tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10723876311671281942024-02-02T00:28:12.792-08:00Connect The Truth DotsTruth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-10953838064768693242013-12-26T07:53:00.002-08:002020-09-15T13:36:00.438-07:00Iran-Contra: Lessons of History Ignored<br />
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December 24 marks the anniversary of an important historical event. On this day in 1992, then president George H.W. Bush gave pardons to six people who had been convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal. Read the whole NY Times article from that day:<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1445186728"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/25/us/pardons-bush-pardons-6-iran-affair-aborting-weinberger-trial-prosecutor-assails.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/25/us/pardons-bush-pardons-6-iran-affair-aborting-weinberger-trial-prosecutor-assails.html</a><br />
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The significance of this event has faded over the years, which is a shame because it is immensely relevant to today. According to Wikipedia, "In the end, fourteen administration officials were indicted, including then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Eleven convictions resulted, some of which were vacated on appeal. The rest of those indicted or convicted were all pardoned in the final days of the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who had been vice-president at the time of the affair."<br />
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Understanding the whole Iran-Contra affair is an essential step in grasping the true meaning, the what, the how and the why, of 9/11 and its aftermath. Iran-Contra is a unique historical moment in which you get a glimpse of the unaccountable secret powers that are really running the show, and what their intentions really are. From Iran-Contra you can follow the threads back to the 1960's and 70's, when the major players started assuming positions of power, and forward to the post-9/11 world, in which their desire for vast powers, wielded in secret with no accountability, was fulfilled beyond their wildest dreams.<br />
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Case in point : John Poindexter, Reagan's national security advisor.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Poindexter" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Poindexter</a><br />
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According to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1224.html#article" target="_blank"><b>New York Times</b></a>, "President Reagan's national security adviser from
December 1985 to November 1986 was convicted on April 7, 1990, on five
counts involving charges that he obstructed, conspired to obstruct and
made false statements to Congress. He was sentenced June 11, 1990 to six
months in prison. A Federal appeals panel threw out the convictions on
Nov. 15, 1991, on the ground that Mr. Poindexter's testimony to Congress
under immunity was improperly used against him."<br />
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So, Poindexter was convicted for his part in the coverup of the Iran-Contra affair, but managed to avoid serving any jail time. After eleven years of lying low, Poindexter re-surfaced in the wake of 9/11. In spite of being proven to be part of a group of power hungry liars and thieves who put their own interests ahead of the government and the American people, here he was in 2002, working for the Department of Defense. He was named to head the Information Awareness Office, from which he developed the concept of "total information awareness." According to Wikipedia, "This aimed to counter asymmetric threats (most notably, terrorist threats) by achieving total information awareness and thus aiding preemption; national security warning; and, national security decision making."<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Awareness_Office </a><br />
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His work, when exposed, generated so much controversy and outrage that his office was shut down within a year. But it should be quite evident today that the idea of TIA did not go away. In fact "total information awareness" simply transitioned into the paradigm of "just collect it all" that we now know has became the primary method of operation for the NSA, and most likely other intelligence agencies, and even the police.<br />
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This article, from Foreign Policy magazine, is a remarkably clear expose on the connection.<br />
<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/06/19/total_information_awareness_prism_nsa_bush_poindexter#sthash.1cgnyhzl.dpbs" target="_blank">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/06/19/total_information_awareness_prism_nsa_bush_poindexter#sthash.1cgnyhzl.dpbs </a><br />
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This commentary from Glenn Greenwald discusses how Gen. Keith Alexander, who was picked to head the NSA in 2005, pushed hard for the "collect it all" paradigm. <br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/15/crux-nsa-collect-it-all" target="_blank">http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/15/crux-nsa-collect-it-all</a><br />
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In fact it seems clear that Alexander was placed in his position at NSA with a mandate to implement a program that had already been developed by Poindexter, three years before. Considering Alexander's history in intelligence, it should comes as no surprise that the torch would be passed to him.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander</a><br />
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And that is just pulling on one thread. I urge you to study Iran-Contra for yourself and start to see the many threads, or should we say tentacles, that extend from it. Wikipedia is a decent place to get started.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair</a><br />
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Bill Moyers' excellent documentary, "<b>Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis</b>," does an admirable job of explaining the story.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qJldun440Sk" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Another documentary, "<b>Coverup: Behind The Iran-Contra Affair</b>," goes a good bit further in exploring what the Iran-Contra hearings did not resolve: the extent to which our government's activities are controlled by a secret cabal, whose motives are completely contrary to what they publicly claim. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/35KcYgMPiIM" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Want to go further? Count on James Corbett of <a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/" target="_blank"><b>www.corbettreport.com</b></a> to take you deep into the rabbit hole. His 2009 podcast, "<b>Know Your History: Iran-Contra</b>," is essential listening for anyone wanting to really look for deeper meaning behind the whole affair.<br />
<a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/episode-102-know-your-history-iran-contra/" target="_blank">http://www.corbettreport.com/episode-102-know-your-history-iran-contra/</a><br />
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I cannot emphasis this enough: start with Iran-Contra, follow its threads, and you will start to see a much clearer picture of what is really going on in American government today. <br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-47015899275500282302013-12-18T08:29:00.000-08:002014-12-31T18:24:23.600-08:00The Slippery Slope: The Authoritarian State<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N5QhxjS0btc" width="420"></iframe><br />
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When is a police checkpoint not a checkpoint? When it is simply the police forcing you to pull over so that a private company can ask you to participate in a "survey," which happens to include the giving of your blood and saliva.<br />
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<a href="http://filmingcops.com/checkpoints/" target="_blank">http://filmingcops.com/checkpoints/ </a><br />
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This is going on all over the country; for example:<br />
Fort Worth TX: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/21/fort-worth-police-chief-apologizes-for-controversial-federal-highway-survey/" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/21/fort-worth-police-chief-apologizes-for-controversial-federal-highway-survey/</a><br />
Reading, PA: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/18/pa-town-latest-to-force-drivers-over-and-ask-for-cheek-swabs-for-federal-study/">http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/18/pa-town-latest-to-force-drivers-over-and-ask-for-cheek-swabs-for-federal-study/</a><br />
St. Louis, MO: <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/local-officials-decry-feds-voluntary-sobriety-checkpoints/article_c44c9c0c-230c-5d63-8f83-cdaec9d0da01.html" target="_blank">http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/local-officials-decry-feds-voluntary-sobriety-checkpoints/article_c44c9c0c-230c-5d63-8f83-cdaec9d0da01.html</a><br />
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It was initiated by a government agency, the <a href="http://www.nhtsa.gov/" target="_blank"><b>National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</b></a>. Its supposed purpose is to gain statistical information about people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They hired a private company, the <b><a href="http://www.pire.org/" target="_blank">Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation</a> </b>to implement the survey, which then employs the services of local police. The police flag down cars at random and direct them to pull over. Then they are approached by the survey people, pressured to take part in the survey, and offered money for participating.<br />
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The issues with this are numerous, and all are disturbing. In spite of the process being explained as "voluntary," the mere presence of police, in uniform and with lights flashing, provides an air of authority and intimidation. Coupled with high pressure persuasion and money incentives, many citizens will go along without argument. And that's a shame because the very idea of a government agency collecting bodily fluids of innocent citizens is deeply disturbing. <br />
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If we have learned anything in the last few years, it is to be deeply skeptical and suspicious when a government agency tells you that it is not collecting information on citizens, or that the information it has collected is guaranteed to be anonymous and secure. Yeah, right. <br />
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But even if the motives of the NHTSA are exactly as they say, and even if the information collected by the PIRE is totally anonymous, programs like this have a way of expanding beyond their original mission parameters, i.e. "mission creep." Consider the possibility of one more catastrophic domestic terrorist incident occurring, resulting in checkpoints becoming every-day occurrences, and the submission of bodily fluids for DNA samples no longer voluntary but required. Consider the possibility of your picture being taken without your
knowledge, or your license plate being recorded, and that info then being linked to the DNA from your saliva sample. Now you are indisputably identified and inserted into a national database. Now you can be tracked, your cellphone tapped, e-mail and internet activity recorded, bank and charge accounts hacked, etc. And they will be justified in doing it, simply by saying that you might be a terrorist, or a drug dealer.<br />
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Now consider the ever increasing militarization and aggressiveness, coupled with recklessness and incompetence, that has become so typical of law enforcement in this country today:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/W5aNU9bW-DU" width="420"></iframe><br />
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The increasingly brazen violence of police in reacting to the most innocuous incidents has become prevalent, virtually normalized:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wsqLf-Ne8QY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Join that with the vastly expanded technological capabilities that police departments have acquired as it trickles down from the military and national intelligence agencies, often paid for by grants from Dept. of Homeland Security. For example: the Indiana State Police recently spent $373,995 for a device that could allow authorities to capture cell phone data, and they won't tell anyone anything about it. Police officals say that such secrecy is essential to thwart terror attacks and fight crime. You got a problem with that?<br />
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<a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2013/12/08/indiana-state-police-tracking-cellphones-but-wont-say-how-or-why/3908333/" target="_blank">http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2013/12/08/indiana-state-police-tracking-cellphones-but-wont-say-how-or-why/3908333/</a><br />
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This is a recipe for disaster: the total loss of civil liberties and the emergence of a modern police state.<br />
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Are we there yet? In the larger view of history, we are not anywhere near the catastrophic levels of say Germany or Russia in the early to mid-20th century. But we are also in a different era, in which the public has been conditioned, step by step over the last 12 years, to accept such a trend as necessary and even desirable. This is the modern way of achieving authoritarian rule: not through brute force, but more subtly, step by tiny step.<br />
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It takes a loud indignant public outcry to force such changes to be rolled back. And it can be done. But the struggle continues because those who have acquired power most certainly will not give up that power without a fight.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-16185892000056511342013-11-22T11:28:00.000-08:002015-11-22T05:03:48.294-08:00JFK and The Re-Writing of History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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JFK was killed 50 years ago today. Truth Dots notes the full-on united front presented by the mainstream media in countless newspaper and magazine articles, TV shows, books, etc, to declare that all "conspiracy theories" are to be left behind, once and for all. Oswald did it and he did it alone. That's all folks, you can pack up and go home.<br />
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It is true that many people are willing to jump to conclusions based on their own biases, hence many "conspiracy theories." That is why one must limit ones' attention to people who are actually doing genuine research, and who uncover actual evidence. And there is an abundance of evidence, that Oswald did not act alone, that he is not the man the media portrays him to be, that government agencies were involved, and that these agencies and the media have been covering up and re-writing history for decades. It is a tragedy and a travesty that has many precise parallels with 9/11 and its aftermath, and is a hard lesson to be learned. Because we have been trained to forget about history except as the mainstream culture feeds it to us, we were inadequate to the task of recognizing 9/11 for what it was.<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>RIDICULE BY ASSOCIATION</b></span><br />
