Sunday, September 30, 2007

Examining how propaganda infiltrates the American cultural perspective

My last article spoke to the inappropriate relationship between our government and the media. I want to take the time now to illustrate how deceptive and misleading the media can be in shaping the American cultural perspective. A recent interview which aired on 60 minutes between CBS correspondent Scott Pelley and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad illustrates just how ineffective the mainstream media is in this country. With a biased mindset and a misinformed understanding of history to call on, Scott Pelley illustrates exactly how not to go about conducting an interview, insulting not only the Iranian President, but also the intelligence of Americans in general. The link below will redirect you to an actual transcript of the interview along with a visual feed of the program.

http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2007/09/ahmadinejad-60-minutes-interview-full.html

It must first be noted that 60 minutes is an editorial program, and as such, Pelley has an agenda to fill. There is nothing wrong with that, but there must be facts to support the opinion, and facts are more than accusations or references to further propaganda. Consider how Pelley opens the interview, not included in the transcript, but included in the video from the link above.

"The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad knows how to infuriate the western world, and he did it again last week when he asked to visit ground zero..."

Talk about stacking the cards towards a particular end. Pelley begins by aggressively introducing Ahmadinejad, administering the rest of the interview with the same standoffish air.

Pelley continues: "Sir, what were you thinking? The World Trade Center site is the most sensitive place in the American heart, and you must have known that visiting there would be insulting to many, many Americans."

Ahmadinejad: "Why should it be insulting?"

Pelley: "Well, sir, you're the head of government of an Islamist state that the United States government says is a major exporter of terrorism around the world."

Ahmadinejad: "Well, I wouldn't say that what the American government says is the prerequisite here. Something happened there which led to other events. Many innocent people were killed there. Some of those people were American citizens obviously. We obviously are very much against any terrorist action and any killing. And also we are very much against any plots to sow the seeds of discord among nations. Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And also to perhaps air your views about the root causes of such incidents. I think that when I do that, I will be paying, as I said earlier, my respect to the American nation."

Pelley: "But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world. You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans, as if to be mocking the American people."

Ahmadinejad: "Well, I'm amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?"

Pelley: "Well, the American nation . . ."

Ahmadinejad: ". . . you are representing a media and you're a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there. I would like to think that the points of view of the American people is very close to the points of view of the Iranian people. The American people are very much against and opposed what certain American officials are saying and their points of view. And they're also, the way that the people have voted in the American elections is very telling. And we are criticizing such behavior on the part of the American government. We believe that if anyone just allows himself to accuse others, there will be no possibility for peace and friendship."

Look at the tactics that Pelley is using, something that Ahmadinejad brings to attention. Pelley is framing his questions as if his assertions were fact and respective of the whole of our country's opinion, offering no proof that what he says is true other than unsubstantiated allegations, citing a claim by the United States government as fact, as if our government has any ground to stand on when making allegations. This is how propaganda spreads, sending people sprinting towards the bandwagons, gravitating towards what they deem to be the accepted cultural sentiment, rather than towards the reality of the situation. Look at the audacity of Scott Pelley's response to Ahmadinejad's critique in the phrasing of his question, as if his sentiment represents the sentiment of all in this country:

Ahmadinejad: "Well, I'm amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?"

Pelley: "Well, the American nation . . ."

Consider the following paragraphs and the unsubstantiated accusations Pelley continues to level at Ahmadinejad.

Pelley: "Mr. President, American men and women are being killed by your weapons in Iraq. You know this."

Ahmadinejad: "No, no, no."

Pelley: "Why are those weapons there?"

Ahmadinejad: "Who's saying that?"

Pelley: "The American Army has captured Iranian missiles in Iraq. The critical elements of the explosively formed penetrator bombs that are killing so many people are coming from Iran. There's no doubt about that anymore. The denials are no longer credible, sir."

Ahmadinejad: "Very good. If I may. Are you an American politician? Am I to look at you as an American politician or a reporter? This is what the American officials are claiming. Well, we don't need to arrest many people to prove that Americans are occupying Iraq or produce fabricated documents. If you go to the streets of Baghdad, you will see American helicopters and tanks and Humvees, so on and so forth. So the Iraqi people are just defending themselves. I think the way out for the American official from this problem that it has created for itself shouldn't be in accusing Iraq, Iran, rather. You need to understand the realities of the region and also respect the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people, like other people, want to have security, want to have peace, want to be free. When they see that soldiers come into their houses, they react. So if the American government does accept this reality, this truth, everything will change. If they accuse us 1,000 times, the truth will not change. They need to accept the truth and also the wishes of the Iraqi people. That is a way out of this deadlock."

