The Weekly Watch

MLK and the FBI

The mafia branches of the US government target people who threaten their power. The FBI began its persecution of Dr. King back in the fifties when he was involved with the Montgomery bus boycott. Hoover wanted to silence him calling MLK "the most notorious liar in the country."

Hoover, who headed the FBI for decades, obsessively despised King on a deeply personal level. He kept files on the civil rights leader in which he'd scribble hateful comments on memos he received about King, apparently for no purpose other than his own gratification and catharsis. On a memo about King receiving the St. Francis peace medal from the Catholic Church, he wrote "This is disgusting." On the news of King's meeting with the pope, he scribbled, "I am amazed that the Pope gave an audience to such a degenerate."

https://www.opednews.com/articles/MLK-and-the-FBI-by-Caitlin-Johnstone-A...
Not only did the FBI encourage him to commit suicide, but were also probably behind his assassination. Let's investigate the sordid story this week. (51 min)

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TLkpQd-i0U&feature=emb_title]
(transcript at embedded link above)

Dr. King spent the last year of his life working to unite the anti-war movement with the civil rights movement into a true "Poor People's Campaign". This scared the hell out of TPTB. An FBI scholar argues that recently unearthed surveillance documents aren’t proof of anything about Martin Luther King. They do, however, show how the bureau tried to destroy the Poor People’s Movement.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/mlk-martin-luther-king-fbi-disclosure...

In August 1967, the FBI created a COINTELPRO against “Black Nationalist–Hate Groups,” which targeted SCLC, King, and other civil rights leaders. King was identified as a target because the FBI believed that he could become a “messiah” who could unify black nationalists “should he abandon his supposed ‘obedience’ to ‘white liberal doctrines’ (nonviolence) and embrace black nationalism” (Senate Select Committee, 180). In the last few months of King’s life, the FBI intensified its efforts to discredit him and to “neutralize” SCLC (Senate Select Committee, 180).
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/federal-bureau-investiga...

Speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. against the "triple evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism." Audio. (23 min)

Sermon "Why I am opposed to the Vietnam war". (45 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyE4eo_leX8

One year before his death, Dr. King gave a speech criticizing the involvement of the U.S. in Vietnam. Great consequences would follow. His criticism made him very unpopular towards the end of his life.
Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, Rev. Martin Luther King April 4, 1967,
Riverside Church, New York City
https://www.crmvet.org/info/mlk_viet.pdf

Since revealing its illegal COINTELPRO harassment of Dr. King and the existence of at least 5 paid informants who reported to their Memphis Field Office, the FBI also disclosed that Dr. King’s trusted friend and renowned photographer, Ernest Withers, had been secretly working as an FBI informant. In addition to the FBI informants, a black undercover Memphis PD officer named Marrell McCollough had infiltrated the Invaders in 1968. McCollough stood in the parking lot of the Lorraine Motel on the night Dr. King died. He claimed to have been the first person to reach the body.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/fbi-memphis-pd-assassination-mlk/

On October 10, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy committed what is widely viewed as one of the most ignominious acts in modern American history: he authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation to begin wiretapping the telephones of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy believed that one of King's closest advisers was a top-level member of the American Communist Party, and that King had repeatedly misled Administration officials about his ongoing close ties with the man.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/07/the-fbi-and-martin-...

...to this day more than 17,000 pages of FBI files dealing directly with Dr. King remain classified...The King files are part of the vast, still classified FBI “Domestic Security” cases, spanning 1939 to 1984. The “Domestic Security” label was used by the bureau to conceal the true political or racial nature of the surveillance and investigations conducted against targets such as King, labor leaders such as Walter Reuther, or folk singers such as Pete Seeger, among others.

https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/436437-mlk-and-the-fbi-50-years...