Here's a classic mainstream media tactic: provide us with a wise and witty commentator to focus on how one of the most ridiculous JFK conspiracies was de-bunked, with the clear message that it would be better to stay away from any and all such theories. The intent and effect is to associate all JFK research with the most ridiculous theories, making it easy to dismiss and marginalize any JFK research that conflicts with the official story.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="373" id="nyt_video_player" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/bcvideo/1.0/iframe/embed.html?videoId=100000001183275&playerType=embed" title="New York Times Video - Embed Player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000001183275/the-umbrella-man.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000001183275/the-umbrella-man.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>THE LIMITED HANGOUT</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805094202/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0805094202&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0805094202&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=0805094202" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Here's an example of what is known as a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_hangout" target="_blank"><b>limited hangout</b></a><b>,</b>" a public relations or propaganda technique that involves the release of previously hidden information in order to prevent a greater exposure of more important details.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_hangout" target="_blank"> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_hangout</a><br />
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It shows how far the mainstream media will go to dismiss JFK research. Below is a link to an interview with Philip Shenon, author of the new book, "A Cruel and Shocking Act." Listen for how this guy is willing to make the public aware of damning evidence of corruption and coverup in the wake of JFK's assassination, yet jumps to his own conclusions, without any basis in the facts, that the reasons for all this were nothing more than incompetence, embarrassment, and the desire to "protect President Kennedy's legacy, to protect the privacy of the Kennedy family." This is shoddy journalism posing as hard-hitting investigative reporting, and again conveniently marginalizes genuine research by ignoring it, in favor of simply making up an alternate explanation that fits the conventional wisdom.<br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/10/28/240822565/botched-investigation-fuels-kennedy-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank">http://www.npr.org/2013/10/28/240822565/botched-investigation-fuels-kennedy-conspiracy-theories</a><br />
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Note the title of this feature is "Botched Investigation Fuels Kennedy Conspiracy Theories." Again the way it is expressed is important. They are saying that it is understandable that the evidence being exposed would lead some people to have a "perception' of a conspiracy, but nevertheless you shouldn't think that way. Essentially the author is saying to legitimate researchers, "who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?"<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SHUT OUT</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">News Flash: The Last Stand of the JFK Truthers</span></b><br />
Dallas plans to memorialize the fallen president on the 50th anniversary of his death, and the conspiracy theorists aren't invited. <br />
<a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/67089/last-stand-jfk-truthers" target="_blank">http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/67089/last-stand-jfk-truthers</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">THE REAL DEAL</span></b><br />
Credible, meticulous research on the JFK assassination has been going on since the 1960's. One of the greatest researchers is also one of the least known, Mae Brussell. Has there been anyone since who has done such a thorough job of actually reading every edition of the Warren commission report, cross referencing it and following up on the information that it cited to support its conclusions? She produced thousands of pages of research and hundreds of hours of recorded programs discussing her research and encouraging others to do their own.<br />
She never asked for a penny and achieved no renown for her efforts. She was simply a brilliant person who was also a passionate activist for truth. Here's her first radio broadcast, all the way back in 1971.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WhO97zaa87k" width="420"></iframe>
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Learn more about Mae and access the vast archive of her work at <a href="http://maebrussell.com/" target="_blank"><b>http://maebrussell.com/</b></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>WANT TO KNOW MORE?</b></span><br />
If you're ready to dive in and do some JFK research, our good friends at WantToKnow.info have prepared the way for you with an outstanding portal to articles, videos and plenty of links and references.<br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/assassinations/kennedy/kennedy-assassination-jfk-rfk" target="_blank">http://www.wanttoknow.info/assassinations/kennedy/kennedy-assassination-jfk-rfk</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>EVIDENCE OF REVISION</b></span><br />
Ready to go down the rabbit hole? Evidence of Revision is an amazing documentary, relying on a treasure trove of actual archival film footage from the times, to show how history was indeed being revised, even as the events were unfolding. Here's part 1:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1pGg-rS26c4" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>JAMES CORBETT</b></span><br />
Few have honored Mae Brussell's legacy as well as James Corbett of<b> <a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/" target="_blank">corbettreport.com</a>. </b>In this video he gives us a quick, concise summary of the mountain of evidence that indicates that Oswald was someone quite different than the official story. It is meant to give you a sense of the absurdity of it all, and it succeeds quite well.<br />
Everything he refers to is referenced and linked on this page:<br />
<a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/jfk-a-conspiracy-theory/" target="_blank">http://www.corbettreport.com/jfk-a-conspiracy-theory/</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oJFzhbNd1EI?list=UU7TvL4GlQyMBLlUsTrN_C4Q" width="420"></iframe>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>JIM DOUGLASS</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439193886/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439193886&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1439193886&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=1439193886" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
Jim Douglass, in his book JFK and the Unspeakable, has an interpretation of events to explain why JFK was murdered, and why it matters, that makes more sense to me than any other. I think his ideas are worth pursuing further, as everything I have encountered so far supports his ideas. Here's an interview in which he summarizes his views.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4jacbZjouJ0" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>FINAL WORDS</b></span><br />
And the final words go to the man himself. Here's JFK giving the commencement address to the graduating class at American University in 1963. Is this the sound of a politician planning to seek re-election, saying what he thinks will appeal to liberal voters, or is it a man who is genuinely turning away from the ambitions of the CIA, the military-industrial complex, and the other elites working behind the scenes to drive the country back to war and ruin?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0fkKnfk4k40" width="420"></iframe>
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-86790419999062372442013-10-09T07:57:00.001-07:002015-01-01T06:09:20.247-08:00The End of the Illusion?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16Xrgkrtn09Ypuey1NsO68c7m0ZFesCXbQfsanZVv23giB7dTNv2Ui52aHC4-8xKg3CLw1e4nCwou66cjyZaym009mKlxccHz0v1XHZV07ywxNaHlW7faKbgX03u_fBYyEng4eSmvtUA2/s1600/Fotolia_56457652_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16Xrgkrtn09Ypuey1NsO68c7m0ZFesCXbQfsanZVv23giB7dTNv2Ui52aHC4-8xKg3CLw1e4nCwou66cjyZaym009mKlxccHz0v1XHZV07ywxNaHlW7faKbgX03u_fBYyEng4eSmvtUA2/s400/Fotolia_56457652_XS.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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The farce and debacle that is our government has been put on display for all to see with this latest shutdown drama. Everyone seems to see it for what it is, everyone agrees that they're all bums and should be thrown out. And yet...<br />
<br />
The shutdown drama has had one particular success: it has reinforced the persistent yet patently false notion that the only way to solve this problem is to choose a side and blame the other guy. As the shutdown lingers on, politicians pontificate and posture while the suffering of ordinary people increases. The polarization of American politics has reached a new high (low) as a result of this situation, foreshadowing what I predict will be the most virulent (and useless) political campaign season ever. For at least some of those involved, this was surely the intent all along.<br />
<br />
Are we so naive to forget that government is a place where politicians, be they Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, come together to wallow in the corrupting slime of greed and power? Yet we keep returning to the idea that if it weren't for the other guy's political party, our problems will be solved. Don't we know by now that these guys all go to the same golf courses, hang out with each other in their multi-million-dollar mansions, attend the same parties, make the real deals behind closed doors...and laugh at us.<br />
<br />
And so two contradictory impulses try to co-exist. We rage at the incompetence and corruption that is obviously endemic to government, yet at the next election we grudgingly come back and vote for more of the same. Have we not, at long last, reached the point where we admit this is all a sham, and simply stop endorsing it?<br />
<br />
But then comes the big question: then what? Trying to "solve" this problem does take us into some scary territory. Are we talking revolution, anarchism?<br />
<br />
Truth Dots is not going there. When you have problems this huge, it seems even more clear that the solutions we must pursue are personal ones. In fact, an underlying point of this blog is this:<br />
<br />
Exposing the rampant fraud, manipulation and deceptions that are foisted upon us by our leaders and institutions is just a first step. The next step is to realize that the biggest illusion is that any of this is more important than what's going on in your own heart and mind. A life of freedom and happiness comes from awakening one's own consciousness, not from forcing change on the world. And yet doing so can actually have profound implications for not just ourselves but everyone around us.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/v10gEIUcK70" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I have written about this in the past and will continue to do so.<br />
Here's a post called "<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/rite-of-passage.html" target="_blank"><b>Rite of Passage</b></a>," about the moment after you take the metaphorical red pill, awaken from the Matrix, and then have to decide, how do I respond?<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/rite-of-passage.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/rite-of-passage.html </a><br />
<br />
Also please read "<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/together-on-journey.html" target="_blank"><b>Together On The Journey</b></a>," a post about two people, Arthur and Crystal, whose personal health crises led to powerful personal transformations. Both are now inspiring and helping others awaken to their own power to transform their lives.<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/together-on-journey.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/together-on-journey.html</a><br />
<br />
The sheer absurdity of what goes on in the material world should be a signal to us, that there is more important business to attend to: the pursuit of our own awakening. Part of that awakening will indeed be an increased intellectual awareness of the illusions that permeate our culture and erode our freedoms. To respond to this is important, and to do so we must learn to apply all our critical thinking skills to the task of observing, interpreting and exposing what is real vs. what is a lie. We must use that knowledge to make an informed choice to reject anything that undermines our natural born right to live as free individuals.<br />
<br />
But a greater teaching is always present, and we must come to know that life itself is the curriculum for learning this lesson: give up fear, anger, hate, resentment. Choose love, compassion, gratitude, humility and forgiveness. Welcome to the human race. It's time to start attending life-class. <br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-69036542515168148932013-09-11T09:51:00.000-07:002015-09-09T06:19:37.038-07:00Whither 9/11 Truth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-moves-to-make-the-war-on-terror-permanent-2012-10" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL5LzNmZlJJI_cdvUB15y3guFnVd2_kAdmAEHIwVNtNEYr9u096IylS0O8Uqk6EsQs5PnCgEvWUYnRhwvz8OvWLzGwCdscjbptC-xAInnsPly_NSYwfyXjLDB-BA9Zakexu2yTFjb2dm4/s320/obama_war_terror_screencap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A big part of what got this blog started was a sense of alarm over the way that 9/11, the watershed event of our time, has led directly to more than a decade of deterioration of civil liberties and constitutional rights, massive increases of domestic surveillance, vast expansion of militarization of police, normalization of torture and indefinite detention, drone warfare, a procession of military ventures cutting a never-ending swath of death and destruction. The list of outrages is added to daily.<br />
<br />
The line from 9/11 to this is uncontested. In a brilliant personal audio essay from 2011, Brett Veinotte of <a href="http://schoolsucksproject.com/" target="_blank"><b>School Sucks</b></a> podcast looks back to Sept. 10, 2001 and asks us to wonder if we could ever have imagined how the events of the next day would cause our lives to be so devastatingly changed for the worse. <br />
<a href="http://schoolsucksproject.com/092-osama-bin-laden-any-questions/" target="_blank">http://schoolsucksproject.com/092-osama-bin-laden-any-questions/</a><br />
<br />
Yet 9/11 itself remains an unsolved crime.<br />
<br />
The 9/11 "truth" movement is in tatters, mired in endless debates over the way the towers were destroyed, or whether the hole in the Pentagon was big enough to have been made by a plane.There have been enough conflicting theories put forward to ensure that in mainstream public discourse, no serious discussion of who was really responsible for 9/11 can even get started.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Really?</span></b><br />
<br />
