No Justice Wanted

“… regardless which [disposition] option we follow however, and especially in light of the planned psychological pressure techniques to be implemented, we need to get reasonable assurances that [Abu Zubaydah] will remain in isolation and incommunicado for the remainder of his life.” 

Abu Zubaydah

Nothing says we know just how immoral, unethical, and down right wrong our actions are as the above statement. Abu Zubaydah is one of at least 119 known victims of the CIA rendition, detention, and interrogation (RDI) program. Suspecting someone of any criminal act does not preclude justice from being served in a just, ethical and moral manner; in fact, to act in any other regard nulls and voids the integrity of the actions of the hypocritically vengeful masquerading as proverbial white knights.

In the case of the CIA, their actions seem almost more criminal than the terrorists that they were so aggressively hunting. In hind sight, the truth is a lack of human intelligence expertise can create not only a vacuum of knowledge about ‘enemies’, it also creates a desperation in reaction that prevents intelligent, logical and rational judgment which respects the morals and legal code of conduct of the ‘good guys’. This dilemma ensures that errors in judgment will be made and that much greater disaster will ensue.

As terror acts increase around the world, one is left wondering how can the U.S. government claim to be winning the war on terror. Does the U.S. even know who the terrorists are? And when asked to identify the enemy in this war on terror, the Pentagon claims “National Security” for a “No Comment” answer. Combine that doubt creating answer with the Senate Report on the CIA RDI program and it makes it very hard for any logically thinking American to have any faith in the actions of the U.S. Government regarding terrorism and foreign policy.

The CIA is an intelligence gathering agency, it has no law enforcement policy or procedure, as a matter of fact it is designed to work outside the rules of law without actually breaking the law. It should have never been the job of the CIA to apprehend any suspect of terror activity; their sole action in the apprehension of terror suspects should have been limited to identification of proper suspects and providing the proper intelligence to agencies, such as the FBI, so that proper law enforcement action could have been taken against the suspects. It is very apparent, in looking at the data from how the RDI program was put together and run, that there was no properly defined end game, and it could even be argued that the start game was not as organized as a local park pick up game.

James Mitchell

Bruce Jessen

There are two names that are given as the creators of the enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs) used on victims of the CIA RDI program. Those names are James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, they are psychologists whom had served in the US Air Force. Mitchell received his PhD from University of South Florida, his dissertation was related to nutrition and diet’s effect on hypertension; and Jessen received his PhD from Utah State University, his dissertation was on family therapy. While, yes these men were affiliated with the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) program, they were observers to basically check a box with ensuring safety of the military students of the course. They were not developing policy or procedure, they were not writing SOPs or training manuals, they were not doing long term research on the effects of the course on students that passed or failed. As a matter of fact when it comes to real experience, these two men were about as qualified to found any interrogation policy as D.C. Meter Maids. Correction, the Meter Maids are probably more qualified in actual interrogation with suspects than these two men.

These men seem to have convinced officials of very questionable intelligence and even more questionable common sense that not only does torture work, but that what would absolutely ensure success was the complete psychological destruction of detainees to gain intel or worse to prove that they were not with-holding more. Most real and respected experts in the field of torture and interrogation will tell you that the exact opposite is true. That once you torture and ‘break’ a person, they will tell you ‘what you want to hear’ just to end the torture. It appears that in desperation to maintain control and relevance in the DC power war, the CIA rushed head first with blinders on into a terrorism black hole. The CIA has no idea how to investigate and build a prosecutable case against a suspect, again this was not their job. This fact seems to have been of no concern to them as they never considered allowing the justice system to have any part of holding terrorism accountable, having been allowed to operate in that gray area of the slippery slope that signals the self destruction of honor and integrity, the CIA decided that they alone knew how and what to do and whom to do it to to make the world a safe place. Instead what they have done is outranked the terrorists in destroying the safety and security and freedom of America and the world.

via ACLU.org

The RDI program basically answered to no one externally, when it functioned. What little ‘reporting to’ that was done was done to like minded over reactive neocons that think they are the only ones that know what is best. Even under their own ‘self reporting’ they still could not follow the rules or get it right. By their numbers, the CIA ‘wrongfully detained’ 26 individuals, of  which 3 were subjected to EITs. In addition, the interrogators were supposed to get approval of EITs before using them on any prisoner, yet 17 victims suffered unauthorized EITs. And to what end or success did this program achieve; a mere 17 high value suspects were ever detained. For the record that is less than a 15% success rate!

Not only were their methods flawed once they had a victim, their intelligence sources for picking ‘terrorists’ to detain was also very flawed. Under the Clinton administration the budget of the intelligence agencies and military were slashed to the point that the US had virtually no human assets in unstable areas to provide real true intelligence on the climate and players. Thus, the US as a whole became very dependent on the rumors of the terror world and on the intelligence gathering of other countries. Most dissenters of the war in Iraq claim lies on the part of US officials leading up to the war, I would correct them in that it was not outright lies, it was incompetence and incomplete intelligence pieces to actually and factually know what was going on on the ground in Iraq, coupled with their own delusions of us against them left over from the Cold War. The proof can be seen in the sources that were cited regarding the WMD intelligence, some of which were Saddam’s own high ranking officers trying to save their own lives and insure personal gains for themselves and their families and none of them have ever been held accountable for their bad information that led to the disaster that is currently their homeland.

via telegraph.co.uk

So who were some of the sources for names of terrorists that the CIA kidnapped? As Human Rights Watch has detailed, Gaddafi was one of the sources supplying the United States with the names of individuals it claimed were terrorism suspects. Most of the names that were supplied by such an honorable man as Gaddafi were members of the Libyan Islamist Fighting Group (LIFG), who were opposed to his rule in Libya. Thus in their ill-conceived rush to retaliate against the ‘bad guys’ the CIA became the thug enforcers for dictators that the US deemed terrorists themselves.