King was only 39 when he was killed on April 4, 1968, having spent 12 years—almost a third of his life—under the FBI's watch. In all that time, the bureau—and Director J. Edgar Hoover specifically—never uncovered Communist Party ties or any nefarious behavior that warranted the years of wiretaps and eavesdropping. Instead, they discovered a man devoted to serving others, unafraid of self-examination and unconcerned with fame or notoriety,

https://www.newsweek.com/fbi-martin-luther-king-jr-surveillence-wiretap-...

trial.png

In 1999, civil trial King v. Jowers determined former Memphis PD officer Loyd Jowers had been complicit in a conspiracy to assassinate Dr. King. In December 1993, Jowers appeared on ABC’s Prime Time Live confessing to his participation in Dr. King’s assassination. Jowers admitted he believed MPD Lt. Earl Clark fired the shot that killed Dr. King, not James Earl Ray. Although the U.S. government claims that Jowers fabricated his allegations, they have also admitted responsibility in attempting to ruin Dr. King’s marriage and persuading him to commit suicide.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/fbi-memphis-pd-assassination-mlk/

After four weeks of testimony and over 70 witnesses in a civil trial in Memphis, Tennessee, twelve jurors reached a unanimous verdict on December 8, 1999 after about an hour of deliberations that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. In a press statement held the following day in Atlanta, Mrs. Coretta Scott King welcomed the verdict, saying , “There is abundant evidence of a major high level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. And the civil court’s unanimous verdict has validated our belief. I wholeheartedly applaud the verdict of the jury and I feel that justice has been well served in their deliberations. This verdict is not only a great victory for my family, but also a great victory for America. It is a great victory for truth itself. It is important to know that this was a SWIFT verdict, delivered after about an hour of jury deliberation. The jury was clearly convinced by the extensive evidence that was presented during the trial that, in addition to Mr. Jowers, the conspiracy of the Mafia, local, state and federal government agencies, were deeply involved in the assassination of my husband. The jury also affirmed overwhelming evidence that identified someone else, not James Earl Ray, as the shooter, and that Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-04-06/why-so-many-people-believe-fbi...

The 1999 trail was in civil not criminal court, and was not covered by the media. I find the verdict credible....others not so much.

...the jury who heard the case of King vs. Jowers (in which the King family was represented by James Earl Ray’s former lawyer, William Pepper) returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, holding that Loyd Jowers had participated in a conspiracy to kill King, and that “governmental agencies” were party to the conspiracy:

THE COURT: In answer to the question did Loyd Jowers participate in a conspiracy to do harm to Dr. Martin Luther King, your answer is yes. Do you also find that others, including governmental agencies, were parties to this conspiracy as alleged by the defendant? Your answer to that one is also yes. And the total amount of damages you find for the plaintiffs entitled to is one hundred dollars. Is that your verdict?

THE JURY: Yes (In unison).

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/government-mlk-assassination/

And the beat goes on...

Deputy Assistant Director Terry Turchie on Fox's Tucker Carlson Tonight. In a passing tangent largely unrelated to the rest of the interview, Turchie made the following shocking statement in relation to the ongoing Russiagate saga:

"And I think we can expect more of this, because quite honestly the electorate in some places is putting more and more progressives and self-described socialists in positions. And ironically, years ago, when I first got into the FBI, one of the missions of the FBI in its counterintelligence efforts was to try and keep these people out of government. Why? Because we would end up with massive dysfunction and massive disinformation and massive misinformation, and it seems to me that's where we're at today."

So there you have it. A sad story of a rogue branch of our government. Wonder why no one suggests reforming or abolishing the FBI? In some ways the story of Paul Robeson is even sadder...https://www.counterpunch.org/1999/04/01/did-the-cia-poison-paul-robeson/
more from Robeson's son...
https://www.democracynow.org/1999/7/1/did_the_cia_drug_paul_robeson
It is quite the situation when your own government is an enemy of the people, and that seems to be the long time situation for US government.

State of the Union: Another Take

By Randy Newman

Jan. 24, 2007

Randy Newman, the singer, songwriter and composer, performed this song at Carnegie Hall in 2006. This is an abridged version.

I’d like to say a few words

In defense of our country

Whose people aren’t bad nor are they mean

Now the leaders we have

While they’re the worst that we’ve had

Are hardly the worst this poor world has seen

Let’s turn history’s pages, shall we?

Take the Caesars for example

Why within the first few of them

They had split Gaul into three parts

Fed the Christians to the lions

And burned down the City

And one of ’em

Appointed his own horse Consul of the Empire

That’s like vice president or something

That’s not a very good example, is it?

But wait, here’s one, the Spanish Inquisition

They put people in a terrible position

I don’t even like to think about it

Well, sometimes I like to think about it

Just a few words in defense of our country

Whose time at the top

Could be coming to an end

Now we don’t want their love

And respect at this point is pretty much out of the question

But in times like these

We sure could use a friend

Hitler. Stalin.

