GO TO OLE BEARDED GUY FOR A CONTINUATION OF THIS SITE.....

olebeardedguy.blogger.com

SITE HAS MOVED

completely unable to use this site.

Condolezza Rice as U.S. Secretary of State is a premeditated disaster.

I believe this to be true...the Bush Administration has the will and the desire to destroy everything in it's mad dash for supreme world power....

"...With everything out of control, American media look for easy explanations and scapegoats. But an accurate diagnosis is grim: Mainstream Christianity, Judaism and Islam have all been hijacked by rapture-ready religious fundamentalists. The leadership of the United States, Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran are eager for the Final Countdown. Presiding over end-of-the-world ceremonies will be George W., a man with the fiery determination of a beerhall convert.

Paul Craig Roberts said it well: “The Bush administration is insane. If the American people do not decapitate it by demanding Bush’s impeachment, the Bush administration will bring about Armageddon. This may please some Christian evangelicals conned by Rapture predictions, but World War III will please no one else.”.."

Let the trumpets blow…

Andrew Bosworth
www.virtualcitizens.com

Lets see now, whose %$%&&*& country is it anyway?

Top Iraqi’s White House Visit Shows Gaps With U.S.

By EDWARD WONG

Published: July 25, 2006

"BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 24 — When Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki visits the White House on Tuesday for the first time, he is expected to make requests that clash sharply with President Bush’s foreign policy, Iraqi officials say, signaling a widening gap between the Iraqis and the Americans on crucial issues..."

This entire debacle has never been about what the Iraqi people want...it has always been an American Empire invasion and subjugation.

"What I won’t do is go to some place and try to get a cease-fire that I know isn’t going to last."
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, the secretary of state, on the fighting in Lebanon.




Maybe she should ask the dying and the maimed how they feel about a 'cease-fire', even a short one.

This is so typical of a cruel and vicious political operative who places ideology over compassion. Never mind that thousands of people are suffering pointless horror and loss, just as long as she and the grim ogres that squat, defecating, in the Oval Office can make a political point.

And you know what is even more bizarre? Everyone of these people call themselves a 'dedicated Bible Thumping Christian....imagine that.

......asshole!

just couldn't resist.....

Farmers in rural Whatcom County, Washington report that they are recieving money from Federal Government because of an earthquake that occurred last year. The farmers, when interviewed, sort of chuckly and say, "Well sure, its a good check, so I cashed it." and "Don't seem ra'ht someways, but it is free money!"

Want to guess just where the majority of these good ole boys stand in regard to welfare, food stamps, subsidized housing for urban poor and minorities?

Get this...George W. Bush in signing his first veto in 5 1/2 years to stop expansion of stem cell research. Stem Cells have the potential to cure or significantly reduce massive diseases now afflicting millions and millions of human beings. Bush states, "I must protect the sanctity of innocent human life." (presumably meaning those stem cells...).

Can you believe the arrogance, irony, and utter fucking hypocrisy of this!

Afganistan

Iraq

Lebanon

New Orleans

45 million Americans without medical insurance

Elimination of Worker Safety Rules through OSHA

Sago Mine

Environmental Toxins allowed to rise in American Food Supplies

Expansion of Nuclear Weapons Research and Deployment

Elimination of Poverty programs for poor and minorities

....the list goes on and on.

If ever there was a U.S. President who couldn't care less for the lives and well being of humans this one is the top.

And where in hell are these "Conservative Christians" and their sanctimonious bullshit about the 'Right to Life' when thousands of innocent people are being slaughtered?

I honestly don't understand how these people cannot see the glaring hypocrisy that serves as their reality.

The looting of the American Treasury, the sell-off of American land and resources, and the armed robbery of the American People by the wealthy elite in this country,at this point in time, will be considered by reasonable historians as the greatest criminal enterprise of human history.
Just you watch!

BOG

Hunter S. Thompson, crazy but accurate

"Every GOP administration since 1952 has let the Military-Industrial Complex loot the Treasury and plunge the nation into debt on the excuse of a wartime economic emergency. Richard Nixon comes quickly to mind, along with Ronald Reagan and his ridiculous 'trickle-down' theory of U.S. economic policy. If the Rich get Richer, the theory goes, before long their pots will overflow and somehow 'trickle down' to the poor, who would rather eat scraps off the Bush family plates than eat nothing at all. Republicans have never approved of democracy, and they never will. It goes back to pre industrial America, when only white male property owners could vote."

-- Hunter S. Thompson

Well, back on line. We have moved our family to a new, country location. We have nearly 4 acres of georgeous woods and rich soil. We have enough land to raise our garden crops, chickens, rabbits, a goat or two and a feeling of safety in an increasingly dangerous Amerika. The feeling of safety is surely an illusion. The long fickel arm of imperial majesty, King George the obsessed, is just as close as ever.

But now, we have the chance, just a chance mind you, of growing some of our own food and maintaining our own water supply. We have a chance of weathering some of the coming storms.

I have said it before, and I say it again....and again...The United States of America is not a Democracy, never has been, and it is teetering on the edge of economic collapse. The vaunted power and scope of Capitalism may have been nothing more than a curious byproduct of petroleum. Within three years, maybe five, we will see the utter collapse of the dollar as a world currency and we will see the vaunted Amerikan lifestyle go away. We, the people of this great country, are headed for some hard times. I believe we will see run away inflation, and spiking price hikes. The inflation will be due to the arrogance and blind blundering of our political leadership. At a time when countries must lean on and cooperate with each other in a global system, the United States has become a brutal pariah, killing innocent men and women, and even children, in a spasm of empirial greed. The United States may have become one of the most hated countries, and most feared countries, on the planet. Although other countries cannot compeat with us militarily, they can render their retribution by cooperative economic leverage.

The facts of Peak Oil are indisputable by reputable, and honest, scientists.

This simple phrase eliminates every single scientist paid by the Bushites.

