016 Olympic games. Here’s a little advisory – You WILL have to take your sheet and hood off while going through airport security. How proud you must be.

-Sue and the Ranting Keyboard

My goal today is to make you change the way you see the world you live in. I know too much about human nature to believe I can change your mind about anything, so I’m not going to try. What I am going to try is to offend and shock you so much that you educate yourself. I want you to feel so disgusted about the truths I am about to tell you that you leave here today with a need to find out for yourself if what I say is real. For if you do this, if you go to the sources yourself, I know you will change your mind on your own.

Before I reveal the true nature of the society we live in I first must share some of my experiences with you. I was a soldier. During my time in the army I was sent to two combat zones. In a combat zone, it was my job to determine who needed to die and to execute them.

I have kicked in doors and destroyed houses. I have marched civilians out of their homes at gun point. I lost count of the people I stared in the eye with my barrel on their chest, my finger on the trigger ready to fire if they so much as breathed the wrong way.

In Kosovo I remember one mission as if it happened yesterday. We were searching a large village for weapons. In one house there was an old man who refused to leave his home. My team leader was scared and losing control of the situation. I placed my barrel on the old man’s chest and moved my safety switch to fire. I starred him in the eyes until he understood who I was. I was death, his death, his family’s death. After a brief second or eternity he understood and surrendered.

During a year and a half of this I learned one thing. There is nothing good or noble in the wars we vote for. There is nothing noble in killing grandparents, mothers and children. In Iraq alone I killed over 100,000 civilians, and so did you. When I came home I had to know why I was sent overseas to kill innocent people.

Now it is time to learn how and why we Americans are killing people all over the world and it all starts with money.

The U.S., and now the world economy is a fractional reserve system. This means that our entire society is just one big pyramid of debt. Here is how it works.

Congress decides how much money it needs and prints treasury notes. The central bank then prints what we call money and trades the money for the treasury notes. After this the government deposits the money in a different bank and this is where the debt begins to multiply. Because our banks by law only have to reserve a small fraction of their deposits, the rest of the money is classified as excess reserves. The excess reserves are then loaned out. These loans go to states and eventually individuals, who deposit the money in different banks.

This means that all the money in our society is based on the original debt imposed by our government. This is only the beginning though. Every bank including the original bank who loaned the money to the government charges interest on the debt. Because the central bank that prints and owns all money and charges interest on it, it is mathematically impossible to ever pay off the debt.

Let me repeat that; it is mathematically impossible for the government to EVER pay off the debts to the central bank. Let me put this in perspective. If 100% of Americans worked and never made an irresponsible purchase, there would still be bankruptcy, and home foreclosures. This too is a mathematical fact because in a fractional reserve system there is never enough money to pay the debt plus interest.

Our economy is just one big game of musical chairs. When the music stops, SOMEONE will be left standing.

Now that you know what money is, it is time to learn what people do with our money when we buy stuff.

Has anyone here ever bought a soda, banana or a can of fruit? So have I. How about driving? According to Democracynow.org America is currently occupying one nation for its oil. And we have tried multiple times to assassinate South Americans who refuse to surrender control of their oil reserves.

As reported by CNN and other agencies, Chiquita was convicted in a U.S. court of funding terrorist groups. Dole and Del Monte have also been charged with corporate murder, rape and terrorism. What these corporations do is kill union leaders and terrorize the villages that grow the fruit. According to Fafo.no their acts also include rape, slavery, and biological attacks.

If you can sleep peacefully knowing that we are killing people all over the world, if you can look yourself in the mirror knowing that our nation is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world, then do nothing.

If the rape murder and torture of innocent children are ok with you, then keep driving SUV’s. Don’t get involved in politics, don’t vote, and don’t change anything.

But if you are like me, these things are NOT ok. If you are like me you believe human life is precious. If you are like me you understand that harming others for personal profit is wrong. And if you are like me you want to make the world a better place.

Now is the time for each and every one of us to get involved. No politician and no President will do the right thing for us. Our entire government is bought and paid for by those that kill for profit. This includes Obama and nearly every single person in congress.