Pelley: "Mr. President, I want to be very direct and very clear. Many Americans believe that you have American blood on your hands. Are you saying that it is not the policy of this government to send weapons into Iraq? Sir, forgive me, you're smiling, but this is a very serious matter to America."

Ahmadinejad: "Well, it's serious for us as well. I daresay it's serious for everyone. I'm just amazed as the representative of the media, why do you insist on the untrue accusations leveled by your government? This doesn't solve anything. It seems to me it's laughable for someone to turn a blind eye to the truth and accuse others. It doesn't help. And the reason that I'm smiling, again, it's because that the picture is so clear. But American officials refuse to see it. And I think that as a member of the media, your responsibility here is to talk about the truth and back home to force your officials to appreciate the truth and take the correct decision. The problem in Iraq doesn't have anything to do with the Iraqi people. For that matter the killing of American troops doesn't have anything to do with the Iraqi people. And as we have security, things will be better. And we don't want to see a single soldier killed. The solutions we are putting on the table are very humane. And, again, we are asking for very basic things from the American officials, to respect the wishes of the Iraqi people and also their rights. A dictator has been toppled and WMDs have not been found. Once they say that they are going to leave the Iraq, the Iraqi people will live if that's so to speak. If they persist on the same course for 50 years and arrest diplomats, so on and so forth, this will not help with the situation. And if you repeat the mistakes of the past, nothing will get resolved."

This piece of dialogue directly follows Ahmadinejad's dismissal of the allegations that Pelley is making, but Pelley continues on with the echo chamber effect, repeating the same accusations over and over again. This is a technique known as argumentum ad nauseam, or the continued repetition of something until it is taken as fact. Still this doesn't slow Pelley down, despite several valid points made by Ahmadinejad in regards to our government's foreign policy and unfounded reactionary aggressiveness. If you are going to accuse the leader of a foreign nation, it needs to be done on the basis of evidence, not on blind accusations. Don't forget, our government claimed to know for sure of the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and we all know how that turned out.

Due to the length of this interview and the amount of points I wish to make, I've decided to break this down into two separate postings. I want to point out the war that certain media outlets in the United States are waging on our nation and on the rest of the Middle Eastern world, biasing reports towards the aggressive nature of our imperialistic government's views, due to the subsequent effects of special interests and the elite wealth created by capitalism over the media. Pelley has argued with little evidence other than assertions and presented opinion as fact numerous times. It is important to recognize the source of our ignorance if we are going to overcome ignorance as a society. More evidence for this claim will be provided in the next post.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The deadly relationship between government and media

The mainstream media conglomerates in this country are largely to blame for the unrighteous wars we are in, and continue today greatly misinforming the American public in failing to practice proper, unbiased investigative research. In fact it's not even journalism at this point circulating out of the major media outlets, it's charged propaganda with financially backed interests. We are now seeing the early propaganda emerging from Washington and the conservative news outlets about the threat Iran poses to American security, but just like the supposed threat that Iraq posed to our country prior to our invasion in 2003 with phantom weapons of mass destruction leading the way, there is absolutely no evidence to speak of which implicates Iran as a threat to our country. In fact, We are the only threat in this equation, and it's to the stability and liberties of the middle east countries our elitist interests continue to play with and oppress.

I recently viewed a PBS documentary hosted by Bill Moyers entitled "Buying the War", which directly addresses the role of the American media leading up to and through the endorsement of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The documentary addresses how the American media did little research to question the President's insupportable allegations of weapons of mass destruction in justifying the invasion of Iraq, using the President's words as fact enough in place of steadfast research. It is a revealing documentary that sheds a true light onto a reality of American culture that few in this country seem to want to admit, that our media and politics are intertwined in some serious conflicts of interest, fueled by the fires of the deadly force of unregulated capitalism, a system which has afforded those with the most money to have the loudest voice. You can watch the documentary for free by clicking on the link below. It's a must see, especially when considering the insupportable case being made for war with Iran.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html

Our country is still seriously misinformed about why 9/11 occurred, which is directly a result of our failed media system. I've said it before and I'll say it again. None of the mainstream media outlets have taken the time or care to research our historical past in meddling in the affairs of the Middle East, and this information makes all the difference in the world in understanding why there is friction between the United States and this area of the world. This was never discussed following 9/11 in detial by any of the major media outlets. The media painted a picture of the innocent United States being attacked by mindless and heartless terrorists, a good Vs. bad, black and white representation. The media's sole purpose is to inform the public about truth, and they have failed to fulfill this role in every sense of the way. We are the international terrorists in waging unjustified wars and occupations, but the media simply won't tackle those facts and admit that our country is wrong, and has been for quite some time.