Men who need no introduction

King Leopold of Belgium. That’s right.

Everyone thinks he’s so great

Well he owned The Congo

He tore it up too

He took the diamonds, he took the gold

He took the silver

Know what he left them with?

Malaria

A president once said,

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

Now it seems like we’re supposed to be afraid

It’s patriotic in fact and color coded

And what are we supposed to be afraid of?

Why, of being afraid

That’s what terror means, doesn’t it?

That’s what it used to mean

The end of an empire is messy at best

And this empire is ending

Like all the rest

Like the Spanish Armada adrift on the sea

We’re adrift in the land of the brave

And the home of the free

Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What a different world we might have if MLK was still with us.

I'm playing a dance this morning and won't be around till late this afternoon. In the meantime please contribute your own stories, thoughts, and opinions. I'll look forward to catching up with you later.

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Comments

Raggedy Ann's picture

I'm looking forward to going back and listening and reading more about MLK. We all knew the government killed him - and then Bobby Kennedy. I was only 16 but understood the actions of my government.

My government has been a bad actor for many decades. I'm afraid what the proverbial straw will be when the American people wake up and break the camel's back. It will happen - I often think this election will be what erupts our society. We'll see.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone, and for those off tomorrow like me, WHOOHOO! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Lookout's picture

@Raggedy Ann

Hope the well drilling project has gone well and your water is flowing.

I also hope you are right about an awakening this year. I sure was disappointed in the democratic primary discussion I heard at the dance weekend. One Amy fan, one Pete fan, another Tom S fan...several blue no matter who...only one Bernie, and I was the only one who even mentioned Tulsi. Of course we're talking Alabama. Most predicted a Biden win in this state but no one had him as a choice. It is going to be interesting. I keep coming back to the corporate media propaganda machine as the primary obstacle to over come.

MLK, the Kennedy's, 9/11 all have obvious fingerprints of the mafia branches.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

The whole current political conditions are already disturbing and depressing enough. I can't make it through the content presented without losing my composure. I remember when he was shot, I was in the hospital to get my tonsils removed and read books about his life in the hospital.

I will come back to it later. Thank you for putting this together for the know-nothings among your readers here.

I need a bit more uplifting thoughts right now. Have a good long week-end.But I also would like to say that being critical and without respect for the US as expressed so often by Europeans and Germans, does not mean that we can't be as critical and without respect to our own countries here. These are two pair of shoes. I have NO respect for what is the situation in Germany today, which doesn't mean I would stop to voice my critical thoughts about the US. Just saying...(and not to forget the US absolutels doesn't care what Europeans or other countries think about them, whereas Europeans and many of the other countries care very much about what the US thinks about their own countries.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

It is unpleasant to think about your own government operating to suppress the very ideals they claim to support. I think it is important to recognize the pretty in your face evidence of domestic and foreign interference by the very government organizations created to protect us. The MLK assassination is simply one of those stories. No need to wade through the dirty details...that's it in a nutshell.

Similar events seem to be happening everywhere.

Have a good week!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout

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mimi's picture

Scott Ritter:
[video:https://youtu.be/yK2kc0eOGS4]
Once a liar, always a liar. I hope Biden doesn't win the nomination. This video I think is a must see and must listen piece. It is chock full of info worth remembering.

PS I forgot if the Weekly Watch is an Open Thread piece or not. Wanted to point out to what Scott Ritter said of why there would be a war with Iran and the comparisons he made to the Iraq war's beginnings. It always was and is a bipartisan effort enforced by war to engage in regime change, be it now with Irana, or as it has been with Iraq. I thought this interview with Aaron Maté explained quite a lot of the underlying reasons.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

Glad to see Scott hitting the media circuit too. Saw him recently elsewhere. Thanks for the clip.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Lookout's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

Hope all is well in your corner.

Thanks for the song.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

@Lookout

Unexpectedly upset by the loss of Neil Peart. I guess 67 isn't that young, but it felt too soon. As with Robin Williams, the world is a lesser place without him.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Lookout's picture

@Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal

never varied too far out of the '60s rock/folk music scene. Funny how 67 seems young from my situation and age, although many of my friends died in their '50s. A musicians life isn't easy. Not just alcohol, drugs, and sleep deprivation, but my buddy suggests much of it is from eating out of a paper bag while on the road. Plus the stress of making only tens of dollars.