Anyway, between chores, the bearded ole guy is back.....for what ever that means.

rant o' the day

"Actually, Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, made about $2 million this past weekend, whereas X-men made about $150 million. That just shows we're more interested in the fake people saving the fake earth than the real people trying to save the real earth." --Jay Leno

(All Hat and No Cattle)

I thought that this was excellent commentary...Americans appear to prefer the magic of illusions, brutal violence, powerful and mysterious hero's that save the day, and American's like to see their country triumphant, as love saves the day, and nothing changes, rather than understand that our entire way of life is killing us and the planet.

WE ARE KILLING THE PLANET! Of course that means we are killing ourselves too, but that's not as important as mythic hero's and fantasy.

I was watching a National Geographic Special on Art and Culture in Afganistan and the impact of both the Taliban and war on this country. Experts say that without art, such as sculputure, paintings, jewelry, even film, a country could lose its history. The identity of a people with their land and their culture is vital. To be Afgan, you must be a part of the history of Afganistan, you must know the people and lessons of the past. Think of the impact on Americans if every single Christian relic were confiscated and destroyed.

During the Taliban reign, Afganistan Art Historians and Artists literally risked their lives to protect sacred national treasures of art. These men, and I presume women, hid or disguised precious historical artifacts to protect them from destruction by Taliban Clerics. Had they been caught they would have been excuted on the spot. That took real courage and real dedication to a cause. Pride in Heritage.

As I watched this special I got a glimpse of what life was like for the Afgan people, both during and after the Taliban. I got a glimpse into their world view and this is what I found interesting. The subject of The Budda was a central focus on their lives, and the lives of millions and millions of human beings. In Afganistan there were massive and ornate statures of the Budda centuries old. These were mostly destroyed by the Taliban, but that is not really my point.

My point is that the world perspective of Buddists is significantly different than Christianity. Reincarnation for one thing is a pretty basic difference. Christians prefer that we live one life, then we go to Judgement, whereas Buddist's believe that we will be reborn in another life, depending on how well, or poorly, we have done in this one. The reality of people who are Buddhist, is vastly different from the reality of Christians. Not only that, but the reality of Budda has been in existence for centuries prior to the advent of Christianity and it is still going strong today. This means to me that Buddism has a much stronger claim on truth than Christianty. That is, a spiritual path, perspective, that has been accepted and passed along for thousands of years, must be superior in all ways to one that has just appeared withing the past few centuries. Therefore, I tend to believe that the Buddist reality is more likely than the Christian reality.

But then, I differentiate between Christ and Christianity. They are not the same. Christ was a man, an avatar, who lived a life of compassion, spirituality, understanding, acceptance and hope.

"...The real Jesus was born illegitimately. He called himself "the human one." Just like Buddha, his authority came from truth, not power. He taught whoever has love has God. He said those who work for the common good are his church..." (Don't Bow to God's Bullies. Rev. Jim Rigby, Huffington Post)

I see Christ as a man who despised war, sought to heal and support those more unfortunate than he. I see Christ as someone who would support universal Health Care, Low income Housing, universal child care, safe and clean drinking water and food, justice in our courts and politics. I see Christ as a leader of liberal causes, who would approve of people putting aside their differences to listen to each other, understand from each other, seek to live in harmony with each other.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot envision Jesus Christ hating someone because they happen to be gay, or Moslem, or poor, or female. I cannot imagine Christ being so ego-driven that he would be a 'jealous God'. I cannot imagine Christ condeming to eternal hell people who do not believe in Christianity. He just wouldn't do that. That is not who Christ was or is. I believe Jesus Christ is horrified that humans launch themselves into a killing frenzy of war in his name. No way could I accept the belief that Jesus favors rich people over poor people and that the rich are rich because they are 'blessed' by him, or that the poor are poor because they aren't devout enough. What a crock.

I see Christianty as nothing more or less than a means for one human being to attain power over other human beings. It is a religion. Therefore it was created by men, for men, with all of the prejudices, bigotry, and lies inheirent in men who seek power. Christianity has nothing to do with Christ; he is there only as a token symbol to justify brutality and a rigid control of people. Still, Christianity has many 'good Christian's' but they are good because they are at heart good people. They would be 'good' no matter what religion they chose. Being kind and compassionate has nothing to do with what religion you are, except for the curious fact that religion can make you less compassionate not more.

"...To picture God in terms of power is also one of the great bait-and-switch gimmicks of all time. People within the power hierarchy proclaim that God is the ultimate authority, and then appoint themselves as God's interpreters and enforcers. They are God's humble bullies. It has been one of the most successful con games of all time..." (Don't Bow to God's Bullies, Rigby)

Well, that is about all for today, my daily rant against the hypocrisy of religion and the unwillingness of Americans to understand the truth of their world.

Just makes ya proud, don't it?

thoughs o' the day..

It is curious to see the White House and their lickspittle minions, The Mainstream Media, all gloat about the "Post-Zarqawi era", as if this actually meant anything.

Then we have the suicides in Guantanamo, to which the U.S. GOP responded in shocked indignation. "How dare these prisoners take their own lives to mock us!"
Sociopathic people are unable to see themselves as responsible for bad things. This type of mental illness manifests itself in blame of others and a total preoccupation with their own needs and wants. By every criteria, the leadership of this country and the GOP that supports it are stark raving crazy.

Returning to Guantanamo for a moment, lets be clear about something...these poor unfortunate souls locked for life in the U.S. Guantanamo Prison have no hope of a trial, let alone clemency. Some may be enemy terrorists and some may be absolutely innocent. No one will ever know because there will be no trial, no chance for each of these men to tell their story. Trapped for life in the dungeons of the Empire. What is to keep these men from suicide? What possible hope do they have?

America is keeping these people locked away in direct and flagrant violation of every international law and treaty. America is keeping these people locked away in direct and flagrant disregard of every American Law and Treaty.