The 9/11 Commission left us with the limited understanding that the largest, most expensive and most technologically advanced defense apparatus in the world failed due to sheer incompetency and negligence, at every level, by every person with any responsibility. Many people then covered up this failure to protect themselves from being embarrassed, discredited or charged with crimes. This is true as far as it goes, as amply outlined in this clip of Senator Mark Dayton. The first 12 minutes are absolutely essential to understanding 9/11 at this most basic level.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ulP2Nnw_Cpg" width="420"></iframe>
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It is further essential to acknowledge that the vast scope of this failure is typically not scrutinized in the mainstream media narratives of 9/11. Instead, we are directed to respond in a purely emotional way, focusing on patriotism, on demonizing the evil terrorists, on remembering the victims, and on honoring the heroic individuals who paid the ultimate price to try to save lives in the aftermath of the attack. Of course, they should be honored and remembered with gratitude. But at the same time, we should all stand with the survivors and families of the fallen in expressing our outrage that not one single person was ever held up to be responsible for the intolerable negligence, incompetence and outright dereliction of duty that unquestionably allowed the attacks to happen. Again, Sen. Dayton's speech spells this out quite clearly, but it has been buried, excised from the public discourse.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING</span></b><br />
<br />
If that was as bad as it gets, it would be bad enough. But even this admission of failure is only a distraction from a genuine understanding of our government's actions on 9/11. Fortunately. outside the mainstream, this discussion is very much alive, and
with good reason. Credible, sturdy research has been going on for years
now, developing into a body of evidence that clearly indicates that the
functioning of our government and our national defense were subverted
and degraded from the inside, before, during and after the attacks. This evidence is powerful enough that in a fair and just world, a
criminal investigation would be launched immediately, targeting specific
individuals in various departments of the U.S. government and military.<br />
<br />
The research being done on this is detailed, meticulous and thorough. It does not require us to make conclusions about the existence of a conspiracy or its motives, although history gives us ample reason for suspicion.<br />
Ref: <b>Operation Northwoods</b>:<br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/010501operationnorthwoods" target="_blank">http://www.wanttoknow.info/010501operationnorthwoods</a><br />
<br />
It is merely to show that contrary to virtually all mainstream narratives, a criminal investigation is indeed warranted, into the involvement of people in our own government in the perpetration of the 9/11 attacks.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">THE RESEARCHERS</span></b><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">For diligent, thorough and tireless research, one need look no further than James Corbett of <a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/" target="_blank"><b>corbettreport.com</b></a> His personal awakening to the lies and distortions in the official 9/11 narrative was the direct impetus for him to begin his journey from school teacher to one of the best independent investigators around. On this 12th anniversary he has produced a must-see one-hour video podcast, annotated with tons of links and references:</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/episode-280-who-was-really-behind-the-911-attacks/" target="_blank">http://www.corbettreport.com/episode-280-who-was-really-behind-the-911-attacks/</a></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">as well as a supplementary article with even more notes and links:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/911-truth-and-the-way-forward-starting-a-real-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">http://www.corbettreport.com/911-truth-and-the-way-forward-starting-a-real-criminal-investigation/</span></a><br />
<br />
Corbett's November 2012 presentation on the activities of Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney on the morning of 9/11 is mind blowing, especially when one sees how it is merely the tip of the iceberg:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n-TISYtc9fs" width="420"></iframe>
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<br />
Corbett himself credits the work of <a href="http://digwithin.net/" target="_blank"><b>Kevin Ryan</b></a>, a meticulous researcher with an inside connection to 9/11. According to his blog:
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Kevin is a chemistry laboratory manager. Through his work as Site
Manager for the environmental testing division of Underwriters
Laboratories (UL), he began to investigate the tragedy of September 11<sup>th</sup>,
2001. Ryan was fired by UL, in 2004, for publicly asking questions
about UL’s testing of the structural materials used to construct the
World Trade Center (WTC) buildings as well as UL’s involvement in the
WTC investigation being conducted by the National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST).</span></blockquote>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Again, becoming aware of the problems with the official story led Kevin to becoming a dedicated researcher. His blog, <a href="http://digwithin.net/" target="_blank"><b>http://digwithin.net/</b></a> contains numerous highly detailed research articles. He sees the pieces of a puzzle, all scattered on the ground, and does the hard work of picking up each piece, examining </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">what its purpose is and </span><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">where it came from, and then seeing how it connects to other pieces. The result, over and over, is at odds with the official story, and offers credible evidence of criminal activity from within our government and military. His new book is <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DT5DI5M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DT5DI5M&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar" target="_blank">Another Nineteen: Investigating Legitimate 9/11 Suspects</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DT5DI5M" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</b>
</span>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DT5DI5M/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DT5DI5M&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00DT5DI5M&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DT5DI5M" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another amazing resource is the <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/911information" target="_blank"><b>9/11 Information Center</b></a>, </span><br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/911information" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.wanttoknow.info/911information</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">a huge onlin<span style="font-family: inherit;">e compendium of</span> documents, news articles, videos and other resources regarding 9/11. This is part of a larger effort by Fred Burks and the <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/" target="_blank"><b>WantToKnow.info</b></a> website team to gather easily verifiable information on many important issues that are too often hidden or marginalized. Their purpose is to help build a better understanding of what is really happening in the world, in order to move forward with helping to make a better world. I applaud them and encourage you to check out the entire amazing WantToKnow site:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.wanttoknow.info/</span></a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">WHY BOTHER?</span></b><br />
<br />
At this point, why bother? We should just shrug and move on, right? Who is naive enough to think that anyone with any authority cares
enough to take the risk of exposing the secret workings of power in this
country? The truth of 9/11 will fade into the conspiracy dustbin of history, along with the
<b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/11/jfk-and-re-writing-of-history.html" target="_blank">Kennedy assassination</a></b>, the <a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/08/those-who-cannot-remember-past.html" target="_blank"><b>Gulf of Tonkin incident</b></a>, <b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/12/iran-contra-lessons-of-history-ignored.html" target="_blank">Iran-Contra</a></b>, and so many others. Or perhaps, in another 20 years or so, the information will
be gradually leaked out to verify it all, long after anyone could
possibly be held accountable or brought to justice.<br />
<br />
But we support the work of people like Corbett, Ryan and Burks, because the ideals of equal justice for all are critical to the
survival of our society; if our government won't stand up for them, we must do so as individuals. A continuing trend of apathy
only emboldens political leadership to further embrace the corrupting
power of their positions, to engage in even more secret manipulations
and authoritarian policies. We are already living in a
nightmarish scenario that is a cross between Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's
Brave New World. We can't just live in apathetic acquiescence of such a state of affairs.<br />
<br />
Why bother? When we are confronted by
events and actions that clearly violate our personal standards of
morality or ethical principles, we must speak up. It is not a question of
being in the right, or even being victorious in the struggle. <span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">One does not always do something based on probability of
success, but because it is the only way to be faithful to one's own
conscience. You can't force anyone else to agree with you, but you can
be true to yourself.</span><br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-58739109887442453222013-08-31T13:57:00.002-07:002015-01-01T06:25:12.835-08:00Obama vs. King: Shameless Hypocrisy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadBMYA_yO5Hnxye3KUPjNwizofVaacVbm8vmTvT7-rSp5chDJfHu6v0k7WM85eCvv_QgmVjMeYVFfqQIIjpF_87wVq633UhDn05-om1PHVTCULIRDtp8j9y6bqNCJQCpLlR7cfW38bIHH/s1600/MLK+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadBMYA_yO5Hnxye3KUPjNwizofVaacVbm8vmTvT7-rSp5chDJfHu6v0k7WM85eCvv_QgmVjMeYVFfqQIIjpF_87wVq633UhDn05-om1PHVTCULIRDtp8j9y6bqNCJQCpLlR7cfW38bIHH/s320/MLK+quote.jpg" height="320" width="261" /></a></div>
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The events of this week have made it easy to see the utter and total hypocrisy of President Obama, as he once again tries to associate himself with Martin Luther King, while at the same time going against everything King stood for. Obama gladly inserted himself into this week's 50th anniversary celebration of the March on Washington, the one in 1963 where King made his most well known speech. Behind the scenes, Obama was making plans to rain cruise missiles down on Syria. <br />
<br />
Obama enjoys being the beneficiary of King's civil rights legacy, but he has no real respect for King. He clumsily quotes King, <a href="http://thegrio.com/2013/01/19/on-2nd-term-eve-obama-cites-commitment-to-service/" target="_blank"><b>incorrectly</b></a> and <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/11/-the-fierce-urgency-of-now/223719/#" target="_blank"><b>out of context</b></a>, to improve his own image. In 2009, Obama was bizarrely given a Nobel Peace Prize after only being in office a few months. In an even more bizarre twist, during his Nobel Peace Prize <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORo-YEXxNQ" target="_blank"><b>acceptance speech</b></a> (for which he had done literally nothing to deserve), Obama both cited King as an influence and utterly repudiated him in the same speech. Obama was a hypocrite then and he's a hypocrite now, as he continues to shamelessly pander to King's legacy while preparing to make war on Syria.
<br />
<br />
The rationale and justifications for this rush to war are themselves shamelessly hypocritical, and I believe should be fiercely opposed, as I discussed on my previous blog post,<br />
"<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/08/beating-drums-of-war-again.html" target="_blank"><b>Beating The Drums Of War Again.</b></a>"<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/08/beating-drums-of-war-again.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/08/beating-drums-of-war-again.html</a>
<br />
<br />
What I am calling Obama out for is doing what so many others have tried to do: to somehow pretend that Martin Luther King's positions on civil rights and economic justice can be separated from his position against war and violence. King made this quite clear in speech after speech that they are inextricably linked. To act otherwise is to demean and diminish his legacy.
<br />
<br />
I wrote about this more in depth in a post back in 2011,<br />
"<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html" target="_blank"><b>Pentagon Celebrates Martin Luther King Day</b></a>?"<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html</a><br />
<br />
That post includes a YouTube clip of an amazing appearance by Dr. King on the Mike Douglas show in 1967, in which he endures unfriendly, confrontational challenges from Douglas and his other guest. King keeps his cool and takes the high road, making brilliant points as he lays out his anti-war position.<br />
<br />
Above all, one must always return to this stunning speech MLK gave in 1967.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b80Bsw0UG-U" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Absorb what is said, and then decide whether it is time to take your stand against the senseless violence that Obama is about to inflict on not just Syria, but all of us.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-60723950336182585112013-08-28T23:31:00.002-07:002014-01-18T23:58:13.294-08:00Beating The Drums Of War Again<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR66o9HOC-56woa5lf7IDpB-TAfUStf-z0HjzxdbkhKL86hjOTp10uAuABVKkW1fd0JtevURKGrKjxYTN6XD0TEJ_P7Uv1qpeCzJtGRQs5lDPaWC3Sme7Le9ktvraNMi1btZ53V7WKLWK/s1600/Fotolia_40285957_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAR66o9HOC-56woa5lf7IDpB-TAfUStf-z0HjzxdbkhKL86hjOTp10uAuABVKkW1fd0JtevURKGrKjxYTN6XD0TEJ_P7Uv1qpeCzJtGRQs5lDPaWC3Sme7Le9ktvraNMi1btZ53V7WKLWK/s400/Fotolia_40285957_XS.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
For twelve years now, we've been conditioned to accept that we're in a state of perpetual war. So is it really much of a surprise to hear the war drums beating again, this time for Syria?<br />
<br />
Granted, Assad is a very bad guy, and his government has been one of terrible repression and unconscionable violence against its citizens. But there's always more to the story. Unfortunately, you'll have trouble gleaning the bigger picture from our political leaders and the U.S. news media. Propaganda abounds, its purpose being to obscure the finer points in favor of gross generalities and misconceptions, all presented with intent to provoke anger and fear, which in turn will result in support for military action. Critical analysis by media "journalists" is almost non-existent. What investigative reporting that exists is being systematically stifled by an Obama administration bent on crushing dissent of any kind, through its merciless campaign to criminalize whistleblowing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/02/09/obamas_unprecedented_war_on_whistleblowers/" target="_blank">http://www.salon.com/2012/02/09/obamas_unprecedented_war_on_whistleblowers/</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is becoming more true than ever that the only information
we get about government activities will be coming from official government sources.