And what has  been the result of the CIA’s rush to be the hero? There are over 100 broken men in the world. There was no regard for their guilt or innocence and no recompense for damages caused or life lost or time stolen, for how can you undo such damage as was inflicted during a torture session. How do you give a man back his pride and his sense of self when you stole it without cause? How do you return a man to family broken and shattered beyond repair? What good is a piece of paper saying we now believe you are not guilty when you have been locked up for years? Where is the justice for families that lost sons and brothers that succumbed to hate under the burden of grief inflicted by the absence of love ones for years? Where is the increased safety due to the creation of that hate? How many more have lost their lives over anger and hate born out of punishment and execution without judgement or proof?

In the hopes of some truth and justice coming out of this senseless ill-planned knee jerk reaction to the tragedy of 9/11, journalists and lawyers and human rights groups are trying to do the right thing by using the justice system of Europe and the US to bring some peace and solace to the victims of the CIA’s RDI program. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has heard 4 cases concerning the involvement of European states with the secret CIA RDI program and is currently hearing 2 more. The 4 cases that the court has ruled on have resulted in finding that the accused European states were complacent to some degree in their action or lack there of regarding the violation of the human rights of the men whom brought the cases before the court. The first case involved a German national of Lebanese descent, whom was a victim of the CIA RDI program. His complaint states that “he was arrested, held in isolation, questioned and ill-treated in a Skopje hotel for 23 days.” This case resulted in the court finding that Macedonia (FYRM) had violated Articles 3, 5, 8, and 13. In 2 cases Poland was found in violation of Articles 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and 38, as well as Protocol 6. In a case against Italy, the state was found in violations of Articles 3, 5, 8, and 13. And currently there are cases pending against Romania and Lithuania. For more on these cases please read the press release for the ECHR. In the US, the ACLU is pursuing action against the men directly responsible for the RDI, Mitchel and Jessen.

In addition to the legal action, there are other groups that are working on bringing the truth to the public audience. The Rendition Project from their about page describes themselves as an unique group of academics and human rights focused individuals working to bring out the truth of the CIA RDI program. Another group that is trying to give a public voice to the victims is The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. BIJ is an independent not-for-profit organization that hopes to educate the public about the realities of power in today’s world. Please follow their projects for more detailed and specific information about this and other important issues of a global level.

Beyond Apathetic Disillusionment

via cpalabama.org

For well over 15 years, maybe even my whole adult voting life, I have been completely disillusioned with both political parties and even the minor parties seemed for the most part to be complete extremes of some thought or whim or another. Who was an intelligent, logical, rational person supposed to vote for? On top of that I was a confused mix of my own intelligence and the values instilled in me in my childhood. Maybe, more so than most regular, normal, girl or boy next door kids, I became a very eclectic mix of the conservative military values I was surrounded by and the over driven push for knowledge. Thus I have some very ‘Republican’ ideals and some very ‘Democratic’ ideals as well, but mostly I have ideals that are VERY unRepublician and unDemocratic.

First and foremost, I believe in the Constitution in it’s truest form. Unfortunately, between the Republicans wanting to infringe on freedom of religion and speech and the Democrats wanting to infringe on the right to bear arms and both parties wanting to strip away the rest of the 1st Amendment protections for press and assembly and protest, as well as taking away most protections found in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Amendments under the guise of national security within the intentionally very vaguely worded Patriot Act and NDAA, it makes both parties completely un-American.

via cliparts.co

In keeping with the Constitution and the intentions of the founding fathers, the Constitution was written to keep government limited and as close to the people as possible, thus the emphasis on states’ rights. Yet, states are constantly being given mandates from the federal government about what they can and cannot do and what laws they can and cannot pass. All of this violates the intent and spirit and even letter of the law of the Constitution, however, being that the Supreme Court is political due to the rise of political parties, the Court no longer uses the Constitution as its measure, but merely as its means if it happens to benefit them or as a door mat if it does not. Neither party has any desire to have a limited government, their only differences are the areas of government that they want to be the largest. Republicans want the military/police arms of the government to increase in size; whereas the Democrats want the social/welfare arms to be the largest.

Political parties create division and prevent unity. The first elections were ‘independent’ men running ‘singularly’. Our Presidents and Vice Presidents were determined by the 1st and 2nd place finishes of candidates in the election, supposing that one had the majority of the vote. Sometimes you had 2 men that were from different political thoughts, but they worked together, they compromised, and came together for the good of the nation. These are things that do not happen today, politicians do not come together for the good of the nation, only for the good of their wallets.

Taxpayer Protest via wikipedia

As an American and a voter, there are a couple things that I would like to see happen in the electoral system; first, I think that any candidate should have to have a clear majority of the popular vote, so over 55%, not just of those that got out and voted but of the whole voting population, and to encourage ALL voters to get out and vote, give them a NO vote, which says that they do not accept any of the candidates: second, either do completely away with political parties, or make them ‘equal’ in how they nominate candidates, another words you have candidates that do not even get a simple majority of the voters that voted in a state primary instead of only receiving their percentage of delegates they get all of them, and the Super-Delegates need to be completely done away with, that completely usurps the democracy of the primary process. Another change that needs to be made, the Electoral College needs to do their voting in public, it needs to be a televised event so that voters truly understand their input and limits of their wishes when it comes to deciding who runs this country.

Monday morning quarterbacking will not change anything. Working with your own little click will not change things. Attacking each other will not change things. All the splinter groups need to work together on their common interests! There are members of all sides that want the same changes, maybe not for the same reason, but that can be handled later. Look for reasons to work together and make the common changes! Start with the local levels and state levels first! If petitions were successful in three-quarters of the states for say term limits for Congress then Washington would see that an Amendment by the people would be possible. The voting public needs to come together for EVERYONE’S right to vote and be fairly governed.

Blackmail, Blind Ambition, Brutal Greed, Or All Of These?

Reuters via 911Review

From the first impact into the North Tower at 0846 on 11 September 2001, there have been questions, allegations, and accusations. Truth has been seasoned with controversy, national security, and various conspiracy theories about the who, the what, and the how of the attack, leaving the casualties in the ashes of the event. As stories about the event multiplied so too did the theories that would create various urban legends; was it a complete and total inside job by the US government or was it a Saudi run operation for the US government, was Mossad involved or was it just complete incompetence and self-serving arrogance of various US intelligence agencies unwilling to play ball?

