Thwarting Peace and Democracy at Home and Abroad

The horrors of our foreign policy have been haunting me this week....along with the media promotion of the war machine. Lots of hand wringing about the budget, DACA, and the market, but not much discussion of our illegal presence promoting an immoral war in Syria, nor Yemen...nor Palestine. No, it's seventy six new nukes in the big parade, and a hundred and ten drones flying right behind. And let's get this straight, we shall not tolerate peace on the Korean peninsula, nor allow the Iranian nuclear agreement to stand. But wait, there's more...we have to shift our attention to China...and of course, big, bad Russia. Why? In order to protect “our” interests. Yeah, right. Well, we are promoting our brand of democracy in the Americas...recognizing fraudulent elections in Honduras and ignoring fair elections in Venezuela. This is nothing new...it just seems to be on steroids.

Collusion, Illusion, and Delusion

Will the Russiagate zombie ever die? Is there no wooden stake which will kill this vampire of distraction? Now, it is the FBI! But only after the Russians invaded the brain of Nunes. You mean the FBI was colluding? The FBI has a long history of being tainted with crimes which are obscured and hidden by illusion. Like maybe the JFK assassination, and MLK, and RFK? Perhaps even 911 itself? Lee Camp had a good 10 minute expose of things the FBI has lost.
While everyone is focused on the “memo” there's all kinds of destructive policies sliding through under the radar. Evils like resource extraction in parks. Rapid appointment of RW judges. Tariffs on solar panels to slow down green energy. Imperialist corporate conquests of poor countries using debt as the new chains of slavery. But what's new?

Is It Ignorance or Apathy?

I don't know, and I don't care!

It really isn't fair to accuse the people...the average working people...for the mess in which we find ourselves. It isn't ignorance nor apathy (although they play a role), what I really think it is that we have a case of helplessness and hopelessness driven by financial despair. Only 39% of Americans are ready for a $1,000 unexpected expense (2 min). How can they focus on the three ring circus of today's politics? Even if they want to understand our situation they are misled, distracted, and kept in the dark. This week alone goes from government shutdown to #releasethememo to the billionaire gathering in Davos to constant (illegal) wars in Syria and around the world. It is a system in collapse...capitalism, democracy, and the environment...yes, our system is unraveling.

Shut Down the Government, and Escalate the Wars

It was a busy week like they all seem to be. Obviously they want to keep everyone preoccupied, distracted...you know shut down the government and accelerate disorder in the Middle East and around the world. Hold protest and marches against T-rump, but vote to give him increased surveillance powers. So we try to escape in our addictions to fossil fuels, opioids, meth, ...and entertainment.

The Unfulfilled Dream

"WE MUST SEE NOW THAT THE EVILS OF RACISM, ECONOMIC
EXPLOITATION AND MILITARISM ARE ALL TIED TOGETHER...YOU CAN’T
REALLY GET RID OF ONE WITHOUT GETTING RID OF THE OTHERS...THE
WHOLE STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN LIFE MUST BE CHANGED."

—The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., May 1967

I never met Martin Luther King, Jr. I was only 14 when he was murdered (perhaps by our own government). However, I later worked with many people who were his friends...so called foot soldiers of the movement. So although we never met, he influenced me. I think he influenced our nation, helping us reach for a higher morality and better society. He was a human, and like us all continued to grow and evolve throughout his life. I think he was really maturing and carrying the movement forward when he began the poor people's campaign. Today I want to look at the dream which has yet to be realized, and the new effort to revive the poor people's campaign.

A New Year
but the Same Old Hypocrisy

What irony as T-rump's inauguration protesters (and those who were simply in the area) face years in prison for exercising their rights that old “tiny hands” wants to protect the rights of Iranian protesters. In Saudi Arabia protests are not tolerated, but they are our allies. In Israel they treat Palestinians (especially those that protest) inhumanely, but they are our ally and seemingly our foreign policy directors. Meanwhile, we circle North Korea with aircraft carriers and line up missiles on their border and then holler about their aggressiveness? And perhaps the biggest hypocrisy, T-rump calls for more global warming as cold weather descends (largely due to climate chaos). All the while the news media misleads and distracts.

2017 in the rear view mirror
2018 to unfold

We began the year with the blatant take over of the government by oligarchs without the use of the usual front men. It is a government Sachs and the generals (sounds like a band name). We end the year with the greatest shift of wealth to the upper class in history. Welcome to the era of neofuedalism. No need to panic, some serfs had it pretty good. Time to put those lights on bright and try to look out there into the future. Onward through the fog!..... Oops, better dim those lights in the fog and look as far as we can.

Gifts and giving

When we get there we'll discover all the gifts we've been given to share
have been with us since life's beginning and we never noticed they were there.

It is a gift to recognize gifts...in yourself, in others, in our world. I hope that, like me, you see this site, this community, as a gift. A gift to free expression, an opportunity for honest fact based conversation, a forum for learning, and basically a nice group of folks trying to understand an insane world.

Those that use their talents to help others, they are the saints and angels among us. They are the ones that give rise to myths of Santa Claus, Saint Wenceslas, and the like. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_King_Wenceslas ) But there are people who 'guide from the side' without much interjection. Consider JtC and his approach to running C99... with one of his rare essays recently urging us toward more meaningful, kinder conversation and interaction. You are a gift, Brother. Those who have the where with all might consider sending JtC (and the C99 site) a holiday gift. Mine is in the mail (really it is). Regardless of our abilities to make financial donations, let's all drink a cup of kindness together for the holidays and into the New Year.

Alabama, Cults, and Circles

Well finally some good news from an Alabama election....not all is bad in this state with such a bad reputation. There's good and bad everywhere I guess. Alabama does have cults. Have you read Salvation on Sand Mountain? I taught many children from the Holiness Church discussed in the book, but that's not the kind of cult I have in mind. It is the cult of media that Max Blumenthal talks about that we'll discuss in today's column. Then finally we'll go round and round the news cycle and end up celebrating the longest night of the year.

Media Hypocrisy in Taxing Times

I don't know why I'm amazed that the tax bill passed...but I am. What a blatant grab for ever more money by the capitalist ruling class. Are we so blind? Or is it apathy and acceptance of our corporate overlords? I don't know. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it is all about misinformation and distraction. Just as the media hyped ole “tiny hands” allowing him to call in interviews with soft ball questions (especially before his nomination), they are silent about the tax cuts which benefit the owners of big media. Meanwhile corporate media continues their silence as RT has to register as a foreign agent and has lost their congressional passes so they can't cover Capital Hill. Then more silence about Yemen, Israel's regular bombing in Syria, and the election fraud in Honduras. Perhaps Rex T.'s departure from the State department spells an impending war with Iran. Oh my, these are taxing times.