But that’s OK,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they never lie, right? Oh, wait...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/28-0" target="_blank">http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/28-0</a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">KABUKI DANCE</span></b><br />
<br />
Here's a peek into the way this works. Last week, Fox News Sunday brought on two congressmen, a Republican and a Democrat, to help the public get used to the idea that U.S. military action in Syria is coming.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TC09fQnw_yw" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Republican Senator Corker assured the public that he is certain the Syrian government is indeed responsible for the latest chemical weapons attack, based on his careful analysis of…social media. Hey that's good enough for me. Who needs an actual investigation? He also assures us that "we will respond in a surgical way." This of course means cruise missiles, as the other congressman later explains. But hey, so as long as it's surgical, OK? Nothing could go wrong with that. He gives a blanket endorsement to the "opposition," and encourages our training of them to be upgraded from covert to "industrial strength."<br />
<br />
Host Chris Wallace doesn't question or challenge a single word. In fact he actually admonishes Corker for suggesting that the president wait two weeks until Congress comes back to get approval for military action. In truth, Wallace is throwing a softball to Corker so Corker can reluctantly admit the president may just have to go ahead without Congress. Oh darn.<br />
<br />
This leads to Wallace bringing on Rep. Engel, a Democrat, who takes his cue to increase the urgency factor, saying two times in one minute: "We have to move and we have to move quickly." He thinks the president should go ahead and "get started," and Congress can just show up later and approve it.<br />
<br />
Obviously this is what this little pre-scripted show has been leading up to: a bi-partisan expression of support for the president's decision, already made, to act unilaterally to attack Syria, based on insufficient evidence and with zero acknowledgment of conflicting views, and zero interest in considering the deeper context of the situation. Now picture this scenario being repeated in every major distribution TV network, newspaper and magazine.<br />
<br />
The real action is behind the scenes, orchestrated in secret by the CIA and their ilk. In front of the cameras, we hear the same hypocritical rhetoric, over and over again, justifying the inflicting of violence on one Middle Eastern country after another. It's almost like they're going down a list...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9RC1Mepk_Sw" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Just say no. Say no to a course of action that can only lead to the deaths of more Middle Eastern civilians by American hands; a course of action which will most likely lead to the deaths of American soldiers. Don't force any more soldiers' families to sing patriotic songs in order to justify the deaths of their sons and daughters for something that has nothing at all to do with our freedom or security, and everything to do with the self-serving agendas of a privileged few.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>HUMANITARIAN HYPOCRISY</b></span><br />
<br />
Just say no when the government claims it is acting on "humanitarian" grounds. Nothing could be further from the truth, or more hypocritical. The United States has no high ground of humanitarian virtue to stand on, and any attempt to do so must be understood as an attempt to deceive and deflect attention from actual agendas. Do we really need to recite the bloody facts of recent history? Perhaps we do:<br />
<br />
1960's, Vietnam - the U.S. deliberately used one of the most toxic chemicals ever created, Agent Orange, a "defoliant," at such high levels that it became a de facto chemical weapon, resulting in the death and maiming of almost a million people, with severe disabling health effects on survivors and horrible birth defects afflicting hundreds of thousands more, including our own soldiers.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange </a><br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/29/usa.adrianlevy" target="_blank">http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/29/usa.adrianlevy</a><br />
<br />
1980's, Iraq - U.S. approved the sale of anthrax, bubonic plague, etc, to Iraq, and later provided Iraq with intelligence support for its campaign to use chemical weapons against Iran, and its own people. <br />
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-202_162-534798.html" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-202_162-534798.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/25/secret_cia_files_prove_america_helped_saddam_as_he_gassed_iran" target="_blank"> http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/25/secret_cia_files_prove_america_helped_saddam_as_he_gassed_iran</a><br />
<br />
2000's, Afghanistan and Iraq - U.S. used napalm, cluster bombs, white phosphorus and depleted uranium, universally understood to be intolerably cruel and brutal weapons, causing devastating impact on civilian populations.<br />
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27-3" target="_blank">http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27-3</a><br />
<a href="http://www.monbiot.com/2005/11/15/war-without-rules/" target="_blank">http://www.monbiot.com/2005/11/15/war-without-rules/</a><br />
<br />
Is it unfair to blame our current leaders for the sins of the past? Perhaps, or perhaps the past informs us of the necessity to understand just how callous and inhumane our own government can be, and how easily they will lie about it. The past teaches us that we must be highly suspicious and distrustful when our leaders claim to be acting out of benevolent and humanitarian causes.
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">POLITICAL HYPOCRISY</span></b><br />
<br />
The U.S is supporting Syrian "rebel" groups that oppose the Assad "regime," even though many of the rebels have openly aligned with Jabhat al-Nusra, a.k.a. Al Nusra Front, the most radical and violent group of the rebel coalition, and known to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Al Nusra is a designated terrorist organization. Sounds awfully familiar.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/world/middleeast/us-designates-syrian-al-nusra-front-as-terrorist-group.html" target="_blank"> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/world/middleeast/us-designates-syrian-al-nusra-front-as-terrorist-group.html </a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">CONFLICTING ARGUMENTS IGNORED</span></b><br />
<br />
Secretary of State Kerry decisively condemned the Syrian government for the latest attack, even though proof of responsibility has not yet been established. Many other government officials have been rolled out to talk to the press, saying the exact same thing. <br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So1T1HdDpJw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So1T1HdDpJw </a><br />
<br />
This completely ignores a mounting body of evidence that the rebels are also in possession of chemical weapons. A U.N. inspector has already stated that pretty conclusively, back in June:<br />
<a href="http://www.france24.com/en/20130506-syria-un-del-ponte-chemical-weapons-gas-rebels-assad" target="_blank">http://www.france24.com/en/20130506-syria-un-del-ponte-chemical-weapons-gas-rebels-assad</a><br />
<br />
The mainstream media are lining up to cheer-lead the push, just as they did in the rush to war with Iraq. Again. isn't this all too damn familiar?<br />
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27-2" target="_blank">http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27-2</a><br />
<br />
You have to go to alternative outlets like <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/" target="_blank"><b>Common Dreams</b></a> to find intelligent, well-informed analysis and commentary providing views contrary to the official line. <br />
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27" target="_blank">http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/27</a><br />
<br />
Sadly, their audience is tiny in comparison to the huge reach of of the mass media.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">CONNECT THE DOTS</span></b><br />
<br />
I know the implication here is provocative: that the rebels, having chemical weapons capability of their own, would launch an attack that would kill their own people and allow it to be blamed on the Assad government, in order to provoke the U.S and NATO to enter the conflict on the opposition side. There is the further implication that the U.S. supported this. Is that too unthinkable, too conspiracy-ish? Well again, history reminds us of the horrible, tragic consequences if we fail to be suspicious of dramatic events that lead to urgent calls for U.S. "intervention"…
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XsqPeqhKJ7Q" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-1172002440757875032013-08-07T11:10:00.000-07:002015-01-01T06:49:19.065-08:00"Those who cannot remember the past..."<div class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCuRp-q_ND6s9g1tOWXRJvIsAW5npRmmam5OGW3gniwPq4Ll93cRoZB5ktcQlxDoIBc3_VXaC4ApbVhyRfJQcfthfu8GXKHs0wRCpj9zD0RPaOy1Wq3zDo_hdtJlLs9NFZCqICldk8zXY/s1600/Fotolia_53363912_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCuRp-q_ND6s9g1tOWXRJvIsAW5npRmmam5OGW3gniwPq4Ll93cRoZB5ktcQlxDoIBc3_VXaC4ApbVhyRfJQcfthfu8GXKHs0wRCpj9zD0RPaOy1Wq3zDo_hdtJlLs9NFZCqICldk8zXY/s320/Fotolia_53363912_XS.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
"...are condemned to repeat it." - <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Santayana" target="_blank">George Santayana</a></b></div>
<br />
It's a tired old saying, isn't it. But the fact is it speaks to the heart of the mess our society is in today: a tragic, pervasive lack of awareness about own history and how it relates to the events of today.<br />
<br />
Forty-nine years ago today, on Aug. 7, 1964. U.S President Lyndon Johnson easily persuaded Congress to pass the "Gulf of Tonkin" resolution, giving the president broad powers to use military force against North Vietnam. This was in response to reports only five days previous, that American ships had been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam. The mainstream media carried the stories provided to them by the government, and the drumbeat for war was pounded. Congress approved the resolution almost unanimously after a mere 10 hours of consideration. The resolution served as Johnson's legal justification for deploying U.S. conventional forces and the commencement of open warfare against North Vietnam.<br />
<br />
The problem? The story of the attack presented to the public, and to Congress, was false, and top leadership knew it at the time. Read the Wikipedia entry for an introduction to how this happened.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident</a><br />
<br />
Here's a good quick summary, with commentary by Robert MacNamara, who was secretary of Defense at the time. After reading the Wikipedia, you can see how, all these years later, he is still deliberately obscuring key facts.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rd6zKqGcaOM" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
The resulting escalation in Vietnam went on for nine more years. It resulted in over 50,000 American troops dead, over 2 million dead Vietnamese, and finally, withdrawal with none of the ostensible objectives being achieved.<br />
<br />
Starting to sound familiar? This clip makes the connections for you:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/f3OLVuN6V7w" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
The media has always been a participant in this game, willing to be used to propagate the official line, not bothering to fact-check. The always reliable James Corbett of <a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/" target="_blank"><b>www.corbettreport.com</b></a> provides a thorough and meticulously prepared reminder of how this has happened time and again.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y4P2O8UjQeU?list=PLX8eo6y6_xcZaYE8bF6HxC0b3me5UXvDR" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Let's throw something else into the mix: Operation Northwoods. From <b><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92662&page=1" target="_blank">ABC News</a></b>:<br />
<blockquote>
In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.<br />
Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.</blockquote>
And of course Wikipedia has an entry about it:<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods</a><br />
<br />
Here's a brief clip about it:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IygchZRJVXM" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
If this still sounds too conspiracy theory for you, follow this link<br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/010501operationnorthwoods" target="_blank">http://www.wanttoknow.info/010501operationnorthwoods</a><br />
for articles, interviews and links to the declassified documents. (Thanks again to <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/" target="_blank"><b>www.wanttoknow.info</b></a> for being such a valuable resource.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">CONNECT THE DOTS</span></b> <br />
The relevance for us today should be obvious and simple. Based on what is now public knowledge about our government's past actions, we have the right, perhaps even a duty, to regard the words and deeds of our leaders today with intense scrutiny, distrust and suspicion. With history as a guide, it is not hard to see why we think it so likely that we are being misled every step of the way, by people who are pursuing their own self-serving agendas, unrestrained by any ethical boundaries whatsoever. And history also shows us that if we don't reject the lies and demand the truth, the results are certain to be tragic, destructive and futile.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-81223316649407622262013-07-24T09:16:00.000-07:002013-10-14T21:31:22.001-07:00Against Their Will <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0230341713/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0230341713&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0230341713&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=0230341713" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