There’s a saying that the stories that last do so cause there is at least a kernel of truth in their origins; yet, variations of all these stories have survived, partly because of the epic and world changing proportions of the tragedy,  thus muddying the waters of the whole and complete truth of what honestly happened that fateful day leaving us to wonder how accountable each accused is.

GITMO via freedomoutpost.com

While the United States government stated and made the public effort to show honest and truthful reactions to the terrorist attacks, behind the scenes the US had ‘boots on the ground’ within 48 hours. This was the reality when officially military operations were not announced, by then President Bush, until 7 October. President Bush, in the aftermath of the attacks, stated that justice would be brought to the perpetrators of the crime. With that intent, during the military operations an unknown number of ‘suspects’ and ‘enemy combatants’ were captured and detained.

In the ensuing years upwards to 1000 persons may have passed through the gates of GITMO or worse the secret detention locations in various countries around the world. The total true numbers are unknown due to the stonewalling of the Pentagon and other government agencies. Ironically, one of their stated excuses for not releasing a complete and accurate list has been respecting the privacy of the prisoners; yet, it seems that no other respectful consideration has been given in the treatment of the prisoners or their identities. I wonder if anyone has polled the prisoners to see if they want such respect for their privacy over no respect during interrogations and day-to-day treatment regarding things such as forced feedings. I also wonder if it occurred to anyone at the Pentagon that by releasing a whole and complete and accurate list of prisoners maybe things like wrong identities might be sorted out before improperly and immorally detaining innocent persons for years!

via en.wikipedia.org

In addition to military operations, a Commission was formed over a year later, 27 November 2002, “to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks”. This report was published almost 2 years later on 22 July 2004; however, as of today there are still 28 pages of the report that are not public. Recently several members of the Commission, most notably, John H. Lehman, have stated the need to make public those 28 pages, which supposedly implicate several Saudi government officials with supporting the perpetrators of the attacks and or Al Qaeda as a whole. It should be noted that both the Saudi Royal Family and more than a few terrorist groups follow the same fundamentalist faction of Sunni Islam, Wahhadism. It should also be remembered that Bin Laden was the son of  Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, a billionaire construction magnate with close ties to the Saudi royal family. And that the bin Laden family has enjoyed very close ties with the Saudi Royal Family for decades, you can read more about that relationship in a PBS article about Bin Laden. 

It has come to light that the Obama Administration might release the 28 pages in question. However, it has also been reported by various sources, that upon his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, he was encouraged by the Saudi Royal Family to keep those pages secret. Logic would imply that you would only want kept secret those things that you think or know would hurt your own self, or those that are close to you, or your current and or future interests. It would be interesting to know if that encouragement in fact did occur and by what means was the encouragement linked to American agendas. Was the price and or production output of oil used? What about the ‘discrete’ means of support and contact between the US and ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels via Saudi Arabia? (Of course we are using the term ‘moderate’ and ‘Syrian rebels’ very loosely here) Or were other means of encouragement used? President Obama will no longer be employed in his current position after January and former Prime Minister Tony Blair has done very well financially in the Middle East since leaving office.

Considering that Iran, as a US designated terrorist state, whom has never had anything to do with al Qaeda (they are Islamic enemies) was just found guilty in an American civil court for being responsible for 9/11, I am sure that they would gladly welcome the public release of those 28 pages of the Commission Report. Unfortunately, neither Iran nor any of their allies have such influence with the American government to reach that goal. It seems that the US government is tired of having to just let all that seized Iranian money sit without being accessed for the US economy. What better way to gain access to it than by unjustly finding Iran guilty of 9/11 and using the seized moneys to pay the victims thus getting their hands on money that is not theirs and diverting the guilt from truth to political agenda ends. Furthermore, the sole basis for the guilty finding in the trial is the fact that Iran did not show up and defend themselves….this in a country that claims that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff not the defendant! So much for innocent until proven guilty!

via weekly.ahram.org.eg

There are those that claim that 9/11 was a ‘false flag’ inside operation to create a pretense for the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq for oil. There are a few unanswered questions if that is the case. First, Afghanistan was not a member of OPEC, nor was it a non-OPEC oil provider. So what oil was wanted in Afghanistan? Another unanswered question is that it was for cheaper oil, yet, “on Aug. 24, 2001, the average weighted price for a gallon of gas was about $1.51”  and it has not dropped back to or below that price since. So where is the cheap oil for America? However, a plausible retort could be that OPEC and the Oil Industry have never passed along those savings to consumers. It could be the same market control as is found in the diamond industry, where supply is strictly controlled so that selling prices can be maintained (though the market would say it was controlling value not cost). 

In addressing the ‘false flag’ part of the pretense claim, I find the proof very lacking. The amount of coordination and planning and support that would be required to pull off an event of the magnitude of 9/11 would involve too many people. There is also the fact that keeping such an immoral criminal act secret would be virtually impossible. The closest that a ‘false flag’ theory could get to truth, with the available information being studied logically and reasonably, would have to be adapted to more a rogue act by some small group of over zealous and or disgruntled members of some government agency, probably no higher than middle management level. 

The most common theory for the military operations after the attack would be for control and regime change. It is common knowledge that Saudi Arabia was not happy with the Hussein regime in Iraq, especially after Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait. It is a fact that Hussein, along with his sons, were the worst bullies on the block in the region; however, it needs to be remembered that it was the US, along with regional allies, that put Saddam in power in Iraq to begin with, just as it was US support, money and involvement via bin Laden and al Qaeda that put the Taliban in power in Afghanistan. 

via USNews.com

These 2 facts make the US government, in this respect, at least partially responsible for 9/11. How, you might ask. Simple, bin Laden was a nothing thug playing at war in Africa when he was chosen as the ‘hero of Afghanistan’. It would be very interesting to find out just how the US decided that some nothing thug from Saudi Arabia playing war in Africa could be so useful in Afghanistan. 
Who dropped bin Laden’s name to US officials? Whom in the US government thought that he was ‘the man for the job’? What made bin Laden willing to work with the US? Who provided the introductions? 