Bush said just today in one of his condescentions to the American Press, that "America is a nation of laws". Sure, laws that the Emperor likes and support his pograms are just fine. Anything that hinders or stops the Emperor is ignored.

But beyond Bush, the rage and hatred endemic in the American People against people unlike them is a monument to zenophobia and hypocrisy. If your gorge can handle it, take a good look at what the 'law abiding' people of this nation have done to Native Americans, The Mexican People, The Irish People, German, Italian, Japanese-American, Phillipino's, Vietnamese, the Entire South American Continent,the list goes on and on. Consider the abysmal treatment of African-Americans, both historically and in the present. The truth is that America is, at times, a vicious predator on the lives of other people.The Empire is in to bloodlust in a big way.

Should we be surprised that the trapped souls in Guantanamo commit suicide? What choice do they really have?

As to the killing of Zarqawi, Bush will do his victory dance on the world stage and the hypocrisy is palpable. How many times has Bush killed or captured Zarqawi? Five? Six? Killing Zarqawi means nothing, and the rest of the world knows it.

Yet, here are the papers dutifully pretending that there is such a thing as a 'Post-Zarqawi' era. Here we have the president and his hencemen publically gloating about "Post-Zarqawi"! What bullshit. This is a could example of how the American People are manipulated by language. The White House spins the tail as a 'victory' and creates waves of meaningless press and plans. The pupper masters jiggle the strings and American journalist's pound computer keys.

Does anyone really believe this hogshit?

White House Hones a Strategy for Post-Zarqawi Era

"THURMONT, Md., June 12 — President Bush gathered top aides at Camp David here on Monday to calibrate the best way forward in Iraq during what the administration described as a critical juncture, following the death last week of the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq and the final formation of a unity government there..."

"...The meeting was as much a media event as it was a high-level strategy session, devised to send a message that this is "an important break point for the Iraqi people and for our mission in Iraq from the standpoint of the American people," in the words of the White House counselor, Dan Bartlett..."

Mea Culpa..

I have once again been reminded of the old quotation: "Your right to free speech ends at the other guys' nose." Forget who said it. But I understand it.

I realize in reviewing many of my recent columns that I have been ranting. Not a bad thing necessarily, but it is an explosion of emotion formed from the magma of fear and sorrow. This is my country and I sorrow to see the corruption, murder, and ideological insanity that preoccupies the present Administration. I fear that Americans have become indifferent to the responsibilities of citizenship. But, maybe, it isn't the abstract 'them' that I fear, perhaps it is myself. Perhaps I have become indifferent, reduced to making keyboard noises in place of standing up in the real world. Perhaps I need to place participation in the system over rhetoric.

I know that our only hope for a brighter future lies within the reality of the system itself. In order to win, we must use the system to win. To do otherwise is to tear it all down in spasms of childish rage. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, are all arrogant assholes who truly believe in their mission. I could match their arrogance with my temper, but what would that avail? I am begining to realize that if I want a future of peace and promise it must start with me.

Sometimes I push the envelope of 'Free Speech' because I am reckless and want someone to hear my voice. Perhaps the more outrageous my statements, the more I believe I will be taken seriously. But, the trap to this, the lie to this, is that I wind up ranting and do very little thinking. And it is thinking that is called for now. To convince others of the dangers we currently face, from Theocratic Fascism to Environmental catastrophe to Economic collapse we must use reason and responsible words. Example rather than exortation.

I will leave my past words in view, but with this caveat: "Violence is the behavior of powerless people. People who believe they are helpless. Violence does nothing to disprove this belief, and further, but more importantly, violence does not work." I have made a study of War, and have come to the conclusion that war never solves anything, it only leaves the rich richer and the poor dead. The outcome of violence is always more violence, rarely peace and never tranquility. For the world to change for the better, I must change for the better.

I will devote this blog to peaceful means of communication and problem solving, not because I fear the retribution of the Empire, but because my existence at this time has more to do with discovering who I am and how I shape my reality than it does in venting injudicious fear.

I will still feature news stories that uncover the lies of the Empire, but I believe I must focus on learning a new way to see, rather than an old way of reacting. Shouting isn't the only way to be heard and violence solves nothing.

Be at peace, and take it slow.

BOG

There have been so many signs that Demcracy is dead in America that no one who seriously thinks about these issues can doubt it. What is particularly disheartening is that the tyranny now in place has never even bother to disguise their moves. From the gitgo they have stood up and told the American people, "Fuck You, we will do what we like, when we like, and how we like because you people don't count for shit." That is the state of Politics in America today.

George W. Bush has been voiding the U.S. Constitution and breaking American Laws for close to five years now, and there has been no serious challenges to this illegal activity. None. Oh, an insipid whine arises occasionally from the cowering mutts along the Democratic side of the Congressional aisle but this hardly qualifies as robust opposition party activity.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a demonstrably illegal move, cancelled the recount of votes in Florida during the 2000 Selection, and the swing state of Ohio was the scene of rampant voter fraud and political arm breaking to give the GOP another Presidential victory in 2005.

From the Patriot Act to the NSA wiretapping the United States of America has become a gulag. Granted it is still a pretty gulag, with incredible technological goodies to distract the stupid, but it is in fact a gulag. With every passing hour the perfidious whores in Congress toil to nail and weld the prison doors shut on the American people. Wrapping us in legal and financial trappings of razor wire.

When a form of Government becomes predatory, citizens no longer owe it alligence.

When a form of Government eliminates all semblance of fairness and destroys all means of redress for legitimate greviences, then there is no other recourse for citizens to follow but violence.

When a form of Government ceases to be neutral, but is working against the will of the people, then this form of Government must be resisted. It is ironic in no small measure that we now find ourselves, in 2006, facing the same tyranny as the colonists faced in 1776. Only this time it is our own Government that is imposing tyrannical rule.

I cling to the fading hope that somehow, saner people will step in and stop this horrendous death march to despotism. But with every day, I read news like the following, and I realize that hope is fading.