All the best.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Azazello's picture

Here's some stuff that I flagged during the week.
The Plot to Attack Iran - Myths, Oil & Revolution, Abby Martin with author Dan Kovalik, YouTube, (51 min.)
Jimmy Dore: “Trump is doing what George Bush did with preemptive war.”, Dore fills in for Jesse Ventura on his RT show, YouTube, (25 min.)
Pelosi: 'McConnell has Russian connections', The Duran, YouTube, (1hr.23min.)

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Lookout's picture

@Azazello

Did you catch any of the long Jimmy interviews this week?

One with Joe Rogan almost 3 hours...fun very wide ranging conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amx14K9N5CY

And another on the Last American Vagabond
Jimmy Dore Interview - Voting In A Broken System, The Two-Party Illusion & Tulsi Gabbard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNAfCD78V-E (47 min)

Thanks again!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Azazello's picture

@Lookout
Haven't watched the Joe Rogan one at all.
His are always so long. I'll check it out, later.
Glorious day in Tucson today, 75 and sunny.
I gotta' go outside.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIYiGA_rIls width:500 height:300]

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

is among my favorites ('Little Criminals' is another), with such great songs as these two examples that still give me goose bumps, 'God's Song' and 'Sail Away'.

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Bob In Portland's picture

Part of the game for the US ruling class is to remove the leaders of the opposition and replace them with faux leaders. When MLK was murdered by the State who did the MSM proclaim as the next leader of African Americans? Jesse Jackson, the man without a tie. Jackson was able to be both an ineffective leader and irritate white voters. That was part of the game. Since he stopped dabbling in politics he's been a commentator on social and political events, basically moving the corporate agenda along.

It is always important for the ruling class to replace true leaders with ones beholden to them. When feminism began blossoming in the sixties the FBI and CIA identified Gloria Steinem, ex-CIA spy and propagandist, to become the leader of white feminism, thus dividing the movement by races. Going around town on the arm of Henry Kissinger was a tell.

I am positive that the year-long trial of OJ Simpson was another show trial aimed at dividing races. Despite the immutable belief by many that Simpson has to be guilty, simply by controlling his legal team, controlling the courtroom, and having its press minions report on the case they achieved its goal. Having him be an "entitled black man" who "got away with murder" did wonders for the racist agenda. If anyone is really interested in that I could crank out an essay on it. History, my fellow travelers, is important.

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@Bob In Portland @Bob In Portland @Bob In Portland @Bob In Portland @Bob In Portland @Bob In Portland
at the Democratic National Convention the evening news gave daily updates, with a courtroom artist sketching scenes in the Courtroom but out of all of them I can't forget the drawing of Bobby Seale, of the Black Panthers', gagged and strapped to his chair at the defendant's table.

I was eight days shy of turning eighteen and I was in the Fort Worth Texas County Jail watching the news with everyone else in the 'day room' and it felt like a 'tender box' in there when that artist's drawing of Bobby Seale was on the screen and one of the older white men said, "that'll shut that ni**er up" ,angering the Black inmates that heard him.
Of course they told their other 'Brothers' what was said and it looked like a big fight was going to happen between the white and Black inmates. I wanted no part of it, in fact I was friends with more of the Black people than the White people in there, in fact I disliked most of them who reminded me of KKK relatives.

It was one Black man that stopped it, Roy, who had respect in there because he was educated, knew the law enough to draft 'writs' 'appeals' etc. and had helped a few of the illiterate White people with their cases, so the fight got chilled out by him talking with both sides.

However due to one altercation I was in (which had nothing to do with the above scenario) I was moved to another 'Tank' and within a couple of weeks I heard thru the 'grapevine' that a big fight happened involving almost everyone in there,and a number of people needed to be taken to the medical ward once enough guards had regained control of the Tank.

Needless to say I was glad that I missed it but I wondered about two cellmates of mine, that were 'White' and hoped they were ok. They were two old hoboes, I don't remember what they were in jail for but they had looked out for me, always telling me to stay near them when tensions got high in there at times.
They certainly looked like their life had been rough but they also looked like they were used to having to fight for survival riding the rails, but these guys were not racists,like me they spent more time among the Black inmates than with the others.