We do not have those answers, but, we do know that with US funding and training and support, which would have included being able to freely move internationally, so as to relocate from Africa to Afghanistan, the US created al Qaeda. Thus, since al Qaeda is considered the perpetrators of 9/11, that means that the US created the means by which we were attacked. It also means that 9/11 was completely preventable. The above information also means that since at least the early 80s and maybe even 70s the US was not opposed to using “outside freedom fighters” to incite regime change, especially in the name of defeating the enemy, whoever, that might be. Unfortunately, 9/11 did nothing to teach the US government that that method was not a long game positive for the safety and security of the land, citizens or interests of the United States; whereas this has been and still is the primary method of regime change used by the US at least since Afghanistan and is in full use today from Libya to Syria to Ukraine, leaving an enduring path of destruction and desolation in its wake for decades to come. Is there a single country that can say it is better off since US regime change was brought to bear?

To address the Mossad theories, it is a known fact that Israel has never had much issue with conducting military operations or covert acts within the borders of ally or enemy states alike, if it furthers their agenda. That being said, their apathy with regard to how their actions are seen lessen their desire to focus on discretion in such matters. It seems, that while they are known to be very comfortable using violent means to achieve their ends and their lack of concern about public opinion, thus it would not bother them to risk any American public backlash for such action, they had no true or real reason to commit the act. On such a scale as 9/11 Israel is not quite so discrete; nor would they, based on past actions, conduct such a large-scale operation that did not directly benefit them. And no, 9/11 did not directly benefit them!

What about the role of US Intelligence Agencies? It is common knowledge that each government agency has too much hubris and not enough team focus. It is also common knowledge that all that hubris has a very negative effect on inter-agency communications. It became known afterwards that numerous agencies had pieces of intelligence that had they been shared and combined would have given a complete enough picture of the intent of the 9/11 hijackers to have at least limited the destruction if not actually preventing it. Thus, the question becomes, how much did each agency know? Did any agency know enough? Was 9/11 intentionally ignored? Were there those whom thought that America ‘needed a wake up call’? Was it just ‘dropping the ball’? We may never know the full extent of which persons in each agency knew what and when they knew and what they did with what they knew.

One thing that is certain is that the whole of the government took advantage of and benefited from the tragic events of 9/11. The government has grabbed unconstitutional authority in the name of security. They have expanded their reach in the name of national interests. They have lined their pockets with the expansion of and implementations of security measures in the name of fighting terror. The disgrace is that the American public is not only not safer from terrorism, they are also not safe from their own government. They have lost freedoms and Constitutional protections and live with a government that has secret courts and immense surveillance tools turned to its own shores. There has been no positive to come out of 9/11 for the American public or her individual citizens.

 

Surprise, Surprise! More Hypocrisy

This week has seen the rage of citizens from around the world. And the fall of one Prime Minister, so far. The cause is the now infamous Panama Papers leak of documents from the Law Office of Mossack Fonseca. Ironically, once again the Western MSM followed ‘the rules’ and ran headlines of how Putin was named in the Panama Papers. Is there anyone in the US that actually practices journalism anymore? Putin was not even named in the documents that were released. However, the parents of British Prime Minister David Cameron were included, as well as, the Icelandic Prime Minister and his wife.

Reuters; Stigtryggur Johannsson

After the revelation of Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, at least 22,000 Icelanders protested for his resignation. For a country that has less than 330,000 residents that is a significant turn out. The UK did not see that kind of outrage, of course the UK did not oust its corrupt bankers either. So far about 200 Americans have been identified in the papers. Most of the Americans that are listed have some criminal involvement. However, the papers are still being scoured. The low number of Americans and the lack of high level Americans has people asking how that is possible. Maybe there is some truth to the theory that American intelligence had something to do with the leak or at least the hack.

The fact is that the US has ‘in-house’ tax havens. Some states, such as Wyoming and Delaware and others, have secrecy that is on par with the likes of Switzerland and the Caymans. The irony is that the US demands that other countries give them information about the banking of US citizens abroad, but does not return the favor. Matter of fact the US has such a hostile attitude about getting information from foreign banks that many Americans abroad have found themselves without banking options in countries they reside in.

The fall out will continue no doubt for weeks, and we will see more mention of Putin’s connections to listed clients, however, we will see very little about the other leaders that are named or have close family members implicated. The irony is that more than likely the connections to Putin, probably will not be as strong as McCain’s connections to known terrorists.

To see a partial list of names found in the paper.

 

Enemies Or Partners In Destruction

Security Photo via NBCNews

In the after mass of the Brussels attacks, it comes to light that most if not all of the suspects were not only known to security officials, but had even already committed crimes that had sent them to prison.  Brahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, were both arrested and convicted of violent crimes. Had they had to serve the entirety of their sentences they would still have been in prison and thus not free to commit the violent attacks on the Brussels Airport in March. Matter of fact the younger brother would only be getting out sometime this year and the older brother not for 3 more years. What is worse is that this is not an exception, this is the norm. Several of the suspects of the Paris attacks had similar stories. The Boston Marathon bombers we also known to have traveled to terror locations and shown violent behavior. 

While I believe that, if someone makes a mistake and they are remorseful and even show by their behavior and actions the truth of that remorse that early release is a good thing; and also that once someone serves their sentence or completes whatever punishment they have been given that should be the end of it. Those things being said, if someone is known to be a gang member or terrorist and especially if their crime is in connection with their gang or terrorist affiliation then there should be NO early release. Also, if you entered a country as a refugee or even a migrant and engage in terrorists activities you should also be deported. I have said it before and I will say it again, if someone travels to any terrorist location for the purpose of ‘joining the cause’ then upon arrival in that area, their passport and citizenship should be revoked.