With new legislation, Ohio Republicans plan holiday burial for American Democracy
by Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
December 6, 2005

"A law that will make democracy all but moot in Ohio is about to pass the state legislature and to be signed by its Republican governor. Despite massive corruption scandals besieging the Ohio GOP, any hope that the Democratic party could win this most crucial swing state in future presidential elections, or carry its pivotal US Senate seat in 2006, are about to end.

House Bill 3 has already passed the Ohio House of Representatives and is about to be approved by the Republican-dominated Senate..."

"...HB3's most publicized provision will require positive identification before casting a vote. But it also opens voter registration activists to partisan prosecution, exempts electronic voting machines from public scrutiny, quintuples the cost of citizen-requested statewide recounts and makes it illegal to challenge a presidential vote count or, indeed, any federal election result in Ohio. When added to the recently passed HB1, which allows campaign financing to be dominated by the wealthy and by corporations, and along with a Rovian wish list of GOP attacks on the ballot box, democracy in Ohio could be all but over.

The GOP is ramming similar bills through state legislatures around the US, starting with Georgia and Indiana...".

The answer, if there is such a creature, is to become involved in local politics and to conduct local resistence to illegal and immoral federal laws. Tip O'Neil once said that 'All politics is local". I take this to mean that it is at the local level that our power lies. the Race for Sheriff, County Commisioner, Mayor, School Board, Water Commission, what ever are the elections that we may have some control over. Forget about Federal Elections, they are now moot. The right people in these local offices are the last hope for a transformation of America to democracy. It is a long shot, and will take awhile, but, beyond armed rebellion, it may be the only shot we have.

Be at peace, and take it slow.

The Future is Now

by William Greider, June 10, 2006, The Nation

"...The strange paradox of our times is that despite America's fabulous wealth, most people's lives are shadowed by economic anxieties and real confinements, the wounds that market ideology has imposed. They fear that much worse is ahead for their children. Reform must re-establish this fundamental principle: The economy exists to support society and people, not the other way around. Only government can liberate them from the harsh rule of the marketplace, the demands imposed by capital and corporations that stunt or stymie the full pursuit of life and liberty in this complex industrial society. This very wealthy country has the capacity to insure that all citizens, regardless of status or skills, have the essential needs to pursue secure, self-directed lives. This starts with the right to health, work, livable incomes and open-ended education, and to participate meaningfully in the decisions that govern their lives. The marketplace has no interest in providing these. It is actively destroying them..."

(emphasis mine)

I have said it before and I appreciate hearing it from others. The purpose of the Economy is to support ALL people and to improve the lot of ALL people, not just the rich and influencial. Further, the purpose of Government is to level the playing field so that capitalism does not prey on citizens. Government is responsible to regulate commerce so that the health, safety, and wellbeing of all citizens is protected. Government is to stand between the consumer and the Capitalistic Economy and see that all, from the CEO to to janitor, have a living wage, reasonable benefits, and a respected place in our society.

The purpose of Government is the wellbeing of the People. Nothing less and nothing more. Anything else is pure tyranny.

Unlike our mainstream society, the indigenous people of this world knew with every fiber of their being that a warrior goes to war only at the request of his or her people. Because of this, the responsibility for what happens in war is shared by the entire tribe. The warrior serves as an extention of the will of the people and has sanction to kill in the heat of battle. But all tribal members share in the sorrow of this killing, not just the warrior. So when a warrior returns from war, he or she is accorded great honor and great forgiveness for their deeds. The tribal people also knew that war changes a man, and that to once again rejoin their tribe the warrior must be transformed from war to peace. The haunts of war shared by all, the guilt of war spread among the people, the rage of war forgiven and understood.

Where are we in modern America with this? We send our young off to war, but we do not share in their agony and we do not reach out to welcome them home. Sure we have token parades and speeches, but these are meaningless gestures because we refuse to acknowledge the horror of their experience. We refuse to know the agony and the desperation, the heartbreak and the numbing slaughter of others. The American people, by and large, stand with token handshakes and vacant cheers for our warriors. but we do not look them in the eye and say; "Thank You, I share in your agony of war, I forgive you for what you did in war because you served in my name for all our people." The warrior wants nothing more than to return to his or her life and rejoin society. But rather than assist them in their healing from the wounds of war, we ignore them and shrug off their pain because we do not want to accept responsibility for what we have asked them to do.

The United States of American has gone to war, without discussion or rational thought. We have hurled our young people, our best and brightest, into the maw of war for no justifiable reason. We are slaughtering our young and the innocent because a petty tyrant has demanded that we do so. The shame of Iraq, as the shame of Vietnam, is that the American People have abdicated responsibility for the lives and wellbeing of their own children to appease the megalomania of our insane leadership. Our children are being maimed and killed because Americans couldn't be bothered to ask questions and demand reasonable answers from our politicans.

Iraq isn't just a failure of leadership, it is a failure of the American people to participate in their own country.


Honoring Warriors Past and Present
By GRETCHEN RUETHLING

Published: June 10, 2006

""Where are your lands?" a trader once taunted Crazy Horse.

"My lands are where my dead lie buried," the Sioux chief responded.

About 200 people crossed that rolling prairie on horseback last week, riding from Nebraska to South Dakota in a four-day tribute to honor all military veterans and the revered Crazy Horse.

"It was a way to say thank you to our warrior culture," said Charles Brewer, 40, of Pine Ridge, S.D., who organized the ninth annual Crazy Horse Ride..."

(pictures by Jerry Swope)

today's rant...

We are buying a house, a lovely home and enough land to provide privacy, space, and room for vegetable gardens. With this new home we will raise chickens, geese, rabbits, and maybe a goat or two. With this new home we will be semi-independent by growing some of our own food, creating things to barter, and being free from the incessesent glitter and cacaphony of suburban living.

But there is a price. As citizens of the American Empire we are forced into institutionalized bribery and egregious usury, followed by imprisonment in a financial system that controls our access to home, food, water, and income.