A new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0230341713/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0230341713&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar" target="_blank">Against Their Will: The Secret History of Medical Experimentation on Children in Cold War America</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=0230341713" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, is a thoroughly researched study on a topic that is not really new or even truly secret: the use of human subjects for medical experimentation, against their will and often even unwittingly, by the U.S. government in the mid-20th century. There has already been much documentation on the subject; here is a link, from the excellent website resource <a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/" target="_blank"><b>http://www.wanttoknow.info</b></a>, to a summary of stories that are in the public domain, reported by mainstream sources, about our government, military and intelligence establishments using human beings as unwilling research subjects in gruesome "scientific" medical studies:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wanttoknow.info/humanguineapigs">http://www.wanttoknow.info/humanguineapigs</a><br />
<br />
The difference this time is the focus on children as the victims of horrible, unethical experimentation by doctors and scientists from America's most prestigious hospitals and universities, with the full support and participation of the CIA and other U.S. government agencies. No exaggeration, no conspiracy theories; it is simply a matter of historical record.<br />
<br />
What exactly are we talking about? It is really too sickening to go into detail about it. The blurb from Amazon.com includes this brief description:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>They were drafted as "volunteers" to test vaccines, doused with ringworm, subjected to electric shock, and given lobotomies. They were also fed radioactive isotopes and exposed to chemical warfare agents.</i></blockquote>
And that barely scratches the surface.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>CONTEXT and HISTORY</b></span><br />
<br />
The context is important to the understanding of this, and why it is relevant today. This activity is known to have exploded and flourished during the <b><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War" target="_blank">Cold War</a></b>, especially in the late 1040's - early 1950's, when fear of Communism was used to justify a wave of deeply unethical and criminal activity by our government.<br />
<br />
In addition, at that time period in the middle of the 20th century, the concept of "eugenics" was still a powerful force behind a lot of scientific and medical activity. What is eugenics? Let's start with a simple <b><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eugenics" target="_blank">online dictionary</a></b> definition:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population, especially by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics)"</i></blockquote>
<div>
In case you're not getting the point, here's this helpful line from Wikipedia:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Early proponents of eugenics believed that, through selective breeding, the human species should direct its own evolution. They tended to believe in the genetic superiority of Nordic, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon peoples; supported strict immigration and anti-miscegenation laws; and supported the forcible sterilization of the poor, disabled and "immoral."</i></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
Link to the full entry:</div>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics_in_the_United_States</a><br />
<br />
The Wiki article is disturbing but essential to begin to understand the scope of the eugenics movement in the U.S.as it rose to prominence in the early 20th century. Lest you think this was just some small fringe group of radical nutcases, the article makes clear that this movement was populated by a large swath of the scientific community, funded by the biggest corporate foundations like Rockefeller and Carnegie, and codified into law in the form of segregation, immigration restrictions, and the most hideous of all, compulsory sterilization enforced by law in 30 states. Only after Hitler was revealed to have carried eugenics to its most horrifying extreme did the movement fade in the U.S., but it didn't go away. During the Cold War era of the late 40's and 50's, the fear of Communism was hyped up to a level of hysteria that made it possible to revive the blatantly inhuman concept of eugenics, in order to justify the abuse of not just racial and ethnic minorities but also mentally challenged, physically disabled, sick and poor children. Again, just history.<br />
<br />
What you have here is a perfect example of the muddy waters of human motivation, where genuine commitment to a mission, perceived as important and virtuous, coexists with a ruthless detachment and a lust for power and control, unrestricted by any sense of ethics or morality. I wrote a blog post on that subject I hope you'll go back and check out, called "<b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/true-believers-and-manipulators.html" target="_blank">True Believers and Manipulators</a></b>:"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/true-believers-and-manipulators.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/true-believers-and-manipulators.html</a><br />
<br />
I'm sure many of the players involved in the experimentation on children were motivated by a passionate belief that extreme measures were necessary to save us from the even worse fate of being overrun by a Communist military dictatorship. That belief, and the fear and paranoia it generated, made it easy for them to put their faith in a junk science that assured them it was OK to experiment on these kids because they were genetically inferior. Meanwhile, others were just happy to take government or foundation money for their universities, hospitals and labs.<br />
<br />
But all of them were manipulated by those who organized, funded and directed this activity, who themselves held irrational and conflicting motivations. I quote myself here, from my other blog post:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Mark Crispin Miller, in his introduction to a recent reprint of Edward Bernays Propaganda, points to an answer, as he discusses the dual nature of the minds of demagogues such as Hitler, Mussolini, McCarthy and others. While on the one hand, they appear to be radically committed to their mission, on the other they are detached and manipulative. Miller proposes that it is actually both - they are "fanatical and cynical at once, neither wholly in control nor wholly ecstatic. Such agitators work within a certain mental borderland, where one can never clearly see conviction as distinct from calculation. Indeed, that inner murkiness appears itself to be the very source or basis of the mass manipulator's enigmatic power, and so we cannot comprehend it through schematic dualistic formulas."</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>CONNECT THE DOTS</b></span><br />
<br />
Many will often dismiss warnings about the slippery slope we are currently on in the U.S.: warnings like the constant invocations of national security being used to justify endless military actions abroad, increasing militarization of the police at home, increasing government surveillance of the public, increasing operation of government in secret, etc, all promoted by nationalistic propaganda pretending to be news. I have written about this several times now:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-slippery-slope-surveillance.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-slippery-slope-surveillance.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-slippery-slope-continues.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-slippery-slope-continues.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/05/boston-further-along-wrong-path.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2013/05/boston-further-along-wrong-path.html</a><br />
<br />
So I ask you: is the propaganda, the misinformation, the stirring up of fear and paranoia posing as patriotism any different today than it was then? Are government leaders any less prone to the corrupting influence of money and power? Is one's racial or ethnic identity or economic status any less of a factor in one's being considered an equal member of society? Are scientific and medical institutions any less interested in cashing in on the expansion of government programs driven by fear and paranoia? Are corporations any less ruthless than they were before in their pursuit of economic enrichment at any price? Are the elites in the upper echelons of government and finance any less <b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/disdain.html" target="_blank">disdainful</a></b> of the other 99.99% of humans in this world?<br />
<br />
The book <i>Against Their Will</i> provides its own answer to that question by exposing the fact that the experimentation on children never actually stopped, it has just been moved off-shore, away from prying eyes. As one reviewer on Amazon says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>If you thought that at the beginning of the 21st century things like the ones described before stopped, you are wrong. As the authors point out, American institutions have been replaced by China, India, Tunisia and Nigeria as sites for Phase One drug studies. Drug firms now travel to "places where regulation is virtually nonexistent, the FDA does not reach, and the mistakes can end up in pauper's graves."</i></blockquote>
<div>
So since the answer to all the above questions is so obviously no, then why shouldn't we be concerned, no, disturbed, no make that outraged, at the direction our society is going?</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>RITE OF PASSAGE</b></span><br />
<br />
It is not pleasant to have to look upon the dark side of human nature; much easier to look away, avoid the issue, and live in willful ignorance, especially when the evil is found to be embedded in our most revered cultural institutions: government, science, medicine. But such knowledge is inescapable. Indeed, awareness of the past, and putting current events in the context of history, are necessary steps on the path to a more peaceful and compassionate future. So don't run and hide; look it in the eye. Weep, puke, rage if you have to. It is a <a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/rite-of-passage.html" target="_blank"><b>rite of passage</b></a>. Let it propel you forward into doing whatever you can do to shift the balance of power in the "real" world from fear over to love.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/v10gEIUcK70" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
I have offered my thoughts on this before, and will continue to do so. Please read my posts, "<b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-absence-of-light.html" target="_blank">The Absence of the Light,</a></b>" and "<b><a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/solutions.html" target="_blank">Solutions</a></b>," for my perspectives on the crucial importance of bringing love, compassion, humility and forgiveness into our lives, as a serious, practical approach to countering the negative influences in the world.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-absence-of-light.html" target="_blank">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-absence-of-light.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/solutions.html">http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/solutions.html</a><br />
<br />
This is where our true power lies, and we must learn to wake up to it, own it, and use it. As I said in Absence of the Light:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>And to anyone who finds this naive or can see no practical value in focusing on these concepts, we must thank them and continue on our way. We have seen countless examples, time after time, how the actions of one person can make a difference to many others. The simple act of extending humble generosity, compassion and forgiveness to another can have powerfully positive ramifications.</i></blockquote>
As I also suggested in that blog, it is the children that often end up being the ones who show us the way. We have so much to learn from them. We should sign up for the course.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Links to reviews and commentaries on the book:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/07/07/book-review-against-their-will-dober-secret-history-medical-experimentation-children-cold-war-america-allen-hornblum-judith-newman-and-gregory/mvRMIO8Zt7HakY7HWSLESO/story.html" target="_blank">http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2013/07/07/book-review-against-their-will-dober-secret-history-medical-experimentation-children-cold-war-america-allen-hornblum-judith-newman-and-gregory/mvRMIO8Zt7HakY7HWSLESO/story.html </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://my.firedoglake.com/valtin/2013/07/17/book-review-against-their-willthe-secret-history-of-medical-experimentation-on-children-in-cold-war-america/" target="_blank">http://my.firedoglake.com/valtin/2013/07/17/book-review-against-their-willthe-secret-history-of-medical-experimentation-on-children-in-cold-war-america/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/allen-m-hornblum/against-their-will/" target="_blank">https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/allen-m-hornblum/against-their-will/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Against-Their-Will-Experimentation-Children/dp/0230341713" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Against-Their-Will-Experimentation-Children/dp/0230341713</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/36151/title/Capsule-Reviews/" target="_blank">http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/36151/title/Capsule-Reviews/</a><br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-33282676912314727812013-05-01T22:51:00.000-07:002013-07-24T08:27:03.501-07:00Boston: Further Along The Wrong Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
The aftermath of the Boston bombing is playing out in the manner of a genuine tragedy - the kind where the tragic end is foreseeable, preventable, but is not foreseen, not prevented. In the last decade we have taken many steps along the wrong path, even though its end point is known and feared. Now we have taken a few big ones.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">WHY DID THEY DO IT? </span></b><br />
<br />
As always, the media gave us a minute by minute account of every false lead, every wrong turn, every politically motivated leak, every racist or ethnic innuendo, every bit of useless guesswork, surmise and supposition put forth by supposed experts in regard to what motivated the Boston bombers. And yet as far as the public is concerned, the story has coalesced very quickly into one predictable conclusion: Muslim extremists. <br />
<br />
There are just a couple problems with going down that road. First, there are already cracks in the case that show prior FBI knowledge of the Boston suspects. As reported in the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324763404578433113880189762.html" target="_blank"><b>Wall Street Journal</b></a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
The Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed suspected marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011 at the request of the Russian government, but didn't find evidence of suspicious activity and closed the case, an FBI official said Friday...<br />
<br />
...U.S. counterterrorism officials have in recent years intensified warnings about the homegrown threat, though the threat has gotten less public attention because most of those plots, with the exception of the 2009 Ft. Hood shooting in Texas, have been disrupted or botched.</i> </blockquote>
What the article fails to mention is how so many of those "homegrown" plots have been enabled, supplied and even created by the FBI through various undercover "sting" operations. So if you want to say that Muslim extremists were behind the Boston
bombing, then it would be naive not to be suspicious about FBI involvement in the incident. Here's some links to help understand this totally screwed up situation:<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/terrorist-plots-helped-along-by-the-fbi.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/opinion/sunday/terrorist-plots-helped-along-by-the-fbi.html</a></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><a href="http://www.fox19.com/story/21997600/reality-check-did-the-fbi-know-about-boston-bombing-beforehand" target="_blank">http://www.fox19.com/story/21997600/reality-check-did-the-fbi-know-about-boston-bombing-beforehand </a></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><a href="http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/4-fbi-agents-responsible-for-majority-of-terrorist-plots-in-the-united-states/" target="_blank">http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/4-fbi-agents-responsible-for-majority-of-terrorist-plots-in-the-united-states/ </a></i></span></span><br />
<br />
For a no-holds-barred commentary with extensive documentation on this, I suggest you read and watch James Corbett's well researched and fully referenced recent piece, "The FBI Fosters, Funds and Equips American Terrorists:"<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i><a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/the-fbi-fosters-funds-and-equips-american-terrorists/">http://www.corbettreport.com/the-fbi-fosters-funds-and-equips-american-terrorists/</a></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">LET'S SAY THEY WERE...</span></b><br />
<br />
But let's just say for the sake of argument that the perpetrators were indeed Muslim extremists, acting on their own initiative, determined to attack and hurt Americans. If we agree to that, we immediately become trapped in a closed loop in which the only terms of discussion are in the form of extreme <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingoism" target="_blank"><b>jingoism</b></a> and propaganda. Any attempt at trying to understand to the attackers' motivations as human beings is met with immediate condemnation. (Just ask <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zndn75O8A6U" target="_blank"><b>Tom Brokaw</b></a>.) And heaven forbid one pursue the perfectly natural desire to compare the suffering of the Boston victims to the victims of violence elsewhere in the world. And don't even think of <a href="http://commonwonders.com/uncategorized/grief-without-borders/" target="_blank"><b>opening a discussion</b></a> about the suffering inflicted on innocent Muslim civilians by our own country's military actions. Politicians and media must stay on point: The terrorists (read "Muslims") hate us for our freedoms. They are vile sub-humans who can't be reasoned with. They don't deserve any rights. They should be tortured until they reveal what they know, then they should be killed.<br />
<br />
This is shallow, ignorant, heartless and irrational thinking, and should be unacceptable in public discourse. The fact that it actually is mainstream says volumes about how difficult to impossible it is to have a rational exchange of views on this subject. I must admit I am repeatedly astounded at how people who characterize themselves as Christians and/or patriotic<b> </b>Americans will so easily dismiss the values of both their faith and the Constitution when it comes to dealing with <strike>Muslims</strike> oops, I mean "terrorists."<br />
<br />
Jon Stewart has done his usual fine job of thoroughly deconstructing this kind of talk. Honestly, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to ridicule Fox News, because they make such an easy target of themselves. But it is worth doing when such despicable talk goes beyond cable TV and enters the public discourse.<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY</span></b><br />
<br />
Another reason it is perilous to blame the Boston attack on Muslim extremists is you have to reckon with the long sordid history of the U.S.involvement in strategic alliances with Muslim extremists, including the very Chechens who are now the newest terror boogeyman. As a result, we have to at least consider the possibility that the Chechens are being set up to be convenient fall guys; or that the attack is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowback_%28intelligence%29" target="_blank"><b>blowback</b></a> resulting from the inevitable failure of such alliances. For an excellent analysis, read this article by former FBI agent and famed whistle blower Collen Rowley:<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://consortiumnews.com/2013/04/19/chechen-terrorists-and-the-neocons/">http://consortiumnews.com/2013/04/19/chechen-terrorists-and-the-neocons/</a></span><br />
<br />
And here's some background from the Guardian, from 2004, entitled "The Chechens' American Friends - The Washington neocons' commitment to the war on terror evaporates in Chechnya, whose cause they have made their own"<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/08/usa.russia">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/08/usa.russia</a></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">WHO BENEFITS?</span></b><br />
<br />
If the facts about the Boston perpetrators and their motivations are now understood as complicated and murky, it seems clear that there have been some definite winners as a result of the Boston attacks.<br />
<br />
With almost 12 years gone since 9/11, there have been many steps taken down the road of turning our society into one in which citizens have become acclimated to massive increases in surveillance, increasing operation of government in secrecy, a continual state of external warfare, and increasing militarization of internal law enforcement. We have seen a whole new version of the military-industrial-complex arise: the military-corporate-government-intelligence complex, as documented in the Washington Post's series <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/" target="_blank"><b>Top Secret America</b></a>.<br />
<br />
Now, thanks to the attacks in Boston, we see that the public is ready to go a few more steps. Here's what was accomplished, all under the pretext of finding one bad guy:<br />
<ul>
<li>Precedent established: locked down an entire big city; achieved universal compliance without it even being mandatory.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Precedent established: house to house warrant-less searches by fully armed SWAT teams backed up by military style armored vehicles. Homes invaded, entire families rousted and ejected from their own homes for hours. The intimidation factor ensured that even if one wanted to complain, one would certainly think better of it.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Universal public support for police action, even after the lockdown and neighborhood searches failed to produce a result. Suspect was found after the lockdown/search action was called off, by a citizen who <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/23/us/boston-attacks-boat-owner" target="_blank"><b>went out to look at his boat</b></a>. In fact, the massive manhunt had somehow <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-30/boston-manhunt-missed-the-boat-as-police-skip-street.html" target="_blank"><b>skipped this street</b></a>, even though it was within their designated search perimeter. Nevertheless, citizens unanimously praised the police, and when the suspect was finally caught, crowds chanted "USA, USA."</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>In light of events, Boston police commissioner Ed Davis called for the city to acquire <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/27/boston-police-drones-marathon_n_3169613.html" target="_blank"><b>drones</b></a>. Little doubt he will get what he wants. Local paper the Boston Herald clarified the inevitability in an editorial entitled "<a href="http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/editorials/2013/04/bring_on_the_drones" target="_blank"><b>Bring On The Drones</b></a>:" </li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"...surveillance drones can be a useful tool for law enforcement, and like
it or not they’re coming to a city near you. It is important that their
use be restrained, with proper oversight to prevent abuse. But in an
emergency situation, there may be no more useful tool."</i> </blockquote>
<ul>
<li>New York mayor Bloomberg took the opportunity in a <a href="http://politicker.com/2013/04/bloomberg-says-post-boston-interpretation-of-the-constitution-will-have-to-change/" target="_blank"><b>press conference</b></a> to tell New Yorkers: </li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“But we live in a complex world where you’re going to have to have a
level of security greater than you did back in the olden days, if you
will. And our laws and our interpretation of the Constitution, I think,
have to change.”</i></blockquote>
Anyone with a differing view is given one sentence of coverage, and marginalized as a "civil liberties advocate" or someone with "privacy concerns."<br />
<br />
The mainstream media did their part to make sure everyone got the message. For example, the day after the attack, Tom Brokaw <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nbc-news/51552278#51552278" target="_blank"><b>helpfully explained</b></a> that "beginning tomorrow morning, early, there are going to be much tougher security considerations, all across the country, however exhausted we may be by them. We're going to have to learn to live with them, get along, and go forward and not let them bring us to our knees." <br />
<br />
And a CBS reporter, gushing with admiration for the cop caught on camera delivering milk to a stranded family, expressed remarkable understanding, saying, "as a mom, I know what that can be like, you know, you're in lockdown, the kids are miserable, you don't have any milk..." Sure, anyone can relate to that...<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_964590736"><br /></a>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50145388n">http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50145388n</a></span><br />
<br />
The only public figure that I know of that has been willing to speak out critically about this is Ron Paul, who published a <a href="http://lewrockwell.com/paul/paul858.html" target="_blank"><b>very provocative essay</b></a> on the subject. Is he just trying to make headlines, or is he perhaps sincerely trying to get people to consider the question, "who benefits?"<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-4024651050280253112013-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:002013-05-03T07:34:06.997-07:00Earth Day Distractions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Earth Day appears as an opportunity for people with caring hearts and the best intentions to do a little bit of good for our planet. Raising awareness is good; every little bit helps, right?<br />
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But when I look at the promo being generated by the <a href="http://www.earthday.org/take-action" target="_blank"><b>Earth Day Network</b></a> and their multitude of corporate partners, I find that it's what is not being said that is really the point. <br />
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Again, I see nothing wrong with pursuing alternative energy sources, recycling, or planting trees. But is it really so hard to see the lies and deception behind the PR?<br />
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The world's biggest corporate polluters and despoilers of the environment love to add green logos and put out warm-fuzzy commercials to let us know they are all for "going green," when their actual policies and activities prove the exact opposite.<br />
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This has been true for decades. The environmental movement has time and again been co-opted and hijacked by corporate PR green-washing machines, their clear aim to distract us from their culpability, and dump the responsibility onto us, the consumer.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Earth Day is every day for NASCAR industry</span></b><br />
<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/earth-day-every-day-nascar-120000760--nascar.html" target="_blank">http://sports.yahoo.com/news/earth-day-every-day-nascar-120000760--nascar.html </a><br />
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I am all for each of us taking responsibility for what we can do. But as a wise man once said, "don't piss on my head and tell me it's rain." We should all be tired of mega-polluting industries telling us how responsible they are, when in fact every day they are doing their best to trample on not just the law but on <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index" target="_blank"><b>any sense of decency and ethical responsibility.</b></a> And expecting our government to provide any sort of effective control over this is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/24/us-emissions-epa-industry-idUSTRE71M3Y120110224" target="_blank"><b>useless</b></a>. <br />
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Where, in any of the Earth Day promo, do you see any of the biggest industrial polluters being called to account for the horrific damage done to our land, air and water, at <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/24/industrial-pollution-costs-uk-billions" target="_blank"><b>great cost to our economy, and our health</b></a>? Where do we see any discussion of the environmental consequences of failed and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/mar/12/fukushima-nuclear-accident-lessons-for-us" target="_blank"><b>damaged nuclear reactors</b></a>? Does anyone want to talk about one of the biggest polluters in the world, the <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-10-14-cover-pollution_x.htm" target="_blank"><b>U.S. military</b></a>? Anything at all about our dangerously misguided way of eating in this country, and the disastrous <a href="http://www.gracelinks.org/267/water-quality" target="_blank"><b>effect on the environment</b></a> inflicted by industrial agriculture? The serious risks posed by the increasing presence of <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/genetic-engineering/environmental-effects-of.html" target="_blank"><b>genetically modified foods</b></a>?<br />