AP Photo

The fact that the above actions are not being practiced by Western countries in their war on terror shows the true intent of the governments’ commitment to their own publicly stated policies. This is truly the only action that is needed for the public to know that they are being put at risk for the sake of their justification of further oppression of peaceful and law abiding citizens and the transformation of free democracies into the profitable police states of the military industry. If you want to know any government’s or company’s true intention and focus, all you have to do is follow the money. Corporate “America” (America is not the country with corporations that fit this comment) has one goal above all others and that is profit! If you are in business then you do need to make a profit; however, when your desire for profit out weighs all other focus and even destroys your morals, then you are in the wrong.

via wikipedia.com

The top defense contractors made thousands of millions of dollars in profit in FY2013. With Lockheed Martin leading the pack at $10,402 million. Together the top 20 defense contractors made $52,533 million in profit in the same year. Lockheed Martin is the leading defense contractor in the world, in 2014 the company had “defense revenues of $40.128 billion out of $45.6 billion total revenues. That was down $366 million, or -0.1 percent, from last year’s defense revenues of $40.494 billion.”  These contracts are a sizable part of the defense budget which is 55% of the US budget for 2015. Of the top 5 contractors, their overall revenues are made up of defense contracts from 64% of General Dynamics to 75% of Lockheed Martin’s total, based on Washington Technology’s company profiles. The same contractors contributed a combined $7,272,642 in the political arena, both Democrats and Republicans as well as special interest groups. Also in the second quarter of 2015 defense lobbying was up $12.8 million over the same quarter in 2014. One does not need to be an economist to see that there is TOO MUCH MONEY at stake for the war on terror to ever end!

Thus unless the public collectively puts their difference aside and joins together en mass to demand some very real change to our policies and actions regarding terrorism and regime change in foreign nations, we can look forward to many more terror attacks, each more violent and deadly than the previous all in the name of destroying what is left of democracy and freedom to be replaced by military police states that will continue to oppress and imprison and impoverish all in the name of profits.

Tyranny Is An Insatiable Beast

When the people allow the government to restrict any previous freedom for the sake of security the overall safety of the public has been diminished. That is a really scary environment to live in. Americans like to hold themselves up as examples that the rest of the world should strive to be…..but what exactly is America today???

Today’s America would be recognized by our Founding Fathers, but in a very bad way! Our government would remind them of the tyranny of the British Crown and would be quite the insult that we took their sacrifice so lightly that we WILLINGLY allowed and even asked for and encouraged the creation of such a condition that we are now in. Our founding was based on a very limited government and the right and responsibility of individual men to live their lives in the way that brought out the best in them and thus improved the community in which they lived as well. The was to be an individual responsibility to one’s self and own. What did one’s own mean? Well part of the vision and intelligence of the founding fathers was that it was up to each man to determine what was ‘his own’ but for sure it began with individual responsibility.

Unfortunately, the majority of citizens in the USA have either decided it is easier to have others, in this case the government on every level, think for them or have been duped into believing that others think better than they do. That leaves the minority trying to reign in the Hydra that is the government. And of course that upsets the beast!

If you have ever looked at ‘questionable’ police arrests, you will find that a majority of those arrests, especially during protests or civil disobedience acts, as defined by the government, result in a majority of the arrests being for the sole charge of ‘resisting arrest’. Isn’t it ironic that you can be arrested for nothing more than resisting being arrested. But what is more concerning is that what is defined as ‘resisting’ is left up totally and completely to the discretion of the arresting police officer. Which means that you can be arrested, for anything from physically defending yourself from law enforcement members to merely asking ‘what am I being arrested for’. Being arrested for the latter is actually a violation of the individual’s civil rights as defined by the Constitution. Also, a majority of these arrests never see the inside of a courtroom so no REAL justice can be served. There is NO real recourse for the individual that was illegally detained for exercising their rights under the First Amendment of  the Constitution.

Now one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world is pushing for resisting arrest to be a felony charge. This is not only disgraceful it is completely unconstitutional! And it is a very open attempt to remove the active minority from the political process, since convicted felons lose their right to vote and other rights that are reserved for ‘good citizens’. This move, if successful would mean the end of democracy in America and would leave NO option but revolution to the minorities that seem to be the only truly active participants in communities.

 

Looters And Rioters Hurt Not Help

I really didn’t want to cover the Ferguson issue anymore, cause I think that over coverage of the incident is causing the problems and not helping anyone or anything. This is a sad story, in so much as outsiders have incited violence for a community that needs peace.

Ferguson Burning via nbcnews

The MSM is as much to blame for the violence in Ferguson as the looters are. The media has done a piss poor job, as is their norm, of covering the WHOLE story. They also have covered only the emotions and ignored the totality of the facts. Thus, they have led the public into believing a version of the ‘truth’ that is not complete or accurate. Let’s face it, the facts would not have made for better ratings than the emotions and stirring up the emotions also provided the media with more ‘sustunance’ for their continued ratings battles. If you think the media is looking out for you, you are wrong. If you think the media only prints the truth, you are wrong. If you think the media is unbiased, you are wrong. Media is a business……a HUGE business! So huge in fact that only 6 companies control over 90% of all media in the US and most of those 6 corporations control media internationally, as well.

I have had international friends tell me how dangerous it is to be a journalist in certain countries around the world. They repeat stories of death threats and violent intimidation of reporters for certain stories that they try to publish. They get visits from ‘men in black’ telling them kill the story or it will kill you. Most of them think that it is different here in the States, but I tell them, there isn’t freedom of the press here either. We just censor it differently. Reporters get hired for their point of view. Reporters have their jobs and reputations threatened by their own bosses. Reporters have accidents. Reporters get slandered publicly. Reporters get black-balled in the business. Don’t believe….ask Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks, whom lost his job at MSNBC (which was one of their highest ratings show) cause he didn’t stick to their point of view, if the facts differed.

Brown and Wilson via yahoo news

But back to the point, here is the bottom line for Ferguson……
The Grand Jury, which is not the District Attorney and his buddies, but a panel of regular people, just like the trail jury would be, refused to indite Officer Wilson. Think of the Grand Jury as a test run for a trail. What people seem to miss is that it is the burden of the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed; in all actuality in our system the defendant does not even have to defend themselves, the whole burden is on the State. When a Grand Jury is convened, it is presented with ALL the evidence that the State would present in the regular trail, witnesses are called to present their statements. Two things that the Grand Jury have that regular trials do not is that their proceedings are conducted in private and the panel are allowed to ask questions so that they can make the best decision.
The members of the Grand Jury along with being regular people were also local people, this means that they, unlike the media and probably the instigators of the looters, had a vested interest in doing what they thought was the right thing.
Looting and rioting did not and will not bring back Michael Brown. The violence will not heal the community. The damage done does not benefit the community. The businesses that were destroyed by the thuggish, immature behavior of the rioters will not improve community relations, it will not entice business owners to move into the community, it will not justify young people that ‘want a better life’ to stay in the community, it does not change the make up of the police force.