Our loan documents show an interest rate of 6.7%. This is an imaginary number drawn up by accountants to disguise the true costs of our loan. It is a fiction. It is a fiction that everybody involved with the home loan process knows is fiction. Better said, it is a lie that everybody knows is a lie. It is a lie ginned up to play the 'game' of home finance. For example, lets say our loan is $300,000 but our interest rate is $350,000 on top of this principal. Total we will owe $650,000 for our property. You can play games with number all you like; 6.7%, 7.1%, whatever, but the truth is that we will pay over 120% interest on our loan. That is the truth. Everybody in this transaction knows this, and everybody knows that this level of interest is more than we would pay if we would have borrowed the money from Tony Soprano. What is more, is that each of these people probably had to pay the same outrageous interest rate as we do, yet they still participate, like a judas goat.

The Home Finance racket in the American Empire is one of unashamed theft and plunder. Legalized. The banks went to their favorite politicians, gave them outrageous amounts of money, and demanded that laws be written forcing citizens to pay bribery money to them for the dubious honor of getting a loan. The politicians wrote the law, passed it, and now each of us is condemned to squander our hard earned money to these crooks. Theft with a ballpoint pen. When you buy a house and have to get a Bank Loan to do so, you are trapped in a system of fees and charges that you cannot escape.

On a macro-level, the politicians and bankers like this system because it not only provides guaranteed wealth to the banks, and pocket money to the politicians, but it also is an effective means of social control. It creates 'wage-slaves' of the American People.

Unlike slavery in the past, where the slave owner had to supply food, shelter, clothing, and meager medical care to his slaves, the slaveowners in this society (The Wealthy Elite in business, finance, and politics) have none of these expenses. In the American Empire you citizens are expected to work your ass to the bone, have your wages become worth less and less, and become ensyared in a society that see's debt as the answer to your problems, not the problem itself. Wh To live in the American Empire costs a lot of your money, most of your time, and all of your soul. Plus, by the burden of staggering debt, slaves are held without the need of whips or chains. If you want a decent place to live, then surrender to staggering financial debt and a life long commitement to employment you cannot quit, probably doing some job that just bores you senseless.

Understand this, you cannot fight a system that locks you into that system. Put another way, you cannot fight a jail cell from inside the cell. You must be on the outside to have any power. Consumer debt is the primary means of imprisionment in this country. As long as you owe 'Them' (Banks;Government,financial institutions) you will dance to their tune because they can deny you further credit. And there goes your life.


We are driven into debt to buy/expect the things we are persuaded to buy/expect by the companies that make the things and create the expectations.

Fucken weird I tell ya.

FACTS TO PONDER:

(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health Human Services.

Now think about this:
Guns:
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.
Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.
Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do."

FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.
Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!!

Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and
seek medical attention.

(thanks Mark)

Lets take a moment and consider something...there is a deep and seemingly uncrossable no-man's-land between the priorities of the American People and our entire Political Leadership, both parties, local or national.

The American people want peace, economic opportunity, financial security, physical security, and general stability. The American people want to have a nice home, decent car, good and plentiful food to eat, affordable entertainment, employment that treats them with some respect and pays a living wage. They want to be free of ruinous medical bills by having full medical coverage, preferably like Medicare used to be. They want to be able to retire and spend their remaining years watching their grandchildren grow, and their children prosper. The American people are no different that the Iraqi People, the Iranian People, the Israeli People, and every group of humanity on this globe. They want the freedom to live their lives in some comfort and with a reasonable expectation that the immediate future will be better than the immediate past.

On the other hand, the Bush Administration and the entire political leadership of this country want unlimited personal power, wealth beyond imagining, and no one to tell them 'no'.

They are narcissistic children demented by illusions and delusions of grandeur. They are insane by every definition of the word.

Is there a point at which the American People rise up and with violence wrench back this country from the oligarchs and wealthy elite who have taken over? Is there a point in which Americans will realize that they no longer have power at the voting booth and that their wants and needs are totally ignored by their political leaders?

I don't know.

I would like to believe that the American people are not so far subjugated that they couldn't rise in physical rebellion, but I don't think it is possible in reality. There is a naive belief in this country that 'things will somehow work out'. That somehow Bush and his minions will turn out to be the good guys and that they aren't really as demented and deranged as they seem; that the economy is poised on the verge of a gigantic growth and good jobs will be everywhere; that the environmental degradation is really ok and that we really didn't need all those pesky plants and animals that are going extinct anyway; that energy problems are entirely solvable with modern technology and that soon there will be plentiful cheap energy for all; and that the middle class lifestyle so beloved by Americans will continue on, uninterrupted, forever.

Fat chance.

Americans, by and large, are damn fine people who are honest and caring and 'salt of the earth' type people, but we have allowed a coup de'tat, and the wants and needs of these fine Americans is no longer a concern of government. In fact, America is no longer a concern of government. Government is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Multinational Corporate Business Interests.

Think of this: The cost of the Iraq War, a war that is clearly unnecessary, illegal, and certainly immoral, would be sufficient to:

• we could have hired 4,972,551 additional public school teachers for one year.
• we could have provided medical insurance for 171,815,152 children for one year.
• we could have provided 13,909,806 students four-year scholarships at public universities.
• we could have built 2,583,548 additional housing units.
  
• we could have fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 11 years.
  
• we could have fully funded world-wide AIDS programs for 28 years.
  
• we could have paid for 38,004,200 children to attend a year of Head Start.
• we could have ensured that every child in the world was given basic immunizations for
  95 years.
  

But we aren't going to do that, are we? Our tax money goes to killing people. Somehow I don't believe that is a family value of the average American, but it is for George W. Bush and his cohorts.

Like I said, a deep and uncrossable no-man's-land between the American People and American Politicians.

