Further Brain Sustenance

In a world where information now moves at great speed, the political realm is sometimes difficult to navigate, contextualize and put ideas together coherently. The below commentator, Michael Parenti, is an amazing contributor to the body of political science, and has widened my world view immensely. Many charge him as a Marxist, as if a dirty word, and he gladly accepts. But what he illustrates is so much more. Please seek him out if you want to learn more. And please Malice/Moxi check this dude OUT!

Coming Soon...

Still looking for the sound of the underground revolution? Broken Dialects MC Utopia is set to drop his new EP "Land Of The People" soon, as he reports it. A single taken from this EP entitled "Tyranny." Enjoy. 

Produced by: DJ Vital

Broken Dialect

All Blaze Productions 2012

Directed by: Evan Fice.

Immortal Technique Discusses #OWS, Obama 2012 Election, Ron Paul, Immigration & Bloomberg

Stumbled upon this video earlier today. A little older, but still needs to be noted. Listen to truth.

Why I am Voting for Barack Obama

I consider myself to be a level-headed, pensive and conscious human. I take many issues into deep consideration, and am mostly willing to hear many sides of an argument and entertain without embracing. What I am about to posit is going to sound pretty insane for thinkers, liberty endorsers, RP heads and friends, but if you bear with me my point may become clear. With that, I give you:

'Why I am Voting for Barack Obama'

As mentioned before, I like to think deeply about many topics, especially the politik. My political learning career began before I was competent enough to examine issues deeply. In high school, during the glorious heights of the Bush era, I was still too young, inexperienced and impatient to look into what lies below the surface of any game. I was, for the most part, a student of the mainstream media. Locked into the vicious cycle of talking points and counter-talking points. Political footballs meant to be tossed back and forth without studying the underlying power structure. I was under a false impression that Republicans were all evil, taking actions in direct opposition to what I thought I believed or stood for. 

The solution, I naively thought, was to vote a Democrat into office to scale back the damage done by Bush and Co. In the 2004 election, which was my first political vote, I voted for John Kerry. A decorated veteran, seemingly opposed to wars of aggression and to abuses of power. How little I knew then.


It then took Bush's reelection and four more years of horror to beat a very important notion into my brain. That notion is the left-right paradigm, which early on I was steeped in. You can ask any number of regular citizens about the electoral processes, and many will reply with the common knowledge that 'You have two choices in elections, Republicans and Democrats. If it comes down to two candidates neither of which you support, you should vote for the lesser of the two evils'. I have heard various iterations of this argument more times than I could count from more people than I'd care to admit. This narrative has Americans trapped into a box. 
Inside this box is a rigged game, riddled with facades of choice, of liberty, of freedom. The precipice of this concept still did not begin to make sense until the election of Barack Obama. Although at the time I may not have endorsed him, but again it was a battle against two evils. The Republican destruction wrought by Bush was deep-seated, and Americans knew it. With a Democratic candidate who appeared fresh, coming with fresh(albeit completely empty) language about hope and change, a candidate who seemed again to stand in opposition to the then ruling party. Many people beyond diehard dems bought this campaign as well. Which is where the real learning began.


Once Obama took office, he took some strange actions and failed to enact other promises. Flowery language of ending wars, of ending unpatriotic acts, of stopping extraordinary rendition was splattered across glowing television screens and throughout the establishment print media. Many truly believed Obama's words. He even won a Nobel peace prize in his first year for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." He won that peace prize while presiding over two undeclared wars, while refusing to end an unpatriotic act, while holding many uncharged prisoners in Cuban cages without recourse. 

This is a case-study in the left-right paradigm. Eight years of Republican rule leads the general population to believe that the prior regime hailing from the red team, was evil. The natural extension leads to the blue team, who seemingly embody traits the people now want. Rinse, wash, and repeat. Without using any ambiguous fantasies that were thrown around to get elected, Obama's actions can be judged. Obama has continued and reinforced actions by the red team. He will not roll back unpatriotic acts, he will not halt endless wars, and he ended up taking financial bailout insanity to a never-before-seen level. While Bush was evil for instigating a deficit, Obama again showed he could do better. This leads to my main point: Why I am Voting for Barack Obama.
 
I registered as a Republican in my state to be able to vote in primaries once I learned about the honorable Ron Paul. Even draped in a Republican cape, his actions and words both speak louder to me than any other political figure. I was excited in 2008 to watch him take on the establishment and fight for true liberty. Although he was ignored, insulted, belittled and ridiculed by punditry and regular people non-stop, he never wavered. His supports never wavered either. He spread ideas so damaging to the ruling establishment whenever he was given time to speak. However he did not gain a groundswell of support large enough to topple the machine.

This election cycle is an entirely different story. Although he has not outright won first in a republican primary thus far, his numbers are astounding. If someone stated in 2008 that Ron Paul only four years later would be pulling 2nds and 3rds in very establishment GOP neighborhoods, they would have laughed the speaker out of the room. In a previous iteration of this current blog, I remember posting a story about RP winning 3rd place in a straw poll of townhall.com voters and being amazed at his accomplishment with a dedicated GOP audience found at townhall. A commenter laughed at the prospect, noting that it was a real-world loss for him because he took third. 

The joke is slowly turning around. Ron Paul, against any odds in existence, is spreading his message, one fully backed-up by his voting record. Pulling 2nd and 3rd in stalwart GOP states is truly baffling. Because he does not have a majority of support from banks and corporations, his success is, for now, doomed. He does receive more donations from soldiers in the armed forces, but they are just a bunch of grunts and pawns right? They couldn't possibly be advanced and intelligent enough to vote for their own interest. 

Wall Street does count, and votes with their money on who is deemed most electable(most able to pay it forward, most able to nurture and protect the status quo etc.), then the people get to "vote" for their red or blue team-approved candidate. Even against the huge behemoth of corporate money, corporate-funded media interests writing the narrative for the approved election outcome, Ron Paul continues to fight for what he believes in, or at least what he claims to believe in.