Deandre Joshua

A Guardian article stated that the decision not to indite Officer Wilson made a public statement that black lives do not matter. I would counter that comment with this….. The looters and rioters made a public statement that black property and black lives do not matter! Everyone is screaming about ‘justice’ for Michael Brown, when what they really mean is revenge. Yet, where is the anger and outrage about Deandre Joshua who was murdered during the riots. Could it be that there is no outrage cause this is likely one black man killed by one or more other black men so the community sees no need for outrage about ALL violence in their community or about their ‘outrage’ over one young black man causing the death of another young black man? Which life mattered more? Michael Brown’s or Deandre Joshua’s? Why is there no outrage and protests about all the gang related shootings in Chicago this year? It is like offensive words….either you are offended or you are not, you can not be offended some of the time and expect people to believe or understand your upset. Only getting angry over some violence is not supporting a cause. Only getting angry over certain cases is not supporting change. Only getting angry does not help improve the situation.

Marriage Vs. Civil Unions

articles.courant.com

This is a hot button topic that has been used to divert attention from real issues!

I know that just pissed some of you off and that is just fine as far as I am concerned.

There have been battles fought across the nation for the right to persons involved in same-sex romantic relations to get married and enjoy the ‘legal’ benefits that are reserved for spouses.

via buffalogov.org

I think this is a bad solution to a complex issue. Marriage should not be a legal issue, it should be a religious/spiritual ceremony, thus it should be up to each religious organization whom they determine to be eligible for marriage. This religious ceremony should have no more legal status than baptism or confirmation!

The legal counter-part that should give the desired benefits should be a Civil Union Declaration. This declaration should be made to the courts and should declare that 2 persons, regardless of their biological or religious relationship, wish to be seen as a union in the eyes of the law. This would give them all benefits that are now reserved only for spouses. This would also declare that the partner in the union can be supported by the other member in the union and gives the persons special status that is currently reserved for spouses, such as ‘spousal privilege’ and survivorship status if one of the union dies.

Handfasting via stylemepretty

Why should we have 2 different statuses? There are several reasons for this solution. The first is that defining marriage, a religious union, by law violates not only the First Amendment, but also blurs the line between Church and State. Another reason is that ‘family’ comes in many different fashions and types and styles. Whom we love and how we love should NEVER be limited to the definitions of religious organizations or the whims of government.

Just because 2 people are involved in a romantic relationship regardless of any other factors, they should not have to ‘be married’ to be considered legitimate. Our divorce rate proves that a ‘marriage certificate’ does not improve relations or commitments. Also, sometimes siblings, cousins, or best friends have become life-long companions, AND that is okay and should not be discriminated against or judged, nor should it be considered less of a commitment to another person than any marriage.

gayhawaiiweddings.com

It should not be the right of the government to determine the rightness of any relationship between 2 consenting adults. If people were allowed to identify their relationships as they fit their lives we would find less broken homes and lower divorce rates as well. Yes, there would have to be provisions for the dissolution of Civil Unions and yes, a husband and wife can also be parties of a Civil Union, but by allowing Civil Unions between any 2 adults you would recognize the importance of social contact and relations to the health and well-being of society as a whole.

 

Community Organizers; Lions In Sheep’s Clothing

via pearlsofprofundity.wordpress.com

It would be more accurate to state that they are lions in lions’ clothing pretending to love sheep! Why? Cause these ‘super’ people come into communities that are in some way victimized and preach of what should be better and what should exist; yet, in general the most that they do is just that preach! Their true intent, the more I read or listen or look or find, seems to be to create anger and hate and even violence. Those emotions are destructive not constructive and as such their acts are also destructive in the long run.

Now before you get too upset with me, know this….I am all for protesting, free-speech, even revolution and I am not for conforming just for the sake of conformity, security over freedom, or the right of authority without consequence!
NO government and certainly NO ONE is above the law and immoral and unjust laws need to be removed from the books! (but that is for another time)

Abby Sewell (February 27, 2011) Los Angeles Times.

Back on track; you may ask yourself how can she say that? These people do things to make the world a better place and that is a good thing. Well, let’s just see how I drew my conclusions. The primary handbook that is used by community organizers from Obama to the Tea Party is Rules of Radicals, by Saul Alinsky. It instructs these leaders to ‘rub raw’ the injustices and hardships of the people they are organizing; basically to whip them up into an angry mob mentality in order that they raise loud angry voices to speak out ‘for themselves’. This is the primary goal of the community organizer, to get all the ‘victims’ to scream and yell and be angry!

While I will agree that there are times when you have to yell and scream and even get mad, that should not be your first means of improving society and it should not be your primary means of improving society. That anger that will lead to violent riots instead of powerful peaceful protests should be considered the community’s ‘means of war’ and as with ALL diplomatic relations, war should be the absolute last option chosen to resolve an issue and only used when all other means of resolution have failed completely and it is a matter of life and death.

Being community organizer is one of those ‘titles’ that sounds all intellectual and enlightened and compassionate until you really examine it. First off, it implies that you are from the community, yet Obama was not from Chicago, he moved there cause he landed the job as ‘community organizer’, he was, as most are, an outsider. Now, for the record, being an outsider does not mean you cannot care about a community, but most people will agree that few care as much about a community as the people who live there and have always lived there. While I have given him due credit for his rhetoric for years, that does not truly make someone a whole or real person and since that is his only talent that I have seen thus far, it actually supports the fact that Obama is a shell of a man, without integrity, honor, valor, or courage and thus without character. Sadly, he is likable to most people. That said, being likable does not make you good or right. Many criminals on all levels are very likable people, they have families and friends and loads of people that would speak of how likable they are, yet, they still lie, steal, cheat, kill, destroy the very things that they claim to hold so dear.