This means it is up to us to do the right thing. Our leaders, at the minimum, are guilty of dereliction of duty. At the worst they are guilty of treason. It is up to us to restore justice to the world in which we live. Now I will outline a few of the things we can do to get America back on track.

The first thing we can do is turn off the T.V. There is almost nothing but lies and garbage on it. If you must get your news from the T.V. then watch Rachel Meadow, Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz. They all have shows on MSNBC.

The next thing we can do is drive an electric or hybrid car. If you cannot do that buy a cheap fuel efficient vehicle. I drive a $500 dollar car that gets 35 MPG. Remember, every time we buy gas, more money is spent killing people.

The second most important thing we can do is cut funding to the people that have bought our politicians. All you have to do is stop using the corporate banks. If you have an account with a national bank, close it. Open an account with a small local bank or credit union.

The most important thing we can do is vote. This doesn’t mean we check the block every four years. This means at a minimum we pay attention during the primaries. What is even better is for us to know our local candidates. When you find the ones that you support work for them. They need all the help they can get. We also have to convince our neighbors, fathers, mothers and friends to vote too.

According to infoplease.com only 50% of eligible voters actually do so. People, democracy only works if we use it.

-The Foxholeatheist

Take a good look at those faces. Every single person you see was arrested in New York state this month. Yet only one of these six people is considered a terrorist. Can you guess which one? Here’s the background info to help you decide, focussing only on alleged physical evidence gathered by law enforcement.

Let’s identify everyone first. The 5 men pictured together are (starting at the top left) James Pincher, Jeffrey Robert, Michael Robert, Seth Pincher and Tyson Pincher. We’ll call them the Gang of 5 for the purpose of this article. The man pictured by himself is Najibullah Zazi. The for-profit media is having a field day showing Zazi’s picture, and reciting the phrase “terrorist plot” for the last few days.

Zazi has been accused by law enforcement of possessing bomb-making instructions. Authorities also claim to have a confession from Zazi, stating that he had attended an al Qaeda training facility in Pakistan. They also claim that Zazi has a band of conspirators that wanted to detonate bombs inside the United States. The U.S. government wants Zazi held without bail until trial, based solely on those three pieces of preliminary evidence. That makes him a terrorist, right? Correct.

Similarly, the Gang of 5 have been accused by law enforcement of possessing bomb-making instructions. They also claim to have a video tape, shot by the Gang of 5 themselves, that shows them — well — DETONATING A BOMB INSIDE THE  UNITED STATES. That makes them terrorists, right? Not so fast.

Bomb-making instructions and video tape weren’t the only things the cop seized from the Gang of 5’s possession. They confiscated actual PIPE BOMBS. That’s right! Fully functional pipe bombs. Improvised explosive devices. IED’s. One just doesn’t have those sorts of things hanging around by accident, ya know. Does that make them terrorists? Not quite.

Also taken were an illegal handgun and a sawed-off shotgun. which are illegal as well. Now being in possession of such things doesn’t make one a terrorist, but when coupled with the other items seized, there must certainly be enough preliminary evidence to warrant a charge of domestic terrorism, right?? Nnnope.

Then how about this – Law enforcement also took bottles of chloroform from the Gang of 5’s premises. Yep, you heard me right. CHLOROFORM. Now who the hell has bottles of chloroform just lying around? Surely THAT along with everything else would bring a charge of domestic terrorism, riiiight?! No, no, no.

Alright, then what was on the video tape you ask? The video gleefully shows the Gang of 5 strapping one of their improvised explosive devices onto a large snapping turtle, and blowing it up. There’s no clearer example that the Gang of 5 harbored the intent to do actual physical harm with their organized activities, than the evidence contained on that video tape. So, of course, they were charged with domestic terrorism, right? Um, no. (And, yes, I do have the video, and, no, don’t even bother asking me to post it.)