After that backdrop, there are many reasons I am voting for Barack Obama. Four more years of Obama will allow him to further indebt the American people into an impossible hole that can never be escaped. Obama, being a constitutional lawyer, clearly knows the value of the constitution and the vital role it plays in sustaining and maintaining a republic. This is illustrated insultingly by signing into law the NDAA, which absolutely abrogates the protections of the constitution. Obama, with an assist from the red team, was able to assume a level of power never before declared. Bush should be blushing right now, his groundwork was able to forge a society into voting for the "polar opposite" candidate, who hit the gas pedal and went top speed into totalitarianism. 

I can only speak for myself, and can only relay my personal experiences. Eight years of Bush was necessary for me to fully understand the danger of Republican-in-name-only rule. It took less than a year for Obama to prove that Democrats have not an honest leg to stand on in regards to where they differ. Their policies speak for them. Looking at the popularity and support that Ron Paul has gained, it will take four more years of Obama rule to enrage Republicans enough to perhaps reconsider their choice for a candidate. Will they support a RINO who claims conservative values and policies and then promptly forget those values once in office? Will Democrats become conscious enough to remember that at one time they feigned an antiwar stance and guarded the welfare of the less fortunate? Life and experience has instilled in me a heavy pessimism, maybe too heavy to declare that I have hope or look upon the future with stars in my eyes. I am under no assumption that the collective societal consciousness will be able to break free from the mental chains hidden within their minds. 

It will probably take even longer than the next election cycle for the realization to occur that the ruling elite have no interest in upholding the ideals that common people believe and seek to achieve through the election of candidates. Bush and Obama, like two opposing branches growing from the tree of the state, have both done immense harm or have accomplished amazing things from the standpoint of banks, corporations and those that benefit from destruction. Bush hastened a march toward permanent war, Obama aided and abetted the march toward fascist rule for the executive office that Bush began. Both helped to strengthen emerging crises and will continue. Another term for Obama might actually lead to real hope and change, but not in the manner he spoke of. Another term for Obama might assist in drawing attention to very real geopolitical and economic problems that have real consequences, we see new consequences emerge continuously. 

Another term for Obama might set a fire under the already successful Occupy movement, as they push for humans to realize where they stand in true economic terms. My true hope for change is that Obama's actions will help to crush the vicious paradigm of mental control which strangles every mind into thinking there are only two directions. That there are two choices in the next election. However, nothing will change until it is fully recognized that there is really only choice: the state.

Ron Paul is a Good (White Supremacist) Man...

I, and probably many other members of the left surely believe(d) that this man is America's leading voice for limited, constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, honest money, and basically a forward thinking government as a whole. Something we have all been waiting for I'd imagine. In fact, this was the year Ron Paul would finally join the Big (although small minded) Red in hopes that after so many years as running as an Independent, he would finally take what is rightfully his. Since the start of the 2012 election, Ron Paul has introduced many policies that this country desperately needs, such as the ever popular Free Competition in Currency act. In fact, let's take a look at this man's ideals in brief bullet points:

• He has never voted to raise taxes.
• He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
• He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
• He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
• He has never taken a government-paid junket.
• He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
• He voted against the Patriot Act.
• He voted against regulating the Internet.
• He voted against the Iraq war.
• He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
• He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

 Damn, sounds like a swell gentleman. He even had a world renowned campaign slogan (seen below) that captured the attention of many political street artists such as Sheppard Fairy and the worldwide sensation, Banksy.

  Ron Paul has been the answer America has been looking for since President Clinton had to say his goodbyes. And needless to say I was all for this man being a very important part of our much needed reformation, although I must say that his smug faced prick of a son, Rand Paul is something our congress can do without. Normally when something like this comes about (mainly as an idea at first), it's too good to be true, especially in the political field, and especially a presidential campaign incarnate. The polls showed very much promise in this man as he nearly ran away with Maine this past week at 35.7 % (1,996 votes), very close on the tail of GOP flop Mitt Romney at 39.2 (2,190 votes), and this was Mr. Paul's strongest results in ALL of his campaign ventures (1984, 1988, 2008 and current). When you watch the elections, as Newt What-The-Fuck and Mitt Romney bitch it out as to who has the coolest wife at the time, Ron Paul makes sense, especially as a GOP representative. That is until it's revealed to you the REAL intentions of such a man in shining armor.

Our leaders in our real revolution, Anonymous has announced that not only have they decimated the websites of avowed White Supremacist group American Third Position (A3P) during Operation Blitzkrieg but, in the process, they claim to have accidentally uncovered close ties between the racist group and Ron Paul. Not just the Ron Paul campaign, but Ron Paul himself. Anonymous is not known for hoaxes about this sort of thing and there is a large amount of information on the page to sort through. If this is confirmed then that would the end of the Ron Paul phenomena among the Left. It will impossible for any self-respecting liberal to overlook such a connection no matter how much they want marijuana legalized. Nothing justifies willingly associating with White Supremacists.

 Here is Anonymous' voice on the discovery.  Let the truth be known.

The Police Have Been Warned

WARNING: The footage contained in this video is extremely disturbing and utterly sickening. Those who have taken an OATH to uphold our law, and protect us, are now our real enemy. Terrorism is right here in America, and it's our law enforcement.

Revolution is expected. And thanks to our saviors, Anonymous, you will pay for your disgrace.

New Targets Indeed; The March Toward Tehran

Thanks to Malice for the below posting, which identifies the next target clearly.
Iran is the coronated boogeyman, those scary Farsi speakers half a world away with much more to lose, and for the global power structure there is much more to gain. The blockade actions are described below accurately. I would first like to submit what a blockade is considered in legal terms(and how defined in U.S. legal theory), then to discuss the stated reasons for the blockade. Finally I will drop a few links ripped from the headlines, all providing a grim and real illustration for the potential of war with Iran.