The next thought one believes about the community organizer is that they want to help build a stronger community. This aspect is a little harder to examine, it takes the perception that is in rare use today; that is in using the community to create and build their own ‘better world’ on their own, using their own talents and skills. What the community organizer does is little things that give the appearance of helping, like organizing letter writing campaign to get street lights replaced. Offering buses to local school board meetings or commissioner meetings, not for building and creating working relations but to have you show your anger! Getting out the vote, but telling you which candidate you should vote for!

Food For The Hood via www.abqjournal.com

What really makes a community stronger is developing not only your local talents and treasures, but in thus doing so encouraging those that would leave to stay, by giving them a reason. For example: the schools are not giving your kids the best education; sure going to board meetings and PTAs and the like and voicing your thoughts and concerns are good, but put more energy into fixing the problem yourself. Even if you have to do it yourself, in your own home, set up group homework meetings where kids are encouraged and supported to do their homework and have members of the community facilitate these meetings, don’t worry about how smart you are or aren’t, you will be surprised at how the kids can help and tutor each other. As a community ‘reward’ the kids for their work and dedication, it can be as simple as making little ribbons for good report cards or giving out goodie bags for perfect attendance. If the school won’t work with you, do these things in someone’s home or a local church or rec center. Have community clean up days…..EVERYONE get out and pick up trash or pitch in and help paint a senior’s home. Create a list of the shut ins and single moms and at risk kids; find out what they need, meals cook, rides to health appointments, walking kids to and from school and as a whole community help each other out, improve the quality of life for the WHOLE community. The best you will get from a ‘community organizer’ like Obama is the success of government ‘throwing more money’ at a problem, but EVERYONE knows that by the time that it travels all the way down to the community, there is nothing or very little left.

via communicationsfocus.com

If you did not know what illusions are created by community organizers, all you have to do is look at Obama’s time in politics. He does not roll up his sleeves and get his own hands dirty. His concept of compromise is to stir up anger and make threats, tactics learned in the pages of Saul Alinsky’s book. If you are such a blind Obama supporter that you can find no fault in his performance, then look at the members of Congress that belong to the Tea Party, judge them, for they follow the same play book that Obama does.

You wonder why we cannot get passed grid lock in DC, we have two opposing sides that both have learned to use anger and division and ‘war’ to get things accomplished and those in the middle have no strength of leadership to put the two spoiled toddlers in time out and move forward. That is cause grid lock serves the whole very well. They do not have to admit to bad votes or no progress and each side has a villain to blame without consequence.

 

D.C.’s Chicken Little Game

Disney’s Chicken Little

OH MY how DC loves to create panic!

Of course it serves them well to do so. They have been creating panic on demand since WWII. The ‘evil’ Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain was a perfect boogeyman for the expansion of the federal government past the bounds and confines of the Constitution. Brought home with McCarthyism witch hunts the government flexed it muscle against the very source of its power and authority in the name of security and the trusting masses acquiesced. Thus the downhill slide began!

via insanemedia.net

After the American public gave an inch for the greater good of stopping the spread of political communism and anyone of note that spoke out against the aggressive nature of the US government’s dealings with the Soviet Union were demonized and even black-balled, from actors to writers to artists. That was all the incentive the ‘Men In Black’ needed to keep pursuing their goals of an ideal American world. It was a modern-day witch hunt; but it was merely the first in a long line of modern-day political and ideological witch hunts!

via wikipedia

The next witch hunt was against the Anti-War/Civil Rights Movements. Those movements were not separate crusades, they overlapped greatly. The common core was based on the same belief, the value of individual life no matter whose life it was and the right to live that life in peace and security. The government still used the same attack and smear campaign that worked so well for them in the 1950’s. However, there are rumors that persist that claim that the government stepped up its force in dealing with its perceived enemy. And that it is the true reason for the deaths of such beloved public figures as John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

via cbc.ca

In addition to the very public and very noticeable war against political enemies, there have been less visible wars against the American public waged by the American government. Those wars have been in the form of creating panic about ‘pandemics’ that have suddenly appeared on the American medical scene. The largest one in recent history is the fear that was spread for years and still to some extent exists today about HIV and AIDS. The government had developed some tact and decorum by the time this ‘war’ arose so that their attacks against undesirables was portrayed as ‘public service campaigns’ and ‘awareness battles’ to help protect those at greatest risk. In addition to having AIDS as a target, they also had avian flu and swine flu.

via kosmixmedia.com

Then by luck, or according to some hook and crook, the US Government got their best propaganda tool for a direct and extensive attack on the American public. The bombings of 9/11 brought a very ‘real’ threat to American soil, the only real question is whom the true and real perpetrators were and just whom knew what and when and how much. More importantly did the ‘Men In Black’ true patriots allow, encourage or carry out these events? It seems nearly impossible that there is absolutely NO culpability on the part of factions of the US Government via ignorance, apathy, incompetence or design on some or all levels. And 13 years later the US Government is still attacking the American public and the American public still thinks they are only giving a temporary inch for the good of security.

Terrorism is not the only campaign being waged against the American public to ensure the security of the American government. Add to terrorism, the crushing debt that is the foundation and structure of the American Dollar as well as the ‘open border’ crisis with Mexico and now the Ebola scare. Oh but life is good for those ‘Men In Black’!

Voter Fraud? Perfect Solution.

City of Fairbanks AK

There have been numerous articles and lots of political crying foul over voter fraud. It seems really ironic that any politician would even pretend any concern about the validity of elections here in the US. The land of the free has not truly had a transparent or unquestionable election in over 20 years.
No amount of voter anything will change that as it is not the voters that have corrupted the system. It is the politicians, their media owners and their allied ‘activists’. That is the beginning and the ending of the voter fraud.

On what do I base these accusations, you might ask. It is simple, as Americans have become impatient, self-absorbed, internally focused they want the outward intrusions such as elections to be convenient and easy. Americans have also become impatient, they do not want to wait for anything, not the fruits of their labor or the results of counting election ballots. Enter the mega-media conglomerates…..and their projections, who needs actual results and who asks for the vote counts when we have exit poll surveys, cause NO ONE has ever lied to a pollster, not to mention that in my who adult life, which may not be as long as others, I have NEVER been approached by or seen these exit pollsters!!!