Consider the messages Osama Bin Laden and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently delivered for the world to hear explaining their legitimate gripes against American imperialism, in how our economic interests have harmed the development and stability of their respective countries. Consider how these speeches have been disseminated in this country to the American public. They haven't been. Both speeches have been improperly paraphrased and effectively kept from the citizens of this country, both falsely labeled as fanatic diatribes and laughed off as completely untrue. The American citizens should decide for themselves if the words of these individuals carry any merit and not dependant on the opinion of biased media outlets who pick and choose which points from the speech to highlight and which ones to ignore. It is imperative we understand the viewpoints of our opposition if we are to act in a responsible manner. During Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, the United States delegation including Bush walked out in protest, arrogantly ignoring the viewpoint of a voice we should be paying attention to more now than ever. It simply is no surprise that the American mainstream media has reacted the same. The American propaganda machine is out of control, with our state of democracy in tow. Unless we want to begin WWIII, our media and elite need to be brought back under control. They are the ones declaring war on the world.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

The acts of our government truly do speak

It's almost unfathomable how greatly in breach of the law our government continues to operate, yet the deception gets worse everyday, and our American civil rights are continually being usurped by greedy and immoral interests. Despite whatever rhetoric emerges from the capitalist inspired leaders in Washington in regards to Iraq, on the need for this war or the need to expand into Iran, actions speak louder than words, and this war has been all about money. So much so that $8.8 billion has been missing from the $30 billion allotted by our government to rebuild Iraq since around 2004, and nobody is being held accountable for this fraud. That's $8.8 billion, just under a third of the entire amount, and by no means an amount that can be left unaccountable for. It gets worse, however, as whistle blower after whistle blower has incurred a steep price for standing up and calling these criminals who are committing these illegal acts out, being fired or demoted from their positions, or in other instances, jailed. Consider the accounts of these whistleblowers.

http://www.graveerror.net/2007/08/29/whistle-blowers-facing-penalties-and-worse

These aren't minor allegations or misunderstandings. These are intentional acts by our government to suppress the truth from the minds of the people, to oppress the masses from challenging the few. In one of the accounts, two men contacted the FBI office in Chicago regarding government fraud and were subsequently placed at Camp Cropper, an American military prison outside Baghdad, where the one man, Navy veteran Donald Vance, was jailed for 97 days and subjected to grueling interrogation. His act that our government felt was deserving of this punishment: providing proof of illegal arms sales taking place in Iraq, in which American arms were being sold on the black-market to insurgents and American soldiers alike. In the words of Donald Vance, "It was a Wal-Mart for guns. It was all illegal and everyone knew it.'’

Consider Bunnatine "Bunny" Greenhouse, a private citizen contracted to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who blew the whistle on government fraud during her 2005 testimony to a congressional committee. She was demoted and stripped of her authority as a result and no longer holds the title of the highest ranking civilian contracted engineer for the Army, as reported in the link above. Our government is talking without speaking in such instances, letting us know they are above the laws that they themselves govern, rather blatently I might add.

This is one of many examples of how the elite have taken too much control over this country, and in how our democracy has fallen to the power of capitalism. The war we are in is a further example. There is no way these acts should be allowed to occur, but with so much money consolidated amongst the hands of such a few, these few being the ruling class (the makers and enforcers of the laws), the elite and powerful of this country are allowed to operate above the law, as who has the funds to stand up to them? And so it is that our government fails again and again to stand up for justice, but instead continues to follow the capital.

This need not be the way that our government is allowed to operate, as it wasn't always so. Before the elite in this country became so concentrated, (the super elite being the top 1% of the population, who own over 1/3 of the national wealth) prior to the tax breaks Ronald Reagan gave to the super elite and large corporations during the Reaganomic period of the 1980's, (which has been continued now through Bush's further upper class tax cuts), there was a natural system of checks and balances by product of the more equal balance of wealth in this nation, where the environment was not as conducive for individuals to operate so unconscionably outside the realm of the law. Money, in short, wasn't as powerful as it is today, as more of it was in the hands of many more people, and the elite held a considerably lower percentage than they do today. The democratic system never was perfect, but there was a time when the law held our leaders accountable for their actions, when the consent of congress was required to wage war against another nation, and leaders were punishable for committing fraudulent acts, and so forth. Now due to the conflicting interests of the wealthy ruling class ruling this country, policing themselves, the people are more powerless than ever, leaving a nation with immense wealth serving the interests of just a few, ignoring which laws they choose.

This is inexcusable, punishing honest citizens who are standing up for the truth, while our government not only is allowed to commit the crime but oversee the punishment of the whistle blower. There is a name for this form of government, and it clearly is not a democracy. Consider the definition I pulled off of dictionary.com for fascism, the likes of which our government clearly resembles.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fascism

A. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

We're not technically under a dictatorship, as in theory Bush will leave office after 2008, (though I truly believe nothing is beyond this man) but for all practical purposes though, Bush's policies have been dictated onto the people, as he has operated in a fashion never before seen from all the preceding presidents, waging war without justification, receiving unprecedented allotments of power to use.