(info on costs of Iraq War from The National Priorities Project)

• 
  
  

Letter to Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 8, 2006

Lt. Ehren Watada










"I am a two tour combat veteran of Vietnam and I want to state unequivocally that I support Lt. Ehren Watada in his decision not to go to the Iraq War. This War is wrong and quite likely illegal. At the very least it is a bloody exercise in national hubris and naked greed. The military and indeed this country desperately need men and women who are willing to stand up to the power hierarchy in this country and tell the truth. The Iraq War is wrong in every possible way and it is not worth the life of a single person, American or Iraqi. Lets put and end to this useless exercise in death and bring our young people home. Thank you Lt. Watada for your courage and your conscience, you are an American Soldier and Officer of whom I am very proud."

John M. Whitten

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

Vietnam 1969-1971

Do Bush and those blithering idiots called Fundamentalist Christians really believe that our most pressing issue today is Gay People loving each other?

No wonder they want us to return to the Dark Ages of ignorance and superstition, only the truely stupid could believe in this bullshit.

America will never become a true Democracy, nor will it ever live up to its promise of freedom and dignity, as long as Americans refuse to openly discuss why our words and our deeds are two different things.


The Rot From Within
By Doug Nelson
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Monday 05 June 2006

"....his notion of a "Christian" nation, and our constant lip service to "freedom and justice for all" have made our country a sick joke in the rest of the civilized world. Our history of violence against women, blacks, Native Americans, immigrants, dissenters, and religious minorities surfaces through every crack in our national foundation. No sooner do we identify a "threat" or an enemy, whether it is believers in Islam, abortion providers, immigrants, or marijuana users, than someone is proposing rounding them up, putting them in jail or worse.

Our national obsession with punishment and prison is a root cause of Guantanamo. Civilized systems of justice have, as a distinguishing feature, careful consideration of the facts of the individual case and the application of law to the particulars of the case. Yet, the knee-jerk reaction to nearly every social problem seems to be treating all members of a group as if they are criminals. Mob justice is simply mob violence disguised. By extension, we occupy a foreign country and treat the inhabitants as inmates, subject to search, home invasion, torture, beatings, and death. In consenting to surveillance of our own communications within our own country, we are consenting to being treated as inmates..."

I was killing time yesterday and accidently turned the TV to the 'Shopping Channel". That is the strangest damn show I have ever seen. It is like watching beings that you are fairly sure are from your Galaxy, but you just can't figure out which planet.

Two absolutely air-headed women spent nearly 15 minutes describing the wonders of a wind chime....15 minutes! I have never seen anything quite like it, they just jabbered on forever telling every minute detail of this thing, as if Wind Chimes had just been invented and this was the first working model. It was kind of like the first proto-human trying to describe 'fire' to his cave-mates.

Then they had callers, poor miserable wretches that spent much of their free time waiting for some product to be announced just so they could call up an buy the damn thing.

I thought to myself, this is quite possibly the most rampant obscenity of consumerism I have ever seen.

Pathetic...and sad. I got these visions of these lonely smucks sitting in their mobile homes, surrounded by boxes of unopened goodies purchased on credit, bill collectors who know them by their first names, and statues of deer stiffly poised on their front lawn backlit by cut metal outlines of a grandmother bending over. Oh, and an inflatable flamingo...
====================

Talked with a a young kid today. Graduated High School yesterday. Plans on entering the U.S. Navy because they will pay for college. He and his family cannot afford the staggering cost of education in this country. So he must enter the military.

Military is not bad. Sometimes the the training is even useful in the civilian world. You do learn to work with a wide variety of people, you learn to push yourself, you learn discipline, responsibility. Sometimes you get to travel to foreign lands and kill people.

I think that young, hard working, honest kids that join the military are the cream of the crop in many ways. These are the kids that you want to join your society and you want to be successful so that they can raise other hard working, honest kids. And Military service gives you a perspective that can be invaluble, learning other cultures and other ways of living.

What puzzles me though is why we in America refuse to provide education for our children. Why is that? We are spending over $1 BILLION dollars per day in Afganistan and Iraq and yet we cannot seem to find out way clear to provide a college education and training to our next generation?

If you look at American priorities, it is obviously more important to kill other people and steal their natural resources, then it is to educate our own people.

Americans, if you consider how we spend out tax dollars, prefer to kill, maim, destroy, rather than gain knowledge and wisdom. And they call this, 'civilization'?

This country could easily afford to provide free education to every single Child in this country. Zero through Graduate School. The fact that we don't is symptomatic of the rot that invests this country...the rot of profit over people...the rot of the bottom line and short term gain being more desirable than a knowledgeable citizenry and an intelligent culture.

The more American History that I read the more I realize that the framers of our form of Government only gave us a template, not a mandate. They provided us with a set of guidelines that would lead us to Democracy but they did not, and could not, provide us with Democracy itself.

For so long, from the Reagan era to the utter debacle of today, I have pined the loss of our Democracy. But now I am begining to see that we really haven't lost Democracy, because we have never had Demcracy, not yet at any rate. What we have is the hope and the framework for creating a Democracy.

Americans have a long way to go before we are capable of creating, and living in, this brilliant form of government. We cannot have Democracy until we overthrow the Military Industrial Complex that now strangles our ideals. Further I am begining to believe that Capitalism itself is antithetical to Freedom and must be replaced before Democracy can live. If nothing else, we must have a strong and people oriented form of government that can control Capitalism, bending it to the good of all people, rather than just the privileged few.

America has a long way to go, and we may not have the time necessary to find our Democracy.

I will be gone for a week...don't forget me!

Here is a salient point we all need to keep in mind. The Oil Shocks we as U.S. citizens will feel will not come because gas is in short supply. That will come, but later. The world has a ways to go before the real limitations of fossile fuels become widespread. No, the real threat to U.S. consumers is that the petroleum we so badly need is held by third world countries who are finally realizing their importance to the whole world. These countries are looking around, and they realize that they have real power. They are not the most advanced technologically or militarily but they have something that the rest of us do not have and cannot do without; Oil.