A blockade, noted by Wikipedia(as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica) is: "an act of war by which a belligerent prevents access to or departure from a defined part of the enemy’s coasts". In a thorough article on blockades as an act of war, author Stephen Lendman states U.S. definitions of blockades, as well as declarations that the U.S. has accepted and are binding, all pointing to blockades as being an act of war.

Similarly, there is a concept called Casus Belli which is Latin for 'justification for acts of war'.
I think some will appreciate this analogy, although one is free to make their own decision on its application. To try to find a similar action involving blockades, take Israel's experience with the Six Day War, where the "Israeli government had a short list of casī bellorum, acts that it would consider provocations justifying armed retaliation. The most important was a blockade of the Straits of Tiran leading into Eilat, Israel's only port to the Red Sea, through which Israel received much of its oil. After several border incidents between Israel and Egypt's allies Syria and Jordan, Egypt expelled UNEF peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula, established a military presence at Sharm el-Sheikh, and announced a blockade of the straits, prompting Israel to cite its casus belli in opening hostilities against Egypt."

Although there is a tacit  and unspoken assumption in the U.S. and Israel that we never apply the same standards to our enemies, this is an interesting situation. If we use an accepted definition in the United States for blockades being an act of war, as well as assuming Israel was justified in its conduct of starting a conflict while using blockades as a justification, then by applying the same logic, would Iran not be correct in at least stating that this is an act of war, one by which(using Israels logic) they would be justified in retaliating? Whether or not this is correct is sort of useless, as Iran would be insane to retaliate, playing exactly into its enemies hand.
At the same time, it is insane to punish a sovereign nation for moving to build nuclear power plants, an action which the IAEA is actually required to support and assist with.  This leads into the stated justifications for the blockade.


The United States and others are blockading/sanctioning Iran because they claim that there are unanswered questions about Iran pursuing Nuclear Weapons, and the Iranians are not forthcoming enough with clearing up these ambiguities. Now, I leave open the possibility that Iran might have conducted some research into the issue, although it is widely agreed on all sides that this halted in 2003. Also, much of the questions arose from the 'Smoking Laptop' provided by the M.E.K. to I believe was Israel. The M.E.K. is a U.S. designated terrorist organization. Reporting on the smoking laptop can be found here and here.

Although I don't support further access to destructive weaponry, I do not support this blatant aggression based on questionable information. Also, the IAEA has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material in Iran. That organization has the closest eyes on Iran's nuclear program, and should be supported in efforts to continue to keep Iran transparent. So whether or not Iran did research or testing on weapons delivery capabilities, they have not diverted any material for that purpose.

Finally, just to provide a quick context around the idea that Iran is the next target, check out the top three links right now at Antiwar.com, you can decide yourself how credible, but informative it is.

Pentagon Requests Mightier Bomb to Attack Iran
The 30,000-pound bunker-busters are designed to penetrate Iran's underground nuclear facilities
by John Glaser, January 28, 2012

Iran Finalizes Bill for Immediate Ban on Oil Exports to Europe
Iran is preempting an EU embargo on their oil, an illustration of how ineffective sanctions are
by John Glaser, January 28, 2012

Israel warns time is running out before it launches strike on Iran
Growing body of opinion suggests that Iranian response to an attack would be muted.

The flimsy justifications for war with Iraq taught me a very useful lesson. Iran is a bigger country, and the justifications may follow the same pattern. I am not willing to support an insane incursion on behalf of the United States or Israel on the current grounds, it will take a Titanic-sized amount of propaganda to sink my stance. Peace and Love.

 

 

A New Decade, A New Year, A New Target

Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have slipped into the worker-drone-hyper-sleep mode and almost let myself fall out of my place due to the "real" world calling. But I've still kept close to the news like usual and have come across something that has me royally pissed off (hence why I'm finally writing again). Within the last few hours or maybe barely a day, Iran has been stricken with an oil embargo from none other than the world's ignorant, selfish, totalitarian bully, the U.S. Due to apparent "heightened terror threats" from Iran, it has been decided that sanctions will be taken place against Iran's oil, their primary economic driver, all in attempt to "urge negotiation". As of 6:20 AM this morning, here are the current facts surrounding this sanction:

Britain has joined the United States and France in sending a flotilla of warships through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz in a pointed message to the Iranian regime. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll, was part of the US-led carrier group to pass through the waterway, as tensions continued to escalate over Tehran's nuclear program. The strait, a 34-mile-wide sea passage, connects the petroleum-producing Persian Gulf states to the ocean, making it a strategic choke point on the world's economy. The EU gave preliminary approval to new sanctions against Iranian oil as of today. On the table is a total ban on European purchases of Iranian oil - a sanction that would not just hit Iran but key EU buyers including Greece, Italy and Spain. Sanctions are already expected against Iran's central bank. The full implementation of the sanctions would be delayed until July 1st, due to concerns about their impact on the European economy. The UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands had been leading calls for nothing more than a three-month delay before the sanctions bite, but Greece - which fears its economic woes will worsen if it cannot find alternative suppliers at Iran-style preferential rates - has urged a much longer phase-in to ease the pain. The embargo is yet to be formally approved by the EU nations' foreign ministers, who are meeting in Brussels. In response to the expected sanctions the Iranians have threatened to close the strait - through which 35% of the world's tanker-borne oil exports pass - in retaliation.

This sanction is starting to raise tension between the U.S. and Iran even more so and from a previous news report on this matter, it was said that if we were to continue to strong arm Iran, both China and Russia would have no choice but to intervene, possibly sparking a third world war. Foreign secretary William Hague (you know, the guy who said a peaceful way to calm down the revolutions that were taking place in Greece, Syria and Egypt throughout 2011 would be foreign interference [that dumb fuck]) is apparently urging Iran to "come to its senses" about our suppression to their way of life so they can resume negotiations on their nuclear program. Any bid by Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, through which 20% of the world's oil exports pass would be "illegal" and "unsuccessful", Hague warned....which doesn't make full sense to me considering that we are the ones causing them to do such acts due to sanctions and threats from the Royal Navy and our own and if they threaten to fight back (take a look at what Cuba did to us when we tried to replace their Communist political/economic system with our capitalistic sense of bull shit, they fought back and won, and now they are barred because we feel like since they didn't allow us to control them, they are a threat to our world domination, ha!), they will be exposed to acts of war. And us provoking the cutting off of the use of Iran's oil only spells out doom and gloom for our economy (higher gas prices etc.).