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No, I didn't think so. Here's a typical bit of fluff from CNN:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hey Earthling, it's Earth Day; time for a quiz</span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/22/world/earth-day/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/22/world/earth-day/index.html</a><br />
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So by all means, do recycle, do plant a tree, do turn off the lights, do buy an electric car, but please look deeper. Stop buying the green-washing bullshit. Seek alternatives to the corporate-industrial paradigm that keeps a few thousand people incredibly wealthy while the rest of us are left barely hanging on.<br />
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If that sounds overblown and unrealistic, you owe it to yourself to look into this further. Fortunately I can recommend a great resource for you with lots of links and references to set you on the path. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Take Action</span></b><br />
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I am of course referring to <a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/rabbit-hole-2.html" target="_blank"><b>The Queen's Table</b></a>, the most comprehensive, informative and entertaining resource archive you could possibly ask for. This blog has many pages that cover a wide range of aspects relating to food and health. They are all good, but I urge you to spend some time on the "<a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/rabbit-hole-2.html" target="_blank"><b>Action</b></a>" page. She poses the question "What Can We Do?" and answers it on the intellectual, emotional and spiritual levels, all of which are critical before you can expect to make any lasting change in your physical world. And if you are ready for more practical information, try the <b><a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/reference_3.html" target="_blank">Links</a> </b>page, with an abundance of references and links to info about organic food, best farming practices, nutrition, toxins and a lot more. If that's not enough, check out the <a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/gmo-info.html" target="_blank"><b>GMO info</b></a> page, the <a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/rabbit-hole.html" target="_blank"><b>Rabbit Hole</b></a>, and <a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/p/inspiration.html" target="_blank"><b>Inspiration to Begin</b></a>. There is a lot to absorb, but as another wise man said...<br />
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Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-67142802784402719612013-04-03T08:40:00.000-07:002015-09-13T08:34:28.586-07:00The Slippery Slope Continues<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W5aNU9bW-DU" width="420"></iframe>
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What do you call it when law enforcement agents invade your home, terrorize your family and hold you captive for hours, for what turns out to be no cause? When you find that their actions were pre-approved by a judge? When they refuse to show you any evidence to justify this needless assault on your privacy, your property and your liberty?<br />
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<a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article318665/Evidence-for-search-of-Leawood-home-called-flimsy.html" target="_blank">http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article318665/Evidence-for-search-of-Leawood-home-called-flimsy.html</a><br />
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This is the world we live in. The Harte's, a quiet upper-middle-class family from Leawood Kansas, buy hydroponic equipment so they can start growing organic vegetables indoors. But in this insane post-911 paradigm, law enforcement is given carte
blanche to respond to minor offenses and even completely innocent
behavior as if they were dealing with dangerous terrorists. Local police take notice of the family's activity. <b>Buying hydroponic growing supplies</b> is apparently enough cause to suspect them of growing marijuana. Their home is put under surveillance, their trash sifted. The police extract loose tea leaves from the garbage and wrongly identify them as marijuana. The police conclude that the Harte's are indeed growing the horrible weed. And so, as a result of a police investigation that can only be described as either inept or corrupt, a SWAT team is dispatched, the family's home is raided. The children are forced to watch as their house is torn apart for two hours as their father is forced to lie face down on the floor while an officer of the law stands over him with an AR-15 pointed at his head. The police find nothing illegal growing: only tomatoes and squash. It was just one of a series of raids on that day across two states that was declared a success at the time after police reported confiscating a total of 43 plants and one pound of pot.<br />
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<a href="http://gardnernews.com/joco-sheriff-participates-in-marijuana-raid-during-440/" target="_blank">http://gardnernews.com/joco-sheriff-participates-in-marijuana-raid-during-440/ </a><br />
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The problems here are painfully obvious: they indicate a new paradigm of ever expanding secret surveillance, and militarization of law enforcement, that should make us all re-think what's going on in this country, how we got here and where we are headed. I wrote about this in an earlier blog post, "<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-slippery-slope-surveillance.html" target="_blank"><b>The Slippery Slope: Surveillance:</b></a>"<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The slippery slope has already become an avalanche. The issue of
encroachment on the civil liberties of ordinary citizens is further
compounded by the increasingly <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-war-on-terror-has-militarized-the-police/248047/#" target="_blank"><b>overt militarization of many police forces</b></a>, again encouraged and <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/bradlockwood/2011/11/30/the-militarizing-of-local-police/" target="_blank"><b>supported by Dept. of Homeland Security</b></a>, leading directly an increasing frequency of <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_d7d979d4-f4fb-5603-af76-0bef206f8301.html" target="_blank"><b>highly</b></a> <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26079096/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/police-raid-md-mayors-home-kill-his-dogs/#.UKXdPa5Ibkc" target="_blank"><b>aggressive</b></a> <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-17-Copmisconduct_N.htm" target="_blank"><b>actions</b></a> by police in response to non-terrorist, even non-criminal situations. Add to that the <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/" target="_blank"><b>NSA's vast expansion</b></a> of its domestic surveillance capacity and the government's insistence that it has the right to operate such programs <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/the-feds-violated-the-constitution-but-the-administration-wont-say-how/260239/" target="_blank"><b>in secret</b></a>. This has led to a situation right out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial" target="_blank"><b>Kafka</b></a>,
in which the Justice Department denies any challenge to the legality of
being subjected to surveillance unless the subject can prove the
government was spying on him, but that can't be proven because the<a href="http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/secrecy-and-surveillance" target="_blank"><b> government classifies that information as secret.</b></a> </blockquote>
If an ordinary family could have their life turned upside down by local police over something as trivial as marijuana, what do you think the CIA, FBI, NSA and the rest of the Dept. Homeland Security are capable of? Is there any reason to trust that any of us couldn't be put under surveillance, attacked or imprisoned, based on bogus evidence that more than likely will be politically motivated?<br />
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Of course, we live in a fair society. The victims have filed lawsuit against the police, and perhaps they will have their day in court. Justice is wonderful if you can afford it. But what of the many others who have been or will be victimized in similar fashion, but don't have the energy, resources or courage to go up against their own government?<br />
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UPDATES:<br />
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November 2013: <b><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article331584/Leawood-couple-files-lawsuit-filed-over-mistaken-marijuana-raid.html" target="_blank">Leawood couple files lawsuit filed over mistaken marijuana raid</a></b><br />
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December 2014: <b><a href="http://cjonline.com/life/arts-entertainment/2014-12-27/leawood-couple-helps-change-search-warrant-law" target="_blank">Leawood couple helps change search warrant law</a></b><br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-19460537107811814832013-03-04T00:38:00.001-08:002013-03-04T06:55:35.103-08:00PigeonsWe live in the era of "<a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/shop/share-everything.html" target="_blank"><b>share everything</b></a>" and "<a href="https://twitter.com/Florence_xoxo/status/199140285186449408" target="_blank"><b>I've got nothing to hide:</b></a>"<br />
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I wrote about some aspects of this issue in a previous post called "<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-slippery-slope-surveillance.html" target="_blank"><b>The Slippery Slope - Surveillance</b></a>." but if you aren't yet convinced why this is bad, here's another example of why privacy matters:<br />
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Your health insurance company may be buying your shopping history data and using it against you. From the Wall Street journal, Feb. 25, 2013:<br />
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"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently began buying spending data on more than 3 million people in its employer group plans. If someone, say, purchases plus-size clothing, the health plan could flag him for potential obesity...Marketing firms have sold this data to retailers and credit-card companies for years, and health plans have recently discovered they can use it to augment claims data..."<br />
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323384604578326151014237898.html" target="_blank"><b>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323384604578326151014237898.html</b></a><br />
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Another quote: "...the so-called advanced analytics industry provides an opportunity to zero in on errant employees and alter their behavior...."<br />
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Have you noticed how often problems are dealt with by using so-called "behavior modification," otherwise known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning" target="_blank"><b>operant conditioning</b></a>? The common term in modern culture is "incentives:" <br />
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"Johnson & Johnson, for example, pays employees $500 to submit their biometrics and other health information; J&J then offers eligible employees an additional $250 if they get pregnancy counseling, enroll in a disease-management program or get their colonoscopy on time. The "tailored and targeted messages" paired with the monetary incentives are a "great way to bring people to participate in the program," says Dr. Fikry Isaac, the company's vice president of global health services."<br />
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The people who operate the machinery of your everyday life aren't waiting around for you to figure this out. They have already decided that your privacy doesn't matter, They have already concluded that you don't have free will, and that the best thing for you is to control and adjust your behavior through well established scientific methods. <br />
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Thank you, B.F. Skinner, for providing corporate America with the pretext for treating the public like pigeons in a lab experiment. <br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-74780834959886073872013-02-07T09:19:00.000-08:002013-02-07T09:21:07.997-08:00Beyond Guns or Government<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Peace must be learned. If we want peace, we can't get it by outlawing violence. And neither is it peace, real, genuine peace, if we are merely protecting ourselves by threatening violence against others. We must imagine a world beyond this, envision it, and begin to move our reality past these old paradigms of fear.<br />
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Bob Koehler expresses this idea so well. He is one of the few I know that is willing to explore real-world ways of moving past relying on either guns or government to resolve violent conflicts. His latest post, on his website <a href="http://commonwonders.com/peace/lasting-peace/" target="_blank"><b>Common Wonders</b></a>, is a wonderful case in point. He contrasts the predictable response to a recent tragic shooting in Chicago against a non-violent conflict resolution program being used in a Chicago school. He tells the story of how this program was used to defuse a situation that could have turned horribly wrong, and instead led to a most amazingly positive result. <br />
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Please read Bob's full essay:<br />
<a href="http://commonwonders.com/peace/lasting-peace/" target="_blank"><b>http://commonwonders.com/peace/lasting-peace/</b></a><br />
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And the original story by Robert Spicer, who was the leader of the program in the school:<br />
<a href="http://ibarji.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-hand-shake-a-hug-and-basketball-our-journey-using-restorative" target="_blank"><b>http://ibarji.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-hand-shake-a-hug-and-basketball-our-journey-using-restorative</b></a><br />
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Some people have realized that if we want peace, we need to put a high priority on teaching children about peace. What a concept.<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-28029728362033508372013-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:002013-02-06T10:51:03.452-08:00Gandhi - Hijacked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First MLK, now Gandhi. More blatant distortions, mis-interpretations and out-of-context citations from gun-rights activists, this time co-opting and mis-appropriating Gandhi to support their cause. <br />