Our economy is however stringently controlled. Even though it is a free market, it is one controlled by money above all, and the bulk of the money in this nation is in the hands of such a small percentage of people. The elite have given themselves their own tax brakes, and used the difference to control the market. There is no denying that our economy is under stringent control by the elite, as all of the rules and opportunities have turned to their favor.

Look how suppressed those who have opposed Bush's war have been, labeled anti-American and as supporters of terrorists by not following him mindlessly. Consider the terror Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have threatened this nation with, instilling fear into this country through echoes threatening repeat terrorist attacks in the attempt to justify and win over sentiment for the illegal war in Iraq.

Addressing the last part of the definition, this war has been one giant attempt to nationalize this country in patriotism, turning our nation racially against the Muslim race.

We cannot consider our government democratic when it's actions are nothing short of fascist. We have become everything this country feared during the red scare, and it's come under watch of the capitalists, not the Marxist's. Democracy can be restored, and the elite held in check, but that only will come through higher taxation of the upper class and corporations, reducing the power of the elite in this nation, restoring a sense of balance to this unequal country. We have a workable system in this country, it's just that the elite have stolen the system of checks and balances that once held our leaders accountable for their actions. What will it take for the American people to act on what is being committed in their name? These are the highest forms of crime our government can commit and still they continue unswayed. That's enough for me to know that our system is broken and that a new type of thought is in need.



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http://digg.com/political_opinion/The_acts_of_our_government_truly_do_speak/who

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Blowing the whistle on U.S. global policies

The United States seems to be headed towards a very deadly reality check, one that would resensatize this nation to the realties of war and death, far removed from the false sense of security we currently experience, albeit at a terrifying cost. At a time when our country is in the midst of operating an illegal capitalistic war in Iraq, one founded on flat out lies and misrepresentations, at a time when president Bush is threatening to attack Iran preemptively over a hypocritical nuclear stance, our nation continues on unmoved, seemingly unaware of or unconcerned with, desensitized to or misinformed about, the detrimental effects our leaders and policies are having on the rest of the world concerning basic human rights. This reality is as much cultural as it is political, as without the spoiled, wealthy mindset our nation regards the rest of the world and public policy with, our government would not be able to operate so illegally and immorally. We as a nation are so concerned with our own petty pursuits, that the big picture has been lost chasing the American Dream. This is how our government has invaded and killed millions of Iraqi's illegally without a declaration of war, without any solid facts to back the invasion, as the great majority of this nation, far removed from the reality and destruction of war, looks forward to primetime television and the latest gossip instead of concerns that hold real life importance, unconcerned with the death and destruction caused in the name of our country, the United States of America. The vast majority in this country would rather talk sports or gossip than politics, and this is the environment our leaders have taken to exploiting. This country is in need of a reality check, I just hope it can come internally, rather than externally in the form of another 9/11.

Citizens of the United States, we need to be very concerned right now by the seed president Bush is planting on striking Iran. Iran, like Iraq, is a goldmine of oil, and our government is very desirous of this oil rich land. It is my opinion that our government is looking for any excuse to invade and institute an American friendly government, and judging by recent history, that opinion shouldn't be taken lightly. Consider the logic Bush is using towards Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Our country, one very dependant on nuclear technology, with a nuclear arsenal to boot, is attempting to impose a set of rules on Iran that we won't even follow. We are demanding that Iran cease it's nuclear enrichment program or face the threat of attack, a program they claim is strictly aimed at producing nuclear power, while possessing no proof whatsoever that they are attempting to develop a nuclear arsenal. This despite the fact we are adamant in continuing our nuclear practices. How hypocritical we are globally in demanding that other nations follow policies that we will not follow ourselves, this despite the fact that we are the only nation on earth to use an atomic bomb on another nation. We have no right to force another nation to refrain from the benefits of nuclear technology, when we are the ones with a murderous, nuclear aggressive track record.

If we invade Iran, it will become clear to the rest of the world that our economically inspired global politics cannot be stopped without the use of excessive force, and we will experience the breakdown of the American security blanket. Terrorism, if that's what we are to call it, isn't just some random, uninspired act committed by some crazy who is jealous of our lifestyle. Terrorism is a violent response to real life crimes that go unpunished, and attacking Iran would be a real life crime deserving of such a response. We cannot continue attacking those who are not attacking us, calling them threats while eyeing their resources. The American perspective may be blind to this reality, but the rest of the world isn't. It's simply a matter of time before we exploit too many and they rise up against us, unified against the global terrorists our country has become. Invading Iran is a real possibility, and this idea needs to be thwarted before Bush is allowed to build up momentum. Primetime television will not be so important when our aggressive actions bring the warring onto our soil.


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http://www.digg.com/political_opinion/Blowing_the_whistle_on_U_S_global_policies

Saturday, September 15, 2007

A revisionist view of 9/11 and Al-Qaeda

Since the events of 9/11, I think I have experienced every emotion and stance in relation to my opinions on what occurred that day. My initial reaction was to pity the victims, which will remain forever unchanged, but I also felt a misunderstood hatred towards the "terrorists", which education has served to beset. At the time, I understood little about the role of our economics in global affairs, about our unspoken history of meddling in the affairs of the middle east, nor about the exuberant profits that large American corporations earn during war time, the common thread of every major American military venture since, and including, WWII. Check out this link. It is a very informative look at how economics and war interact, particularly in our country's recent history.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=+NI20061116&articleId=3890

One of the most alarming pieces of information from the above link appears near the top of the page, where it mentions the existence of a document which was declassified by the United States National Security Council in 1977 entitled NSC-68, which explicitly mentions the need to use warfare to continue with the economic boom which accompanied military spending in WWII, fearing that without the catalyst of war, our economy might relapse into another depression. When our country increases its military spending, our economy benefits in a number of ways. Whole new industries are created and sustained, resulting in new opportunities for employment. Industries which are specifically important to our military’s needs, such as companies producing arms and ammunition, flourish in such times, and you better believe these companies have their hands in the pockets of our politicians. Since money is in the hands of more people through more jobs, there is greater purchasing power and Big Business can turn greater profits. In short, war is a money making machine, and our government has exploited this fact over and over again, leading up to and through the events of 9/11. Think about that. The prosperity we experience as Americans has come at the cost, in large part, of real human life, and ignoring such facts is endorsing such acts.

Consider what has occurred in Iraq. We have deposed of their leader Saddam Hussein and replaced him with a government which better suits our economic needs, no doubt with the keen interest of Iraq oil in mind. There was absolutely no basis or grounds to do this. Everything our leaders claimed, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, were flat out lies, and they knew it all along. They knew there were never any weapons of mass destruction and they knew there was no link between Bin Laden and Hussein. The worst part is, they knew they could get away with it by scaring the hell out of the American public, terrorizing us all with threats of terrorism. This is similar to what we were attempting to do in Vietnam, forcing our capitalistic will over the majority of another nation, who wanted to choose their own form of economy. And remember the domino theory? The one that stated if Vietnam fell to the communists, the entire Asian continent would as well, which would threaten the existence of capitalism. That has yet to happened as Vietnam was eventually secured by the communists, but the power of that propagandized threat was enormous.

What about Vice President Dick Cheney's conflicting ties with Halliburton, a company which has received billions of dollars in lucrative no-bid government contracts during the wars we are waging in the middle east, which Dick Cheney used to be Vice President of, who is holding 100,000 shares of unexercised Halliburton stock? That's no bid folks, meaning they were simply handed the money uncontested, an obvious conflict of interest with Cheney. Even more troubling, this contract was issued before the invasion of Iraq.

The war profiteering gets worse too. Since we invaded Iraq in 2003, our government has overseen the greatest example of theft the oil industry has ever seen. The metering system which regulates the amount of oil being pumped out of Iraq at its ABOTY and KAATT ports into oil tankers has been "broken" the entire time we have been in Iraq, for over four years now, this despite numerous "attempts" by Halliburton to fix the problem. Our government blames "security problems", but it is obvious what is occurring here. Let me rephrase that once more. Our government is literally stealing oil from Iraq, and for over FOUR years now, has failed to fix a problem which has occurred simultaneously in two separate ports. We are literally stealing oil, as well as life. There is no moral justification for what has occurred over the last four years and what will continue to occur if these corrupt politicians are not punished for their war crimes.

http://www.warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=14427

This is what Al-Qaeda was responding to that day, revolting against the United States policies which have plagued the Asian continent for far too long, in particular in proliferating the Afghanistan civil war from 1979-1989 against the Soviets by funding the
Mujahideen, drawing the Soviets offsides into the war. Our government is constantly meddling in the affairs of the Saudis and Pakistanis, which have real world ramifications on the lives of the neighboring Afghanis, and they were responding to this too. And it's all for oil and new markets to exploit, destabilizing other regions to ensure our own stability. That is what 9/11 was about, Al-Qaeda striking back against those waging economically inspired wars. What options have we left them? Our economy is devastating the globe, forcing poverty and instability onto the weaker nations of the world, with our government murdering to protect it's precious capital. Can you blame Al-Qaeda for striking back against the war wagers that we are? And I am a patriot through and through so don't question my love for this country, it's just that I'm patriotic towards the America I was brought up to believe did exist, not the capitalistic war mongers we've become. What frightens me the most was that 9/11 wasn't the end of a response towards our destructive globalization, it was the beginning. It is a matter of time before we exploit too many people and receive a response far greater than 9/11. Instead of looking to blame another organization for the terror caused on 9/11, it's high time we look towards ourselves. The war upon terror begins on our soil.