As you can probably sense in my writing I'm a little worked up about this current topic. That's because I feel like once again, the U.S. is sticking it's nose in to where it doesn't belong. Apparently these sanctions are peaceful and legitimate measures, and not about conflict, says Hague to the Huffington Post, yet I can't help but feel that we are the ones causing these problems to happen. After all, the past has painted a pretty vivid picture of America's nasty role in foreign politics. This topic is still under development (cheers for follow up articles), but I'm putting this out there to make it aware that tensions in this world are rising, and we are the ones behind it all. Maybe there is more to this topic, maybe we have to strong arm them to get them to back off, although it doesn't seem like that's the case, Iraq was never a real threat to the United States, I highly doubt Iran is. We are worried that in their closing of the Strait, the world will not be able to function off of the oil that the strait provides, mind you they are doing it in retaliation to make us and EU back off. I'll let you do the figuring.

Here's an unbiased look at this topic (after all I feel I was just ranting to blow off some steam):

Hope Nears

Glad to hear from Moxi [dumb misspell my bad Mox!], focusing on an important point, that activism through art is not only possible but provides a strong vehicle for communicating ideas, ideals, and ideologies. Won't take anything away from the below post, browse it, internalize, then check out the videos provided. These examples truly are emblematic of some of the strongest political musicians around. I would argue that Immortal Technique especially provides more than just context and content on political issues, he went out into the world and created positive change in his own right. Thanks again for the post, below is just trying to add to the artistic side of things.

Moonlighting as a musician, Blix Fatal focuses on 'The Fukushima Amalgam'. Check the feeds. Peace and Love.

Existence Is Resistance

 Like my fellow comrade Blixfatal, I too have been slacking and putting off my efforts to contribute to this constant struggle against this putrid government. It's very unfortunate and I apologize to you all.

This being said I would like to get straight to this topic. Resistance through Art. Over the past few months I have been focused heavily on a steady rise of underground Rap and Hip-Hop Artists throughout the world who have been speaking out against corruption and fighting for equality for all people. These artists, with thought provoking beats and lyrics that will open your eyes, have been hitting hard and speaking out against what most would probably dare not say, but these men, and some women, have stood solid and have kept their fists raised in the struggle against Imperialism and corrupt Capitalism.

This spotlight is on three artists who have impacted not only myself but the world around them and are leading this great army of the peoples people. London based Rap artist Lowkey, the army from Wolverhampton England, Broken Dialect and the well known but viscous guerrilla warrior of his birth place Lima, Peru and his Root town, Brooklyn New York, Immortal Technique.

Lowkey

A man who has made a huge impact this past year in 2011 when his album "Soundtrack To the Struggle" dropped on the world, Lowkey has been working harder than most to spread the word on Government, the Palestinian people and has even touched on Cuba. With such track titles like "Obama Nation" and "Long Live Palestine" Lowkey has been rising as a very controversial Rapper. Between being labeled a "Potential Nightmare" by a writer of the Jewish chronicle, feuds with other artists and even Glenn Beck throwing in his unintelligent slandering, Lowkey still finds time to not only write some of the most intelligent lyrics to date but also help the children in the middle east on a campaign entitled "Existence is Resistance" where he and 9 other artists went to Palestine to help inspire kids, teaching non-violent resistance through music and art. Being one of my favourite records of 2011 "Soundtrack To The Struggle" will inspire and help paint a picture of the struggle not only of the Palestinian people, but for people like you and me. People who live in the heart of America's corruption and are aware and wish to speak up. Lowkey is currently touring and writing material for his new album.

Broken Dialect

Following Lowkey out of the London Underground are the trio known as Broken Dialect. Independently releasing their 2 albums "Musicophillia Artists" and their most recent release in 2011 " High Scope Verity" Broken Dialect has been running around the underground streets of London tearing about its monarchy. I first heard of these gentlemen through a video of Lowkeys and the media group GlobalFaction. GlobalFaction helps film and put out videos of music with such messages ranging from Political to Social to Spiritual awareness. With songs with titles like "Songs From The Heart," "Children of War," and "Oppression" BD speak up against class struggle, equality and wrongful military action. Like most of these artists, Broken Dialect promote Left Wing ideology, namely Communism and use it intelligently to fight logically in this heated and twisted world. Aside from their group the members (Utopia, Messi Mussiah and Lyfizalie) also spend alot of side time promoting individually their artistic talents and wrongful actions in this society, such as Domestic Violence. With many collaborations with the underground Broken Dialect has become a very outspoken and diverse group ready for any slander and action the Zionist Right Wing government throw at them.

Immortal Technique

The very first words of Political awareness and resistance against a corrupted government I heard was from Immortal Technique. This man is vicious. He has openly spoke out against US Imperialism and even 9/11 as the false flag conspiracy that it is. Immortal just released a new album in 2011 entitled "The Martyr" which features previously unreleased and never before heard tracks by him. Whats good about the underground is that he has released it free here http://viperrecords.com/index.php/artists/immortal-technique
As harsh and hard as Tech can be he has a soft side that most of these government officials overlook when criticizing him. In June of 2008 Tech partnered with a Non-Profit Human Rights organization to lend his support. Profits of his "The 3rd World" album went to this project as he traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to help build an orphanage without any cooperate or external funding. It houses over twenty orphaned children. Since the release of this album Immortal Technique is touring and also working on material for a new album in the near future.