What WERE they charged with, then? Criminal possession of a weapon, conspiracy, and torturing an animal. No, I’m not kidding. Now you must be thinking that since there’s a heck of a lot more physical evidence associated with the Gang of 5 than there is with Zazi, that the Gang of 5 is being held without bail just like Zazi, right?? Wrong. Bail was set between $25,000 to $50,000. If they can cough it up, they’re free to go.

So what’s the difference between these two groups? Their race. Plain and simple. The non-white, non-Christian, non-American born group is classified as terrorists, and the pale white, American-born twits engaging in terror tactics are classified as criminals.

That’s it. Just your garden variety criminal. Nothing to see here. And as long as there are brown people from other countries to vilify, that’s the way it will remain. We now return you to your regularly scheduled stereotypes.

-Sue and the Ranting Keyboard

*UPDATE: 9 hours after deciding to write about this, I finally tracked down a source that has some actually backstory on the Gang of 5. Yeah, that’s just how little media coverage this is getting. Turns out the police became aware of the video during the search of Jeffrey Robert’s computer, while investigating him on a $1 million internet scam. They’ve all pleaded not guilty, in spite of the video tape evidence. Ya can’t fix stupid.

This is what Civil War in America means

Recently many individuals and groups have started talking about another civil war in America. These people are not just from one ideology nor are they from obscure fringe groups. State Governors and elected representatives are some of the people calling for open warfare in America. As a soldier I was sent to combat zones in Iraq and Kosovo where open civil war was happening. I am writing this because American civilians have no idea what open warfare is. Before someone makes the first move and starts something that cannot be undone I think we all need to know what life would be like in our hometowns in the event of war.

To start with civil war would not be between two well defined groups. There would be no less than three groups in any one area and dozens in some areas. The federal government would be the third party in any armed conflict. At the beginning of civil war there would be martial law. The federal government would actively kill and imprison all persons not a member of the armed forces that participated in combat. Because of the degradation of our constitution the federal government no longer has any legal restraints. The President, whomever that person may be, has dictatorial powers because of such things as directive 51.

For those who think they would join any side in a civil war know this: When your enemies find out who you are everyone you know and care about would be in danger. All non combatants would also be in danger of death. Your enemies will kill everyone connected to you. This means your mom working at the local grocery store, your sons and daughters at grade school, or your grandparents at their home would all be targets for assassination. Before picking up arms to solve our problems remember that you will be putting all the people you know at risk of death.

Do not think that civil war would be limited to rifles. The only thing America actually produces is weapons of mass destruction. This includes mortars, grenades, rockets, land mines and the deadliest chemical weapons on the planet. We also have the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. This means when your mom goes to work your enemies will bomb and mortar the building she works in. Your child’s school will have the same fate. Know that if you survive any length of time you will see everyone you know die if there is civil war.

Some State Governors think they can simply secede from the union without bloodshed. This is a ridiculous delusion. If a state legislation does this there would be instant civil war. On every military installation across the globe American soldiers would kill each other overnight. Post commanders would have to detainee and execute all those not aligned with their own ideology. This means if your post commander is a republican all those soldiers known to be liberals would be executed. Liberal commanders would do the same to republicans.

The next thing to think about is the duration of the conflict. Simply put you will never see the end of it. If you live out your normal life and die of old age you will still not see the end of civil war. In the event of civil war America would never recover. There would never again be a union of 50 states. Instead our descendants would have several different nations just like Western Europe does.

Let us not forget our large stockpile of nuclear weapons. How long would it take for a conservative faction to nuke San Francisco or Seattle? How long would it take a mentally disturbed liberal to nuke parts of Texas and Alaska? Scarred and war weary soldiers will use whatever weapons they have at hand. So if you still want civil war in America remember that we have several hundred nuclear weapons to play with.

My whole point of this is that if you want to fix America then start restoring the things that made America in the first place. These things are the Constitution and the rule of law. There is no such thing as a unified people. We are all different from one another. The only thing that makes any nation is a constitution. The only civil society is the one that recognizes universal human rights. The only free nation is the one that obeys the rule of law. If you really want to fix America restore these things. This means voting.

The Foxholeatheist