So I hope both of them found a corner and stayed out of it and for more reasons than one because everyone involved were going to 'the hole' and after that all would be moved to different 'tanks', but information travels around in jails and if they had fought on the side of the Black inmates they'd be better off being put in the single person 'isolation cells'.

Talking about this made me think of them again,I just hope they made it out of that County jail and went back out 'on the rails' because they seemed so happy telling me stories of their travels (which I enjoyed) ,and telling me what to do and not do when traveling on the railroad.

This went longer than I intended,my apologies it just all came back to me when talking about Bobby Seale being bond and gagged in a courtroom in 1968.

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Lookout's picture

@aliasalias

to reveal our deep intrinsic racism.

Thanks for the story!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

lotlizard's picture

@aliasalias  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Hoffman

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@lotlizard @lotlizard
in his next last verse and he has a lot of background in Chicago, including playing in a small club and being discovered by Kris Kristofferson. I still have this first album of John Prine.

When I woke up this morning, things were looking bad
Seem like total silence was the only friend I had
Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won
And it was twelve o'clock before I realized
That I was having no fun

Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No I'm just trying to have me some fun

Last time I checked my bankroll, it was getting thin
Sometimes it seems like the bottom
Is the only place I've been
Chased a rainbow down a one-way street, dead end
And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen

Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No I'm just trying to have me some fun

Well, I sat down in my closet with all my overalls
Trying to get away from all the ears inside my walls
I dreamed the police heard
Everything I thought, what then
Well I went to court and the judge's name was Hoffman

Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No I'm just trying to have me some fun

Well done
Hot dog bun
My sister's a nun

(my emphasis)

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Lookout's picture

@Bob In Portland

or is it just our fate? I don't see an escape route.

Thanks for the excellent description of the MO.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

(let's Drop the Big One) is fitting for the war culture of the USA.

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paris
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono babe
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

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@aliasalias Sorry but could not think how much this logic sounds like some of Trump's musing. Not a thought about what the real impact of a nuclear weapon would be. I have always enjoyed his songs but had not noticed how political many of them were. Thanks for post this and to the others that did as well.

Back to the other topic in the OT, the government is not to be trusted to do the right thing. The history behind the demonization of Martin Luther King is so horrible, it is hard to feel good about what is going on here in the United States.

It is a beautiful day outside and think I will release some of the demons with a nice bike ride.

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

@jakkalbessie @jakkalbessie @jakkalbessie
people realized Randy Newman is quite short himself. His song 'Rednecks' got banned from a lot of stations.
On it he is portraying the Northern stereotype of white Southerners, completely tongue in cheek. Taking the piss out of the elitist attitude of SOME Northerners. Pointing out the segregation by class and race that is present in many Northern big cities, as a result of the creation of inner city government housing. Satire to point out hypocrisy.
Keep in mind when you hear this song that Randy Newman is also Jewish, which a lot of people didn't know when they heard the first verse.
Fwiw I also have the album "Good "Old Boys' which has the song "Rednecks".

[Intro]
Last night, I saw Lester Maddox on a TV show
With some smart ass New York Jew
And the Jew laughed at Lester Maddox
And the audience laughed at Lester Maddox too
Well, he may be a fool, but he's our fool
If they think they're better than him, they're wrong
So I went to the park, and I took some paper along
And that's where I made this song

[Verse 1]
We talk real funny down here
We drink too much and we laugh too loud
We're too dumb to make it in no Northern town
We're keepin' the niggers down

[Verse 2]
We got no-necked oilmen from Texas
Good ol' boys from Tennessee
College men from LSU
Went in dumb, come out dumb too
Hustlin' 'round Atlanta in their alligator shoes
Gettin' drunk every weekend at the barbecues
They're keepin' the niggers down

[Chorus]
We're rednecks, rednecks
We don't know our ass from a hole in the ground
We're rednecks, we're rednecks
We're keeping the niggers down

[Verse 3]
Now, your northern nigga's a Negro
You see, he's got his dignity
Down here, we too ignorant to realize
That the North has set the nigga free

[Verse 4]
Yes, he's free to be put in a cage
In Harlem in New York City
And he's free to be put in a cage on the South-Side of Chicago
And the West-Side
And he's free to be put in a cage in Hough in Cleveland
And he's free to be put in a cage in East St. Louis
And he's free to be put in a cage in Fillmore in San Francisco
And he's free to be put in a cage in Roxbury in Boston

[Bridge]
They're gatherin' 'em up from miles around
Keepin' the niggers down

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Lookout's picture

@jakkalbessie

But got in a couple earlier this week. I've been having great fun with the ebike.