The United States has a long and brutal history of taking what we want and leaving the plundered country in poverty and debt. Dosen't matter wether it is banana's, pineapples, gold, or petroleum. They got it, we want it, we take it. No more. Now countries like Iran know that they are protected by the one thing that the U.S. can do nothing about, Indespensiblity. The world cannot live without their oil.

As the U.S. has swaggered about the world, killing, corrupting, stealing, destroying the world has taken note and retaliation is due.

It doesn't matter that this country outspends the next 5 countries in total military armament, combined. It doesn't matter that we are rough and tough, violent and zenophobic, what matters is that we can no nothing about this situation.

The United States has made an enemy of the entire world. We have no friends. The Bush Administration has seen to that. If other countries were mildly irritated with American before Bush, they now grind their teeth in anticipation of payback.

You and I, not Bush and not the uber-wealthy are going to pay the price. As always. The fossil fuel countries can sell their oil to anybody and there is no shortage of buyers. This means that they can and will use these precious fluids as a weapon of revenge on America. They can, and they will.

Threat of Oil Supply Shock Worries Energy Subcommittee

by David Lightman Courant.com, Washington,Wednesday, May 17, 2006

http://tinyurl.com/fhzdn

"As if high energy prices were not enough of a problem, members of a House panel were briefed Tuesday on another reason for concern: the possibility that unfriendly countries could cut off oil supplies to hurt the United States.

"Today we cannot effectively counter the use of energy as a weapon," Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House energy subcommittee, said as he set the stage for testimony from several government experts..."

"...It said that unlike other periods in American history when prices soared, the latest round of increases is driven by demand, not tight supply. But supplies have tightened, the study found, meaning "the U.S. is more vulnerable to a catastrophic supply shock, especially considering the current geopolitical environment."

"We are witnessing growing tendencies in producing countries to manipulate the use of their natural resources," agreed Karen A. Harbert, the Energy Department's assistant secretary for policy and international affairs..."

Beside ridding ourselves of such useless parasites and politicians like George W. Bush, we need immediately begin massive conservation and efficiency measures. The only way we as citizens can protect ourselves is to become as independent as we can from foreign oil.

At a minimum, this means

• making sure your home is as energy efficient as it can be.
  
• Get newer, more energy efficient appliances,
  
• increase the 'R' Factor in your home insulation,
  
• caulk around windows and doors,
  
• get high efficiency windows,
  
• replace light bulbs with flourescent bulbs,
  
• get a high efficiency waterheater and wrap it in insulation blankets.
  
• take a serious look at installing alternative energy sources; wind, solar, water, hydrothermic, anything that would reduce your dependence on oil.
  
• Finally, take a serious look at your automobile and consider replacement with something that gets good gas milage.

Don't do these things because they are fashionable, do them because your survival and the survival of your children and family depends on it.

One last thing, lobby for, work for, and elect only those politicians that understand the perils of this situation and who are determined to work collectively and in concert with other countries to establish JUSTICE in this world. End poverty, end hunger, end child and women exploitation, end racism, end disease, end unhealthy water sources.

You want peace, work for justice.

"Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why."
Kurt Vonnegut

I have said it so many times. George W. Bush is the worst President in U.S. History. Worse than Buchanon; worse than Polk; worse than Coolidge; worse than Nixon; worse than them all. Collectively.

This man is an absolute disaster as President.

It isn't just that he is arrogant, small-minded, petty, vicious, ignorant, deluded, vindicative, obtuse, and morally bankrupt. It is that he has come along in a time that is the worst possible time to have George W. Bush in a leadership role.

We are facing the cumulative progression of Global Warming; Overpopulation; Corporate Power run amok; Biological Pollution threatening the very health of the planet; Religious Wars and hatred dividing humanity; Globally tied Economic Policies and Politics that guarantee the destruction of habitats and whole species of fauna and flora; Massive over exploitation of Earth Resources; and the every present threat of a Global Pandemic. We are now faced with a huge delimma's, perhaps the worst to face the human species in our existence, and we have as leader of the most powerful country on the planet an illiterate fool.

Published on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Under the Cold Eye of History

by Robert P. Watson "...From the great presidents we know that the country is well-served by leaders who exhibit the following traits: Humanity, compassion, and respect for others A governing style that unifies, not divides Rhetorical skills and the ability to communicate a clear, realistic vision Willingness to listen to experts and the public Ability to admit error, accept criticism and be adaptable Engaged and inquisitive, with a sense of perspective and history Integrity, inspiring trust among the people Moral courage in not shrinking from challenges.." Any of these sound like Bush? NO? Then perhaps this.... "... Bush has been tone deaf, disinterested in advice and evidence that contradict his beliefs, intellectually disengaged from the crises that have enveloped his administration, and arrogant in exercising power. Bush's failure is most apparent in the major crises of his presidency, namely mishandling the war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina, recklessly amassing the world's largest deficits and debt, and failing to lead on pressing challenges such as the skyrocketing costs of health care, fuel and a college education..." "...Indeed, the president has long passed the point of simply being untrustworthy; he has made a mockery of the office. That Bush will be remembered by history as a failure is now conventional wisdom among scholars of the presidency..." I see the bumper stickers are some cars, "Bush 04", and I think to myself, "What kind of fool would admit they supported George W. Bush?" If I were them I would not only remove the offending 'Bush' sticker, but I would rip off the bumper it was attached to. Maybe I'll just do it for them....

It's all just normal.....

PERKS OF BEING OVER 50

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

4. People call at 9 pm and ask, " Did I wake you ???? "

5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

7. Things you buy now won't wear out.

8. You can eat dinner at 4 pm.

9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

11. You no longer think of speed limits as challenge.

12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the

room.

13. You sing along with elevator music.

14. Your eyes won't get much worse.

15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national

weather

service.

17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember

them either.

18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

19. You can't remember who sent you this list

And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

Also Forward this to every one you can remember .

thanks Brother Bill

(Cimetiere Montparnasse Monument - Couple in Bed - Claudecf)











Somebody,
somewhere,
sometime,
and somehow
must have thought this statue was a swell idea.

