Joe Blow Report

The Third Alternative – Don't Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:57:22 PST

Stay home!

In his speech “Beyond Vietnam” Martin Luther King spoke about his belief that Americans had a choice to make. He offered that “choice” 45 years ago. History reveals a “choice” was made, but was it the one Martin Luther King hoped would be made?

If anyone bothered to listen to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech last night you would know or see firm evidence that a decision was made alright, but not the one Martin Luther King hoped for. What he hoped for was: "If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over America and all over the world, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." The choice he offered then and still viable today was: “nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.”

Forty five-years is one long day, but here we are at it's end, five minutes before midnight. The choice is still available, but who to choose to lead the way? Americans are being forced to decide in a few months who will be President of the United States. Leading Republican contenders' choice is obvious – “violent co-annihilation.” Ron Paul being the exception here, but he has the “winnable perception” problem. Then there's the standing President and his record speaks for itself – he's as much of a corporatist warmonger as the Republicans. So, what do peace-loving, patriotic American voters do? Waste their vote? The question is, who or what are you voting for?

Every one of these candidates, from the lowliest dog-catcher to the President of the United States is totally corrupt-to-the-gut and that is precisely what you vote for. Everyone gets exactly what they vote for. Which makes every voter liable and accountable for everything they do, every law the deliberately violate, and every individual human the murder or cause to be murdered.

For the first time today I heard someone with some experience in this voting process answer the American Voters' dilemma – how to chose the way of peace and absolve themselves their blood guilt. Democracy Now has a pertinent interview with Ralph Nader on President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech: "He Says One Thing and Does Another": Ralph Nader Responds to Obama’s State of the Union Address. This is the link for the complete interview.

You may not agree with Amy Goodman or Ralph Nader, but there is one thing you cannot disagree with them on - Democracy works!

AMY GOODMAN: Ralph, you have written a new book called Getting Steamed to Overcome Corporatism: Build It Together to Win. People may be listening to you right now and agreeing with a lot of what you are saying, and also saying, "What is the alternative here? Mitt Romney? Newt Gingrich?" What is your response to that?

RALPH NADER: Well, this is the book, and I’m going to drop it off at the White House soon. I think he should read it, because the left is not making any demands on Obama because they’re so freaked out by the Republicans and their crazed rhetoric on their debates. Well, if that is going to continue for 2012, that means the corporations are pulling on Obama and the Democratic Party. The Republicans are pulling on Obama and Democratic Party, because they’re getting all the media, because they have a vibrant primary process, and there’s no primary challenge to Obama, so the progressive agenda is not getting any media at all, week after week.

So the alternative, Amy, is for the left, such as they are — progressive, liberal people, I like to call them "justice seekers" — to make demands on Obama, to make demands for improving the rights of labor, improving the rights of small farmers, improving the rights of small business, the environmental demands that need to be made, the crackdown on corporate crime, a whole panoply of corporate reform agenda, the kind of crackdown on these global corporations that have abandoned America and shipped jobs and industries to fascist and communist regimes who know how to keep workers in their place.But there is no pull, because they’re so freaked out by the Republicans. So, one can really say the Republicans could sit around in a smoke-filled room and say, "Let’s be even more crazed. Let’s be even more corporatist." This will create a good vacuum for the Democrats to move into, because both parties are dialing for the same corporate dollars, and it will bring the left to their knees, because they’ll say, "We’ve got nowhere to go."

Well, the reason why this speech was so failing, especially in foreign and military policy, the reason why it was so failing is because Obama doesn’t have to worry about tens of millions of people who call themselves progressives or liberals, because they have signaled to him that they got nowhere to go. Well, I think if they believe they got nowhere to go, that they don’t want to vote for a third party or Green Party, they can at least, in April, May, June, hold his feet to the fire and present him with a set of progressive demands, in order to tell him that they do have a place to go: they can stay home. And that’s what hurt the Democrats in 2010. People can just stay home.

There's your choice, folks. What it really means to practice 'non-violence' and peace. In other words: Practice what you preach or stay home. Let's see who has the guts to make the right choice.

--Joe

Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaks To You

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:24:16 PST

On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his Beyond Vietnam speech. In many ways it is more appropriate today, not just because Barack Obama is President of the United States, but because his words really focused on our time today. Here is an excerpt:

We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today.

We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.

In that "Beyond Vietnam" speech he gave America and Americans the "choice." Make the right "choice" then, he said, "If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over America and all over the world, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

If you possess any doubt that Americans FAILED to make the right "choice," consider the words of leading Republican seeking to be President, Mitt Romney. His words mirror the status quo of his Republican contemporaries and Democratic cohorts lead by Barack Obama. The stark possibility that any of these Republican men, including the current President Barack Obama representing this country in the future makes me believe it is already too late. Here is an excerpt Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words for today, compliments of Democracy Now and Amy Goodman:

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.:

These are revolutionary times. All over the globe men are revolting against old systems of exploitation and oppression, and out of the wombs of a frail world new systems of justice and equality are being born. The shirtless and barefoot people of the land are rising up as never before. "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light." We in the West must support these revolutions.

Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God’s new Messiah,
Off’ring each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
Twixt that darkness and that light.

Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet ’tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong:
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow
Keeping watch above his own.

And if we will only make the right choice, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace. If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. If we will but make the right choice, we will be able to speed up the day, all over America and all over the world, when justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

If you would like to read the complete speech you can go to: Martin Luther King, Jr.: Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence - Picture source.

--Joe

Need An Introduction to “Above The Fold”?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:58:19 PST

Somewhere along my daily perusing I came across a link that took me to “Above The Fold” – “Home Delivered Glances At Humboldt County.” I try to keep the list of local blogs on my websites current and pertinent. It seems I totally missed this blog.

Since this blog is about “Home delivered glances at Humboldt County” and this Report is certainly motivated by a long family history in Humboldt and adjacent counties one of the first things I looked for was a link. Alas, NO LINK.

Well, for whatever it's worth, I can see why I missed this blog for nearly a year. But I remedied that problem forthwith. The Humbug Network is certainly alive and well. Even better now with the latest Lost Coast Outpost blog and the addition of their “blogger dream team.”

For years now, since Google changed their search algorithms I received tons of emails asking me for reciprocating links. I guess these local bloggers' disdain for their fellow contemporaries never got the message. Either that, or they all believe, as I do, that “less is more.”

Anyway, an interesting blog. Not real sure that its “glances at Humboldt” aren't a bit skewed, though. But then, some would say the writer of this Report as a bit skewed. For sure, a good blog to put on your list.

P.S. When I was doing my Labels, the "Above The Fold Blog" label came up, making me think that I wrote about this blog before. I check my blog listing and didn't see the name. So, disregard any previous posts.

--Joe

Brutality Versus Terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:25:51 PST

Time for the Occupy Movement to wake up to reality.

The question, until now remained unanswered: Why did city governments and their police officers respond so violently and with so much brutality against peaceful people threatening no one, simply asking for a little consideration?

Today, at least for Eureka, California, we got a partial answer – PARANOIA.

The Times-Standard reveals in their “County emails outragemembers of Occupy Eureka” the existence of “nefarious” “emails” “that led to police action against the Occupy Eureka encampment on the Humboldt County Courthouse lawn.” Why? Read the condemnatory words of the leading police official and law enforcement officer, District Attorney Paul Gallegos:

“While I do not suspect that any of those tents contain any explosives or otherwise dangerous materials, I cannot confirm that they do or do not and I do not believe that we can allow the risk of such an occurrence to continue.” [Emphasis added]

No fact-based reality contained in anything Gallegos says, only his paranoid, fantasy-based vilifying accusations of “terrorism” that demonstrates his true attitude regarding the people of the Occupy Movement – inept, incompetent, gullible, and stupid terrorist.

Grant Scott-Goforth of the Times-Standard puts it this way: “Gallegos said he worried it was possible for people not directly associated with Occupy Eureka to guise the group as cover for illegal activity.”
The hypocrisy of Gallegos is mind-blowing, if nothing else. He says: “Candidly I support the movement. Unfortunately here it has been somewhat co-opted locally by our local protesters.”

In what way? What could these local protesters possibly want the the movement doesn't want when dealing with the dregs of society; homeless people and a “leaderless nature” that obviously couldn't know what it wants other than issue “hyperbole.” Notice how unreasonable these “Occupy People” are according to Gallegos and why he refuses to recognize and engage them: “If people want to sit down reasonably, they're going to find complete cooperation.” Then immediately contradicts that propagandist assertion by saying: “Occupy Eureka doesn't have a monopoly on concerns about the county and the community.” Why? Because in his mind they do not represent the 99% of Americans. He and his supporters do. That's why he and his police deal with them for the “terrorists” that they really are.

A good lesson on what “terrorism” and what makes “terrorist” – how the wanton accusatory use of the word automatically vilifies, condemns and justifies the extreme forms of sanctioned brutality and criminal conduct – is explained and defined by Glenn Greenwald in his Salon.com article, “Iranand the Terrorism game” - to quote from his:

UPDATE: There’s one point that should be added about why this matters so much: the fact that Terrorism has no fixed meaning does not mean it is inconsequential. The opposite is true. Terrorism is one of the most consequential words in our political lexicon. The term designates Supreme, Unmitigated Evil. Once someone is successfully branded a Terrorist, it means that anything and everything can and should be done to them without constraints.

And concludes with:

As I’ve said before, Terrorism is simultaneously the term that means nothing and justifies everything. That’s why such strong emotions are evoked when it is used in a way that deviates from mandated orthodoxies. It’s a meaningless term, but incredibly (perhaps incomparably) significant in governing how power and violence can be wielded and against whom.

So now you know why Gallegos painted the local Occupy People and their “peaceful protests” as “terrorist” - stupid people that believe they have some God-given or Constitutional right to be recognized for who and what they “think” or “believe” they are. He wants to be, as he claims here, to be the man of the people, but he's co-opted by his own attitude, actions and hypocrisy as defined and established by the Occupy Eureka people.

Whether or not it was the newspaper Editor or their writer's intention or not, they did expose the truth about Paul Gallegos' hypocrisy. The issue, as applied to these people peacefully protesting, went far beyond simply “taking down a few tents” to branding the local people as potential terrorists and their protest actions as terrorism. It went to the very heart of why the local so-called representative government went so far to renounce and denounce the legitimacy of a courageous people willing to Occupy their rightful space on this Earth equal to all others.

The citizens of Humboldt County and particularly Eureka are quite capable of deciding for themselves what is and what is not “public safety.” Despite the arrogance of the one percent, we're not a bunch of dogs that need to be told when to “sit” and when and how to “speak.”
(Credit Times-Standard and AP-Salon.com)

--Joe

Tailgater's Remorse

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:54:17 PST

One efficient way of dealing with some jerk riding right on your bumper!

Of course, that's not what the Times-Standard newspaper says happened:
Safety Corridor crash leaves one dead; wrong-way driving leads to head-on collision

What caused the head-on was the guy tailgating that couldn't get out of the way. This guy, Joshua Larson, wasn't drunk out of his mind. He was obviously just reckless, admittedly driving 55 mph in a 50 mile per hour Safety Corridor right on the other car's bumper and as a consequence responsible, at least as equally responsible, for this woman's death as she was.

Now to the potential death caused by another deliberately negligent driver as reported in the Saturday, January 7, 2012, issue of the Times-Standard: Family takes road worker off life support - "Arcata man's health unchanged since accident on Myrtle Avenue".

Arcata resident Martha Johnson, Newell's sister, said the family decided to take Newell, 68, off life support three days ago, after doctors explained that the damage to his brain is extensive. Johnson said all the doctors and family can do now is make Newell as comfortable as possible.
”He most likely will pass within a few days,” Johnson said. [Emphasis added.]

The newspaper account says Eugene Palmer, 17, a Eureka resident's "windshield fogged up and he was unable to see the roadway ahead of him. CHP said he continued to drive and went over cones and into the construction site, hitting Newell."

He is responsible for Kenneth Newell's imminent death because "he continued to drive" when he obviously could not see. I've had my window fog up driving commercial rig when a heater hose broke. The moment I couldn't see, I stopped. When you're hauling 8,000 gallons of gas, you stop as fast as you can, regardless of the circumstances. The fact is you never start driving a commercial vehicle with a dirty, greasy or dusty windshield and mirrors.

Problem is, that was a cold morning and all the windows were frozen up. "He continued to drive" with a fogged up windshield, obviously, because he had been driving unable to see with a fogged up windshield all the time. That's why he didn't stop. Not even when he ran over safety cones.

What happened to Kenneth Newell was NO ACCIDENT. Eugene Palmer's actions were deliberate and purposeful making him personally responsible for Kenneth Newell's condition and eminent death.

It's time to reassess these so-called unavoidable "accidents" for exactly what they are - WRECKS.

PS. The next time you get right on someone's bumper trying to bully your way, you think about what might happen when that car suddenly moves over and there is someone coming at you 90 miles an hour.

--Joe

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:18:24 PST

2012 – Will it be one of those years that stands out in the annals of history? With the ever expanding and growing “Global Awakening” one could imagine so.

For me it will be the year I took another look at what is REAL important to me. Many thanks to modern medicine, a skilled doctor and hospital staff, I was granted a bit more time to grace this Earth. Life-threatening events tend to focus life's priorities. When it comes to the blogosphere, specially when it comes to making comments on gutless mundane blogs, one tends to learn what it means to NOT cast pearls before swine.
So, without insulting anyone's intelligence too much, let me offer, in the spirit of forgiveness and a prosperous New Year, something Deepak Chopra said recently that everyone can understand, take to heart and work on. To quote:

Put simply, we are all individually “total individuals.” Together, we are a force that can harness a new societal integrity, with clear aligned interests, and choices that benefit the greater good rather than select individuals.

Here is the link to the Dylan Ratigan website.

Best of 2011: Deepak Chopra on Collective Consciousness

December 27, 2011

Deepak’s 5 Rules to Save Ourselves and Save the World

1. Chaos and instability equals an opportunity for collective change. “Sometimes out of chaos and outrage comes a leap of creativity, or as we know from individuals who go into a crisis mode and reach rock bottom, they sometime suddenly recover because there’s a major shift in their being. You can’t sink any lower,” says Deepak.

2. Change begins with one person, but is more powerful in groups of like-minded individuals. “Be the shift inside you, then you can communicate the shift and hang out with the people who are kind of resonating at the same frequency. In the end, things do evolve because that’s the nature of consciousness—it struggles, it experiments, it fails, and it takes creative leaps,” says Deepak. “I think they manifest individually, one personal resolution of duality at a time. Like a popcorn popper of individuals realizing. The result over time is the advantages to those living in unified field naturally emerges,” says Dylan.

3. Working for change with others can lead to a “phase transition.” ” In actual systems, a phase transition would be say water boiling into steam, or a storm system that suddenly erupts,” explains Deepak. “If there’s a number of people behaving or transitioning into peace and love and compassion and equanimity and joy because consciousness is field, as we just said, unified field, than when it reaches a critical mass, then it affects everything.”

4. See instability and change as a chance to be creative. Deepak says to look at the chaos in the world through the lens of “what is the opportunity here for us, personally and individually, but also collectively?” He says that if our media and leaders started doing that, “there would be creative opportunities that would become very obvious.”

5. Ask yourself the right questions as you pursue opportunities for change. Ask yourself: “What is the opportunity? What are my unique skills at this moment? What do I really care about? Who are the people I can connect with and ask for help? Who are the people I can help with? How can I nurture the right relationships? Are they examples of people who have made a difference in this situation? The more we ask ourselves those questions and we start connecting with other people, then there’s a phenomenon called collective intension, collection creativity that emerges, you know, and it’s a process,” says Deepak.

- Meg Robertson is a digital producer for DylanRatigan.com. Say hi to her @MegRobertson.

Well, that's Deepak's positive way of looking forward; not something that I find many people doing. I've got an idea that the Future's way of working things out shall not be in any way many believe will happen.

--Joe

Objective “Reporting” versus Worthless Opinionated Beliefs

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:09:03 PST

There's been considerable dissension and acrimonious dispute, since I inaugurated the Joe Blow Report, for declaring it's sole purpose is to report fact-based observations and arbitrarily refrain from expounding upon conjecture based worthless opinions and religious based beliefs.

In fact I recently reported the following quote about legendary Miyamoto Mushashi:

The Mind should be pure, uncontaminated by self-serving distortions and preconceived ideas. The mind should be flexible, able to change shape according to the situation without resorting to rote learning.”

Today, I'm adding the following quote:

Living plants are flexible,

In death, they become dry and brittle.

Therefore, stubborn people are disciples of death,

but flexible people are disciples of life.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011, Glenn Greenwald takes on this issue of “objective reporting in his: Bob Schieffer, Ron Paul and journalistic “objectivity” - Lessons the local Humboldt community should take to heart. Glenn observes:

Contrary to popular wisdom, there aren’t two types of journalists: those who express opinions and those who are objective. The two types are those who honestly acknowledge their opinions and those who deceitfully pretend such opinions do not influence their journalism. One reason modern establishment journalism has become so corrupted and worthless is because of the conceit that they engage in some sort of objective reporting that is free of bias and opinion, even as they are the stalwart defenders of a clear set of political opinions and interests (those wielded by the same power factions which they pretend to hold accountable). Any time someone is tempted to believe these fairy tales of objectivity, they should just re-watch this Schieffer interview.

The principals defined in that statement above are the reasons that led me to make my first observation regarding Dave Stancliff's opinionated and biased, newspaper published, article. Because the Times-Standard steadfastly continues to publish him regardless of his public conduct repudiating his credibility and theirs, a review of their published conduct reveals the pattern defined by Greenwald above:

One reason modern establishment journalism has become so corrupted and worthless is because of the conceit that they engage in some sort of objective reporting that is free of bias and opinion, even as they are the stalwart defenders of a clear set of political opinions and interests (those wielded by the same power factions which they pretend to hold accountable).”

The Joe Blow Report is replete examples of "bias and worthless conjectured opinions by the Times-Standard reporters. A rather striking and depressing indictment on this Thanksgiving Day.

--Joe

Humboldt Shame

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:27:46 PST

[UPDATE]

When I picked up my Wednesday, November 23, 2011, Times-Standard paper today and the this picture pasted on the front-page, Use of pepper spray at Davis brings back memories of '97 Palco protest; university president launches investigation and read the caption where they used the word, "allege," I was instantly enraged – AGAIN!

Allege means to "assert without proof." Then writes, "Eventually, officers swabbed pepper spray on the protesters' eyes in order to remove them." The fact is, they didn't need to "swab" anything in their eyes to "remove them." They used pepper spray just like they us the Taser to force submission and forced yielding - coercive rape at it's essence. The paper, regardless the writer, in this case Dona Tam, never gives-up on the biased propaganda justifying the crimes.

I was out of this area when that incident took place. When people found out that I was from Humboldt County they wanted to know what kind of neanderthal barbarians Humboldt County people had on their police forces? The only conclusion anyone could accept is that these people were not only sick, but sadistically sick.

We're not talking about just the Sheriff and Police Chief and their officers, but the whole damned community. The sickness that permeates this community was quite well defined when the justification for what amounts to a form of sadistic rape legally declared acceptable. What did the people in this community do about the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the Eureka Police Chief and the officers involved? The consequences of those acts that day are clear in the pictures of how the police deal with peaceful people all over the world. No father of any worthwhile value, including one of the girl's father, Jan Lundberg, would ever tolerate their daughter's treatment recorded here for the whole world to see. When you look to the criminal for justice, and get injustice, you are as guilty of the crimes committed as they are.

Shotgun pellets or pepper spray, what's the difference?

When you read articles like this one: Torture’s Future, By ERIC LEWIS in the New York Times and this one by Glenn Greenwald: The roots of the UC-Davis pepper-spraying along with pictures like this of what the heroic police and courageous solders are doing to their neighbors it all kind of jumbles together as something that doesn't involve YOU. Problem is, when you pickup your local newspaper and see similar pictures that happened right in your own hometown and know there is a twenty year legacy of such acts of vile hatred and sadistic barbarity, you've got to face the facts – like it or not.

When Eureka Police Chief Murl Harpham tells the homeowners and business people in Eureka that he has “tough” cops at their beck and call. These are the kind of “tough” people he's talking about. Notice in the accompanying article: Police pay third visit to Occupy Eureka at courthouse – Notice this statement: [O]one woman was arrested Tuesday morning after she allegedly became aggressive with a county employee, Harpham said.” “Became aggressive” in what way justifies an arrest? Raise their voice in objection? And the county employee didn't precipitate the incident with aggressive conduct? That “county employee” kept their business to themselves, just walked quietly by and never said a word or made a filthy gesture? Eureka police officers are, when they want to be, are extremely thin-skinned. Simply asking them a question can be cause for aggressiveness in their minds. Consequently, everyone walks a tightrope when dealing with the police.

These words by Swellsman are worth repeating:

And, yeah . . . the rest of us might want to think about trying to undo some of the power and public relations imbalance that we have allowed to creep into law enforcement’s favor by our past apathy in the face of public abuses.

Despite what they’ll tell you, and what we’ve been conditioned to believe, the cops are not the law. The law resides in a system, not in a person, not even in a group of people. Cops are merely citizens – just like you and me – who have been given special dispensation to arrest people under certain circumstances and then turn them over to that system . . . and nothing more.

And it seems to me that America would be a lot better off trying to keep that basic fact in mind.

His blog is located here. Picture source is the Times-Standard and Sharif Kouddous.

[UPDATE :: HUMBOLDT HERALD has an posting on this subject: Humboldt’s history of pepper spray recalled. The comment section is worth considering. By the way, Heraldo's is uncustomarily candid of this longstanding wrong in this community and why he thinks the heavy-handed Government/Police way will ultimately fail.

--Joe

UC Davis Police Pepper Spray Use: What it Says - MacLeod Cartoon

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:44:45 PST

UC Davis Police Pepper Spray Use: What it Says

These are the people that protect and serve, right?

--Joe

The Root Of All Evil

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:47:18 PST

"Acting upon the lie."

Here is the top story on the Humboldt Herald blog since yesterday, November 17, 2011, where he publishes title the story for the Lost Coast Outpost blog. Please note Hank Sims' words about the police, “responses to the Occupy 'Threat'.” My question on Humboldt Herald was and is, why use the word “'Threat'” when referencing the so-called "Occupy" people? Specifically, "What makes the “Occupy” (movement) a threat?" In the 27 comments, no one answered my question.

Eureka drama kings vs. level-headed Arcata

November 17, 2011

Lost Coast Outpost: The EPD and the APD and Their Dramatically Different Responses to the Occupy ‘Threat’

27 Comments |
Posted by Heraldo

Do these people look like some sort of a threat to you? Think maybe there's a big gun in that bag that's a threat to the police?

One person, Ponder Z, did say: "Not a threat, a NUISANCE, and an embarrassment !!!!" But, didn't really address the issue of “why they actually pose a 'threat' to anyone? If you read Hank Sims' post and, no doubt why 'Heraldo' highlighted the article, is that he's really asking the same question, “What makes the Occupy Movement such a threat”?

Thadeus Greenson writes:

On Oct. 25, County Administrative Officer Phillip Smith-Hanes penned a letter to protesters explaining that they had every right to peacefully assemble and protest but asking them to voluntarily take down their tents, pointing out that camping in non-designated public spaces is prohibited under the Eureka Municipal Code, section 93.02.

"Penned a letter" when these so-called "protesters" were clearly breaking the law? WHY? Is this how law enforcement works when they see a crime? Write the offender a letter? Give them an indeterminate amount of time to voluntarily stop their criminal behavior? Why didn't the Sheriff or the Chief of Police act? Why did they blow this situation clear out of proportions and make it a "Federal Case"? After several weeks the city and county knowingly and deliberately allowed these people to "camp" in violation of clearly understood and accepted law, they lost their legitimate right to act against them. What they did, the City Council, the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff and EPD was deliberately create a pretense to brutalize and criminalize these people. Adding to that obscenity, it looks like they were setting up Councilwoman Linda Atkins as well.

You've got the Eureka Police Department castigating Councilwoman Linda Atkins like she's some sort of terrorist sympathizer that has betrayed her own people for simply talking to them about their predicament situation. Which is exactly what the relevant and responsible people should have done themselves long before Linda Atkins found the need. Hank Sims suggests:

Everyone should read Thad Greenson’s fascinating story today on the leadup to the first Eureka Police Department raid on Occupy Eureka. Particularly interesting is the Eureka Police Officers Association’s attack on Councilmember Linda Atkins for “leaking” the fact that the EPD was planning to bust up the encampment. Greenson quotes a letter from the EPOA that was circulated at Tuesday night’s Eureka City Council meeting: [Read the rest here.]

The problem with such words like “Occupy 'Threat'” is that when systematically and repeatedly used, they create and sustain a false illusion that when acted upon makes that illusion or lie become the reality or truth. Everyone accepts that truth and reinforces that fact. It should be noted that Thadeus Greenson is no stranger to that practice, and in particular when it comes to his reporting police actions. One has but only read his words in the very first paragraph in Police association blasts councilwoman:

The Eureka Police Officers' Association board of directors alleges (filthy lying accusation) Councilwoman Linda Atkins “leaked” plans to raid the Occupy Eureka encampment to protesters earlier this month, putting officers, demonstrators and the general public at increased risk.

This sounds like the paranoid rantings of a bunch weak-kneed wimps that are absolutely scared to death of their own shadows. That includes the Eureka Police Officers' Association, which are the Eureka Police Department and their masters, most of the City Council and supportive so-called Elites in this community. Hank Sims says: “Isn’t the EPD misreading its foe, here? These aren’t armed terrorists.” [Emphasis added]

Actually, I don't think they are “misreading” anyone. Certainly not the people making up the Occupy Movement or Linda Atkins and her supporters. That said, again the particular use of words used such as, “police blasts councilwoman,” “Occupy Eureka crackdown,” “foe,” “alleges,” “increased risk,” and “Occupy 'Threat'” are the real issue. These words stigmatize and brand well intentioned and essentially peaceful people trying to do what they legally believe they have a right to do. Standing for their rights sends the message that their lives count just as much as those in control using the laws arbitrarily made to suppress, subordinate and oppress - to deny legal rights. There is a real threat to these oligarch, dictatorial, corrupt politicians and their enforcers are acutely aware of. Proof of that is in their whole attitude, demeanor and their coordinated aggressive bullying campaign. The Occupy Movement strikes right at the heart of their legitimacy to exist in any form and they know it.

My father often said that what gave the G.I.s in World War II the advantage over the Germans is that the Americans could think for himself, act and take charge when necessary. Take out or kill the German officers and the fight was over. Those Elitist Oligarch's that would rule this country and the World learned that lesson well. They've had a long time to brainwash the American people into believing that the lives of the police and their political masters are more valuable than that average citizen. That the average person is incapable of thinking or living for themselves and need a strong authoritarian police force to tell the common citizen how to live. It's easy to see when you watch the police interact with the demonstrators – they, the police, believe they have the right to put their hands on anyone anyway they want, men or women. That didn't work so well in Egypt when those people decided if they were going to “count too” and they were going to maintain any sort of dignity as men, that stopped. Egyptian-style policing in Eureka will go the same way. It's only a matter of time.

--Joe

Occupy Eureka – Conflict and Contradiction

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:10:47 PST

There was once a very astute and powerful Japanese Samurai warrior, Miyamoto Musashi. He became famous for his fighting prowess - he was never defeated, in part for writing The Book of Five Rings. A book I read and studied many years ago. He is reputed to say that the battle is won and lost before the first blow is struck. Herein lies the secret of a true master. “The heart of Musashi's ideas is the mind. The Mind should be pure, uncontaminated by self-serving distortions and preconceived ideas. The mind should be flexible, able to change shape according to the situation without resorting to rote learning.” (A guiding principle applied by the Joe Blow Report) Musashi proved that harmony within oneself and with the Universe took priority by living a long life and dying of old age.

Another older man that had much to do with the establishment of Christianity once said to a younger man: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” -1 Timothy 4:7, 8. This man's understanding of “godliness” is clearly defined in his, rather extensive writings and coincides nicely with what Musashi said. From my point of view, such people demonstrate the defining qualities of life's value, self-worth, dignity and honor which is demonstrated by their inner sense of power, absolute control and inner calm. Simply put, their actions are totally harmonious with their inner being – what they are is defined by what they do.

How does any of this apply to the Occupy Movement? First question that needs answered is, what does the Occupy Movement intend? Are they acting in harmony with their goals and objectives?

What makes the Occupy Movement different for most all other such social or political phenomena is that it operates completely different from what everyone knows and understands - pure Democracy working from a Horizontal Way. Here on Humboldt Bay you can occasionally see large flocks of black birds flying over the bay. What's striking is how they move and fly as one body. If you observe a flock of geese flying overhead, you'll always see a leader at the head, not so with the black birds. What distinguishes the Occupy Movement is that it is leaderless, yet somehow they have the ability to learn, adjust and move as one, but not in ways always expected. They are an alive, ever evolving and growing movement. They stand for their legitimate rights and when forcibly deprived, they move to another more defensible place. Locally, however, they are still not completely “able to change shape according to the situation without resorting to rote learning.”

By chance I found what is titled the “Occupy Eureka Edition” of what appears as an electronic newspaper dated November 9. 2011. On this page the Occupy Movement states its purpose and goals.

“Our form of protest, shared with tens of thousands across the nation and world, is rooted in the continuous, peaceful occupation of public properties, both day and night, and taking back these places for prolonged periods of me.

It is a widely shared sentiment that ill motivated entities have acquired control of our Country’s political, economic, and social spheres by deceptive and inequitable means, and are acting to the detriment of the American people. Our intent is to make it clear to all that this is not an acceptable development, and to encourage dialogue that will lead to positive solutions. Please help the Occupy Eureka participants take back the lawn by standing in solidarity. Come give a couple of hours to the Occupation. [Emphasis added]

Occupy Eureka and Arcata have requested that Porta Potties be established on site, at no expense to the city. This request has been rejected by our authorities. Our local governments are creating a situation that negatively affects the community. The unwillingness to work with protestors will not deter them, nor will it benefit the community at large.”

The above statement is backed up by this comment on Occupy Eureka's Facebook page this morning (11-16-2011).

“Laura Cutler:
Morning! I may not be able to attend General Assemblies for a while due to addressing Occupation related legal matters. I wanted to suggest that folks work on putting together a well attended General Assembly with an agenda item addressing how folks want to make proposals to the County, City of Eureka, etc. during this temporary "truce." One possibility is to put a proposal together that everyone buys into. That may be difficult. Folks might not agree. I suggest folks consider the option of reaching consensus simply that everyone in the occupation and the general public individually make their proposal to all of the agencies involved. With that approach, the occupation continues to support the commitment to allowing all voices to be heard, the agencies will receive many letters to read rather than one, and the agencies will have proposals before them quickly rather than after the weeks or months it might take to get a unified proposal together. Just a suggestion.”

Similar statements of intent with consistent courses of conduct are outlined in the Tuesday, November 15, 2011, edition of the Time-Standard: Occupy Eureka camp raided for a second time; 31 protesters arrested. Regarding,

“Local attorney Laura Cutler said she has been trying to set up a dialogue between city and county officials and Occupy Eureka organizers, but she has yet to hear back from the local government. Some options Occupy Eureka organizers were interested in discussing were moving the encampment to another location in the city and using the courthouse lawn as a place to hold rallies and disseminate information, she said. Cutler said she has been trying to initiate a meeting with local government for the past three weeks.”
"The agencies Cutler has contacted include the Eureka city manager, county supervisors, the sheriff's office, Eureka police, the county administrative officer and the county counsel."
"'Occupy Eureka has expressed interest in having a dialogue about camping issues, but there's been absolute silence from government agencies,” she said. “Any request has gone unheeded.'
Cutler said she wants to continue her role as mediator but has been considering taking part in Occupy Eureka's legal defense and potential civil rights lawsuits."

Ms. Cutler clearly demonstrates the weakness problem afflicting Occupy groups in America. You can talk or you can act (occupy). You cannot threaten, dictate and make accusations, i.e., that the political leaders or public representatives are bought and paid for corrupt and then expect reasonable, peaceful sit-down negotiations. (Turn a deaf ear.) We learned today that cities all across America coordinated their attacks on these camps. The reason no one talked to Ms. Cutler is because no one is the least bit interested in talking. They talk with their police billy club, don't you know?

Right now the police believe they possess their legitimate right to enforce their master's laws any way they see fit. Until these issues, legitimate existence and personal rights, are addressed they will continue to act violently and aggressively.

--Joe

For some additional followup, Glenn Greenwald has some really pertinent observations.

Same difference – NO difference

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:15:04 PST

Glenn Greenwald: Why the Washington Post won’t fire Jennifer Rubin

Joe Blow Report: Why the Times-Standard won't fire Dave Stancliff

Even though the resultant actions: “[D]id damage to The Post and the credibility that keeps it afloat.”

As they did damage to the Times-Standard and the credibility that keeps it afloat.

Just change the names, the individuals and businesses and Glenn Greenwald's argument fits exactly. It's about class warfare in the Middle East infecting the World and its about the same kind of class warfare right here in Eureka, CA. reaching into every household and community. With the same disparities, prejudices, hatreds, biases, bigotry and hatred and soul rotting corruption. These people that alienated themselves have had ample opportunity to demonstrate their truth, but clearly, they are unable, incapable or unwilling. Yet, in their own blind way, that is exactly what succeeded in doing. No guessing who or what they are now.

They remind me of the guy out in the logging woods that had to defecate and then stepped in his own poop. When he came back to work with the crew, no one could get within 100 feet of him. He, on the other hand, couldn't figure out what was their problem. To him, his crap “didn't stink,” – we all thought something died.

The fact is, something did die. That rotting corpse is right there in plain sight for everyone to see. Makes me believe we're all living in a land of zombies.

Race or class difference enforced by Jews against Palestinians and Wannabe Elitists Published reporters and Opinionators against low-class, subhuman Blog Writers are exactly the same. You might want to throw in the letter writers (Letters to the Editor) and My Word Opinions as well. Therein lies a great example of the class distinction demonstrated in this community within the political, legal, judicial and law enforcement daily. Another good example of this are the people that are taking a stand in the Occupy Movements and the disparaging contempt expressed by the so-called financial and political Elite – the lines are drawn. The Times-Standard would have everyone believe what they offer fulfills their responsibility to the community's Constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech. Might as well be out here in the mountains on a rainy, wind-blown day hollering at the trees for all the good it does.

Glenn Greenwald says:

“To put it mildly, Abrams’ (“by neocon royal family member Rachel Abrams”) post was bigoted, violence-inciting, and driven by hatred of the purest and most repellent strain.”

Read what Dave Stancliff publicly wrote about me and then show me a difference. The fact is you can't. Substitute the names and institutions, i.e., Washington Post with the Times-Standard and the issue is the same, same bias, and same damage to the paper's credibility. Oh, they'll tell you Dave Stancliff is not on the payroll and what he writes, and I might add, what they publish, are his personal opinions they claim exempts them from any personal responsibility for his demonstrated attitudes, actions and conduct. Yet, they continue to publish him.

For some reason the people that run the Times-Standard news paper don't seem to care. That simple truth is what's most disturbing. You have to ask yourself the question, Why? Glenn, in his way answers this question as he concludes:

“Herein lies one of the great myths of American political culture: the media’s “objectivity.” No institution plays a greater role in restricting the terms of permissible debate in America than they do. The fact that they impose these limitations with such gross bias is bad enough; their self-praising insistence that they do no such things makes it that much worse. If the Post applied media standards equally to anti-Arab and anti-Israeli commentary, then Jen Rubin would be waiting on the unemployment line next to Rick Sanchez, Helen Thomas and Octavia Nasr. But it plainly does no such thing, and therefore she will remain exactly where she is. ” [Emphasis added]

As will Dave Stancliff.

--Joe

[UPDATE] Non-Apology Apology – Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:01:29 PST

It's been 9 days since posting A knee-jerk is ALWAYS a knee-JERK and, true to form, glaring S I L E N C E – on this blog anyway. Sadly, these individuals seem unaware of what's really going on in our social order today, even though they are responsible for mountains of the aforementioned subject verbiage.

I gave these four individuals ample opportunity to take ownership of their attitudes and actions. In the face of their “non-apology apology” one must conclude that they don't believe I'm worth any consideration, let alone an apology. What they fail to understand is that their conduct, or in this particular situation where Dave Stancliff justifies what I wrote whether he intended to or not, defines the truth of him and everyone that supports him. What he said about me were sick lies based totally upon his personal biased opinions and egocentric worth. The “truth” is established by actions consistent with the lies. Their actions either establishes their legitimacy and credibility or refutes them. It puts them on record whether they like it or not.

Complicating matters, but also emphasizing their conduct, came in the form of a Letter to the Editor today, Wednesday, November 9, 2011, Times-Standard: We are not free:

Dave Stancliffs' column, “Next Stop, Africa: American Imperialism On The March” on Oct. 30 is one of the most outstanding pieces I have ever read in The Times-Standard. War and conquest is and always has been in the interests of the so-called ruling classes. America has been an imperialist nation from its very beginnings, starting with the native inhabitants. Our history is not pretty.
How profitable war is and for whom it is profitable should be obvious to any American with their eyes open. Cheney, et al, tell us that WMD are threatening our lives and safety, and off we go bombing a whole country, killing hundreds of thousands.
Meanwhile, private contractors are being hired with no bid contracts at pay rates that make a joke of the pay our armed forces are getting.
Haliburton and its subsidiaries were/are being hired and work with little to no accountability.
Could it be that Cheney, once CEO of Haliburton and still on their payroll while serving as vice president, could have had a role in that?
Recently, someone ranted at me that he had fought in a war for my freedom. Aside (mostly) from World War II, every other war we've fought was a war of conquest and profit.
Not profit for the mostly young people who fought and died, but profit for the powers that be who sent them to fight and die to make them richer.
Until we stop fighting and working for the top 1 percent, we are not free.
Sylvia De Rooy
Westhaven

Just a note on this letter that's glaringly indicative of the knee-jerk assumptions that always seems to give the one actually responsible, a pass. She says, "Cheney, et al, tell us that WMD are threatening our lives and safety, and off we go bombing a whole country, killing hundreds of thousands." It was the President of the United States, George W. Bush, that lied to the American people that is responsible for the lives of "hundreds of thousands" of innocent people.

--Joe

Will the Real Matt Owen Please Stand Up

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:46:47 PST

I'm writing about the “Matt Owen” that got a rather lengthy MY WORD opinion published Friday, November 4, 2011, called “Occupy Eureka: Hopefully, a peaceful resolution.” Maybe what he wrote says more about the Editor's of the Times-Standard newspaper than it does about himself. He clearly does not admittedly understand what the “Occupy” movement is all about, yet here he is telling everyone why he thinks they should be summarily dealt with. Here we have groups of people all over the World and the United States taking a stand for their legally guaranteed Constitutional right to petition their governments for redress of grievances. Unfortunately, you can't petition anyone until the agree to recognize and accept you – ONLY then will they hear you. Matt Owen has clearly decided that these people, the dregs of society, are unfit and therefore unworthy to be heard let alone seen. Which begs the question, what kind of a person is the “real Matt Owen”?

We know that other such citizen movements removed, but not necessarily replaced, decades old authoritarian, dictatorial despots with the purpose of establishing an incorrupt Democratic government that actually worked for and represented the BEST interests of the people. Ever wonder how such murderous criminals could stay in power for so long at the total detriment of the majority (99%) of the people? You'll find the answer to that question contained in Matt Owen's words and attitude as expressed within [his (worthless) opinion]. Opinions promoted and based upon the exceptionalism of the despot; the wannabe Elitist tyrants. Everyone of these individuals Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, Bashar al-Assad, Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joseph Stalin to name only seven historical individuals retained their power because of people like Matt Owen.

The Occupy Movement has a clear and distinct message. Despots and tyrants and their supporters are always unable to understand that message. Every bully I ever dealt with NEVER saw what was staring them right in the face. When the confrontation was all over, they never could figure out what had happened.

The following is an excerpt from Glenn Greenwald's Saturday, November 5, 2011, article: The Drone Mentality – in both senses of the word. It's relevant because what Glenn Greenwald lays out here is the foundation also demonstrated by Matt Owen for same way to deal with everyone associated with the Occupy Movement or the 99% of Americans being dispossessed. I would also like to point out that the same mentality is also demonstrated by four other individuals: Dave Stancliff, Ernie Branscomb, Eric Kirk and Kimberly Wear of the Times-Standard newspaper. Here is Greenwald speaking about the movement:

“Over the last week, I had the genuine privilege of spending substantial amounts of time with participants in the truly inspiring Occupy movement around the country, including visiting Occupy Oakland on Thursday. This same dynamic is at play there. Many sneer at the protest encampments because they include the homeless, the unstable, the “dirty,” the jobless, and those who are otherwise downtrodden, dispossessed and unable to live decent lives. Much of that sneering is due to the desire that these people remain hidden from sight, invisible, so that we can avoid facing the reality of what our society has produced on a large scale (having Dirty, Disobedient People be part of a movement vaguely associated with liberalism also harms the ability of progressive media stars to maintain their access to the Halls of Seriousness). But they are and should be part of that movement precisely because the disappearance of the middle class and booming wealth and income inequality produces exactly this type of human suffering. There are those who love to parade around as supporters of the marginalized and poor who prefer that they remain silent and invisible — distant abstractions — because being viscerally confronted with their human realness is unpleasant and uncomfortable. That’s exactly why victims of President Obama’s relentless drone attacks remain invisible and many prefer to keep it that way — it’s best not to confront the reality of the misery that one’s policies wreak — and it’s exactly why everything should be done to prevent that disappearing from happening.”

Matt Owen's concluding comments could come from any of Bashar al-Assad's supporters or Ali Abdullah Saleh's supporters or Hosni Mubarak's thug supporters: “I believe we all want to avoid the anarchy and violence, like what happened in Oakland the other night. Hopefully a peaceful resolution can be reached; otherwise law enforcement will enforce the laws.” I'm sure he does, since this Occupy Movement is standing directly AGAINST people like Matt Owen. Like the four individuals mentioned in the previous post: A knee-jerk is ALWAYS a knee-JERK – they had ample time to stakeout their positions.

So, Will the Real Matt Owen Please...

Here's a quote from Humboldt Herald's: Hodgson (North Coast Journal publisher Judy Hodgson) calls bullshit on Tyson’s cheerleaders August 3, 2011 and we all know who and what "Tyson's cheerleaders" are - Republicans:

Supervisor Virginia Bass admits that it was her husband who suggested including a portion that he knew to be untrue:

Finally, on Tuesday, I got my answer via email from Virginia Bass.
”I take responsibility for the discussion and the inclusion of this portion of the article [both Journal and Bradlee references]. … Matthew (referring to her husband, Matthew Owen) suggested the inclusion of the comment by Benjamin Bradlee and Mike [Jones] and I thought it was appropriate.” [Emphasis added]

[Source] Jager/Owens [Source]

--Joe

A knee-jerk is ALWAYS a knee-JERK

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:33:20 PST

[UPDATE :: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 - Non-Apology Apology - Silence]

Is it right to gloat? Bask in the light of total redemption, total justification and total exoneration? Tell me it is, because that's what this post is about – PERSONAL VINDICATION.

By God, when you are right, YOU ARE RIGHT! In my case, after enduring more than two years of incessant public personal slanderous and threatening attacks that were NEVER rectified, I have, if anyone does, every right to flaunt the gloating.

Almighty God DOES smile upon His little children. Vindication ALWAYS comes to he who waits and let me tell you, it is so, so sweet. OKAY, enough with the gloating. Here's what happened when I picked up the Sunday Times-Standard newspaper and worked my way to reading, Next stop, Africa: American imperialism on the march – and when I got to the third paragraph, I almost couldn't believe what I saw ... What I read made my heart skip a beat, but maybe I'd better explain.

That "happy faced" picture, that one you see there on the right, is the face of a guy that goes by the name of Dave Stancliff. That innocent looking “happy face” hides the soul of a man that publicly and shamelessly castigated, denigrated, blatantly lied and viciously accused me of all kinds of filthy, obscene and malicious actions and intentions directed against him and to him, not to mention to his pug-ugly dog. What did I do to so offend his infantile sensibilities? Nothing more than make the simple observation about his "knee-jerk" reaction that he published in the Times-Standard newspaper under his Opinion column: As It Stands. His personal attacks became so extreme that he even threatened to assault my family with some sort of lawsuit or criminal action. Mind you, that was on top of his threat against me of being some sort of Internet stalker and crazy, radical terrorist. Apparently, someone convinced him that his documented abusive conduct, over-the-top threats, and constant invective, were criminal in nature if not in intent. Eventually, he stopped his campaign, at least I think he did.

The irony of what he tried to do two and one half years ago, enforce his own brand of Imperialism is exactly what he is railing against today. He did everything he could think of, used every opportunity he could conjure up to try to force me, either by tacit inference or open admission that he had the right to judge me as some sort of sub-human meaningless person that dared question him or his opinions. His definition of "Imperialism" can be applied to himself because it is exactly what he tried, and to a certain extent within the Internet blogosphere, achieved a measure of success:

"Imperialism is defined as extending a nation's (or nationalistic [someone devoted to self] person's -) authority by territorial acquisition (taking a person's reputation and personal legitimacy through forced submission to to act and be as they are as a valued individual) or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations (through deprivation of one's credibility, acceptance and recognition as an independent individual through malicious lies and accusations designed to control the minds and beliefs of others).

For anyone interested, here is the link that started all of this that proofs the above definition. Note the date: Sunday, May 31, 2009. The title of my article was: Trolls versus The Thought Police.

Two years later he's still going at me: Title of this article and updates: Goody Two-Shoes. Do a search on the Report's WordPress Blog under Dave Stancliff, start at the bottom and work back and you'll find it's all there, Dave Stancliff in all his glory – that is if you have the stomach to go through all that crap.

Stancliff even posted a couple of his own and offered a reward to anyone that could identify the author of the Joe Blow Report. He started out with this link on his blog. - June 3, 2009. Then there were the apologists' incessant blather - one in particular: Ernie Branscomb. He wrote and posted a blog article defending Dave Stancliff's conduct, joining and supporting him with his own unjustified public invective.

So you can see, this whole episode got right down dirty, vicious and nasty mean. Dave Stancliff would make up all kinds of filthy, lying accusations then turn right around and do exactly what he was accusing me of doing. And – There he goes again! Only this time, he's admitted to being and doing exactly as observed in that "Trolls" commentary.

Here is what he said in today's Times-Standard newspaper, Sunday Edition, October 30, 2011 – As It Stands. I quote his admission:

“Of course, I really didn't understand its full meaning and admittedly didn't go out of my way to find it out. Instead, I went with a knee-jerk reaction and put the word in my Commie file.” [Emphasis added]

Is that bald-faced admission that totally justifies my very first observations of his opinion writings in the Times-Standard newspaper NOT a thing of beauty? What makes it a thing of beauty is where it puts him and those that supported him in his bullying, servile war against me and my credibility. They owe me a public apology.

What Dave Stancliff refused to accept as well as everyone that supported him, including the Editors at the Times-Standard is that it was Dave Stancliff that lost his credibility and legitimacy, neutralizing the value of everything he subsequently said that they published. That fact is established in the quality or lack thereof in the paper's reporting as defined by his exact statement quoted above. So...

Do you see it now, Dave Stancliff? How about you, Ernie Branscomb? And you, too, Eric Kirk? What about the Times-Standard Editorial Management, Kimberly Wear – is all the personal filthy diatribe and invective still justified? Who among you has the character, moral fortitude and common decency to do what is right, dignified and honorable?

Dave Stancliff's exposure that May day to the Joe Blow Report was, in fact, his first encounter with someone in the vanguard of the worldwide Occupy Movement. His knee-jerk reactions are completely consistent with how the Occupy Movement is held in total disgust, ridicule and disdain. Here's a good example by Rush Limbaugh:

"These protestors, who are actually few in number, have contributed nothing. They're parasites. They're pure, genuine parasites. Many of them are bored, trust-fund kids, obsessed with being something, being somebody. Meaningless lives, they want to matter." [Emphasis added]

More importantly, however, and in stark contrast to his historical attitude and actions, Dave Stancliff's As It Stands opinion article today is basically about making peace in this world by ending the American Elite's domination through brutal military or police suppression and looting everything of value. I've attached it to the end of this post and included links to the Times-Standard because it is well worth reading. Of late, Dave Stancliff has upped his game and began writing about matters of common interest, that are pertinent and timely to the local readers. Lets see if he can practice what he preaches, at least from a positive point of view. Real peace starts at home - it starts with oneself. He says he tracks my Internet activity. Let's see if he has the moral character and personal integrity to be the person he claims to possess such standing in this community, to step up to being the kind of real man he thinks he is.

Jerk: Slang. a contemptibly naive, fatuous, foolish, or inconsequential person.

--Joe

As It Stands: Next stop, Africa: American imperialism on the march

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 10/30/2011 02:30:09 AM PDT

”The enemy aggressor is always pursuing a course of larceny, murder, rapine and barbarism. We are always moving forward with high mission, a destiny imposed by the Deity to regenerate our victims while incidentally capturing their markets, to civilize savage and senile and paranoid peoples while blundering accidentally into their oil wells.”

-- John T. Flynn, conservative American writer, 1944

By Dave Stancliff

I once thought only Communists used the word imperialism when referring to American politics. As a Vietnam veteran against the war when I came home in 1971, I was in solidarity with those protesting against it.

Still, some slogans like “Imperialistic Pigs” or “Imperialistic Puppets” vaguely troubled me. I didn't like that word for some reason. It made me uneasy.

Of course, I really didn't understand its full meaning and admittedly didn't go out of my way to find it out. Instead, I went with a knee-jerk reaction and put the word in my Commie file. After all, back in those days Commies used the word in scathing verbal attacks against America.

In fact, imperialism is defined as extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations.

It's been a long and painful road since the Soviets were our mortal enemy. Along the way, America invaded

Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of national security. Ours. We extended our military presence in the world to 126 countries under the guise of protecting democracy.

President Obama announced the majority of our troops will be out of Iraq by January 2012, but what about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan?

More alarming, Obama and his corral of Chicken Hawks recently announced the invasion of a new frontier. They sent 157 Green Berets to Uganda as military advisors in what is being described as the first phase of a military operation that will spread to other nearby African states.

The Pentagon's questionable reasoning for this mission is based upon lies designed to hide our capitalistic goals -- there's oil in Libya, and other African states have natural resources we can plunder.

We're going in -- wearing White Hats and all -- to save Uganda from some roving gang of thugs that's supposedly terrifying all the good people in southern Africa. An earlier generation of Chicken Hawks in Washington said the same thing about Vietnam.

The warmongers are ready to rip Africa apart, like the vultures they are, in order to keep the industrial complex rolling. Africa screams ... but no one hears. The ghosts of thousands of American troops who have died in dirty little imperialistic wars/actions since Vietnam must be restless.

As long as we have influential Chicken Hawks lobbying for wars and military actions, they'll continue. Military ambitions will run rampant as long as obscene profits -- made on the back of the American taxpayer -- can be made. All under the guise of democracy and national security.

Capitalism became patriotism as politicians persuaded the public that America needed a worldwide military presence. The lies flowed with the cash. Business as usual.

Our government has created a system of proxy rule, by way of client states and dependent regimes. Few dare call it imperialism. Indeed, the most militant defenders of the policy greatly resent the term. They call it leftist propaganda.

My sentiments are the same as Mark Twain's were back on Oct. 15, 1900, when he wrote the following for the New York Herald:

”I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.”

Here we are over 100 years later, still putting our talons into other countries. That's very discouraging. As much as I love America, I'm ashamed that we act like a superpower with no soul.

As It Stands, I watch Americans protesting the economy daily now, and I find myself hoping that this growing movement of outrage will add demands to pull our troops out of every country we now occupy.

Dave Stancliff is a retired newspaper editor and publisher who writes this column for the Times-Standard. Comments can be sent to richstan1@suddenlink.net or to www.davesblogcentral.com.

From where does the rot come?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:01:55 PDT

[Update below]

Many people are still in a quandary as to what the Occupy Movement wants or what it is all about. The Elite's want them to have leaders they can attack. They want them to have ideas and beliefs to attack. The Uber Rich and their warmongering politicians want these people to conform the their failed way, get in line and continue doing what you are told to do.

Clearly, the joke is on them, though. The purpose of this worldwide movement is there for all to see. The simple truth of why there is such an inability to see and understand what is going on is the almost total delegitimizing corruption that has completely looted this country and the world of everything valuable. The Ruling Elite's efforts to dehumanize the majority of humanity has run into a serious problem. Many of these people refuse to accept the lie that they are worthless degenerates wanting an equality of which they legally or morally possess no right. They are in the process of taking back what they rightfully possess, the Earth. Even if it is only a dirty little plaza in the middle nowhere.

In Southern Humboldt there is the town of Garberville, it has a small park. Business people in Garberville, those without any shame, proudly proclaims its past 50 years business survival was its almost total subsistence on the ill-gotten, criminal marijuana money. The social deprivation of Garberville and surrounding communities by these people, as they try to justify their amoral needs, has led to generations of social corruption and lawlessness. One of these business people, Eric Kirk, also publishes the blog SoHum Parlance II. This man, as I understand it, is also a practicing lawyer or attorney. He recently posted: Open Thread on Friday Night's Meeting which was about the blight cause by the homeless and transients and the apparent efforts of the locals to deal with the problem. This situation is kind of a mini-occupy Garberville. After reading some of the comments, I posted a short observation about how the business people were part and party to the lawlessness of the past 50 years through their, what amounted to, criminal money laundering business activities. As such, they had compromised their integrity and legitimacy as a people, and a community. To me, the stench of these business people and their supporter's hypocrisy far acceded the smell they claim ravages their town as a result of no public facilities for homeless garbage and feces. As such, their current situation was of their own making.

So, where does the rot come? Where does that total corrupt thinking, base amoral being of the believer that justifies the total lawlessness and that unaccountable criminal behavior? The following exchange in the blog post listed above might give you a hint: My comment:

“Every businessman or woman with established businesses that knowingly takes money, does businesses with criminals, by definition launders money. Just because these business people have a symbiotic relationship with law enforcement and the courts does not justify or legitimize the crimes or the criminals. Ernie Branscomb’s position on this matter is there for everyone to read. He made this an issue, not me. Just because the whole community wants to absolve itself of any responsibility for its actions all these years, present conditions say otherwise. People are fond of telling me, “Sh*t happens.” Well, all I’m saying is, “Live with it.” I don’t like it either. I have nothing but contempt for those that think they have and had the right to take that “dump” right in my front yard and then blame me for having such a nice yard that they could use.”

And Eric Kirk's immediate reply:

“Well, that pretty much includes everyone who does business, pretty much everywhere. Because crime in many forms is a significant chunk of GDP.”

Why is the hypocrisy of such a laissez faire attitude coming from a practicing attorney NOT a total surprise? 94% of the politicians with the most money win elections. The government and its judicial system are totally bought and paid for by criminal money – so according to lawyer Eric Kirk, the total worth or value of the United States is based upon criminal money, that makes everything (all crime) justifiable.

So, where does the rot come? It comes from a lifetime of the totally corrupt, lawless thinking of wannabe Elitist Parasites as they practice their dark art of lying, accusing, looting and murdering while posing for all to see as self-righteous, holier-than-thou, born of God, paragon's of all things righteous and perfect.

--Joe

[UPDATE :: Saturday, October 29, 2011] Here's another example of ROT, of a sick, sorry apologetic promoting the status quo at the expense of the deaths of innocent young people. Juan Cole's "Why a No-Fly Zone won’t Work in Syria" - is really a misnomer disguised as a plausible reality. When all he's really doing is defending Barck Obama's current gutless policies while trying to excuse away and justify his (their) duplicitous fecklessness corruption.

Words To Live And Die By

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:51:43 PDT

When I first heard this young woman's video I thought it would be good for everyone to hear what she said. When Democracy Now posted the translation I decided to put what she said on the Report. While the physical realities between Egypt's Mubarak government and police state are not as apparent as the Bush/Obama government and police state in this country, her words, as current events demonstrate certainly apply her and now. So, here is what she said, many thanks to Democracy Now:

ASMAA MAHFOUZ: [translated] Four Egyptians have set themselves on fire to protest humiliation and hunger and poverty and degradation they had to live with for 30 years. Four Egyptians have set themselves on fire thinking maybe we can have a revolution like Tunisia, maybe we can have freedom, justice, honor and human dignity. Today, one of these four has died, and I saw people commenting and saying, "May God forgive him. He committed a sin and killed himself for nothing."

People, have some shame.

I posted that I, a girl, am going down to Tahrir Square, and I will stand alone. And I’ll hold up a banner. Perhaps people will show some honor. I even wrote my number so maybe people will come down with me. No one came except three guys—three guys and three armored cars of riot police. And tens of hired thugs and officers came to terrorize us. They shoved us roughly away from the people. But as soon as we were alone with them, they started to talk to us. They said, "Enough! These guys who burned themselves were psychopaths." Of course, on all national media, whoever dies in protest is a psychopath. If they were psychopaths, why did they burn themselves at the parliament building?

I’m making this video to give you one simple message: we want to go down to Tahrir Square on January 25th. If we still have honor and want to live in dignity on this land, we have to go down on January 25th. We’ll go down and demand our rights, our fundamental human rights.

I won’t even talk about any political rights. We just want our human rights and nothing else. This entire government is corrupt—a corrupt president and a corrupt security force. These self-immolaters were not afraid of death but were afraid of security forces. Can you imagine that? Are you going to kill yourselves, too, or are you completely clueless? I’m going down on January 25th, and from now 'til then I'm going to distribute fliers in the streets. I will not set myself on fire. If the security forces want to set me on fire, let them come and do it.

If you think yourself a man, come with me on January 25th. Whoever says women shouldn’t go to protests because they will get beaten, let him have some honor and manhood and come with me on January 25th. Whoever says it is not worth it because there will only be a handful of people, I want to tell him, "You are the reason behind this, and you are a traitor, just like the president or any security cop who beats us in the streets." Your presence with us will make a difference, a big difference. Talk to your neighbors, your colleagues, friends and family, and tell them to come. They don’t have to come to Tahrir Square. Just go down anywhere and say it, that we are free human beings. Sitting at home and just following us on news or Facebook leads to our humiliation, leads to my own humiliation. If you have honor and dignity as a man, come. Come and protect me and other girls in the protest. If you stay at home, then you deserve all that is being done, and you will be guilty before your nation and your people. And you’ll be responsible for what happens to us on the streets while you sit at home.

Go down to the street. Send SMSes. Post it on the net. Make people aware. You know your own social circle, your building, your family, your friends. Tell them to come with us. Bring five people or 10 people. If each one of us manages to bring five or 10 to Tahrir Square and talk to people and tell them, "This is enough. Instead of setting ourselves on fire, let us do something positive," it will make a difference, a big difference.

Never say there’s no hope. Hope disappears only when you say there’s none. So long as you come down with us, there will be hope. Don’t be afraid of the government. Fear none but God. God says He will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. Don’t think you can be safe anymore. None of us are. Come down with us and demand your rights, my rights, your family’s rights. I am going down on January 25th, and I will say no to corruption, no to this regime. [Source]

I had also planned on running a video by the Young Turks about the Oakland police assault on the Marine veteran when I happened to notice a similar video on the Humboldt Herald and SoHum Parlance II. I would suggest following up with these comment sections, in particular on SoHum Parlance II because there is a good discussion. Here are some of my comments on this subject. What I write here is not based upon some theory, but on actual life's experience living and working in the Pacific Northwest timber industry.

SoHum Parlance II: Last Night in Oakland

As long as the demonstrators give the police permission they will get beaten, gassed and arrested. It’s as simple as that. It’s the little secret government and the police know.

So, you want to know what I mean by “give permission.” That’s exactly what you do when you play the poor “non-violent” victim while asking the big bully to see you as something more. It’s the difference between being non-violent and non-cooperative. The government authorities are going to use the police to continue to deal with you exactly as Rush Limbaugh puts it: “These protestors, who are actually few in number, have contributed nothing. They’re parasites. They’re pure, genuine parasites. Many of them are bored, trust-fund kinds, obsessed with being something, being somebody. Meaningless lives, they want to matter.” The rallying cry in Egypt was: “I count, too.” If you believe you “count,” expect to be treated with respect, walk with honor and dignity and that NO man or woman has the right to put their hands on you, then that is exactly how you act; that is exactly what you project. When you believe the police have the legal right to beat you when they are clearly criminal in their actions, you give them permission. When a hundred protestors stand around watching three or four police brutally beat a young woman senseless and drag her off to detention and do absolutely nothing to stop it, there is certainly no honor, dignity or manhood. So, why should anyone expect the government, the rich elite that own the government or their police enforcers to treat them as of equal value? They don’t and they won’t. A lesson the Oakland demonstrators learned in the last couple of night.

This question was asked: I understand your words Joe… but I think that sounds easier than in practice. What exactly would you have done if you were there, to assert your dignity?

Bolithio, Your darned right it’s hard when you’re staring down a combat-hardened thug twice your size coming at you in a violent rage. What I “would do” is what I’ve always done when confronted with such a situation. I make them understand there are consequences for what they do. That means I would do whatever I had to do to defend myself. I never play their game. The police are violent people, recognize that fact and deal with them accordingly. When it comes to protests and demonstrations, everyone must be equally motivated to stop cooperating with the violence. The Oakland Occupy Movement has decided to step up to the challenge and move to shut down Oakland. That puts everyone in Oakland on notice and record. Who supports the illegitimate criminals and who does not.

--Joe

Hey! I Count Too.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:24:37 PDT

Why should people all over the Earth stand up or rather take a stand on some small plot of land and say: “Hey, I count too.”?

They call it the “Occupy Movement.” They try to get the Power Elite to hear them by getting them to first see them. They've had some success overturning powerful dictators, but no real success dealing with the root cause of issue that allowed for decades of authoritarian, dominant control. The reasons are obvious to some. Today, Glenn Greenwald is announcing the release of his new book: With Liberty and Justice for Some.

I'm offering his complete article here (below) and at Salon.com for all to read. What he says, far more eloquently than I, and lays out the primary motivation behind this blog Report. His arguments validate and substantiate what this Report has worked at showing locally. The political institutions are illegitimate and the corrupting control of the criminal elite are responsible for the ensuing anarchy rampant in society that threatens us all. The sad truth is, all the corrupt politicians, law enforcement, and judicial systems cannot make uncorrupt American law and justice. One bad apple rots the whole barrel of apples. So, what's the solution?

With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful. -- By Glenn Greenwald:

The book focuses on what I began realizing several years ago is the crucial theme tying together most of the topics I write about: America’s two-tiered justice system – specifically, the way political and financial elites are now vested with virtually absolute immunity from the rule of law even when they are caught committing egregious crimes, while ordinary Americans are subjected to the world’s largest and one of its harshest and most merciless penal states even for trivial offenses. As a result, law has been completely perverted from what it was intended to be – the guarantor of an equal playing field which would legitimize outcome inequalities – into its precise antithesis: a weapon used by the most powerful to protect their ill-gotten gains, strengthen their unearned prerogatives, and ensure ever-expanding opportunity inequality. This is how I described that development in the book:

The law itself wields tremendous power. The legal system’s reach is unparalleled: it can deprive a person of property, liberty, even life. It may compel people to transfer their material goods to others, block them from engaging in planned actions, destroy their reputations, consign them to cages, or even inject lethal chemicals into their veins. Unequal application of the law is thus not merely unjust in theory but devastating in practice. When the law is wielded only against the powerless, it ceases to be a safeguard against injustice and becomes the primary tool of oppression.

The past decade has witnessed the most severe crimes imaginable by political and financial elites: the construction of a worldwide torture regime, domestic spying perpetrated jointly by the government and the telecom industry without the warrants required by the criminal law, an aggressive war waged on another country that killed hundreds of thousands of people, massive financial fraud that came close to collapsing the world economy and which destroyed the economic security of tens of millions, and systematic foreclosure fraud that, by design, bombarded courts with fraudulent documents in order to seize homes without legal entitlement. These are not bad policies or mere immoral acts. They are plainly criminal, and yet – due to the precepts of elite immunity which were first explicitly embraced during Ford’s pardon of Nixon — none of those crimes has produced legal punishments.

By very stark contrast, ordinary Americans are imprisoned more easily, for longer periods of time, and in greater numbers than any nation on earth. New legal classes of non-persons with no rights have been created over the last decade as well. Thus, over the same four decades that elite immunity has taken hold, the nation — namely,the same elite class that has aggressively vested itself with the right to act with impunity — has resorted to ever more merciless punishment schemes for ordinary Americans and others who are marginalized who, for multiple reasons, have very few defenses when the state targets them for punishment. While being rich and powerful has always been an advantage in the judicial system (and in all other aspects of American life), our political culture has now explicitly renounced the concept of equality of law, and it is thus now unabashedly clear that who you are is far more important than what you do.

This development isn’t just central to most of what I write. It is, I believe, driving the growing (and accurate) perception that our political institutions are wholly illegitimate. It is, as I wrote this morning at Tom Dispatch, this sense that outcome inequalities are now wholly illegitimate – as a result of this fundamental perversion of the rule of law – that is fueling the citizen anger inspirationally on display at the Occupy protests around the nation.

In the first three years after I began writing about politics, (2006-2008), I wrote one book per year, largely because significant time constraints were imposed on those books. This new book is substantially different than those for many reasons, the most important of which is that I had the luxury of really taking my time with this book. I’ve basically been writing it for the last two-and-a-half years, and was able to step back from day-to-day writing and reflect on broader themes and underlying causes that explain these developments and what really lies at their rotted roots. The greater amount of time, and a much more active editor, also meant that I was able (and at times compelled) to struggle with and then perfect literally each sentence. This was a much different, and much more gratifying, book-writing process, and I really believe that this is reflected in the book itself.

For me, there is only one reason to spend the enormous amount of time and energy required to write a book: because you really believe that the arguments you’re making should be heard but are not being heard, and the book, if it’s successful, can forcibly inject these ideas into mainstream discourse. I think there’s a growing perception, even if inchoate, that law does not serve as a legitimizing anchor to justify wealth, income and opportunity inequalities, and therefore nothing legitimizes those inequalities. They are illegitimate. The resulting anger – and rejection of the legitimacy of mainstream political institutions – is a positive force, a necessary antidote, and it’s my sincere hope that this book will accelerate that by crystallizing just how corrupted American law and justice have become.

[UPDATE :: Glenn Greenwald on Democracy Now - Wednesday, October 25, 2011]

Glenn Greenwald on Two-Tiered U.S. Justice System, Obama’s Assassination Program & the Arab Spring - This interview is a must read.

--Joe

Show Me The Difference

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:04:11 PDT

[Update] [Update II] [Update III - Kym Kemp's latest]

President Barack Obama Mendocino Sheriff Tom Allman

'If you can't catch him, kill him'

If you see him, shoot him down like a dog.

'If you can't catch him, kill him': Obama's secret death warrant on al-Awlaki revealed - article from Mail Online posted October 9, 2011. Then there's the September 30, 2011, report from Obama of al-Awlaki's assassination: Anwar al-Awlaki: Steely-jawed Obama triumphant at al-Qaeda loss - Someone said: "A very bad man had a very bad day."

[UPDATE :: Wednesday, October 19, 2011] Reuters: Two Awlaki teenage relatives killed in Yemen attack: family and from the New Yorker: An American Teen-Ager in Yemen.

[UPDATE II :: Thursday, October 20, 2011] To all of you that believe with all your heart that the press releases Sheriff Tom Allman puts out tells the whole and absolute truth, such as Kym Kemp in her latest propaganda would have everyone believe, I encourage you to read this article about President Obama's wanton murders of natural-born American citizens.

MacLeodCartoons

Twitter observation on this: "I condemn the Libyans for killing one of their own citizens without giving him due process and fair trial. We never do that in the US."

Now, compare that to this:
Authorities shoot, kill murder suspect Aaron Bassler; suspect had finger on trigger, officials say - Finger on the trigger, HUH?

Compare with today Tuesday, October 18, 2011, Times-Standard white-wash from the Ukiah Daily Journal: Items found in Bassler's backpack raise questions. [T]hree-man SWAT team from Sacramento County opened fire on him from high ground as he walked on a logging road, killing him almost instantly.” That's not what this reporter says in the first paragraph and if that's all you read you'd get the idea there was a fight between Tom Allman and Aaron Bassler: "[F]ollowing the final confrontation that ended in Bassler's death on Oct. 1." Confrontation, HUH?

Allman says without any apparent question, that there was NO shoot to kill order. The facts, as reported, say otherwise. Allman's justification of the ambush assassination speaks for itself. Bassler was ONLY a SUSPECT being chased for something Tom Allman accused him of doing. There was no proof of anything. Only police officer accusations. The fact the Bassler was in the area or that some eagle eye could see "his finger on the trigger" doesn't prove anything.

An 'UNPERSON' SUSPECT - "A very bad man had a very bad day." Noam Chomsky has an interesting take on what these two "officials" did and what or who had a very bad day:

Some may remember, if you have good memories, that there used to be a concept in Anglo-American law called a presumption of innocence, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Now that’s so deep in history that there’s no point even bringing it up, but it did once exist. Some of the critics have brought up the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, which says that no person — "person," notice — shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Well, of course, that was never intended to apply to persons, so it wasn’t intended to apply to unpeople. [Emphasis added]

Do you know the difference between "people" (Like: "We the People.") and "Unpeople"? You should. There are two separate laws for each decided by the "authorities" or the "officials" as they choose to interpret them.

[UPDATE :: Tuesday, October 25, 2011]

Kym Kemp's latest attempt at try to help whitewash the unjustified murder of Aaron Bassler is her link to the Press Democrat: The Hunt for a Killer. Like local reporting, nothing more than repeated unproven accusations (other than the dead body) to try justify the arbitrary murder. Kym's support for this type of police action, reminiscent of all tyrannical dictators, speaks volumes about what's happened to American society. When people give the police the right (for whatever pretense) to be accuser, judge, jury and executioner, equal protection under the law is long gone.

--Joe

Who Knew? "We Are the 99%"

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 11:35:29 PDT

Extra Benefits of Supporting the "Occupy Movement"

Link Between Financial Crisis and Medical Illness - A little know or accepted reality - The root cause of sickness.

DR. GABOR MATÉ: Well, you know, among the many inequities in a society are the ones that this protest has brought to light, the inequitable distribution of wealth and power. But what is not so generally realized, that this society also makes people sick. Fifty percent of American adults have a chronic medical illness, and much of that has to do with stress. And if you look at the literature on what causes stress, it’s uncertainty and lack of information and loss of control and lack of expression of self. And the uncertainty that has been forced upon the American population by the recent economic crisis, the loss of control as power has flown into the hands of very, very few people, and the absolute powerlessness of the many in the face of all that, and the lack of expression through the ordinary political process, people are totally disempowered and deprived of their voice. This protest addresses all those issues. So I can only say that this is an extraordinarily healthy thing to happen. People who participate here will be healthier for it as a result, and maybe society, in general, as well. And one more thing, as well. There was a study just this morning that parents who are stressed, they’re not as tuned in to their kids. They’re not as connected to their kids. So when society stresses people, like the current economic uncertainty and crisis does, children are not getting what they need. So this protest, as well, speaks to the needs of children as much as to the needs of adults in general. So that’s why I’m so gratified to see all this.

Dr. Gabor Maté is a Vancouver, Canada-based physician and bestselling author. Similarly to myself he observes, "As somebody who reached political consciousness in the 1960s, just when John Carlos did his famous salute at the Olympics, it’s gratifying to see that the thirst and the demand for justice and power and people’s rights wasn’t restricted to one generation or one time only but is very much alive in America." [Emphasis added]

The rest of the interview can been read here at Democracy Now.

The total looting of the America people and their worldly counterparts of their value as individuals and as countries, their laws, moral and ethical character and what everyone considers the measure of their value is nearly complete. Dr. Gabor Maté explains the ultimate objective - DEATH.

As a side note to learning more about this movement, Dave Stancliff's As It Stands Sunday, October 9, 2011, 'American Uprising' -- ongoing demonstration for equality is worth reading. An observation worth noting he says, "This blacklash [sic] has no leaders, but the overall message is clear; things have t change." He clearly understands the "message," and makes the observation, but typically does not understand the relevance of no apparent leader or leaders. What he and most others, at least the human species 'others' don't see is that life on this planet is moving from a vertical authoritarian, dictatorial, corrupt, believer-motivated system some call Democracy to a horizontal, intention-motivated system. A system that doesn't need corrupt leaders that betray their country, its Constitution and people or traitor banks and too big to fail corporations. Dave Stancliff is right when he calls it an "American Uprising." He concludes by asking: "As It Stands, can you hear them? The voices ringing out across the land"? The answer is, "NO"! But they will soon enough - That is when the people, in particular those with some small measure of personal value or worth, those demonstrators or protesters that stand for themselves realize that asking for permission is a waste of time and stop cooperating. [Source]

--Joe

UPDATE: How Your Elected Representatives Work for You

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:17:18 PDT

[UPDATE :: Tuesday, October 25, 2011]

I came across this on Eric Kirk's blog yesterday:

Open Thread on Friday Night’s Meeting

and was totally repulsed and personally offended by the comments of these self-righteous, sanctimonious hypocrits that I read by both him and Ernie Branscomb - two local businessmen operating in the Garberville area for years. There are dead people buried in those hills and several generations of people raised in that criminal culture - a culture that spans all parts of society including all the business people that washed that criminal money in their decades-long efforts to justify their crimes by feigning ignorance and a natural right. The untold millions of criminal dollars that has washed through and over Humboldt County ALONE touches or has touched everyone, including this writer one way or another, with its cancerous corrupt tentacles. The elites of Southern Humboldt try to put on a pretty face for everyone to see believing that they are inoculated from the disease. Problem is, the rancid, rotten smell from their festering pussy sore and the residual excrement can't be ignored anymore. (No pun intended.)

How Your Elected (SoHum) Representatives Work for You

[Note: "SoHum" means, Southern Humboldt and now, decades that picture is synonymous for Garberville, CA]

Why "synonymous"? Because it tells you something about the character of Garberville. Not the character today, but when that sign first proclaimed "WELCOME! The friendly folks are here to serve you good stuff." The welcoming and accepting hand was out for everyone. You could go into Garberville and be served in your dirty, dusty logging duds right alongside a family in their Sunday best that just came from church. I know, I did both. It didn't matter who you were, you all got the same - the best they had to offer.

Well, this is what the local business people in Garberville have to offer today. Impressions of a Homeless Meeting - Kym Kemps latest on the homeless people's situation in Garberville. Since I referenced her original article: Even Laundry Nazi’s Get Hurt Feelings it's only appropriate to follow up.

Be sure to follow the links at the bottom of her article, (1) Ernie's view and (2) Eric's view - One a true blue Elitist and the other a wannabe Elitist. Actually, one is a lawyer and the other some sort of businessman and community leader - I'll let you figure out who's who.

If there is one thing the "Occupy" people are demonstrating, is that all politicians are bought and paid for whores. The question everyone needs to ask is, who is the worst one? The Pimps that pay off these corrupt prostitutes or their willing patrons? In Southern Humboldt it doesn't take long to figure out who the Pimps are.

There is a simple truth in the World, a truth wannabe Elitist never seem to understand: People must live - Life lives one way or another. Take away all the jobs, kick people out of their homes, what are they going to do? Just blow away or die? People like Eric Kirk and Ernie Branscomb that suck off this Capitalist Whore want all the benefits of the deprivation they cause and exploit, but no part of the responsibility for what they've had a part in causing.

There's another Universal Truth most people never ever seem to learn, that is, until it's way too late: "You shall always reap what you sow" - For the Kirks and the Branscombs of this world that means: "What goes around ALWAYS comes around."

--Joe

Will This Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:58:30 PDT

Deepak Chopra Leads Meditation at Occupy Wall Street

Here was Deepak’s meditation for the group. “I just want to do a two minute meditation, or even less. Put your hand on your heart and just ask yourself internally what kind of world do I want to live in? And listen. Do it now. And now ask yourself how can I make that happen? How can I make that happen from a place of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? Simple anger will only perpetuate what already is out there. It was created by greed and fear. We have to go beyond that, and come from a place of compassion, centered equanimity and creativity. Once again, ask yourself, how can I be the change that I want to see in the world? Thank you.”

How do you defeat fear, greed and anger? Deepak says: "[A]sk yourself, how can I be the change that I want to see in the world?" It all starts with you. That's the little known secretive message coming out of all these "Occupy" movements all over the World.

"[A]sk yourself how can I make that happen? How can I make that happen from a place of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? Simple anger will only perpetuate what already is out there."

What is the answer? How does a calm person working "from a place love, compassion, joy and equanimity" effect ANY positive change? Without HARMONIOUS INTENT, you don't. It's as simple as that.
It's also how you defeat bullies when they believe they have the right to beat you - You stop cooperating with them. You stop giving them permission to beat you. You act with purpose and right. You defend you legitimate right to exist same as everyone else.

So, there you have it - How to occupy and take possession of yourself while taking possession of what is rightfully yours - the Earth.

Locally there are the Occupy Humboldt: Bringing the Revolution to Humboldt and Occupy Eureka movements. [Source]

--Joe

Judicial Killing of Anwar Al-Awlaki-MacLeod Cartoon

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:38:02 PDT

JUDICIAL?

CRIMINAL?
[MacLeod Cartoons]

--Joe

What Does the Obama Murder of an U.S. Citizen Mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:37:33 PDT

[UPDATE Below :: Authorities shoot, kill murder suspect Aaron Bassler; suspect had finger on trigger, officials say] [UPDATE II] [UPDATE III]

What Does Obama's Due-Process-Free Assassination - Murder of a U.S. Citizen Mean for YOU?

All nations derive their ultimate right to legally exist from the Universe and it's Arbitrary Law governing all matter. Consequently, it means the total delegitimazation of the United States as a valid country with the Universal right to continue existing as a legal entity. President Barach Obama's criminal conduct resulting in the deliberate crimal murder of an American citizen in an open and complete violation of the United States Constitution establishes or codifies America's total anarchy as a rogue nation in this world. The American people are now faced with the same choice as their founding fathers faced with England's tyranny.

If, as most people are like you, the reader, unable to understand the significance of legal or legitimate existence, as either by an individual or as an individual country in a world of nations or legally existing countries, then for especially Humboldt and Mendocino Counties and in particular for the citizens of Eureka California, accept that it means this:

It means the same thing, complete impunity for murder by accusation. Whip up a mob and you're free to kill anyone with total abject impunity.

A good example of what's going on locally right now is this matter of some anonymous individual claiming the a guy named Aaron Bassler killed some wonderful person named Jere Mello. So, the Mendocino Sheriff's department has a kill on sight or is it "kill or capture"? There is no proof and no probable cause presented anywhere, but that certainly does not deter the locals from their blood lust. Look at Eric Kirks latest perverted statement, "Melo Shooting Suspect Exchanges Gunfire with Law Enforcement." There is absolutely NO PROOF that what he claims is the truth. All anyone has is the Mendocino County Sheriff's Press Release. A good example of the local blood lust is referenced in Kirk's post at Kym Kemp's blog: Aaron Bassler And Law Enforcement Exchanged Shots Today. -- Again, no proof. Only the self-serving News Release from the Sheriff's Department offered as god's-gospel truth. Reading the comments on her blog will make most decent Americans ashamed such people are their neighbors.

Here are the relevant links from the Times-Standard -- No solid reporting here, only repeated Press Releases.

1) Officials mourn loss of Fort Bragg councilman Jere Melo - 08/30/2011

2) Aaron Bassler wanted in Melo's death; considered armed and dangerous - 08/30/2011

3) Fort Bragg councilman was shot at opium grow; draws light to world of opium poppies - 08/31/2011

4) Search for suspected gunman in Melo shooting continues; Link between deaths of councilman, land trust employee not ruled out - 09/01/2011
5) Officials: Bassler wanted in two shooting deaths - 09/03/2011
[Authorities said they have obtained an arrest warrant for suspect Aaron Bassler, 35, in connection with the shooting deaths of Matthew Coleman and Melo, but did not given further details on how the crimes were connected.]
6) Murder suspect Aaron Bassler still at large; DNA evidence places him at Aug. 11 killing - 09/27/2011
7) Fort Bragg murder suspect fires upon officers Thursday; sheriff's deputies unhurt, return about 10 shots - 9/30/2011

It was here that company came and I wasn't able to publish this post. Before turning off the computer, this news article from the AP confirmed the Aaron Bassler had been shot down like a mongrel dog just like howObama gunned down Anwar al-Awlaki. Sheriff Thomas Allman of Mendocino County wants everyone to trust and believe in him when says Aaron Bassler is guilty just like Barack Obama's accusatory claims.

[Source - Source]

Need I say anything more? The proof is what it is: Authorities: CA slayings suspect killed in manhunt - When he "raised his high-powered rifle."
[Source]

[UPDATE :: Sunday, October 2, 2011]
Authorities shoot, kill murder suspect Aaron Bassler; suspect had finger on trigger, officials say is the headline in today's Times-Standard.

REALLY? More newspaper propaganda justifying police lawless action. Read what Allman says happened, if you can believe what Kaci Poor reports for the Times-Standard:

The team, positioned approximately 40 yards away from and 25 feet above Bassler, identified him by his black clothing and the high-powered rifle he was carrying. Without making verbal contact, the team fired seven shots into Bassler's chest. Bassler did not return fire before he died.

According to Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, while there was never a shoot-to-kill order made by commanding officers, the SWAT team had sufficient cause to fire on Bassler without first establishing verbal contact.

Bassler had his finger on the trigger of his gun, a round in the chamber and the safety off, Allman said. It was evident by that, and his previous actions, that any contact with law enforcement officers would be met with “deadly and lethal engagement,” he said.

"It was evident" that someone put in that position would try to defend themselves, but where was the proof that this "someone" was Aaron Bassler? Someone was wearing black clothes and carrying a rifle and that's all anyone knew. "Bassler had his finger on the trigger"? "The safety off"? "A round in the chamber"? What divine power gave these god-almighty judges that insight at "40 yards away"? Bassler's murder is no different than that of Anwar al-Awlaki.

It all starts with vilifying the Awlaki's and the Basslers and the Cottens of this world. It ends with your son or daughter, maybe even your father or mother that attends the Unity Church of the Redwoods.

For those of you that often wondered what Karma meant? Please observe the precise definition as it is played out, defined and enforced upon America. [Emphasis added]

[UPDATE II :: Monday, October 3, 2011]
The depths of moral depravity and wanton criminal behavior by all parts of government that is encompassing the United States viciously impressed upon the people is illustrated in the following quoted article and is a related, rather extensive point regarding state-sanctioned murder based completely upon a simple accusation: "It was evident (to Sheriff Tom Allman for sure) by that, (after-the-fact supposed probable-cause evidence) "his finger on the trigger of his gun, a round in the chamber and the safety off" - that any contact with law enforcement officers would be met with 'deadly and lethal engagement.'" On that account we must take Sheriff Tom Allman's word, because summarily executing the boy foreclosed on any of the proof.
In the article by Glenn Greenwald: So much evidence, there’s no need to show it - posted today, we see the issue and what drives the depravity:

That mentality — he’s a Terrorist because my Government said he’s one and I therefore don’t need evidence or trials to subject that evidence to scrutiny — also happens to be the purest definition of an authoritarian mentality, the exact opposite of the dynamic that was supposed drive how the country functioned (Thomas Jefferson: “In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in men, but bind him down from mischief with the chains of the Constitution“). I trust My President and don’t need to see evidence or have due process is the slavish mentality against which Jefferson warned; it’s also one of the most pervasive ones in much of the American citizenry, which explains a lot.

Yes, the lawless, anarchistic, mob mentality explains a lot. What value life compared to someone's worthless opinion?

[UPDATE III :: Monday, October 3, 2011]
The HILL'S Blog Briefing Room: Rep. Ron Paul sees Awlaki killing as 'possible' impeachable offense - And that's the test of American will to see if they've got the guts enforce the Constitution.

--Joe

Dream On

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Blow) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:31:54 PDT

[UPDATE Below]

Dream On "Send A Message." Meet the Joke called Accountability.

Attorney: Cotton verdict sends message; City: $4.5 million award will not impact general fund

Anyone see the joke?

So who will it "impact"? Will it "impact" the Eureka Police Department? Are these offending officers still working in Eureka on the E.P.D.? How many people were brutally beaten in Eureka during the past ten years, but didn't have the misfortune of dying?

The next time you are confronted by one of these three police officers and you see their name tag, Laird, Winkle or Whitmer, you'd better realize they're no joke.

When you read what Police Chief Murl Harpham has to say about this incident and his defence of his and his officer's continued right to use excessive force anytime they determine some "suspect" is not "compliant" you should clearly understand his definition of and what he means by "tough cop." It certainly doesn't have anything to do with restraining someone for transport. It has everything to do with beating or torturing someone into submission. When the city endows a group of people with that right - a right that puts them totally above the law, with complete impunity, you empower a gang or pack mentality and Cotten was just one of the many guaranteed casualties. Read the deeper meaning emphasized by what Murl Harpham says as quoted in the Tuesday, September 29, 2011, issue of the Time-Standard. Harpham's defense of this kind of police action makes him and his officers defacto judge, jury and executioners. What he fails to understand is that his attitude in trying to make such a defense is what delegitimizes the justification of his authority and mandates the pack or gang mentality that permeates policing today. As such, they become the law, dictating to everyone what they can and can't do on any given whim.

What impressed me is how candidly Murl Harpham defines the war and simplifies whose lives are most valuable in this community.

The only people that award, if paid, sends a message to are the people that own property and pay taxes in the City of Eureka. Problem is, THEY ARE NOT LISTENING. If they are "hearing the word," they're afraid somone might brand or accuse them of being a "cop hater."

[UPDATE] Humboldt Herald has some terse and wanting re-write of this matter. He says: Eureka Police lose big in Martin Cotton case – How he comes to that conclusion is a rather dark mystery. Sounds like this blogger's been spending too much time with the people over at the Times-Standard.

--Joe