Don’t want any issues with voter fraud….go OLD SCHOOL!

The Express Tribune Pakistan

EVERYONE votes on Election Day! Do away with early voting, if our forefathers could walk or ride horseback to vote then we can certainly drive our cars to the polling stations. If people in 3rd world or warring countries can walk for days, risking life and limb, not to mention bombings, killings and persecutions to proudly display an inked finger then we certainly can tear ourselves away from Duck Dynasty and Keeping Up With The Kardashians long enough to check a few boxes on a piece of paper.

Iraqi Women Voting via http://www.CherieBlair.org

Worried about the ID issue….again go LOW TECH! Do not get so bent out of shape about who someone is when they come in to vote and ink their finger with ‘permanent’ ink then they cannot come back for vote 2. But this only works when we have 1 Election Day, like most of the rest of the world.

Want valid results……NO PROJECTIONS ALLOWED!!! Do not allow exit pollsters and do not allow projections! PROJECTIONS absolutely disenfranchise voters in half the country! When MSM calls National Elections by 9 pm EST, which is hours before the polls close in half the country that is basically telling that half of the country that their votes do not count. So require media to only report actual counted ballots.

CNN Election Night 

Now, I am not stupid, I know none of the afore mentioned solutions will be implemented. Why should they? We do not really want to have honest, valid elections, we do not really care, not the masses whom are too self absorbed to be bothered and not the politicians whom sold their souls when they entered the game for the chance to win. But then again if you are not going to actually fix the problem, then stop talking about the problem! But then again if politicians or reporters stopped talking about problems they have no intention of trying to solve they would have to be eerily silent forever.

 

9/11; The Day The US Govt. Hit The Bottom Of The Moral Barrel

via 911review.com

13 years ago, today, the US Government threw away what little morals and honor they had left and sold the souls of all the honorable men and women that believe in the ideal of a free and independent democratic republic. There is no one man that is responsible; stop blaming Bush like he flew the planes, himself! That being said hold the feet of ALL government officials to the coals for their part in the crime committed against the citizens of the country.

There is a common trick played in D.C. whereas the ‘elected official’ NEVER specifically says they want something directly to happen; this is to create the ‘truth’ of ‘plausible deniability’ thus supposedly absolving the political from being guilty of some wrong doing or worse tarnishing their image.
Another common trick that politicians play, that was a FAVORITE of then Senator Obama; that is one of abstaining from any and all actions. If you do not participate in speeches or actually vote on bills presented on the floor then you do not have to deny a choice you made nor do you have to explain your actions, cause you were action-less.

There are 2 sayings that apply here, one is a well known one, the other one is from a very respected friend during an intellectual conversation, but is very applicable here;
1) You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything.
2) Even when you make no choice that is still a choice, the choice not to choose.

Both of these work well for creating terrorism threats. How? Direct example; it was the US Government that put Saddam in power in Iraq, when the previous regime leaned more to the ideals of an Iraqi-first point of view versus a Western controlled Pan-Arab group and aligned itself with the communist party. This action is directly opposed to the founding of the US, which was based on the ideal that the citizens of any location or nation have the right to self-determination, even if they choose a path that is not ours. Thus it is not up to the US to decide what type of government that the citizens of any nation choose, our only concern should be that they have the freedom and right to choose their government and choose differently in the future under the legal means of their country, but it is still THEIR choice, not ours.

During the Cold War, the US had a single-minded approach to their Foreign Policy, stop the spread of communism. This focus completely disregarded the will of the citizens of most states in question. This policy worked very nicely for the corporate machine that was entrenched into the political wheels of the US Government. For the politicians there was the very pretty ideal for the support of the American public, that of defeating the oppressive, cruel communist regime, to which the US Elite has to give Stalin much gratitude for providing prefect propaganda that could be used for decades to follow. More importantly and less obvious was the ability of the corporate big wigs to use that political ideal to further their global profit base, as well as, backdoor access to directly guide the acts of the US government to benefit the corporate world both at home and abroad, while disregarding the rights of individual citizens of the country.

This single-minded focus of US Foreign Policy was the mechanics that created Al Qaeda — thus by default creating the tragedy of 13 years ago. How? First it was one of many unsupervised CIA global operations to stop the spread of communism. The only criteria one had to have to be funded, trained, supported by the CIA was to be willing to fight the Soviets. The problem with the methods of the CIA covert operations were that they were basically violent in nature without regard for the culture or public opinion of the areas in which they were supporting armed resistance to Soviet advances. In most, if not all cases, those ‘rebels’ were not idealists whom wanted to see democracy succeed in their countries, in the specific case of Afghanistan, that was not even Bin Laden’s country nor the home of many of his soldiers. Their goal was not the best interest of the Afghan people, but the influence of their own like minded oppressors! Al Qaeda never wanted a free Afghanistan, they wanted an Islamic State of Afghanistan……hmmm sounds familiar doesn’t it. And the US Government, via the covert actions of the CIA supported the oppression and destruction of the people of Afghanistan as well as other countries in the name of stopping the spread of oppressive communism!!!

WOW! There is one for the double-speak, hypocrisy play book, support oppressive thugs in over-throwing ‘oppressive politics’!

The real hypocrisy was not in whom the CIA funded, but in how they left those areas, the CIA and thus by association, the US Government, is like inviting the animal kids to the party, you know the ones that come trash everything and then leave. That is what happened all around the world during the Cold War, or worse, they left behind the heartless, soulless mega corporations to continue to rape and pillage the remains from the violence for freedom and democracy. And any one with a 3 digit IQ wonders about why the world hates America? Really?!?!

This history of violent actions followed by inaction or worse corporate action is the true blame for the shame of 9/11. Thus, the US public cannot blame terror or a ‘terror group’ for what happened on that day. It is the fault of the American public for not making a choice to pay attention to the acts of their own elected servants and allow them to deem themselves elected officials. It is the fault of Americans for not making the choice to be active in their communities thus ensuring that those politicians that rose in office were of honor and noble character. It is the fault of the American public for allowing the US Government to surrender to terror 13 years ago today by giving up most of their freedoms and rights in the lie of security.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke