Ovine Detox

NYPD's finest at work.

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:20:35 PDT

The flexibility of human nature never fails to amaze! The NYPD (along with many others) will never be forgotten for their selfless and heroic acts on 9/11 and the weeks that followed.

And now we have THIS.

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:07:29 PDT

Top conservative talk shows often FAKED.

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:57:25 PST

This is for real….check it yourself. (Thanks to John Stroebel for passing it along.)

From the Columbia Journalism Review: http://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/premiere_plants.php

This is Google's cache of http://www.premiereradio.com/shows/view/premiere_on_call.html. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on Mar 9, 2011 23:48:25 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime. Learn more

(Note that the site went down about the same time this article came out. ;-)

Premiere On Call
Whenever you need voices to get your phones going with pranks, bit-starters, opinions, confessions, stories...

Our Democracy

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:39:22 PST

And Still It Continues; For Adnan and His Family and Friends.

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:03:13 PST

I have taken time off from writing. The sheer inundation by the (mostly) untruthful media coverage on these subjects had begun to eat away at both my soul and my faith in humankind.

I am moved to reprint several older posts since having recently had the honor of meeting and getting to know another very decent, caring, highly intelligent and well-reasoned human being from the Middle East. As my new friend shared his experiences in his country of birth, I was sadly reminded of my writings from the height of the Iraqi war under the Bush regime. And, once again, it becomes that much more obvious that, even under our current administration—one our nation fought hard to win with voters coming out in recently unhearalded numbers—NOTHING HAS CHANGED. “Wars and rumours of wars” persist as our politician-puppets continue to bend over at the command of their rich, criminal masters (American and otherwise) which actually run our nation and aspire to run the world at any price, including the lives of innocent mothers and children.

The issue is made that much more personal by the fact that the beautiful, perfect, first-born son (the one I failed) is now serving in Afghanistan, possibly forced (whether he understands it or not) to commit some the same atrocities once done against the Iraqi people.

I invite you to read the posts that are copied in the following….and tell me that anything has changed--or weep with me.

And Dearest Adnan….your video haunts me so that I cannot sleep tonight. I pray your friends and family are safe this night and that you find peace, yourself, in sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Letter to an Iraqi Mommy
http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/03/letter-to-iraqi-mommy.html
Reprinted in Salon, Café Mom, Al Jazeera
Author: Ranee Decker 2007
Fair Use reprints permitted

For some time now, as I’ve tucked the clean, warm bedtime blankets around my well-fed, sleeping, 5-year-old son who is almost never bothered by nightmares, a picture of you has flashed in my mind. It is one of the pictures published on the internet. One of those websites that attempt to show the TRUTH of what is happening in your country despite the lies of my country’s leaders. It is the face of a wailing mother holding her dying child who was mutilated by a bomb blast in the night. Often it brings me to tears.

My child knows no want, his belly is always full, he always has clean water, he wears clean clothes every day, he is healthy and happy and has almost no idea what the word “war” means. When I go to sleep, I have no fear of a militia burning down or bombing my home in the night.

I cannot imagine your anguish and fear and rage at watching precious, tiny lives and good families destroyed all around you—cannot imagine the fear for your childrens’ lives each moment, each day, each night as you attempt to sleep. I cannot begin to imagine what it is like for you who have held maimed and dying children, victims of this unjust war. It would kill me to be in your situation. I could not live after losing my child or having him so violated.

It’s NOT fair!

It’s not that I’m not grateful to live in a country where relative safety is, so far, not a major issue. I thank God every night that my child knows no real want and lives in a peaceful land. What I grieve for is the fact that EVERY mother should have the pleasure of watching her child sleep peacefully and comfortably, with full bellies, beloved blankies and no nightmares. No mother should huddle in fear, her child in her arms, awaiting death and impotent to protect her babies. No mother should hold a child dying of war injuries in her arms and feel his life slip away.

President Bush would say that it is for this very end—to ensure that no American or Iraqi mother or child suffers in this way—that we are currently occupying your country in a sustained “peace keeping” mission. We’re there, he’d claim, to protect you and your children as well as our own way of life. Believe me when I say that only the stupid or blind believe his lies any longer. He is an out-of-control, mentally unbalanced tyrant who has lied repeatedly and who MUST BE STOPPED. He is responsible for more deaths of innocent human lives than Saddam Hussein and deserves to hang for his crimes at least as much as we were told Saddam Hussein did. I am American—and I know this is true. I also know that if the sad small remainder of our “democracy” fails to reign in this mad man we call our leader, he will soon cause many more nations to retaliate against us and justifiably so. And then my child will also be at risk. And then I will be the one crying for the loss of his innocence or—god forbid!—his life!

I don’t blame you at all for your anger toward our country. I ask only that you try to remember that this war is being fought with the support of only a very small portion of our nation’s citizens and I’m not one of them! And at this point in our history, we regular citizens are just about as powerless as you are there to make decisive changes in our government. But most of us want it all to end and are doing what little we can do to see that happens. MANY MANY of those who still believe this war is just are only of that opinion because they are sheep trained—and trained well—to follow the leader and believe what the media or the generals tell them. I, like many, are truly ashamed of the title “American” right now. I want desperately for you to sleep unafraid at night after tucking the blankets around your well-fed sleeping babies. We are not very different, you and I. We both only want happiness and safety for our children. Please know that you have a sister across the ocean that truly grieves for you and your precious children. Please forgive us—at least those of us (and there are many!) who hate this war and what it has done to your country, your families and your children’s lives.

You will remain in my most ardent prayers for peace and prosperity and health. I will continue to do what little I can to help end this unjust war more quickly with my votes and my signature on polls and petitions, even though it can never be enough to erase the horrors you’ve already lived through. May God, (our Creator—yours and mine—merely known by different names) surround you with his angels and give you strength.

With sincerest respect and love,

Your sister in Florida, USA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next post, a month or so later, was not a direct address to my first writing. However, the timing of its publication was too syncronititous not to post.

Sister to Sister
Copyright 2007 Samih Ossaily, reprinted with permission at http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/03/sister-to-sister.html
Fair Use reprints permitted

A month or so ago, I wrote a piece entitled, “Letter to an Iraqi Mother from An American Mother. My sole purpose in doing so was to express my deep pain and sympathy for the situation our goverment mis-led us into. I do know that it has been reprinted several times, including once in a french publication, but do not know if it has reached it’s intended audience yet. (A long-shot, considering the problems of translation and the fact that so few Iraqi’s actually have access to reading materials.)
You can read it here: http://ovinedetox.blogspot.com/2007/03/letter-to-iraqi-mommy.html

Today I came across this and wanted to share it with you. It’s not a reply, but it’s the other side I so often stress MUST BE VIEWED. We cannot understand each other, and thus dispel fear, without knowing how “the other half lives.”

A Letter from an Iraqi Mother to the Mothers of the Americans Killed in Fallujah by Samih Ossaily, www.sosiraq.orgApril 19th, 2004

Dear Sisters,
1 call upon you because we are sisters in motherhood.

The American media described us with as “barbarians”, “savages”, and “criminaIs” in the . aftermath of the mob lynching scenes of the bodies of charred Americans in Fallujah, as Iraqis beat on dead bodies then hung them off a bridge. But the american media does not want you to know the true picture against which those scenes took place, nor does it want to let you know why Iraqis did this thing. The media does not want you to know the extent to which Iraqis have come to hate the soldiers of the occupation for them to act like this. I address you as American women, as mothers, sisters; wives, and daughters.

Sisters, I know how painful it is for a woman to lose someone dear. I can feel your pain. For we, Iraqi women, have lost too much, and have suffered what no mother on the face of the earth has. For example, when your governement imposed the injust embargo on our country, we had to watch our children everyday dying from lack of medicine. Because of the weapons of mass destruction your soldiers used, especially depleted uranium, we had to carry babies in our wombs for nine months only to see them born severely deformed.As if all this was not enough for your governement, it topped all it off wich a war that is launched under false pretexts just to control our wealth, our oil and resources. And it was a brutal war in which many of our cbildren were killed and many others were arrested, both sons and daughters.

As of today, your governement continues to kill and arrest our sons and daughters. So, after all this, do you still wonder why Iraqis carry such hatred in their hearts towards your kids?! You sons, dear sisters, were not exactly angels or missionaries preaching the religion of mercy! Your sons have killed our fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. Your sons have stolen, pillaged, raped, polluted the earth and the water, and burnt the fields. In fact, dear sisters, your sons are the real barbarians, the murderers, and criminals. Therefore, please don’t blame us for hating them..

Dear sisters, I call upon you, as someone just like you who has experienced the pain of Iraqi brothers and sons being killed by the invaders in the worst possible way: if you want our collective pains not to increase and multiply, and if you want the return of your sons and husbands back home safe and sound, PLEASE LET THEM LEAVE IRAQ, for they are NOT welcome here. And, therefore, I teIl you that nobody can possibly promise you that the Iynching scenes of yesterday in Fallujah won’t be repeated again, okay?

Why do you let your loved ones be sacrificed like this, dear sisters? So murdering beasts like Bush, Rumsfeld, Sharon, and Halliburton would get richer and more powerful? Is that a good reason for them to die? We think not. We want it all to stop, for us and for you. So please let your children leave lraq alive.
Sincerely.
An Iraqi Mother

Come back later, OK? I’m sitting here in tears and need to clear my head before I reply to my sister’s letter.
Blessings,
Jesse

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This final post in the series is my response to the Iraqi mother and writer of Sister to Sister.

Sister to Sister 2
http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/03/sister-to-sister-2.html
Copyright 2007 Ranee Decker
Fair Use reprints permitted

Dear Sister,

I read your letter a little while ago. It’s taken me awhile to dry my tears and attempt to write back to you—to let you know your voice has been heard.

I heard the anger in your “voice” in your letter. I understand it, I accept it and I agree with you. No part of this war was justified except in the minds of those who sought to profit from your country’s resources and, as a result, your pain. I guarantee our leaders never thought of you as in individual or what all of this would inflict upon you and your loved ones.

I, like the growing number of American civilians being added to this movement each day, am ashamed of being associated in any way with the current (and some of the past,) leaders of our nation. I, like many more, am taking what actions are available to me to cause our government to stop this war and bring our sons and daughters home. I want so much for both our children and yours to live in a peaceful nation. More than anything I wish that no mother ever cries for the loss of her beloved child lost to the stupidity, greed and dishonesty of those who govern the nations.

I promise I will not stop fighting in any way I can to bring our troops home. I assure you that I am far from the only one trying to end this unjust war. IF there is still such a thing as democracy, we will prevail. Perhaps one day, your son and mine will work and play together as friends with deep respect for one another. If democracy is a lie, and the current government refuses to listen to our voices, our government deserves your hatred and the retaliation that is sure to follow one day soon. Just PLEASE try to remember there are many of us who truly grieve for your plight.

I’m so very sorry, my sister. Please forgive those of us who never wanted this war to begin with. Please forgive those of us who cry with you. I’m sorry…….so damned sorry….

With deepest sorrow and respect,

Jesse, an American mom.

A Great Video Analogy of US Government and We The Sheeple

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:54:12 PDT

Was that Obama I saw bottom left? (The lead dog.)

type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
width="450"
height="382"
bgcolor="#F4F4F4"
src="http://www.funnieststuff.net/FunniestStuffPlayer.swf"
FlashVars="videoFile=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.funnieststuff.net%2Fcontent%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2F4%2Fsheepherd.flv&videoTitle=Extreme%20sheep%20herding.&autoPlay=false&fullScreenScriptURL=http://www.funnieststuff.net/scripts/funniestStuffPlayerFullScreen.js">

Obama Changes Definition of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:14:56 PDT

Art credit: raphaelschild (free for use)

Need a laugh...check out The Onion's article.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/obama_revises_campaign?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

Shock Jock Sets Out to Prove Waterboarding Isn't Torture...Recants in 7 Seconds!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:03:17 PDT

Photo credit: Washington Post

Chicago shock jock Erich "Mancow" Muller subjected himself to waterboarding on-air to prove his premise that the "enhanced interrogation technique" was, in fact, not accurately termed torture. After only 7 seconds of the experiment, his opinion changed dramatically.

The videos included in the article are revealing. Now if only Cheney, Bush and Pelosi had the balls to submit to the same experiment!

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Mancow-Takes-on-Waterboarding-and-Loses.html

Forget Bo the Dog--Obama's Cat is Tearing Its Way Out of the Bag!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:47:41 PDT

Photo credits: http://www.smh.com.au/

“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” Barack Obama

Obama’s continuing vacillation on subjects of paramount importance to our nation’s well-being have hardly surprised me. My readers will recall that at a time when some of the most popular “left” and “progressive” blogs and even mainline news sources were singing the praises of the New Age in American Politics and its Coming Messiah, I chose to cast my vote for a dark-horse candidate because it was apparent to me that Obama was little better than his predecessor. His senate voting record, immediately prior to the elections, was proof enough for me that no matter how eloquently he spoke, he was little more than a shiny, new coat of paint over the rotting walls of our crumbling democracy.

http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/09/open-letter-to-mr-obama.html

http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccain-obama-fail-to-impress.html

http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/07/dear-mr-obama-why-did-you-lie.html

Since the election, Obama has proven my premise time and again. He’s wavered on everything from governmental transparency (at the heart of the current furor over non-release of Abu Ghraib torture photos) to his original intention of adopting a “mutt like me” rather than the high-priced, well-pedigreed and rather rare Portuguese Water Dog which now claims the title of First Dog. (Appropriate, no?)

And then there was the promise of the closing of Guantanamo Bay Prison:

Obama to order Guantanamo Bay prison closed
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/12/obama.gitmo/

Obama on Torture, October 4, 2007"

The secret authorization of brutal interrogations is an outrageous betrayal of our core values, and a grave danger to our security. We must do whatever it takes to track down and capture or kill terrorists, but torture is not a part of the answer - it is a fundamental part of the problem with this administration's approach."

Consistent only in his inconsistency, of course, he’s more recently decided to continue military tribunals IN the aforementioned (and still quite open) prison. Is it any wonder why very few are taking his reform of the Bush-Cheney approved practices there seriously?

Oh, and by the way, if you are still sheepish enough to believe that the prisoners there might get a better deal than those before them, read this article regarding the “loopholes” in Obama’s no-torture policy. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12041

However, if you’ll forgive my brief digression above, let’s get to the original subject. Obama’s explanation for his about face regarding non-publication of the now infamous torture photos—no doubt seasoned liberally by Republicans and others with personal fears that they will be implicated in such misdeeds—are two fold. He has concluded that the photos, if released, will place our service men and woman at greater danger in the field from those who would seek revenge, and also that these photos would also give terrorist recruiting groups fuel for their fires. (As if we haven’t already given them enough!)

“Change.” “Hope.” Excuse me?? What HAS changed? And if, as it seems, the current president has realized that, thanks to his predecessor, he can damned well do whatever he wants without fear of reprisal, WHERE is the hope???

Today, my Kudos go out to Australian channel SBS for publishing a group of pictures believed to be among those Obama has chosen to keep hidden from polite company. Please see the rest of the photos at the SMH website: http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2006/02/15/1139890768970.html?page=3

I sincerely hope that the enterprising insider who leaked these photos will continue to do so. Hopefully, when Obama can no longer hide behind the aforementioned excuses, and the proverbial cat is out of the bag whether he approves it or not, he will have no choice but to pursue legal prosecution of those involved in the torture of so many men, women and children. ( Many of whom were innocent civilians captured and delivered for profit by military contractors at the price of $600 per head.)

Finally, I appeal to other bloggers and legitimate news outlets to republish or link directly to the Aussie website to insure that EVERYONE has a peek at what our government continues to sanction by their refusal to atone for and rectify their crimes.

Check out the following text and video links for fuller understanding of the practices at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and other facilities like them. If you’ve the courage to think for yourself, you will learn just how far we, as a nation, have sinned against our fellow men, woman and children for the sake of financial and megalomaniacal gains and you will refuse to allow it to continue.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2004/7/14/38300/-Kids-sodomized-at-Abu-Ghraib,-Pentagon-has-the-videosHersh

Little Known Military Thug Squad Still Brutalizing Prisoners at Gitmo Under Obama http://www.alternet.org/rights/140022/little_known_military_thug_squad_still_brutalizing_prisoners_at_gitmo_under_obama/

INSIDE ABU GHRAIB: Part 1

Watch parts 2-4 here:

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksnDuQImCyo

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnsC1Lt9H9E

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4EfL3_etuI

Particularly disturbing video of US soldiers celebrating over tortured prisoner bodies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOiDISopOBM

God Bless America?? Ha!
May God save our damned souls!

The BEST Swine Flu Tracking Information on the Net

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:36:23 PDT

Once again, I've been absent for some time due to matters beyond my control. While I fully plan to continue Ovine Detox (albiet in a slightly different fashion) and will begin posting more regularly soon, I wanted to give you all a bit of a hand in doing your swine flu research.

All you need to do is Google "swine flu" and you'll come up with more information than you can possibly digest. (If you want real information overload, set yourself up on Google's automatic updates on the subject!)

Thus, I'm not even going to attempt to do what so many others are already doing so well in keeping us informed on the subject. (Or, quite possibly, what so many are trying NOT to do as well. But we'll leave the conspiracy theories until there's more information.)

I will say that if you search Donald Rumsfeld and Tamiflu you might come up with some interesting CT fodder. ;-)

Anyway, after having researched non-stop for the last 5 days, and being alerted to at least a thousand different websites and news articles thanks to Google, I'd like to offer the following as what I feel is the very best, realistic and up-to-date website on the current flu scenario. Do yourself a favor and read through the recent archives as well....you'll find that this particular flu bug likely began at least several weeks before the governments and presses are currently admitting. (This guy--a scientist with ties to the CDC-- was and is WAY ahead of all the presses and even our own government.)

Biosurveillance
Operational topics in biosurveillance

http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/biosurveillance/

Meantime, stay safe and healthy!

Rev. Jesse

The Right Thing for the Wrong Reason?

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:18:44 PDT

I write now to apologize to those who have previously read my writings—specifically those writings that, to them, maligned THEIR God or THEIR belief system. Somewhere along the line I’d read that (was it the Kabbalists or the Buddhists?) refrained from criticizing others’ religious beliefs. That it was tantamount to spiritual violence to do so. That each of us is in the time and place we are for a reason and that it is not another’s place to attempt to push them to somewhere new if they are not yet prepared to go there.

“Well yes,” I reasoned, “but surely SOMEONE has to show them the error of their ways before they destroy the earth.”

As if we could do so against the will of the Creator.

I was given a gift….an amazing gift from the very hand of God. The gift of understanding a few higher truths. A gift given to soothe my grief over that which I could not comprehend and thus, a gift given in love.

But rather than be grateful and find a way to share that gift as lovingly—as graciously-- as it had been given, I used it to bludgeon those to whom it had not (yet) been given.”

Arrogant that I, among millions, was “bright” or “smart” enough to have “figured it out for myself,” I looked down upon those who were, as of yet, not able to grasp such truth. I did so even knowing that this wisdom had not been of my own will or work or brilliance, but a rare grace in response to my ardent cries to God for understanding. More arrogant still, I believed myself to be above those to whom this understanding had yet to be given because I had been given it before them. And foolishly I allowed such arrogance to stoke itself further by maligning and thus, hurting and deeply offending those “sheep” I crowed about so arrogantly.

When the reality of my hauteur hit me full in the face, I was stopped in my tracks, mortified at my behavior. At once I understood how I had abused the gift given me, and for awhile, I remained stupefied by my actions. Finally convicted of my wrongs, I prayed,
May the God that Creates, Sustains and (miraculously) refrains from destroying us—or at least me—forgive me my sin of arrogance, anger and emotional and spiritual violence toward so many.”

May those many also forgive me, showing me more mercy than I’ve previously shown them, though I deserve neither mercy or forgiveness for reviling their most closely held, precious spiritual beliefs.

“Other sheep I have not of this flock. They too shall listen to my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:16

I hereby give up my self-appointed responsibility to herd those other sheep toward the sheep pen I believe they should already reside in. Surely The Shepherd is able to bring them to his pens in His own time and in His own way.

May God forgive me and bless you greatly.
Namaste! (Truly)
Reverend Jesse

Halleluja! The Sheep Have Rejected the Shepherd!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:21:51 PST

The dust has begun to settle. (For the moment anyway.) Alas, Richard L. Decker III http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/03/latecomer-announces-run-for-white-house.html has lost his run for the presidency. ;-) Instead, Barack Hussein Obama, overcoming odds probably greater than any other presidential contender, has been chosen by the American people as the 44th American President.

Although I am about as FAR from being a supporter of the Bush/McCain regime as any human can be, I have personally, on this blog, criticized Obama’s voting record in the past. http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008_07_06_archive.html He voted FOR the war appropriations funding, (despite promises to the contrary) FOR the FISA bill and FOR the fiscal bailout which even now, despite democratic reassurances of new checks and balances, is finding its way to the pockets of the ultra-rich powerbrokers of our nation.

Initially a vigorous Obama supporter, I later vowed to withhold my vote for what appeared, to me, to be yet another double-speaking politician. I kept that vow and did NOT cast my vote for Obama. I did so on principle. I did it to affirm my commitment to NEVER support yet another politician who promises one thing and delivers another. Although willing to admit that my neophyte understanding of politics might have lead me to some misunderstanding of the issues our now-president-elect based his voting decisions upon, I refused to cast my vote for ANYONE who’s record shows a distinct opposition between his words and his deeds. Doing so, to my mind, only propagates the seemingly inherent dishonesty of our government, though sadly I suspect it is impossible to find a candidate who actually is capable of complete honesty.

And yet....on election day, when the announcement of a newly elected president was finally announced, I admit I cheered.

I cheered because the Bush/McCain GOP's extraordinarily dishonest and thus self-damaging campaign had been defeated despite the frighteningly sheepish thinking of so many of those who’d supported him to the bitter end. I cheered because such an enormous number of our youth had shrugged off their attitude of apathy, hopelessness and despair and cast their vote in record and breathtaking numbers. And I cheered because our nation, as a whole, has finally repented of one of its most grievous sins—the sin of racial prejudice—and elected a black man to the highest office in the nation. (Yes, yes, I know…and NO it’s not about race. But race IS an issue we’ve battled since the very beginnings of our nation and FINALLY the majority of voting Americans have overcome their bigotry. And that, my friends, is HUGE!)

Whether or not our new president-elect will keep his promises and perform as well as his supporters believe he will isn’t really the issue at hand at the moment. (Though I pray he will because much of our nation’s immediate well-being hinges, in large measure, on his performance over the next four years.) What IS important—the most significant point of it all—is the fact that he HAS already been an agent of change. And that IS an accomplishment worthy of celebration!

WE THE PEOPLE, thanks in part to the Obama clarion call, HAVE changed. We have finally thrown down the gauntlet and REFUSED to allow our nation to become yet another theocratic ogliarchy. We have INSISTED on a new approach to politics which refocuses its belief, once again, on something much closer to the founding fathers’ ideal of democracy. We have stood, in record numbers, and DEMANDED that our voices—all of them—be heard. We have reclaimed our voice, our ideals and our POWER as Americans. Our war cry is no longer “yes we can.” It is now YES WE DID!

I humbly thank you, America. You’ve given this and many other lowly writers like myself HOPE that all is not lost—that one day, our nation may once again rise as a concerned, just and respected leader and advocate of the world. Record numbers of the sheep of our nation have begun to THINK for themselves rather than continue the mindless following of the flock which brought us to the very precipice of the collapse of our nation as we know it. They—you--have rejected the carelessness, greed and avarice of the shepherds which care little for your own well-being except for the money and power they gain by controlling you. You have stood firm and refused to be lead complacently to slaughter. You have REALIZED and then CLAIMED your own power! That, surely, is cause for celebration, irregardless of what the next four years bring because once you’ve come to understand your own strength, intelligence and power, you will NEVER allow yourself to be blindly led again.

Be proud, America! You have finally turned an all-important corner in national and even world history. May God continue to bless you by compelling you to continue the journey up the long road ahead toward liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Neo-cons And Nazi's Alive and Well In America

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:27:51 PDT

By Sociologist Diane Chase

I am currently in the worst state of angst I have ever been in during the course of my life…which, as frightening as it may be, is almost 6 decades long. I have never been more fearful of the state and direction of this country nor have I been more discouraged by the ignorance of the average American. I write a good bit about politics and the history of this country, there is a good reason for that…it was almost my vocation but is at the very least my avocation. (I began as a history/political science major in college until I realized I did not want to teach and ultimately received my Bachelor's Degree in Sociology.) Why is that and why do I feel so strongly about this once great land?

I grew up in the extremely beautiful and historic little city of Newburyport, Massachusetts. It is located 36 miles northeast of Boston on the mouth of the Merrimac River. My father's family has lived in that wonderful area since 1635 and I always have been, and continue to be, very cognizant of that fact. Something I am actually quite proud of. It drips with history and I was well aware, even as a child, that most everywhere I walked in that burg there was some interesting history surrounding it and still flavors the area. Caleb Cushing, the first Ambassador to China was from NBPT, a Tea Party was launched there before the Boston Tea Party, William Lloyd Garrison, the great abolitionist, called the Port City his home, Benjamin Franklin first became interested in lightning when he encountered the exquisite steeple of the Unitarian Universal Church of Newburyport, the Coast Guard began on its shores, George Washington, Benedict Arnold and the rest of the usual subjects stayed there at some point, on and on. All interesting, but its most famous and colorful history surrounds the once great ships that sailed from its ports.

Pirates terrorized the British off the shore of this town on a regular basis. The ships would be lured into port, thinking they had reached Boston, and be robbed of the war goods and other supplies that the ships were carrying. The great clipper ship, the Dreadnought, was built in Newburyport by the most famous of all clipper ship builders, Donald Mckay. (who is buried in NBPT) Mr. Mckay made his name building in Newburyport before he moved his shipbuilding business to Boston. The Dreadnought is often the ship pictured whenever you see paintings of clipper ships. Newburyport is known as the Clipper City and the sports teams of the schools are known as the Clippers. His ship, The Flying Cloud, was the fastest clipper ever built.

I lived with the evidence of this ship building enterprise every day. High Street is said to have the finest collection of Federalist Architecture in the country. The huge homes that had been owned by the sea captains look down over the harbor with their "widow walks", a vivid reminder of the great nautical history. In the back of my house, there was a clearly defined area that had been a Rope Walk during this bustling era. A "walk" was a very long, thin building used in making the ropes and lines needed for these great ships. I would often daydream, while looking at that area, about the activities surrounding all of the building that had gone on in all of the shipyards. So important was the activity in shipbuilding and trade that at one point tiny Newburyport was being considered to be the capitol of the nation. This town was a key player in the trade that was engaged in around the world at that time. Sadly, Mother Nature intervened and caused horrible sand shifting which made the harbor difficult to keep dredged for the large ships and it fell upon hard times.

In 1812, a HUGE fire destroyed most of the downtown and the continued economic woes were the backdrop in the 1950's and very early 1960's in which I grew up. Another great historical fact came of this demise; Newburyport was the first city in the country to receive Urban Renewal money. There were years of fighting and court cases about how to revitalize this once great town. Developers wanted to come in, raze the area and start over. The natives, your family had to have been there at least a hundred years not to be considered a new comer, fought to maintain what was there. The good news/bad news is that they kept the historic buildings and revitalized the area. It is a show place. The bad news is, it is so beautiful and such a desirable place to live, the cost of living has risen to the point where many natives can no longer afford to live there. So, what does all of this have to do with my angst?

Having grown up surrounded by this atmosphere drove me to love the study of history and I devoured all that I could in the way of knowledge about our country's history, government, Democracy and the like and I have maintained that love throughout the course of my lifetime. So what do you say? I believe, this has given me a better than average understanding of how we have gotten to the place in history that we are, and an understanding of the original ideas of the Founding Fathers and an appreciation for the purity and brilliance of the Constitution, The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. It is this love of what this country is supposed to be that fuels my current angst.

We are living in frightening times because we are being manipulated by people who have NO love of this country, are driven by greed and hubris, have an agenda for how they want the world to be and have no compunction about doing whatever it takes to accomplish this mission. These people are the Neo-Conservatives. This is a different beast from the Christian Right so please do not confuse the two. Although there may be members who belong to both groups they are not one in the same. It is common knowledge that many Americans, powerful businessmen and politicians, supported and funded the Nazi Party in Germany. They also funded the Soviet Communists before that but that is another discussion. They funded them before they came to power, during the war and continue on today with the same mindset. This is established historical fact, if you do not believe my assessment, please, do the research on your own. It is a disturbing and shameful history.

The most blatant example of their continued influence in the world is our current economic situation. This is all artificially induced. Are you aware that right now in the Atlanta/South Carolina area for example the gas stations are closed because there is no fuel there? People are unable to get to work? I speak only to that area in this piece because I know this to be a fact as the daughter of one of my friends lives there and they are having difficulty physically getting people to their work places. There has been NO significant event to have caused this situation. Any change in the crude oil market takes months to affect the pumps although the moment the price of a barrel goes up the price at the pump rises. Artificial inflation…that crude will not be refined and in the pumps for MONTHS. Also, do NOT blame our current fuel crisis on the Middle East…about 85% of our oil comes from Venezuela.

The 700 billion dollar bailout being discussed is going to help whom? That would be the filthy rich businessmen who own the companies they have run into the ground due to greed. Why are we bailing out the rich? How are they forcing this issue? They are scaring people by telling everyone there will be no money in the ATM machine etc for a start. Why is that money not going to the people who need it to pay off their mortgages? If you want to stimulate the economy, put the money into the hands of the people who need it. No, the average American received $600 in "stimulus" money, mere lip service to make the gullible think that the government cares. News Flash THEY DO NOT!

Are you aware of the fact that the Federal Reserve Bank consists of 12 privately owned banks? Banks owned by the very people, the Neo-Conservatives, who are manipulating current events? They are also owned by foreign interests who could care less about the American people. Have you been following closely what has been coming out of the talks about the bailout? The Republicans are adamant that language be kept so that activities by the Secretary of the Treasury can NOT be questioned by any court, committee, or subject to oversight. If this does not frighten you, we need to talk. This mindset is the antithesis of the tenets this country was founded on. They are also fighting the concept that the leaders of the companies being bailed out cannot take out millions in "Golden Parachute" retirement settlements for destroying these companies. Why do you suppose that is?

As I have said in earlier posts, the key to any dictatorship is keeping the populace uneducated, ignorant and wary of each other. America is now the poster child for that policy. I have spent my life surrounded by intellectuals, highly educated critical thinkers and enlightened individuals. I currently find myself living with the results of the policy of under-educating people and keeping them ignorant. There is a complete disconnect from the reality of our current economic, political, social reality and the fact that this administration has brought this about. For some reason, people are unable to understand cause and effect.

Equally, or more disturbing, is the racial climate we are living in. I had not heard the "N" word spoken in my presence in 30 years until I moved to where I am currently living. Now I hear it several times a week. It makes my blood pressure rise and is so abhorrent to me it makes me physically ill. I often hear; "I would never vote for a "N$%@*". I was told last night that if a black man (my words) was elected, the blacks in the south would rise up and take over the country. The discussion went on from there as I countered every argument with fact and common sense.

The people in power, no do not be fooled that our elected officials are calling the shots, have kept racial tensions high because it is important to keep the populace afraid and divided. Much easier to control when you can pit groups against each other so that they do not realize what is being done to them. While we were told be terrified of every person of Middle Eastern descent we were stripped of many of our rights and freedoms by the Patriot Act. I am not saying we do not need to be vigilant, we do. There are radicals that want to see us removed from the face of the earth but, for all of the witch hunting that went on against Americans, nothing was really discovered yet we still have not had our rights restored.

The discussion around the last few elections has been about abortion, gay rights, illegal aliens, and other superfluous situations. Why is that? Those people pulling the strings do not want you asking questions about the REAL issues. Why we cannot afford to keep our homes, why unemployment is so high, why the national debt is killing us, why China holds most of our debt, why spying on its own people is not a good thing, why our educational system is one of the worst in the world, why our infrastructure is in terrible shape, why banks are closing etc. As the saying goes; "Dazzle them with Bull$@*! They do not want you asking tough questions so they continue to divide the country and its people. Those issues that have been made into trigger points as stated above are miniscule in the scheme of things and will take care of themselves if we are being governed properly.

Who is the government making you believe is responsible for our economic woes? Illegal aliens! Are you kidding me? Do you think those people are getting rich in this country? They are not taking jobs from Americans. That population does jobs that our people deem too beneath them. A perfect example of this happened on my street two weeks ago. Verizon is putting in new cables for their VIOS services and the people digging the deep holes by hand, in the heat, were Mexican. One of the people on the street started bemoaning that they were causing all of the problems in this country because they took those jobs from "Americans". Lady…you cannot get Americans to do that work for the little pay those jobs offer. The powers that be though want you to focus on this as the cause for your problems. The problems are caused by big business sending jobs overseas to save a buck and are protected by your federal government. Do not be dazzled by the BULL$@&.

The sad truth is, we are not governed, we are managed. A Democracy is a government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people. If "The People" do not know what their rights and responsibilities are, how can they be engaged in self rule? If critical thinking is not only NOT taught but discouraged in schools how are "The People" supposed to know when they are being screwed. The answer to both of those questions is obvious. This policy of keeping them "fat and stupid" has taken away any questioning of what is being done to us. The few intellectuals who balk at what is happening are harassed, discredited, and called all sorts of trigger names to engender fear. Most Americans are fearful of what they do not know and most of us do not know much. This is by design people.

So, where does that leave us? We have a candidate in John McCain who graduated at almost the bottom of his class at Annapolis and has been quoted calling his wife a C&*^. He selects a running mate who is so unqualified to be on the ticket that it would be hysterical if it were not so frightening. Please, anyone who has a truthful, relevant fact about her innate abilities and qualifications to be president please tell me so that I do not have to slit my throat. This is the biggest joke perpetrated on the American people in a VERY long time. They are counting on the fact that this nation is SO racist that they can get anyone elected. As I told the person last night who was explaining to me how the blacks were going to rise up, if the McCain/Palin ticket is elected we deserve what is to become of us.

I am NOT an Obama apologist by any stretch of the imagination; I do not think he is necessarily the answer. All I do know is that the alternative will be the end of this once great land. Why? Because these folks are so tightly in bed with the Neo-Conservatives and we have NO prayer of surviving their continued raping of the American people. Who are some of the key Neo-Conservatives that you will recognize: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumseld, Karl Rove just to name a few. This fact is not difficult to discover so do not take my word for it.

The frightening fact is that even if someone other than those two are elected, we will still be under the thumb of the key players, it may just take a bit longer and a slightly different path. What is the answer? We as a people need to rise up and take our country back. Is that going to happen? Not on your life! We are well trained and follow anyone who seems to be taking charge because we are not sophisticated enough to sift through the crap to find the real message. There is a great discussion in the movie, The American President, about how Americans will follow anyone who steps up because they are so desperate for water they will drink sand instead. The "President" replies …that they do not drink the sand because there is no water, they drink the sand because they do not know the difference. This is one of my favorite movies because of its look at the government and the average American.

Some of you will read this and think I am arrogant and some sort of "intellectual snob". I suppose, to some extent, I am. I have armed myself with knowledge and understanding of what this country was/is supposed to be. Honing my critical thinking skills, both by formal education and my own hard work, has been an important part of who I am. I stay informed and alert to the world around me. The responsibility of questioning those I feel have strayed from the path established by our Fore Fathers is a responsibility I take seriously. So, I guess with those facts in place, I do feel as though I have some better than average understanding of what is taking place here. If that is snobbish then so be it.

There are so many issues that are pressing right now that I could go on forever. Putin of Russia is an individual that we need to be keeping an eye on as we force his hand. Has anyone noticed what we are doing in Eastern Europe? No, because they have us focused on "the towel heads" as we so wonderfully describe them. We are placing missiles in Poland and all around Russia. Did we not have a fit when the Soviet Union put missiles into Cuba? Why is what we are doing any different? We are trying to get those entities formed with the dismemberment of the Soviet Union into NATO. Putin managed to get himself named as Prime Minister after he left after being President. He is a proud nationalist and will not hesitate to push back if we continue. Oh, I am sorry! I forgot…Palin has that issue all taken care of. Alaska and Russia are neighbors, they can see each other, she will have him over for coffee. Well, I certainly feel better now!

You do not want me to start on the election. Already, we are being told of voting problems around the country so we are prepared when once again there is mass confusion and the election will be ended as those really in power want it to end. We can put a man on the moon, fly the space shuttle, built a space station but we cannot find a safe and secure way to run an election? You are not really that naive are you? We send observers to countries to ensure fair elections, perhaps countries should send observers here to assure the same... they do have a vested interest after all. There is a back side effort to stop the elections based on the "economic crisis", that will happen if they have an inkling that they can get away with it. Be ever vigilante!
Well, enough of this. Hello Homeland Security. Yes, I engaged in anti war marches, sit-ins and rallies during the Viet Nam era and I will be on the radar again. Actually, if you are not on their radar you are not an active, thinking, caring American who is doing their job of being vigilant about YOUR country and its future. K.M.A. Homeland Security! You can attempt to take my freedoms and rights but you cannot stop my brain. I know what and who you are and may you rot in HELL.

FYI
The Federal Reserve System (also the Federal Reserve; informally The Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. Created in 1913 by the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, it is a quasi-public (government entity with private components) banking system[1] composed of (1) the presidentially appointed Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.; (2) the Federal Open Market Committee; (3) twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation acting as fiscal agents for the U.S. Treasury, each with its own nine-member board of directors; (4) numerous private U.S. member banks, which subscribe to required amounts of non-transferable stock in their regional Federal Reserve Banks; and (5) various advisory councils. As of February 1, 2006, Ben Bernanke serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Copyright 2008, Diane Chase

An Open Letter to Mr. Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:59:28 PDT

Barr? Paul? McKinney?

Dear Mr. Obama,

Although I do believe you to be strongly preferable to McCain as our future president, I, a registered and well-informed voter, am honestly considering casting my vote for a dark horse candidate. Why? Because you have, more and more often, begun to sound and behave like just every other politician who promises anything to get elected while his behind-the-scenes behavior is much different. Case in point is the bailout legislation.

THE cure--the only REAL cure-- for the fiscal crisis facing our nation now is by taking actions that will cause a reversal in that "trickle down" effect you addresses in your recent video.

(Readers see http://my.barackobama.com/baracksplan)

Some of the points you make are solid, but nowhere do you refuse to bailout the financial "axis of evil" who got us into this mess in the first place. In fact, your words and actions so far indicate your full agreement and willingness to do so.

While casting your vote against the bailout may not affect the outcome, I need to see a presidential candidate who PROVES his willingness to face criticism when standing firm on his stated ethics.

I absolutely will NOT vote for any candidate that signs his name to any assistance for the fat cats and I will agitate my contact base to do precisely the same. In fact, I will deliberately vote against any member of congress who signs his name to this piece-of -arbage bill, whether they be democrat or republican. (And we all know how desperately the Dems need that extra number of seats.) I will be watching to see what you and the rest of Congress do and I will act accordingly. I am NOT alone in this position. We are SICK of being treated as if we are stupid and will mindlessly continue to absorb the hardships placed on us so unfairly. Yes, we are facing a horrific period in American financial history no matter the outcome. I say let's face it honestly and remedy the problems now, despite the difficulties that will entail, to make it right once and for all. At least then our grandchildren won't pay the price years from now.

So what IS the solution? Give the breaks to the working man--offer him a government sponsored remortgage at a lower rate IF he deserves it based on his credit and payment history. (If he doesn't, he deserves to lose his home anyway.) Force a lowering of all insurance premiums and the rate on lending of all types. Stop allowing Big Oil and even the corner gas stations to artificially inflate the prices of gas--we aren't fooled on that one either--and cause the prices to lower by utilizing our current stores of oil here on the homeland. By doing these things, you will give the common man you so often mention extra money in his pocket to spend which will "trickle up" to business, large and small, and government alike.

My voice is one of many with the same concerns and viewpoint, Mr. Obama. Our voices will be heard on election day. I await your decision with little hope. I sincerely hope you prove me wrong and vote against the bailout.

Ranee A. Decker
Florida

Bloomberg Busted Creating Neo-Con Spin On Bailout

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:24:35 PDT

Bloomberg, a highly visible, right-wing controlled media outlet, was busted putting a revised spin on it's own original article yesterday. This is, for those familiar with neo-con standards of operations, not a surprising occurrence. That Bloomberg actually invents parts of its revision of the story IS proof of both the boldness of those who design to deceive but also in their faith of the stupidity of their constituents.

Baaaaaaaa.....baaaaaaa...

Winning the War On Terror? Guess Again.

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:50:07 PDT

According to the State Department and the National Counterterrorism Center, in 2001 there were 531 total terrorist attacks resulting in 3,295 deaths. Three years later in 2004, the number jumped 651 incidents or terrorism, killing 1,907 people. Last year, in 2007, the number of terrorist attacks more than doubled to 14,499 incidents and 22,666 deaths.

Interesting statistics. Interesting source.

Last night's debates touched on whether our current approach to terrorism has been effective with Obama assuming the Nay position. His stress upon our need to reflect on past approaches to understand how to best improve our future performance on numerous issues was taken by some as "dwelling in the past," but was especially important where the issues of terrorism and fiscal responsibility are concerned. (Of COURSE, McBane doesn't want to focus on the past....he's been an integral part of why we are in the position (bent over!) we are today.

I came across an extremely enlightening article at Alternet I thought I'd share with you regarding the SUPREME INEFECTIVENESS of current and past approaches to terrorism. The statistics mentioned above are quoted directly from the Alternet article. READ the article...and then try to tell me we don't need to evaluate and revise our approach to terrorism.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/100507/seven_years_after_the_start_of_the_so-called_%22war_on_terror%2C%22_terror_attacks_are_up/

McCain, Obama Fail To Impress

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:52:47 PDT

Trading jabs was evidently the goal of the evening for the first debate between presidential hopefuls, John McCain and Barack Obama. While some of this behavior is expected, I had hoped to hear some real and positive ideas expressed and debated. Instead, McCain repeatedly attacked Obama as "failing to understand" key concepts and Obama made his selling points on McCain's cooperation with the Bush administrations errors over the last 8 years. While I personally believe McCain's track record of voting with Bush 90% of the time is important, the thinking public is already aware of the fact that Bush and McCain are kindred spirits. I'd have much preferred to hear some solutions to the problems our nation faces now and in the future from either opponent.

Obama, for his part, held his own against McCain's deceptive attacks, but then showed his naiveté when openly alluding to aggressive military action in Pakistan. Although this writer, personally, is more forgiving of honest mistakes than the deliberate, deceptive practices so typical of the GOP, I found Obama's comments toward Pakistan offensive, and I suspect this gaff will be replayed heavily over the coming days coverage of the debates.

On the other hand, for anyone who has been following the activities of Mr. McCain over the last several years, it is immediately clear just how often he has changed his positions on key issues. And just lately, (including his pirating and re-phrasing of Obama's campaign slogan,) it is painful to watch as McCain attempts to adjust his own talking points to limit Obama's gains rather than to actually address any serious issues.

In short, I find little to actually write about as regards this unimpressive battle of wits between the two men currently seeking to lead our nation. Barring any brilliant coups by one or the other in the next 39 days, I find my self in the unsatisfied position of casting my vote NOT for the best man (or woman) for the job, but rather for the lesser of the two evils. Yes, my vote will go to Obama, but I have little hope that he or his opponent are the change this nation so desperately needs.

New Internet Scam Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:40:20 PDT

(This is what you call a case of writer's genius!) To the author....KUDOS! Brilliant!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 5:11 AM
From: XXXXXXX
To: XXXX

Dear XXXXX

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion USD. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who (God willing) will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a former U.S. congressional leader and the architect of the PALIN / McCain Financial Doctrine, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. As such, you can be assured that this transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,

Minister of Treasury Paulson

Credit: http://allspinzone.com/wp/2008/09/22/your-urgent-assitance-required/

McCain's Support of Big Oil, Disregard for Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:18:52 PDT

A Survivor of 9-11 Speaks Out

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:51:57 PDT

Copyright Peter L. Flom, PhD

I'm a victim of 9/11. I was in the building when the plane hit.

Compared to some people, I was lucky: I wasn't injured. I kept my job. I got home easily. But compared to the vast majority ofAmericans, I am a victim. I had glass in my hair. I lost a year's work, and some irreplaceable items. My family went crazy for a while. My kid had nightmares. You explain to a 5 year old why (in hiswords) "They crashed into the building on purpose?" or reply to "I thought pilots were good people".

But I am a victim another way.

I share part of this other victimhood with all Americans. I am a victim, not of terror, but of the so-called `war on terror'. I am a victim of a government that is out-of-control. I am a victim of crushing national debt. I am a victim because I live in a country that went from having the sympathy of the world to one that is a pariah, an outcast among nations, a rogue state. I am a victim because I now have to `watch what I say'. I am a victim because my rights are violated, not by some nebulous and inimical group ofterrorists, but by my own government.

They do not speak for me.

But in another way, I do not share this other victimhood. My victimhood is being abused.

I have watched for years as my government - our government - has whittled away my rights, stolen my freedoms, and wrecked the constitution in the name of a false security. I have watched and watched and watched, as they have used my name - my victimhood - to make me a victim once again.

They do not speak for me.

So, I will post this diary, and I will take action. I will volunteer. I will give money. I will make a difference. This is MY country, this is MY victimhood, and I will not have it abused. I am no martyr;I have no death wish; I hope that no terrorist ever strikes anywhere again. But the founders of this country knew what they were doing.They wanted freedom. They DEMANDED freedom. They put their lives,their fortunes and their sacred honor on the line to win freedom. And now it is reduced to this.

But it is worse even than this; it would be one thing to pay too heavy a price to increase our safety. But we have paid the price for nothing. We have arrested thousands of people, and let them go. We have spied on our own citizens, and found out nothing. We have allied ourselves with torturers, and yet, we are not safe. Indeed, by making our enemies unite, we have made ourselves weaker, and our enemies stronger.

This victim demands an end to the 'war on terror' that is really a war on America.

Peter L. Flom, PhD
Statistical Consultant
http://www.peterflom.com/

Have We Forgotten?

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:21:28 PST

Sages have said that the truth is often found somewhere in the middle of two stories with opposing viewpoints. I've seen the truth of that assertion proven many times.

What I want to know is WHEN that truth will finally come out. Are we even still looking for the truth? Will the Bushies manage to sweep their complicity for 9-11 under the rug as they have so many more of their crimes, or will someone come forth with the courage and fortitude to finally reveal the dirt under that carpet and bring the "evildoers" to justice?

For the sake of the memory of those lost on September 11, 2001, for the sake of the children left without a parent, for the sake of the rescue workers forever sickened and traumatized by their sacrifices, for the sake of the thousands of soldiers and civilians who've died since, for the sake of our nation.....we CANNOT forget until justice is finally done. Check the links. Know the facts. Decide for yourself.
RD/9-11-2008

We Will Never Forget...Or Will We?

Reprinted from Ovine Detox

September 11, 2005

Please visit the sidebar for an extensive list of links.

Conspiracy theories abound in this age. “We are being watched by alien reptoids who are actually in control of the world.” “Elvis–and Jim Morrison–are alive and well and selling real estate in Costa Rico. ” “Bush is the 666 Antichrist.” (OK, maybe that one’s a bit more believable.) One need only go to Rense.com to find out all the latest conspiracy theories. Most are, in my admittedly naive opinion, just plain silly.

However, I’ve read more than once, on reliable websites, that there is yet another conspiracy theory that’s totally missed my attention until very recently. So I began doing a bit of research on the subject and am amazed and a little frightened at the information I’ve found. Skeptic that I am, I have to admit a healthy dose of disbelief even while I get a sort of sick feeling in my guts the more I read on the subject. It’ll take me some time to draw any actual conclusions, but I’m definitely intrigued and will continue to pursue the subject.

I CLEARLY remember when I first heard of the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was near the end of my pregnancy—only days to go before a scheduled C-section—and heading out the door to my last non-stress test at my OB’s office. I’d just picked up my purse and begun heading toward TV to turn it off when the channel cut to visions of the Twin Towers. I stood in shock as the announcer informed the nation that a plane had hit the New York landmark. After what seemed to be only a moment later, I watched the second plane hit the Towers in real time. And I KNEW that this was no accident.

It wasn’t morning sickness that churned in my stomach during the rest of the ride to the doctor. I was laying on a table in the doctor’s office with monitors strapped to my belly when I heard (a bit late) that the Pentagon had similarly been attacked. My baby jumped inside me and became unusually restless. The nurse administering the test said, “Hey Momma…..take it easy now…you’re upsetting that baby.” I believe I was in shock for the rest of the day and I don’t remember much of anything else but sitting in my baby’s nursery wondering what kind of world I was bringing him into.

I remember watching, a couple days later from my hospital bed, with my newborn in my arms, as the Twin Towers continued to smolder and the amazing men and women of the New York Emergency response teams combed the rubble in the heart of New York. And I remember, a week or two later, erecting a flag pole in our yard for the first time, and raising high a bright new flag as tribute to the solidarity, strength and courage of our nation.

Like most of us at that time, I was reassured by our president’s take charge attitude toward the crisis. Like many, I had no way of knowing just how corrupt that administration would become. With all the information I’ve gathered here recently, I wonder if we know, even now, JUST how corrupt our nation’s leaders are.I submit to you now just a few of the exceptional articles and websites committed to finding the truth of the 9-11 attacks on our nation. Check them out. Read them through. Draw your own conclusions. Never forget. Never stop questioning until answers are found.

Conspiracy theories abound in this age. “We are being watched by alien reptoids who are actually in control of the world.” “Elvis–and Jim Morrison–are alive and well and selling real estate in Costa Rico. ” “Bush is the 666 Antichrist.” (OK, maybe that one’s a bit more believable.) One need only go to Rense.com to find out all the latest conspiracy theories. Most are, in my admittedly naive opinion, just plain silly.I’ve read more than once recently, on reliable websites, that there is yet another conspiracy theory that’s totally missed my attention until very recently. So I began doing a bit of research on the subject and am amazed and a little frightened at the information I’ve found. Skeptic that I am, I have to admit I get a sort of sick feeling in my guts the more I read on the subject. It’ll take me some time to draw any actual conclusions, but I’m definitely intrigued and will continue to pursue the subject.I CLEARLY remember when I first heard of the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was near the end of my pregnancy—only days to go before a scheduled C-section—and heading out the door to my last non-stress test at my OB’s office. I’d just picked up my purse and begun heading toward TV to turn it off when the channel cut to visions of the Twin Towers. I stood in shock as the announcer informed the nation that a plane had hit the New York landmark. After what seemed to be only a moment later, I watched the second plane hit the Towers in real time. And I KNEW that this was no accident. It wasn’t morning sickness that churned in my stomach the rest of the ride to the doctor.I was laying on a table in the doctor’s office with monitors strapped to my belly when I heard (a bit late) that the Pentagon had similarly been attacked. My baby jumped inside me and became unusually restless. The nurse administering the test said, “Hey Momma…..take it easy now…you’re upsetting that baby.” I believe I was in shock for the rest of the day and I don’t remember much of anything else but sitting in my baby’s nursery wondering what kind of world I was bringing him into.I remember watching, a couple days later from my hospital bed, with my newborn in my arms, as the Twin Towers continued to smolder and the amazing men and women of the New York Emergency response teams combed the rubble in the heart of New York. And I remember, a week or two later, erecting a flag pole in our yard for the first time, and raising high a bright new flag as tribute to the solidarity, strength and courage of our nation.Like most of us at that time, I was reassured by our president’s take charge attitude toward the crisis. Like many, I had no way of knowing just how corrupt that administration would become. With all the information I’ve gathered here recently, I wonder if we know, even now, JUST how corrupt our nation’s leaders are.I submit to you now just a few of the exceptional articles and websites committed to finding the truth of the 9-11 attacks on our nation. Check them out. Read them through. Draw your own conclusions. Never forget. Never stop questioning until answers are found.

The Center for Cooperative Research

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/

Excellent and highly praised time analysis of Washington’s response to 9-11

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/essay.jsp?article=essayaninterestingday

911citizenswatch.org

http://911citizenswatch.org/

Concerned Citizens Challenging the official story of 9-11Interesting article about the ties between the Bush family and terrorism

http://911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1010&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Buzzflash

http://www.buzzflash.com/

9-11 Perspectives—series of archived articles that point to more spin-doctoring of 9-11 events by the White House and the Government.

http://www.buzzflash.com/perspectives/911bush.html

The Memory Hole

http://www.thememoryhole.org/

Video of Bush’s behavior in the minutes after being told the country was under attack on 9-11

http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/bush-911.htm

The Emperor’s New Clothes

http://emperors-clothes.com/

Guilty For 9-11: Bush, Rumsfeld, Myers articles and extensive links on 9-11

http://emperors-clothes.com/indict/indict-1.htm

Wow!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:23:50 PDT

The Love Stories Are Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:21:28 PST

Inter Press Service
By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/

BAGHDAD, Jun 14 (IPS) - As statistics go, at least 655,000 Iraqis
have died as a result of the occupation, now in its fifth year.
Every one of them has left behind once loved ones to mourn the loss
and to think of what might have been.

This is the land of the Arabian Nights, and of love stories that
became fables far and wide. In these stories, in the traditions of
which they were born, the lover thought nothing of giving up his
life for a beloved. But no one thought death would come to this land
under the present circumstances.

All who have died had their own love stories, if not all romantic
ones. And that must be a million of them. The figure of 655,000 – of
Iraqis who died as a result of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation -
- came from the British medical journal Lancet based on a study in
July last year. The number would have risen significantly after one
of the bloodiest years of the occupation.

The deaths are not the only tragedies to have fallen upon Iraq's
love stories.

"We were engaged to be married after the end of the war," Hussam
Abdulla, a 28-year-old engineer from Baghdad told IPS. "We thought
the war would not last more than a month, and so we planned our
marriage for May 2003. But everything went wrong. I was detained for
two years, and my fiancée's family had to flee to Egypt because her
father was a senior army officer whose life was threatened first by
occupation forces and later by death squads."

Abdulla's engagement never led to marriage.

And it was the lucky ones who fled the country early. Others stayed
on to face death, detention, or a living hell at home. Army
officers, doctors, journalists and artists came particularly to be
targeted by death squads.

"I thought the man I loved simply dumped me," a 25-year-old woman,
who asked to be called Arwa, told IPS. "He told me he will call me
as soon as he finds a job in Jordan, but he just disappeared. His
family told me they did not know where he is."

Much later, she was told he had been detained by U.S. forces near
the Jordanian border. "The U.S. authorities said his name did not
exist on their files. But I will wait for him, even if I have to
wait all my life."

Tens of thousands of detained Iraqis have never been found on any
U.S. military records. Their families still do not know whether they
are dead or alive.

"I told my fiancée to find herself someone else for a husband," 32-
year-old Khalik Obeidy, who was visiting Baghdad from Fallujah, told
IPS. "I lost my job as an army officer, and my family house was
blasted during the U.S. siege of Fallujah, so our marriage seems to
be next to impossible.

"But also, getting married in such a situation will only mean more
agony. And bringing up children is more than difficult. My fiancée
still says things will improve, she says she will wait. She's crazy."
Stories of broken engagements and marriages are everywhere in
Baghdad.

"In 2006, I sent my wife and two daughters to Jordan for work, and I
was supposed to follow them after selling the car and the
furniture," 40-year-old teacher Tariq Khalaf from Baghdad told
IPS. "But my father died, and I had to stay here to look after the
rest of the family. Now I don't know whether to bring them back to
this Iraqi hell, or just stay separated."

Jassim Alwan, who recently made the dangerous trip to Baghdad from
Samarra, 90km north of the capital city, tells the story of 23-year-
old Abdullah that everyone in Samarra seems to know.

"He has a scruffy beard, and he keeps wandering the streets," Alwan
told IPS. "Abdullah is now better known than the mayor of the city.
He was a wonderful guy. And then his bride was shot by U.S. and
Iraqi soldiers at a checkpoint. The poor guy could not stand the
shock."

This is the kind of love story Iraqis tell nowadays.

"The country of the Arabian Nights and of wonderful poetry is no
longer good for love," Maki al-Nazzal, political analyst and poet,
told IPS. "All Iraqi poetry under occupation is now about death and
separation."

(*Ali, our correspondent in Baghdad, works in close collaboration
with Dahr Jamail, our U.S.-based specialist writer on Iraq who
travels extensively in the region.)

Conference of Legal Eagles Lays Plans to Prosecute Bush & Co. for War Crimes!

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:21:28 PST

It's been a long time coming, but we knew it would happen eventually. (Note--the graphic above was created at the time of Saddam's hanging.)

Sept. Conference to Lay Plans to Prosecute High Level US War Criminals

(Original Article) (copied below from Impeach for Peace, one of many grassroots organizations who've pushed for The Bushies to be held accountable for their crimes.
http://impeachforpeace.org/impeach_bush_blog/?p=5548

CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS, AND LAY PLANSFOR OBTAINING PROSECUTIONS OF HIGH LEVEL U.S. WAR CRIMINALSSET FOR ANDOVER, MASS. , SEPTEMBER 13-14

A two-day conference on obtaining prosecutions of high level American war criminals will open September 13th, in Andover, Mass. The conference will explore the legal grounds for, and plan for, obtaining prosecutions of President Bush and top officials of his Administration for war crimes.In the tradition of America’s Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials after World War II, Justice Robert Jackson, the Conference’s purpose is "to hold high U.S. officials accountable in courts of law and, if guilt is found, to obtain appropriate punishments. Otherwise," said the Conference's convener, Lawrence Velvel, "the future will be threatened by additional examples of Executive lawlessness by leaders who need fear no personal consequences" for their actions, leading to "the possibility of more Viet Nams, more Iraqs, and more repression."Velvel emphasized, “This is intended to be a planning conference, one at which plans will be laid, and necessary organizational structures will be set up, to seek prosecutions to determine guilt and, if guilt is found, appropriate punishments.”

Attendees will hear from prominent authorities on international law, criminal prosecutions, and constitutional rights who are determined to give meaning to Justice Jackson’s words: “The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people. It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power and make deliberate and concerted use of it to set in motion evils which leave no home in the world untouched.”

Topics to be discussed, Velvel said, include:

# What international and domestic crimes were committed, which facts show crimes under which laws, and what punishments are possible.

# Which high level Executive officials — and Federal judges and legislators as well, if any — are chargeable with crimes.

# Which international tribunals, foreign tribunals and domestic tribunals (if any) can be used and how to begin cases and/or obtain prosecutions before them.

# The possibility of establishing a Chief Prosecutor’s Office such as the one at Nuremburg.

# An examination of cases already brought and their outcomes.

# Creating an umbrella Coordinating Committee with representatives from the increasing number of organizations involved in war crimes cases.

# Creating a Center to keep track of and organize compilations of relevant briefs, articles, books, opinions, and facts, etc., on war crimes and prosecutions of war criminals.

Scheduled to address the Conference are:

# Famed former Los Angeles prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, author of the best-selling “The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder”(Vanguard).

# Phillippe Sands, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre of International Courts and Tribunals at University College, London . He is the author of “Torture Team: Rumsfeld’s Memo and the Betrayal of American Values” (Penguin/Palgrave Macmillan), among other works.

# Jordan Paust, Professor of Law at the University of Houston and author of “Beyond The Law.”
# Ann Wright, a former U.S. Army colonel and U.S. Foreign Service official who holds a State Department Award for Heroism and who taught the Geneva Conventions and the Law of Land Warfare at the Special Warfare Center at Ft. Bragg, N.C. She is the coauthor of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience.”

# Peter Weiss, Vice President of the Center For Constitutional Rights, which was recently involved with war crimes complaints filed in Germany and France against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and others.

# Benjamin Davis, Associate Professor at the University of Toledo College of Law and former American Legal Counsel for the Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration.

# David Lindorff, journalist and co-author with Barbara Olshansky of “The Case for Impeachment: Legal Arguments for Removing President George W. Bush from Office”(St. Martin ’s Press).

# Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, responsible for drafting the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, and the U.S. implementing legislation for the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention.

# Lawrence Velvel, a leader in the field of law school education reform, has written numerous internet articles on issues relevant to the conference.

Legal authorities, media representatives, and the general public are invited to attend the conference. Attendees will receive a special hotel rate of $99 per night.
Andover is nearly equidistant from both Boston’s Logan Airport , served by all major airlines, and the Manchester , N.H. , Airport, served by Southwest Airlines and USAir.
Further Information: Jeff Demers (see above) or Sherwood Ross, Ross Associates, Suite 403, 102 S.W. 6th Ave., Miami, FL 33130 or sherwoodr1@yahoo.com

Pulling the Lion's Tail; Bush Likely To Get His War With Iran Thanks to Israeli Cooperation

noreply@blogger.com (Raphaelschild) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:21:28 PST

"Iran, long known for it's defiant stance and refusal to bow to the demands of the West, is aptly represented by its national animal, the Lion. The tiny Hoopoe, Israel's newly selected national bird, is happy to fly beneath the protective covering of the American Eagle, since in doing so, it moves one step closer to liberation of the Holy Land. Both the US and Israel are quite aware that in the case of this particular lion, pulling it's tail once too often will cause it to turn and attack."

For months now, Bush and his war cabinet--including GOP presidential nominee John McCain--have beat the drums of war against Iran. The problem, of course, is that they know that the vast majority of war-weary Americans will not agree to another warfront--especially now that most of us have a family member or friends already fighting.--or physically or emotionally maimed…or dead--from other essentially non-productive conflicts in the Middle East.

To make matters more difficult for Washington, most American's know that our preemptive strike in Iraq was not justified. Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction and could not be connected to the 9-11 strikes on American soil. Further, world political pundits agree that the American invasion into Iraq has likely caused an increase in the numbers of terrorist cells in the Middle East and around the world rather than reduced them.

And so, faced with this conundrum, Bush and his supporters have arrived at what appears to be a fortuitous solution. They have, despite denials from the administration and other right-wing publications, enlisted the help of one of their allies, Israel, by encouraging them to continue to bait Iran into open warfare in the hope that a retaliative strike by Iran would give the US the justification it needs to place Iran on the war docket. Although the tensions between Israel and Iran are hardly new, it presents a particularly timely approach to the question of how to strike at Iran without the US appearing to be the instigator.

The New York Sun reports: "Earlier this month, Israel conducted training missions over the Mediterranean Sea and Greek territory, the New York Times reported on it's Website last night. The tests were conducted at the same distance required of Israeli jets to fly to Iran, and included helicopters in case any jets were downed and pilots had to be rescued, according to the times."
http://www.nysun.com/foreign/israel-may-be-training-for-strikes-at-iran-sites/80417/

"Israel has conducted a military drill under the supervision of top US military commanders over the Mediterranean Sea from May 28 to June 12, using more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters, along with helicopters and refueling tanks which many consider as a possible rehearsal for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4322508.ece

Numerous other current news sources and blogs have reported this information as well and it doesn't take a political analyst to read between the lines on this subject. Follow the links below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1030405/Are-US-Israel-planning-Iran-strike.html

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/30/iran-bolton-israel-election/

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=63218&sectionid=351020201

http://www.truthout.org/article/revealed-israel-plans-nuclear-strike-iran

http://www.counterpunch.org/cloughley07152008.html