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http://digg.com/political_opinion/A_revisionist_view_of_9_11_and_Al_Qaeda

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

There is truth in the words of Bin Laden

On the sixth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, no other tribute could better serve the victims of the attack than understanding the cause of the terror on 9/11. Al-Qaeda was speaking that day with the choice of their target in the World Trade Center, but few Americans or other globalized nations have heard or chosen to accept the message, that the capitalism our society is fueled off of has created unfair, imposing conditions on other nations who want nothing to do with our lifestyle, who are sick of serving our interests, and who now have chosen to fight back. In securing our freedom, we have taken the freedoms of others, and this was the message Al-Qaeda delivered. As I've stated before, the American Dream is the global nightmare, and we were awoke to that reality on September 11th, 2001.

Our Elitist owned media is largely to blame for how under informed and/or misinformed the majority of Americans are, evident in how little American values have changed in learning from 9/11 . When the "terrorist" attacks occurred, few in the media asked why this event occurred or what would inspire it, but focused instead on the shock and awe of the brutality and death. The big media conglomerates weren't talking then, nor now, about the devastating toll our economy was having on the rest of the world, that capitalism was the driving force behind it all with our Elite as the almighty fuel, nor that this was perhaps the reason for the attacks: to hold us accountable for our global actions. The media never tried to understand Bin Laden's position in orchestrating the attacks, but instead dumbed it down to a black and white, good verse bad debate. This is understandable because to attack capitalism is to attack the Elite, and the Elite are in charge of the dissemination of mainstream news in this country. If you don't believe me, look at the reaction all the mainstream media outlets are having to the most recent Bin Laden video that surfaced last week. Nearly every article or blurb I come across focuses on the color of Bin Laden's beard, or the questionable quality of the video, or on this misquoted segment from the speech in regards to the war, which itself is being used as capitalist sensitive propaganda, rather than on the meat from the speech which is where the focus should be:

"However, there are two solutions for stopping it. The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you. The second is from your side: I invite you to embrace Islam."

The last sentence from this quote, "I invite you to embrace Islam", does not occur for another 22 paragraphs according to the transcript I have obtained, yet it is the single focus of nearly all the news blurbs I have read on this news. It has intentionally been misrepresented to turn the issue away from our economy and towards religion. The real quote is as follows:

"However, there are two solutions for stopping it. The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out, and I ask Allah to grant them resolve and victory. And the second solution is from your side. It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations."

"And with that, it has become clear to all that they are the real tyrannical terrorists. In fact, the life of all of mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations, yet despite that, the representative of these corporations in the White House insists on not observing the Kyoto accord, with the knowledge that the statistic speaks of the death and displacement of the millions of human beings because of that, especially in Africa. This greatest of plagues and most dangerous of threats to the lives of humans is taking place in an accelerating fashion as the world is being dominated by the democratic system, which confirms its massive failure to protect humans and their interests from the greed and avarice of the major corporations and their representatives."

"And despite this brazen attack on the people, the leaders of the West - especially Bush, Blair, Sarkozy and Brown- still talk about freedom and human rights with a flagrant disregard for the intellects of human beings. So is there a form of terrorism stronger, clearer and more dangerous than this? This is why I tell you: as you liberated yourselves before from the slavery of monks, kings, and feudalism, you should liberate yourselves from the deception, shackles and attrition of the capitalist system."

It is troubling, absurd, offensive and everything else wrong that Bin Laden's argument is intentionally being misrepresented to the American people. He eventually does invite America to embrace Islam, but that is not the answer to the end of the war as he is suggesting. It is to recognize how destructive and harmful our economy is to the rest of the world and to cease the unfair globalization our Elite continue to undertake. It is to recognize that our carefree lifestyle does not come without a cost, and that our government must abandon the region. Bin Laden wants freedom, but the economic interests of our government has not allowed this to pass. There is a major difference between the two above quotes, and the media is knowingly running with an intentionally deceptive story. Look at what else Bin Laden says.

"...why have the Democrats failed to stop this war, despite them being the majority?"

"I will come back to reply to this question after raising another question, which is:"

"Why are the leaders of the White House keen to start wars and wage them around the world, and make use of every possible opportunity through which they can reach this purpose, occasionally even creating justifications based on deception and blatant lies, as you saw Iraq?"