Time for my thoughts as we draw to a close on this spotlight. My first and most prominent thought as I listen to what these Intellectuals are speaking about, be it socialism, anti-racism, oppression, poverty etc. I always ask myself. Is it really possible to speak for the opposite side? A Right Wing Rap artist. I quickly wave it out of my thoughts because Im sure it is impossible to Rap about Pro-Zionism, Corporations and  Pro-War. Just a random thought.

But as we view these three artists, their music and their ideals and charity work across the world we feel connected to them. We feel like they are one of the people here in these societies being oppressed and robbed from. And they are with us. I find it just shocking that someone like Glenn Beck or a writer for a Jewish magazine would call these men "Evil" and "Dangerous." Which is why they build orphanages and teach kids non-violent resistance to oppression and occupation.

Art is a true means of resisting an oppressive police force, military and government. Freedom of speech to speak out against these wrongful acts. Paint, write, rap, graffiti. Urban art is taking off and is a main say in political activism. Art has been used throughout history and has changed civilization.

These men help me push further against this resistance and these tracks will be anthems to our struggle. Never let your fist fall. Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood.

Vacate Streets of Wall

A few words first, and then a test. Again I have been slacking and have not contributed to any fight on the politik forefront. With the passage of the NDAA, hijinks from wanna-be leaders, pandering and utter incompetence from all angles of the federal government, I am going through another phase of ignorance and apathy. It hurts less when I stop swimming in the sewers. Still cannot get beyond the Fukushima tragedy and Gundersen and Ex-SKF are still holding strong and providing a wealth of information.
The new "detain Americans indefinitely" policy has me supremely worried, to the point that I am skeptical about my own freedom of speech. Other flashpoints include Iran and Syria, covert war appears to be going swimmingly. All worthy and frightening topics. Check the feeds. Below, a test for you know who.


collage/test
 

Hi ;)
Occupy Wall Street movement  accomplished something

 implosion
foundation shatters. When the national debt interest payments become impossible to satisfy.

 financial sector  abuses,  retaliatory, strategies
. Banks
fractional reserve banking
  They need deposits to not only satisfy their balances =
power for them.
 run banks run, a fractional reserve system = extremely fragile. But your
money
business,
Wall Street begging power/stock brokers - diminish damage
, people should discontinue rigged game,

Damn it is almost poetry. Hope to see you soon. Kisses


P.S. CHECK FEEDS.

Slothing and wrathing in Sick Lake

Things have been a bit quiet here since the reformat, myself sidestepping none of the blame. Dedication and insight have been elsewhere lately, trying to maintain daily duties without wanting to burn down the entire image. Virtual reality or any existence other than the current soiree of destruction appears to be so much more survivable. One can only gaze into the dark ravine for so long before grip becomes angry, before the soiled picture becomes blurred and distorted.

I have two quick comments, one stemming from an experience this morning that was a rude awakening in a ruder world, and the other which is sort of intertwined within it.
I awoke today to a vehicle that had been rifled through by some down-trodden filthy coward, unable or unwilling to make a life for themselves honestly, and somehow navigate this wasteland by thieving from those that are scratching together dirt to build a life. Having had my vehicle robbed twice before, I had prepared for a third encounter and removed anything of value or that had identifying information. The coward got away with maybe 40 cents in dusty change and a bunch of burned cds, I hope you like my strange taste in music you reptilian scum. But as the thief was able to break and enter without destroying a window, I was immediately thankful that they had the piece of mind to respect the glass atop the door. After reflecting on this experience, and trying to discover some insight from it, I cannot blame a small time criminal for following the example of its leaders. Overwhelmingly the thieves, cowards, frauds, charlatans, reptiles and genocidal eugenicists who commit these kind of crimes writ-large are implicated to a much higher degree than a singular coward, who either by chance or choice was forced to rifle through a lower class plebs vehicle searching for something of value to pilfer, plunder and transform into a living. Overwhelmingly the rulers of nations, and the non-elected rulers of nations and corpo-nations are much more culpable of forging a society of humans degraded to the level of sewer rats seeking left-behind bits of food, spoiling in gutters. My only choice and the thief's only choice are to continue scraping to survive in a fake economy, with paper money, while we all play our parts on a stage that has not reached intermission, or the third act. It resembles the dance of snow flakes. The illusion of society is the wind blowing the flakes this way or that, aimlessly. Or with the aim of gravity, ultimately pressuring flakes downward until they hit rock bottom, just as we will.
My second thought sidetracked from this first thought. It is perplexing how winners and losers are decided. Some are given nothing and end their lives with less. Some are given nothing and end up with some. But who is given nothing ever, ever reaches to grasp more than those given everything and leaving life with even more. There are true fuck ups in this world who benefit from and are provided with more as a result of fucking up. And then there is a dirty huddled mass of no ones, who are seen as the dirt of society. Those that push mops and service sector black-hole careers with no hope of ever escaping. They are the gears turning under the shiny hood of humanity. They are the blood of the vehicle, forever churning, and being burned by the driver. They are the humans working countless hours in thankless perpetuity. I have resigned to the fact that I am and will always be and stand with them. No amount of wealth or privilege afforded will ever kill the instinct inside that knows, genetically, something is not right with the world and will never be superceded without literally a complete civilizational rebirth. This rebirth will not be instigated by me alone, but when it occurs, I will join hands with all those who are beaten bruised and forgotten by the autocracy, return to the fields where our ancestors forged lives for millennia, and begin to rediscover what it means to live. Current conduct of life is soulless and diseased. Holding on for a temporary reprieve..

While Most Americans Argue And Complain About How Our Money Is Going To Be Used Next, Israel Erupts In Protest.

Approximately 30,000 protesters marched in Tel Aviv last night, with social justice activists blocking central streets and chants of “Mubarak. Assad. Netanyahu” filling the air.
Tel Aviv police arrested 42 activists, which is an extremely rare number, “if not unprecedented,” according to +972 Magazine, which has been closely following the circumstances surrounding the sudden rise of Israel’s progressive left.