Got plenty of exercise at the dance. Plenty of playing too. I'm a good sore this pm.

Have a good evening!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout I am riding an ebike and love it. Has made any excuse just what it is, an excuse.

Rode my bike while in Austin and may be my imagination but not as friendly people on the trails; no smiles, waves or nods. Will keep working on it.

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3 users have voted.

Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

Lookout's picture

@jakkalbessie

...but in town folks are interested and ask me about the bike. Menlo, GA doesn't see many bike riders and the ebike is a novelty. Now nearby Summerville has several bike riders but never seen an ebike there. The ride across GA often comes through but it is a once a year event. https://www.brag.org/21-2/ Some years even come through Menlo, my closest town.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout That curious glance at me is the response I get in Santa Fe. They will look for a minute and then say "but it folds in half?" That is the fun of talking up the benefits of the ebike. Let's keep in going!

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

Lookout's picture

@aliasalias

A poet of our time.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lily O Lady's picture

speaking at a King Day event since he used his office as Secretary of State to purge voter rolls and generally ensure he was elected governor. It struck me as supremely arrogant. I really cannot stand the man.

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Lookout's picture

@Lily O Lady

...but Kemp is particularly bad, and cheated his way into office.

Don't know about your neighborhood but this area of NW GA is flying Trump flags and wearing Trump 2020 hats. Whatta world.

Saw several Decatur/ Little Five Point Atlantans this weekend. All misled dims. Only one Bernie supporter among them. Most blue no matter who. I stressed playing attention to policy.

Thanks for the visit!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout from Counterpunch, I think. Robert Sheer hosted Chomsky who "made the case" for lesser of two evils voting.
What the hell? I didn't bother to read the text or watch the video. I feel we are being conditioned.
I do want TPTB to know that it is not working with me.
edit: truthdig

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Here's the link to the interview with audio or text for those with an interest...
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/noam-chomsky-makes-the-case-for-the-le...

Last Sunday's WW featured the 1st part...
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/noam-chomsky-america-has-built-a-globa...

Loved your post about the wedding...congrats to all, including you! Hope all the snake bite effects have faded and you're doing great.

I know you're a traveler. We're about to make our first venture to Costa Rica. I'll post some things as we go. Hope to see some new birds.

All the best!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout I forgot to mention, the bride was so nervous, she put his ring on the wrong hand! The attendees whooped and hollered! The groom made no move to stop her.
CR is just lovely. Jackalbessie could give you all the inside scoop about it. I enjoyed the day we spent at a coffee plantation, enjoyed the volcanoes, unfortunately, we saw very few birds. Darn it!
If you are a serious birder, please consider a trip to Trinidad. They have the largest bird sanctuary on this hemisphere. People from the world over stay at the lodge, go out looking all day, every day. I discovered it by sheer accident. (The plan to go there for a few days was made about 2 days before we flew out. I knew nothing about Trinidad until I got there!) Some travel pals are birders, and they have been there, or plan to go there. It is supported by Prince Charles and Camilla.
I do not have plans to return to CR, but I will absolutely return to Trinidad eventually.
I am beginning to find more and more shoes I can wear. The persistent swelling is diminishing over time. My feet almost match!
All the best back atcha!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

So much to see...so little time. With the garden and maintenance of our place we tend to do a US trip once a year, a foreign trip the next...sprinkled with regional 2-3 day excursions. We often forget the local attractions around every one of us. We still have many to explore. The world is filled with beauty and enrichment as well as misery and desolation. Oh the irony of life.

Thanks for the visit.