"In the Vietnam War, the leaders of the White House claimed at the time that it was a necessary and crucial war, and during it, Rumsfeld and his aides murdered two million villagers. And when Kennedy took over the presidency and deviated from the general line of policy drawn up for the White House and wanted to stop this unjust war, that angered the owners of the major corporations who were benefiting from its continuation."

"And so Kennedy was killed, and al-Qaida wasn’t present at that time, but rather, those corporations were the primary beneficiary from his killing. And the war continued after that for approximately one decade. But after it became clear to you that it was an unjust and unnecessary war, you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, Rumsfeld. And even more incredible than that is that Bush picked him as secretary of defense in his first term after picking Cheney as his vice president, Powell as secretary of state and Armitage as Powell's deputy, despite their horrific and blood history of murdering humans. So that was clear signal that his administration - the administration of the generals- didn't have as its main concern the serving of humanity, but rather, was interested in bringing about new massacres. Yet in spite of that, you permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you - with your full knowledge and consent- to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Then you claim to be innocent! This innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th - were I to claim such a thing. But it is impossible for me to humor any of you in the arrogance and indifference you show for the lives of humans outside America, or for me to humor your leaders in their lying, as the entire world knows they have the lion's share of that. These morals aren't our morals. What I want to emphasize here is that not taking past war criminals to account led to them repeating that crime of killing humanity without right and waging this unjust war in Mesopotamia, and as a result, here are the oppressed ones today continuing to take their right from you."

"This war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports. And among the most capable of those from your own side who speak to you on this topic and on the manufacturing of public opinion is Noam Chomsky, who spoke sober words of advice prior to the war, but the leader of Texas doesn't like those who give advice. The entire world came out in unprecedented demonstrations to warn against waging the war and describe its true nature in eloquent terms like "no to spilling red blood for black oil," yet he paid them no heed. It is time for humankind to know that talk of the rights of man and freedom are lies produced by the White House and its allies in Europe to deceive humans, take control of their destinies and subjugate them. "

"So in answer to the question about the causes of the Democrats' failure to stop the war, I say: they are the same reasons which led to the failure of former president Kennedy to stop the Vietnam war. Those with real power and influence are those with the most capital. And since the democratic system permits major corporations to back candidates, be they presidential or congressional, there shouldn't be any cause for astonishment - and there isn't any- in the Democrats' failure to stop the war. And you're the ones who have the saying which goes, "Money talks." And I tell you: after the failure of your representatives in the Democratic Party to implement your desire to stop the war, you can still carry anti-war placards and spread out in the streets of major cities, then go back to your homes, but that will be of no use and will lead to the prolonging of the war."

This last paragraph directly precedes the misquoted one from above.

A lot of what Bin Laden says is true, yet unfortunately his words will not be given the time of day in this country, but instead glossed over and paraphrased, misrepresented and misunderstood. I am not defending a murderer, as that is exactly what he is, but rather calling our country out for the murderer that it is. We fueled the Afghanistan civil war for 10 years and caused much more widespread destruction and death in Afghanistan than Al-Qaeda could ever dream of causing to our country, yet that is never part of the conversation. There is no justifying the loss of life on September 11th, 2001, but neither is there justifying many of our global policies, most of which give unfair advantages to our Elite over foreign economies and citizens. Our economy is out of control, and the Elite in our country are to blame. We cannot be fooled anymore into ignoring this disturbing reality. Perhaps in understanding Bin Laden's message, Americans will begin understanding America. Regardless, we need to become more accountable, before another forces us to. That is a tribute worth giving. Please read the entire transcript of Bin Laden's speech. Make the truth known and expose the source of the lies. The victims of 9/11 deserve better.

http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/09/obl_transcript.php

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Libby, Montana: The American Nightmare

I came across this review for Libby, Montana, the documentary on the W.R. Grace Company vermiculite mine, and was taken by the closing sentence.

"...but at its root is the recognition that Libby, Montana isn't a red-state or blue-state story. It is a story about American democracy and American capitalism, and the battle that must constantly be waged to keep the latter from consuming the former."

http://www.highplainsfilms.org/rev_libby_sanAn.html

For those unfamiliar with the story, the W.R. Grace company operated a vermiculite mine and harvested tremolite, a dangerous form of asbestos, from 1963 to 1990, despite knowing as early as the 1950's that tremolite posed a serious public health risk. The residents of Libby, Montana, and virtually all the employees at the mine, were unknowingly exposed to tremolite over that period, with the company slyly avoiding the term asbestos while lobbying on capitol hill to relax restrictions on asbestos use.