But I can't imagine why.

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948), "Non-Violence in Peace and War"

by GaiaRambling










Charley Reese, Antiwar.com
What People believe.

"How do you persuade a man who has a wife and children and who works hard but can barely make ends meet to take a pay cut and go do something that has a high probability of getting him killed or seriously injured?.."

"The opportunity for self delusion invites the promise of self destruction."

BOG

+++++++

Of all the information available about the Bush Junta, one of the best, most concise reports is The Project for an Old American Century, 14 Points of Fascism.

If you want to know the state of America today, read this list. If you know of any republicans out there who still believe that Bush is a 'great American', make em read this list. If these republicans STILL don't get it, then just shoot em, the're too stupid to live.

See, he CAN tell the truth....

I have been accused in the past of being anti-Christian. In an honest appraisal of my writings I would say this is true.

I have often felt that hypocrisy was one of the worst behaviors because it is also one of the most difficult to avoid. I too fall into the hypocrisy mud and wallow around a bit. I often don't do what I say, or hold others to a standard that I am not willing to uphold. In fact, I am a great one for pointing out the short comings of others, while ignoring my own. I can judge and criticize with the very best.

I am reminded that other people are on their own journey as I am on mine. I need to leave them to their path, whatever it is they have chosen, and focus on my own. People, consciously or unconsciously chose their lot in life. For instance, I have neighbors that are the most compassionate, ethical, considerate people I have ever known. They live well and they share their gifts with those that have less. They do this selflessly. They are Christian and are heavily involved with their church. They are a credit to this religion they have chosen as their own. Interestingly, these are good people, who would be good people regardless of their religion.

Religion does not make people good, it only allows good people to express themselves. Being compassionate is a personal choice that reflects a spirituality that transcends Religion. In fact, being Spiritual has little to do with Religion. It is about choices of how we chose to view others and how we chose to care for ourselves.

However, the more conscious we are about our lives, more spiritual we can become.

Living Consciously means making decesions about right and wrong every day, rather than just cruising on autopilot and letting our society make the choices. Conscious living means questioning everything, and being open to whatever answer we get. Conscious living is not criticism or judgement as these are behavior that stem from fear or hurt. Conscious living is not about restriction or rigid adherence to rules and norms, it is about making your own personal decision about how you want to live your life. You chose to return a wallet with $100 in it. You chose to allow someone to cut you off in traffic without becoming angry and vengeful. You chose to be an arrogant, pitiless, ignorant megalomaniac like George W. Bush....oops, got some judgement in there.

Even Bush has his path and has his own journey. I can fault his behavior, but I must accept that he has his own journey to make.

To all of you who happen to believe in Christianity, or Judaism, or Moslem, or whatever, I apologize for judging your journey. I apologize for branding you with the same iron. You have your path, I have mine, yours is no better or worse than the one I have chosen, just different. As is true of every living creature. There is a world of varying realities and the world is far more complex than any of us can know or understand. I must not judge who you are and where you are going because that is for you to decide.

autumn 2005 - dlusion















Any civilization, past, present, or future, that invests more energy in preparing for the afterlife in some mythical 'heaven' than it does in cherishing the biological entity called Earth is a civilization of fools and charlatans.

What possible sense does it make to follow some blind religion that worships a celestial deity while poisoning, exploiting, and killing the planet upon which every living creatures depends? What possible logic would lead otherwise intelligent creatures to create mystical religions that allow the despoiling and destruction of our environment?

Modern Religions view nature as birthright of humanity, to do with as we please. Modern Religions allow for the exploitation of other living entities because of arrogance and ego-centric lies that form their foundations. By what distortion of reason would humanity follow any other God than that of Earth?

The earth is and always has been our God. It gives us life, it gives us presence, companionship, medicine, breath, health, hope, mystery, and death. The planet itself gives us everything we ascribe to celestial Gods and more. It gives us reality. The Earth is REAL; Jesus, Budda, Yahwe, Mohammed are all contructs. They do not exist. They have importance only because people have given them importance. These Gods exist only because humanity exists. Take away humanity and these Gods cease. Look at the endless pantheon of lost Gods: Bal; Jupiter; Osiris; thousands upon thousands of nameless Gods worshipped by nameless people living in forgotten places and lost times. The Gods of this era will no doubt vanish into history as the world moves on, civilizations crumble, humanity scatters in survival. These modern Gods are no more powerful or sacred than all the others. They are just the latest in a long line of created myths.

But the Earth exists whether or not humanity exists. The Earth abides. If there is to be worship and honor, we must turn to the Earth as our Mother, our God.

Humanity has taken the wonderous life giving substances of our home world and has polluted the air, the land, the water. Humanity has slaughtered in great and unforgiving numbers the animals that share this world, destroyed its forests, its oceans, its rich tapetry of life, for food, for clothing, for leather, for shelter, for toys, for glory, for riches, for power, for fun. Humanity, in the guise of civilization and under the name of Religion, has treated the natural world like disposable tissue or toilet paper.

This is insanity.

Bush The Christian...

These are the words of Jesus Christ. Now, I am not a Christian. It isn't that I don't believe in Christianity, I do. It's Christians that I don't believe in. Of all the pro-war people in this country, the Christian Right Wing is leading the pack.

Urged on by their babbling leaders: Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, Bush, etc., the Christian Right has supported the War in Iraq, the War in Afganistan, the War in El Salvador, The War in Panama, The War in Grenanda, the War in....well you get it.

The leading proponents of war in this country consist of the Christian Right.

Where ever you find the slaughter of innocent people, you will find conservative christians. So, to display the virulent ignorance they have of their own religion, I have presented the words of their savior:

The Holy Bible

"29The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thous shalt love they neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
St. Mark 12 29-31

(ahh...you'll notice that killing your neighbors dosen't seem to be on the list....)