The protests are part of a larger movement that began as opposition to rising housing prices, and indeed is still centered around that issue, but has spread to other social justice and progressive causes.
These protests are being described as “the greatest challenge PM Netanyahu faces on the home front,” and show that the progressive left in Israel has awoken.

Change in Israel may be coming.

Noam Sheizaf offers a good visual description of how, last week, these protests began to foment:

"It happened almost overnight: Friday morning a week ago, walking near Habima Square in central Tel Aviv, I saw only a handful of tents, with no more than a few dozen Israelis who answered an internet call for an ongoing protest against rising rent costs. On Saturday evening the tents covered an entire block on Rothschild Boulevard, and protesters threw cottage cheese containers on the Likud HQ on nearby King George Street. A couple of days later, the tent protests came to dominate the news cycle.
Housing minister Ariel Attias (Shas) argued that the protesters were spoiled kids that refuse to leave the fashionable center of the country, but by Tuesday there were tents in Jerusalem, the southern city of Beer Sheva and as far north as Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanon border (see a map of all the protests here). By Wednesday protesters tried to break into empty apartments in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; the tents on Rothschild Boulevard stretched several blocks, all the way from Habimah Square to Shenkin Street, and marches and rallies were scheduled for the weekend. The Friday papers declared that Binyamin Netanyahu sees the tent protest as the greatest potential political threat to his governing coalition."

These protests, which began as explicit anger at the rising rental prices in cities across the country, have been fueled by the response of Netanyahu’s government, which initially, with hostile rhetoric, dismissed them as being part of a large, leftwing movement being funded by outfits such as the New Israel Fund. The initial rhetoric, which claimed that the protests were not about anything other than the “Zionist Left’s” political agenda, only served to increase protesters’ anger and resolve.
These reactions from Netanyahu and other government officials have served to broaden the protests, which have now moved from rent prices to a host of social justice issues: women’s rights, union rights and education reform, among other things, with general chants of “revolution” heard on the streets last night.

What has yet to be heard, in the protests, are calls for more democracy in the wake of the anti-democratic laws that have recently been passed. Also absent has been the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
However, as these protest spread, and all indications are that they are going to continue – as Israel’s progressive left awakens – I suspect that all of the above issues will become represented by the protests, which are taking on a large, general “anti-Netanyahu” bent.

For the first time, last night, Israel appeared as its neighbors have for some time. Yes, the protests may have had a different genesis, but they share a common thread: anger with the current regime.
Things may be changing in Israel.
_______
Author’s Note 1: Protests have moved in earnest to Jerusalem, where a thousand protesters blocked the entrance to the Knesset.
The protesters, who have set up camp in the city near the Prime Minister’s residence, marched by Netanyahu’s home on their way to the Knesset. As Haaretz reports:

"On their way, the protesters passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence and tried to block a nearby street while calling on Netanyahu to resign. They were consequently scattered by police forces and continued marching to the Knesset."

This, from Haaretz, shows that Netanyahu’s frustration is clear:

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Likud ministers on Sunday for not trying to solve the housing crisis that gave rise to the mass nationwide protests.
Sources close to Netanyahu said he is extremely frustrated by the Likud ministers’ lack of cooperation, not only in trying to find solutions but also for not defending the government in media interviews."

Meanwhile, more tent cities have sprung up throughout Israel, showing that this crisis only appears to be growing for Israel’s ruling class.

And in Haaretz, Gideon Levy addresses what many commentators have wondered: how could these protests impact larger political issues (such as I/P) in Israel? He writes:

"If this unclear struggle by the renters of apartments on Shenkin Street is successful, matching the struggle against the price of cottage cheese, then additional Israelis will see that it is worthwhile, and that there is a chance and there is hope. Perhaps then they will go out and fight for matters that affect our fates to a much greater extent. If they see they have the strength to reduce the price of one-room apartments of 30 square meters, perhaps they will understand that they also have the power to change the nature of the country – 22,000 square kilometers not including the occupied territories.
If the struggle succeeds against the tyranny of the apartment owners and the Finance Ministry – which was what motivated them to go out and demonstrate – perhaps they will find the way of struggling also against other more severe forms of tyranny. That is the big test before the people.
A political pilot project whose importance cannot be underestimated is taking place now on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, and in other tent cities throughout the country. It is up to the Israelis to blow an empathetic, encouraging and impassioned wind into their sails. We must now leave apathy and cynicism behind at home and go out to the tents".

Author’s Note 2: Aziz Abu Sarah, in a very interesting piece called “Israeli housing protest makes no connection to the occupation,” writes:

"This argument doesn’t hold water anymore. It seems like many Israelis didn’t receive Mr. Daum’s memo about Israel’s golden era. On Saturday tens of thousands protested the housing problem in Tel Aviv. The main squares in Israel have become tent cities. Medical doctors and students are protesting their working conditions as the prices of food and gas are increasing rapidly. School teachers’ paychecks are shrinking every year . The social democratic ideals upon which Israel was established are evaporating. The rich are getting richer and the poor remain poor.
Israel’s low unemployment rate and high GDP are indeed impressive, but not necessarily indicative of a healthy community. China has the second largest economy in the world and has one of the highest GDPs. However, China is run by dictators and is filled with poor people. Many of Israel’s poor are the employed poor.
What amazes me is many Israelis’ inability to make the connection between the continuation of the occupation and the domestic problems Israel faces today; Israel is building constantly in the West Bank but it is failing to provide housing to its citizens within Israel proper. The current Israeli government’s focus on improving living standards in settlements while failing to do the same for the rest of the country is a moral failure."

Author’s Note 3: For additional reading on the “tent city” protests, I suggest the following:
+ Understanding the tent protests
+ Why we march tonight
+ Netanyahu rebukes ministers: give me ideas to solve housing crisis
Author’s Note 4: Christy1947 has a diary up discussing the possible connection between Israel’s housing crisis and the settlements, among other things. It’s a very interesting read.

Source
"What bothers me the most are the people in America, almost as much as the government itself. Time and time again the people have been blindsided and yet, nobody is willing to raise their voices of the matter. I see the people of Egypt, Libya, and Algeria, to name the least, rise up against their government generally without violence. They see what their rulers are doing wrong and the people know how to fix it. They never sit in a coffee shop talking to their college friends about how their government is corrupt or how they should change a law or bill; these people fight back. I say at least more than half of the reasons why nothing seems to change or happen is because of the general public. The people should believe they have a say in any matter, seeing that this nation was built "by the people and for the people." The Tea Party tries to stick by the constitution as much as possible and you would think that their followers would challenge them on the subject. But with the blind, sheep mentality of the supporters, the idea of change simply fails. If the people would open their eyes and become aware of what their rulers are doing, change is sure to come. Now lets hope that America doesn't try to weasel in this protest and take control like they have with Libya."

A Few Thoughts Regarding Malicious Artistry a.k.a "Terrorists Didn't Kill America, Cowards Did"

After reading the premier posting on the new blog format, I wanted to respond with a few comments. First, I would like to address the utilization of patriotism and threats of terrorism as political tactics. Second, to identify these strategies, define and describe how and why they are used.

Malice illustrates a strategy that Samuel Johnson described as the "last refuge of a scoundrel". Patriotism and nationalistic fervor can be whipped up, stirring the population into a frenzy, and into a situation where the scoundrels must respond with preemptively constructed policies and agendas. Love of one's country itself is not necessarily a bad thing. While personally having grown suspicious of collectivism and witnessed heinous acts resulting from it, a respect and affection for the country where one resides is a type of fabric which founds the current political system, and keeps it and the population held together. No politician could conceivably be elected by a popular vote into office if they did not feign support, fervor and dedication to the system they seek to rule and modify. Where patriotism and nationalism go wrong are in the manner they are utilized by the elite.

Elite businessmen and politicians see patriotism as a means to an end. By catering and pandering to patriotism, people are manipulated into believing that love for ones country and a politicians victory are intertwined. At least this is the case for elections. The far-reaching effects of abusing patriotism and nationalism really become pronounced and malicious when used in the furtherance of predetermined goals. Two classic examples of this, one old, one new, are the experiences of pre-1945 Germany and more recently, the case of the Iraq war. Hitler used scapegoating in the furtherance of his goals, to rise to power, to "lead Germany to prosperity" and to create a racially and ethnically pure society. Dictionary.com defines 'scapegoating' as: "a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place". Scapegoating also doubles as a logical fallacy, more on this later. The result of Hitler's fantasy was horrifying, and a perfect case in which nationalistic pleas whipped the populace into a frenzy where their critical thinking was shut down by the mechanics of fear. Malice also touches on this with the focus on terrorism as a second strategy for GOP greatness. This second strategy was enacted perfectly during the W. Bush administration. With 9/11 fresh in the minds of Americans, fear was instilled into the American people, mobile chemical weapons labs come to mind, as well as Yellowcake forgeries. The fear of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons attacks literally just over the horizon were beaten into Americans day after day, U.N. presentation after white house press briefing, ad infinitum. Both of these strategies are a version of appealing to emotions. The point being that when humans become emotional, logical and rational thought processes are interrupted. Fight or flight is by all means a necessary and valuable capability of the human mind. However, in an era where many of early humanity's threats are diminished, television and the polity abuse this ability for their own gain. For Hitler, that gain was power, control, and the institution of wars. For Bush, that gain was power, control, the institution of wars and a whole slew of corporate extortion and exploitation.
In sum, populations must remain vigilant. There are numerous threats abound in the world today, nuclear meltdowns in Japan, environmental destruction worldwide, religious and political struggles and the scourge of terrorism; not the least of which is perpetrated by landless peasants living in caves.


 

[Thanks goes to PeaceRevolution.org and GnosticMedia.com for bringing issues such as these to light and enlightening the masses, FOR FREE. Gnosticmedia has an excellent primer to logical fallacies, and PeaceRevolution provides a fleshed-out context for how rhetoric and fallacious arguments are used by the elite in the furtherance of their goals and exerting mental control on society. Both absolutely worthy sources for learning.]

Terrorists Didn't Kill America, Cowards Did

Failed Liberty, Injustice and the Iraq Quagmire

I’ve never been one to call names, especially not towards a party that is generally associated with Libertarian ideals, but the latest incarnation of the GOP must be called out for many of the problems that persist in America.
GOP leadership is entirely to blame for the dumbing of America, illegal Iraq War and broken economy in the 21st century.  It won’t be long before they try to pin America’s woes on terrorists or liberals or both.    That said, it isn’t the politics or rhetoric that I am concerned with, propaganda tends to balance out over time.  What bothers me and the problem that we should all be concerned with is the strong appeal to patriotism and the use of nationalism to manipulate the masses.
How did America devolve into a near-fascist State?  I say “near” because I still hold out hope that the corporatism bubble will soon burst and Americans will remember what it means to care about justice, liberty, and individual rights.  

Divide and Conquer to “Right” the Ship

Among the first cowards to lay claim to patriotism and promote fear and terrorism were Rush Limbaugh and later Ann Coulter.
Both pundits are responsible for a lot of the nonsense that passes for politics these days and I’d throw in the younger Michael Moore and other flaming liberals but who really takes them seriously?  What makes Republican extremists so dangerous is that they are taken seriously by the party core.  Their “entertaining columns” and media personalities help set the table for what happens in Washington.  Whereas liberal activists wear pink shirts and lead protests, they have no direct access to Washington outside the “liberal media” that covers their antics.
The anger and hatred that has corrupted the well for Republicans begins with Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and publications like the Weekly Standard.  Even so, they have become national authorities, and extraordinarily wealthy entities I might add, as a result of their appeal to nationalism that divides Americans.   Whereas, Ronald Reagan is widely recognized for his attempt at popular appeal — despite his Republican political agenda — the new “patriots” have done just the opposite.   They no doubt reasoned that if there is no distinct line drawn in the political sand, then independents determine political outcomes and that rarely bodes well for the far-right.
Post-Reagan and Bush, the only way Republicans would become relevant again was by hurting the Democrats to off-set the negative image that Ronald Reagan and Bush gave Republicans.  Luckily they had their grips on Congress when Bill Clinton was in office, Newt Gingrich was a great force for the GOP and monica-gate would seal the deal to kick off the new Republican era.

Three objectives were necessary for the right to seize power:

1. Obliterate the left-wing entirely.  Even now, partisans continue to hammer away at words associated with Democrats and the old left.  If you recall, it was once “communists” that were the main target of the right-wing, then they realized how much more effective it was to paint liberals as commies.  Once communists became a bad word in America, liberal went under full assault by the likes of Limbaugh (back when he was relatively clean and conservatism was still a good idea).   Limbaugh’s success gave rise to more people like him and any “liberal” politician would pay the ultimate price in votes.
2. Shift the political spectrum to the right.  The old center is the “new left”.  The old left are in mental institutions if you believe the propaganda.  The old center shifted right and the right-wing veered towards neo-conservative thinking.
3. Minimize the resistance and divide the “new center”.  The center is displaced, often labeled as “crazy” (see Ron Paul / libertarians) or “un-American” (see anti-war Democrats).  Anyone who failed to fall in line with the new political paradigm was ostracized.

The right-wing strategy worked and if not for an incompetent Bush Administration, poor Iraq War policy decisions and partisan loyalty that has the entire party going down with the ship, Republicans might have ruled for decades to come.
The problem with the success of right-wing pundits and strategists, Rush Limbaugh’s rise to prominence and the ascension of Ann Coulter is that they got a little too ambitious, they pushed too fast and too soon.   By effectively shifting the political spectrum, they opened the door for neo-conservatives to be thrust into American political prominence.   Nothing good can come of a ruling class that borders on the extreme and because neo-conservatives know that their window of opportunity is about to be slammed shut, they are resorting to engaging in the same tactics that they accuse Muslim fundamentalist extremists of using against us.

Neo-conservatives have turned to terrorism to remain in power 

If you really think about it, neo-conservatives have emerged as a new kind of terrorist.  Just because they don’t use weapons or go out and kill Americans, doesn’t mean they should remain unaccountable for their actions.  There is no one that I’d hold more responsible for ruining our economy and the deaths of over four thousand American soldiers than the neo-conservative wing of the Republican party.
Terrorism comes in many forms, it isn’t just about some misguided individuals strapping bombs around their waists and blowing up an American embassy.  Terrorism doesn’t mean a bunch of brown fools carrying out some stupid quest to achieve martyrdom while killing thousands of innocent people in the process.  Terrorism comes in a more subtle and  dangerous flavor than we witnessed on September 11th, 2001, and neo-conservatives have no problem terrorizing Americans.

Can anyone truly say neo-conservatives do NOT engage in terrorism?   It may only be my view, but the neo-cons have engaged in more acts of terrorism than Jihadist extremists.   As Americans, we forget that terrorism is a tactic that preys on fear in order to force the opposition into action on policy matters.   Though acts of terror are often done in desperation against a much larger force, neo-conservatives regularly use fear coupled with appeals to nationalism to bully their political adversaries.   This is the very same type of fear-driven tactic that got Hitler into trouble, it’s the very nationalism that destroyed Germany for over half a century.

Neo-conservative terrorism has been instrumental in shaping American policy and until now it has been very successful in keeping them in power.   If there is any part of  you that believes that statement is outlandish or extreme, consider for a moment how many times you’ve heard words that make you fear or hate a certain segment of the population.  How many times have you been conditioned to fear men like Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or even Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?   What makes me think that these tactics have been successful?  Notice that the media and public are eerily quiet when it comes to the Iraq War, the economy, torture, murder and corporate fraud and corruption that has sent our economy spiraling downwards. Sure, the neo-conservative movement may die a nasty death in 2008, but consider all of the injustice that is occurring as a result of their actions and how little they’ve been accountable for their policy failures and fear-driven politicking.

 GOP Responsibility: The party must be reclaimed from the neo-cons, it can not sustain another George W. Bush

What the GOP has done with American policy should be criminal.  I have no problem with the ideals and foundation of the party, but the Republican party has strayed so far from its roots that it is hardly recognizable anymore. There have been many articles written about how conservatism has failed, but that is not the case in my view. Under President Bush, there was nothing truly conservative (or liberal for that matter) about his policies.

"To be completely fair, in the current political bull run, there is a stunning amount of Republican influence but in a Democratically controlled environment. And because they still feel the need to prove themselves (rather than consider, reflect and possibly even agree with the new way of political thinking), Republicans hardly even consider ANY of the positive effects of any of the current acts, laws etc. that are being passed through the house, instead they stick to their own guns feel proud for denying another "blue" bill and then they try and point the finger at Obama, saying that his ideas, actions, and current mindset are causing America's continuing downward spiral. Well, maybe I'm a little off my horse here, but maybe instead of instantly denying a bill to prove a point, maybe they should learn how to transfer belief into action and let the bill prove itself either right or wrong, because believe it or not, it actually might make a difference in this society (which is what we really REALLY need). Left in the wake of a 8 year disaster, there is no way any sensible (maybe even balanced) political thinker would expect one man to clean up an 8 year disaster within 4. And still to this day, Republicans are losing their hold on the political bar because the senile GOP vets are losing their own grasp in thinking. The older they get and the more they try to keep their traditional way of thinking, eventually it's going to seriously collide with the new way of thinking. They forget that they need to adapt to the ever-changing society that is considered the "American way of living" and this is where in this year, Republicans are really starting to cripple a government that desperately needs to be reinforced. They are trying to hold out as long as they can, but sooner or later they are going to have to accept that maybe they just might be wrong after all."