Despite the health hazards, asbestos had proven useful in many commercial applications, serving as both an insulator and fireproofer among many other purposes. In the 1970's, when many companies were ceasing production of products containing asbestos over growing public safety concerns, the W.C. Grace Company created a product called Monokote, which they marketed as asbestos free, knowing full well this was blatantly false, and capitalized off of the unknowing public. Eventually the secret came out that Monokote contained 1% asbestos, but the W.C. Grace Company was able to successfully lobby the EPA, who was considering an outright ban on asbestos at the time, and actually succeeded in creating what was dubbed "The Grace Rule": a ruling which stated that products containing 1% or less asbestos could be marketed as asbestos free. This despite the fact that now, as then, there are no known safe levels of exposure to asbestos.

http://www.missoulanews.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=22B78B08-E84D-1520-538D98CE4843DEAE&page=1

And what toll has this capitalist tragedy had on our country and the residents of Libby, Montana?

"In Libby, 70 years of strip-mining vermiculite ore and marketing a product called "Zonolite" exposed workers, their families, and thousands of residents to asbestos fibers associated with the vermiculite ore, creating what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called the worst case of industrial poisoning of a whole community in American history. W.R. Grace acquired the Zonolite Company in 1963, and closed the mine in 1990."

"An estimated 35 million homes in the U.S. contain Zonolite insulation. When the EPA began screening Libby residents in 2000, over 1,200 of those tested, or roughly one-quarter of the town's population, were found to have lung abnormalities associated with asbestos exposure: 10 times the national average. Mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused only by exposure to asbestos, was at least 100 times the national average. Libby was declared a national Superfund site in 2002."

http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2007/08/29/news/news02.txt

This is another example in this country of economics taking precedent over life. To take the story full circle, through money, the W.R. Grace company was permitted to endanger the public for the purpose of turning a profit. They received legal permission to misrepresent their product as something other than what it was, and because of it, the public has been endangered. This is what's wrong with the American Dream and everything it represents. Money is afforded far too much power in our society, and the elite are in charge, determining where it is spent and what is allowed. The second article I linked, which will follow this paragraph as well, makes the interesting connection between Libby, Montana and the fall of the twin towers in New York on 9/11, as it was the asbestos from the Libby mine which lined much of the twin towers walls and caused much of the death and illness following the initial collapse. How fitting it is that both events, 9/11 and Libby, Montana, were the end results of capitalism gone wrong. There would have been no terrorists on 9/11 had our government not embarked on the capitalist inspired form of globalization that spurred Al-Qaeda to target the world trade center. It is capitalism which harmed these "terrorists" long before they harmed us. I have outlined this before as fact in previous articles. It is capitalism, as well, which permitted the environment for the W.R. Grace Company to embark on their exploitation. It is foolish and irresponsible to blame the individuals involved in spurring these tragedies, the individuals running the W.R. Grace company and the "terrorists" like Al-Qaeda, when the capitalist system provided such a greedy environment in the first place. The true terrorists in our country and abroad are the capitalists who have ignored the big picture and focused only on themselves, ignoring the facts in light of their profit. The individuals running the W.R. Grace company, now those are some terrorists!

http://www.missoulanews.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=22B78B08-E84D-1520-538D98CE4843DEAE&useLayout=0

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Our two party system is one of Elitists

The two party political system our economy has guided us towards has for all practical purposes created one distinct party of Elitists. Little discerns the Republicans from the Democrats besides a few ballooned issues, yet on the all important economic issues which disfavor the majority population in this country, the poor working class, Big Business and the super rich receive financial and opportunistic kickbacks for their campaign contributions, which have affectively eliminated all grass root political parties from serious contention. There is a giant web that is interconnected by these elite, who are intentionally crippling the power of the majority population, mainly by ensuring the preservation of the two party political system. It is absurd that our political and social issues are continually boiled down to Republican or Democrat financially backed responses. Republicans and Democrats respond first to the elite.

We need to disallow all forms of commercial advertising and restrict the election process in regards to campaign financing. Paid advertising is too commercial, creating too much of an unfair advantage for the elitist backed super parties. All these inequalities are financially based. There are other less commercial ways to campaign which take place on a more even playing field. Public debates and televised interviews are the way our elections should be decided, not by a contest gauging who can outspend who. Lets see some democratically led roundtable discussions between a group of candidates which tackle some real issues, not the middle line towed by the Republicans and Democrats. We would also be better to restrict the allowable amount of funds spent on campaign financing. It is absurd how much money is spent on elections at the federal and state levels. Capitalism needs to be restricted from the election process, it is undemocratic otherwise. It's the elite feeding each other, while our democracy foots the bill. We need more than campaign finance reform, we need election process reform. We need to educate the majority on how badly they're being taken.

Digg it
http://digg.com/political_opinion/Our_two_party_system_is_one_of_Elitists