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout That said, I extensively travelled the country in the '80's. The only places I might want to see are Hawaii, Alaska, and the Everglades. They are way, way down on my list.
I prefer a chat with a waiter in Lithuania to a chat with one in the US.
I do typical stuff, toss in something off the wall, and I travel 2 to 5 times a year.
I am 67. Anything that needs to be done at my home in my absence can be done by my brother or my maintenance guy.
This year, I will see Sicily and Scotland. Typical destinations. But then, Uzbekistan. Way, way off the typical destination list. And I will swing back to Mexico, an inland colonial tour, not resort stuff, for Christmas.
This is my time to walk, climb, bend, lift, and at my age, those physical attributes will be gone, sooner, rather than later.
I just have no interest in engaging with Americans in America while trying to see or visit something. Texas is full of lovely sites. Canyons, rivers, mountains, but it is also full of damn Texans! lol!
I stepped out of the airport in S. Africa. How do I know I am not home? This man came out of the door with me, was met by his family in full local garb. They formed a circle, chanted, danced, and THAT is what I crave.
I crave something not familiar, to be gob smacked over and over again.
This world is beautiful. Filled with beautiful people, beautiful cultures.
The more I see of it, the more disinterested in the US I become.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

nor the many Utah parks (other than Arches and Canyonlands). We're into the natural scene as much as the cultural....appreciate both.

As to local things ... I've been to distilleries in Orkney and Ireland, but have not been 60 miles away to Jack Daniels and George Dickel as an example of what I'm saying about missing the local in search of the international. Still have not traveled down the Natchez trace nor floated many of Alabama's rivers.

So love the international exposure and local exploration too. Love your travel stories please keep 'em coming.

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout but it is on my bucket list as well as Scotland. I have been to Yellowstone but there is nothing I can say about it that would do justice to the beauty of it, Imo it is a must see if at all possible. I have also been to the Jack Daniels distillery and had a great time as well as some great whiskey. The main reason I visited the distillery was because my grandfather was from the area and he used to tell stories about running moonshine during prohibition that allegedly came from the distillery under the direction of Lem Motlow who I guess inherited the distillery from Jack Daniels.

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@pro left If it is not raining, it will soon rain. If it is raining, it will soon stop. And soon rain again.
I have a friend who went there, rented a car, drove everywhere, had fun. Could not tell you 3 things about Ireland, other than pubs and Guinness.
Not my experience at all.
I travelled with CIE, the premier Ireland travel company. I went here, there, everywhere, on a bus, with a fabulous guide.
It was good fun in the pubs, loved the Irish dancing and music, but as we drove along the roads, what the guide told us about the history of Ireland was depressing as hell. We went into a home with thatched roof. Thatched roof now? They only acquired electricity in the 70's.
We saw the places where Irishmen were hung because they objected to tyrant England. We were pointed out to this great street in Dublin to just shop, but two blocks over, we might be killed.
Ireland, beautiful with beautiful people, ranks as the most depressing place I ever visited.
Check on The Pale. Beyond the Pale.
Ireland is not Happy Dancing.
I loved everyone I met there. The end of the tour, everyone off the bus, the guide came to me with a package someone left behind. He gave it to me.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@pro left

...and would return in a heartbeat. We went to many ancient sites

Pictures at the end of this piece...
https://caucus99percent.com/content/saturday-evening-post-0
and this one...
https://caucus99percent.com/content/saturday-evening-post-2
Throughout this one...
https://caucus99percent.com/content/saturday-evening-post-1

Best of luck with your travel plans!

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3 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@on the cusp

Pretty much do my birding from home - green pheasant out the living room window, cormorant on top of the power pole, resident shrike watching me work in the vegetable garden...

Mention of Trinidad had me reaching for my Wilmoth Houdini 78's, but it seems they're on a different continent and I've nothing to play them on, anyway.

Youtube is evil, of course, but sure handy at times:

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@Lookout Wow! Wishing you the best in seeing all the birds. Will be in Costa Rica Feb 3-24. Once in Costa Rica there are small foldout guides of the most common birds seen. Have a wonderful time and look forward to your stories.

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4 users have voted.

Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

Lookout's picture

@jakkalbessie

we'll be in the SW corner. San Vito, Osa peninsula and Playa Zancudo. Where will you be?

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2 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout
Strange how stories meet up. We looked into Playa Zancudo when we were in Golfito but never made the trip there. We do most of our travel by bus and bus travel does cut into your days of just "enjoying." San Vito did not cross our radar but does sound lovely.

I will be in Puerto Jimenez from about Feb 15-22. This is the gateway to the Osa Peninsula unless you come in by water. Puerto Jimenez is the jumping off place for many travelers to the Osa Corcovado National Park as their last stop for provisions before heading in. We have stayed in an eco lodge that abuts the park but never have gone in. By this date, the park is getting so many visitors, they have a limit on number that can come in from each entrance to the best of my knowledge. No matter if we connect or not, you have some great places picked out and hope for the best in the wildlife viewing for you.

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4 users have voted.

Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

Lookout's picture

@jakkalbessie

Using taxi to get to and from San Vito, home of the Wilson Botanical Gardens. Ferry from Gulfito to Puerto Jimenez, and water taxi back across to the playa. I'll try to post some pics along the way, or at least on return. We like supporting the taxi drivers. We also use buses, especially in Mexico. Have a great trip!

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3 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lily O Lady's picture

@Lookout

street perpendicular to ours. We thought they were not too bright before. The flag confirms it.

I should have gone up to Little Five to canvass for Bernie on Saturday, but my back is not good, so I didn’t. I have stickers for Bernie in the windows of my car. That may be better than beating my head against a brick wall.

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5 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Lookout's picture

@Lily O Lady

...and honest conversation goes far IMO. Talk with friends and even acquaintances. The weird part to me is I no longer believe in the sanctity of our vote...and I know you understand what I'm saying. I think it was Stalin that said "it isn't how the people vote, but how the votes are counted".

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lily O Lady's picture

@Lookout

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3 users have voted.

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

@Lookout

Indeed. You'd think the integrity of the voting system would transcend party considerations, but Tulsi - advocating a return to paper ballots or at least an auditable paper trail is the only candidate I'm aware of to raise the issue.

How they do it in Taiwan

blackboxvoting.org

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Pluto's Republic's picture

As President Donald Trump was preparing to leave tonight for his January 21 appearance at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland — his key Security Council advisor on Russia and Europe was suddenly yanked from the entourage. In an abrupt change of plan, Andrew Peek was put on administrative leave indefinitely amid a security-related investigation.

President Trump had planned to attend Davos 2020, making up for an appearance he canceled during last year’s record-long shutdown of the U.S. government. The high profile Economic Forum, which is held at a popular Swiss ski resort, attracts wealthy, high-profile business and political figures, along with academics and key market makers in the global economy. Tomorrow will mark the first time Trump appears on the world stage since he allegedly authorized the killing of Iran’s top military commander.

This is pretty peculiar. I don't know if it is a psyop meant to propagandize the American people, or is meant to make Trump appear uncertain and powerless. Either way, it cast shade on Russia and makes the US look like CrazyTown. There is no end to Deep State sabotage.

Here's how NBC News twists the story's narrative, which they treat as a National Security Alert. NBC cites an array of anonymous 'officials' and drops the names of execrable State Department tools, like Fiona Hill:

Andrew Peek, who took charge of the Russia portfolio in November, had been scheduled to join President Donald Trump at the Davos Forum this week before he was abruptly put on leave, one of the officials said. The officials declined to specify the nature of the investigation.

Peek did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.... "We do not discuss personnel matters," an NSC spokesman retorted.

Peek's absence from the role, at least temporarily, creates a void in a key position responsible for pushing back on Russian aggression and coordinating U.S. policy toward Moscow. It adds another jolt of uncertainty to an office in the White House that has seen significant turnover during the past year.

Peek, whose background is in Middle East affairs, took over the Russia and Europe portfolio from Tim Morrison, who was a key witness in the impeachment hearings in the House. The Russia and Europe role is the same one that was previously occupied by Fiona Hill, another key impeachment witness during last year’s hearings.

Before starting his post at the White House, Peek had been a deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, where he oversaw Iran and Iraq in the department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Peek is also a former U.S. Army intelligence officer and worked on foreign policy in the Senate before joining the administration.

::

'The Night before Davos' features the same cast of characters as the impeachment-whistleblower coffee clatch. Who do think shut this thing down? Could it be Trump, himself? Or is it the handiwork of our Neocon Overlords?

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic

Trump may have discovered another mole (CIA plant)?

Davos is a meeting of the 0.01%. Sure is in a beautiful part of the world.

Thanks for the story!

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4 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”