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On the one hand, we should be thankful that this is coming up, because it provides an opportunity to get a more nuanced view of Gandhi. He was not a saint, and he lived in the real world, responding to serious crises. His philosophy evolved over time, as occurs with any thinking person who responds critically when one's pre-conceptions are challenged by new experiences and inspirations.<br />
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So here's some relevant Gandhi quotes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“I do believe that where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence I would advise violence.”</i> </blockquote>
Etcetera. This article from Mike Adams of Natural News (re-posted at InfoWars, and I'm sure many others) has lots more quotes:<br />
<a href="http://www.infowars.com/gandhi-advocated-the-right-to-bear-arms-use-of-violence-to-defend-innocents-against-bullying-oppression/" target="_blank"><b>http://www.infowars.com/gandhi-advocated-the-right-to-bear-arms-use-of-violence-to-defend-innocents-against-bullying-oppression/ </b></a><br />
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But the flaws and fallacies of this article are many. An excellent article from the website Waging Nonviolence <a href="http://wagingnonviolence.org/2013/02/what-gandhi-really-thought-about-guns/"><b>http://wagingnonviolence.org/2013/02/what-gandhi-really-thought-about-guns/</b></a><br />
adds some clarity to the discussion:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Pro-gun activists frequently use those words to suggest that Gandhi supported individual gun ownership both as a means of defending oneself and as a tool to violently resist government tyranny...that Gandhi supported violence to defend oneself and others. This is a vast oversimplification of Gandhi’s views.<br />In truth, Gandhi did not oppose the use of violence in certain circumstances, preferring it to cowardice and submission. Even though Gandhi’s spiritual philosophy of ahimsa rejects violence, it permits the use of violent force if a person is not courageous and disciplined enough to use nonviolence. Gandhi regarded weakness as the lowest human flaw, and would rather see a person use violent force in self-defense than be passive."</blockquote>
The article goes on to provide solid historical information that adds much needed historical context to the quote.<br />
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Context is everything, and those who cite this quote are being willfully misleading. They fail to point out that even though Gandhi allowed for the possibility of violence, it was as a last resort for those who were unwilling or unable to adopt the practice of non-violence, which was clearly what he preferred people to do. He spent his whole life teaching non-violence, practicing personal non-violence and making non-violence the centerpiece of his campaigns against British oppression. It seems ridiculous to even have to remind anyone that it is his practice of non-violence that has made him such an influential historical figure, not any perceived advocacy for the right to bear arms. <br />
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Gandhi's attitude towards guns and violence shows his acknowledgement of free will. If a person has no other recourse, and has not gained the courage and insight necessary to practice non-violence, then Gandhi says better to use violence than be a coward. But he is clear that non-violence is what we need to strive for, study and practice, so that we may finally move beyond violent response altogether.<br />
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It takes far more courage and strength of character to practice non-violence, indeed it is a deep and challenging spiritual practice for the real world. That is what he helped the Indian people achieve, and what his legacy calls on us to try to do.<br />
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I understand what Mike Adams, Alex Jones and others like them are worried about. Every day brings new information that adds credibility to the concern that our government is heading in a direction of becoming an authoritarian regime. But that is no excuse for peddling mis-information in order to stir people who don't know any better into an ever increasing state of fear, anxiety and hatred. It undermines the credibility of everything else that media commentators like Adams and Jones do, which is too bad because they often provide genuinely useful information. But you can also see in their work that they thrive on perpetuating a state of fear, not on offering genuine solutions. We must continue to shine the light of truth on these issues, and keep pushing forward on the path that Gandhi has laid out for us.Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-37479000298533649972013-01-22T23:21:00.001-08:002015-01-19T08:25:57.100-08:00The Hijacking of Martin Luther King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has become an annual tradition for somebody who is selling some idea totally antithetical to what Martin Luther King believed, to declare that King "would have approved." I wrote about one such story in a blog post from 2011, "<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html" target="_blank"><b>Pentagon Celebrates Martin Luther King Day?</b></a>" in which I broke down the absurdity of a Defense Department lawyer's claim that Dr. King would approve of war, as long as it's in response to the threat of terrorism.<br />
<br />
Now here we are again, another MLK day, and here are more absurd self-serving distortions of Dr. King.<br />
<br />
Larry Ward, a political consultant who created the National Gun Appreciation series of pro-gun rights events that occurred last weekend, went on CNN to proclaim that he wanted to “honor the legacy of Dr. King.” Pretending to tip his hat to Dr. King, blacks and civil rights activists, he went so far as to say that slavery may never have happened in the United States if African-Americans had owned guns.<br />
<br />
Shall we unpack this to show how ridiculous it is? No, the other commentator on the show took care of that:<br />
<a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/gun-appreciation-day-chairman-slavery-wouldnt-have-happened-if-slaves-were-armed/" target="_blank"><b>http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/gun-appreciation-day-chairman-slavery-wouldnt-have-happened-if-slaves-were-armed/</b></a><br />
<br />
We could just mention that Larry Ward's business is, plain and simple, Republican party public relations. As always, many people who were part of the recent gun appreciation events do not know or care that the main interest of its organizers is not about gun rights, it's about Republican party politics.<br />
<a href="http://politicalmedia.com/about" target="_blank"><b>http://politicalmedia.com/about</b></a><br />
<br />
Perhaps we should point out that a few days after going on his press push, it was revealed that one of Mr. Ward's sponsors for the event is American Third Position, an explicitly white racist political organization. So who is Mr. Ward trying to kid?<br />
<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/01/18/gun-appreciation-day-is-sponsored-by-a-white-na/192318" target="_blank"><b>http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/01/18/gun-appreciation-day-is-sponsored-by-a-white-na/192318</b></a><br />
<br />
But the mis-representation of Martin Luther King goes further. Some recently published articles are being cited to point out that at one time in the mid-1950's, during an intense period of violent attacks on civil rights activists, Martin Luther King kept guns for self-protection.<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-winkler/mlk-and-his-guns_b_810132.html" target="_blank"><b>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-winkler/mlk-and-his-guns_b_810132.html</b></a> <br />
<br />
A shallow reading of the article (and they count on that) would suggest that King would have endorsed today's pro-gun rights activism. What is ignored or marginalized is the fact that over time, Dr. King moved further and further in the direction of complete non-violence, and eventually renounced guns altogether. <br />
<br />
The point of this story being shared at this exact moment is clearly to attempt to overshadow and implicitly belittle King's monumental later commitment to non-violence. It is also meant to ridicule people that think King was always completely against violence and guns - as if to say, "ha ha, wrong again you naive liberals. King appreciated the value of a gun just as much as any gun rights supporter, until he so foolishly went in the wrong direction."<br />
<a href="http://www.redstate.com/candicelanier/2013/01/17/mlks-arsenal-the-racist-roots-of-gun-control-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank"><b>http://www.redstate.com/candicelanier/2013/01/17/mlks-arsenal-the-racist-roots-of-gun-control-in-the-u-s/</b></a><br />
<br />
It is amazing indeed to see hard-line conservative writers twisting themselves into knots to try to make this argument work (as, for example, when their argument forces them to come down on the same side as the radical Black Panthers of the 1960's.). But it fails because it so obviously tries to re-define King by extracting one little slice of his vast and complex life and using it out of context to score a political point.<br />
<br />
The fact is, it is central to understanding King to know that his ideas about non-violence evolved over time. His eventual renunciation of guns and violent action was an amazing accomplishment in his life. At the same time he was showing that like any intelligent person, he was capable of changing his views when presented with credible new ideas. The life and work of Gandhi were very powerful and credible indeed. Encountering, learning and absorbing Gandhi gradually changed King's life, in a dramatic way. This is the rest of the story, and the failure to tell it in relation to the story of his earlier gun ownership is not just willfully ignorant, but intellectually dishonest and disrespectful. For more on how Dr. King's indeas developed, read this excellent article:<br />
<a href="http://peacemagazine.org/archive/v17n2p21.htm" target="_blank"><b>http://peacemagazine.org/archive/v17n2p21.htm</b></a><br />
<br />
This leads me to a related observation: one cannot in good conscience ignore the racism that continues to assert itself in our country.<br />
<br />
The clues are sometimes subtle, as in this news report from ABC's 20/20 on the "myths" of gun control.. Notice at about 2:30, when the scene changes to a prison, and the color of the skin of the people on camera makes a point without needing any words.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j_YTM_eAWnQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
But sometimes the racism is so blatant it is sickening, especially when, as in Mississippi, it is occurring against children, perpetrated by authorities in the schools, the police and the judicial system.<br />
<a href="http://morallowground.com/2013/01/20/report-extreme-racialized-discipline-plagues-mississippi-schools/" target="_blank"><b>http://morallowground.com/2013/01/20/report-extreme-racialized-discipline-plagues-mississippi-schools/</b></a><br />
<br />
It makes me think that gun rights advocates ought to look with great suspicion on the political motivations of their leadership, and their willingness to partner with racists while they pretend to sympathize with Dr. King.<br />
<br />
So where does Truth Dots stand on gun rights issues? Well as always, I stand outside of either-or.<br />
<br />
On the one hand, it seems futile to support greater governmental involvement in restricting gun ownership, when our government reserves the right to wield vast amounts of the most destructive weaponry in the world, and directs our military to kill with impunity. But we are stuck there, aren't we, because we willingly give our government that power. In fact we are conditioned to think of violence as heroic and even patriotic, as long as it's directed by the institutional "us," the good guys.<br />
<br />
Here is another area where Dr. King's position gradually became unequivocal, and in 1967 he took the exceptionally bold step of publicly condemning the U.S. government's perpetration of violence around the world as well as at home. This is another aspect of King's legacy that is willfully neglected and even intentionally distorted by many. But in the year before he died he made it quite clear what he thought.<br />
<a href="http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html" target="_blank"><b>http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html</b></a><br />
<br />
There is no better symbol of governmental hypocrisy than President Obama himself. Obama
enjoys being the beneficiary of King's civil rights legacy, and clumsily quotes King, <a href="http://thegrio.com/2013/01/19/on-2nd-term-eve-obama-cites-commitment-to-service/" target="_blank"><b>incorrectly</b></a> and <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/11/-the-fierce-urgency-of-now/223719/#" target="_blank"><b>out of context</b></a>, to improve his own image. But Obama's record of commanding violent and destructive military actions goes against everything King stood for. In an even more bizarre twist, during his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech (for which he had done literally nothing to deserve), Obama both cited King as an influence and utterly repudiated him in the same speech.<br />
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORo-YEXxNQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORo-YEXxNQ</a></b><br />
<br />
I broke this down in more detail in my earlier post:<br />
<a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html" target="_blank"><b>http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2011/01/pentagon-celebrates-martin-luther-king.html </b></a><br />
<br />
On the other hand, I have heard so many times that 99% of all gun owners are patriotic, responsible, well trained, full of wisdom and common sense. It is pretty easy to see that this is not really so cut and dried. I'm not talking about anyone I know, of course. But I am sure <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2013/jan/08/alex-jones-pro-gun-tirade-piers-morgan-video" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a>, <a href="http://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_b7a522a2-5617-11e2-8306-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a>, <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8960332" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a> and <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/11/portland-residents-panic-as-men-armed-with-assault-weapons-educate-the-city/" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a> barely scratch the surface of the large numbers of angry, ignorant and careless people, many of whom are in positions of influence and authority, who insist on carrying guns. This troubles me greatly, and that feeling is amplified by adding in the possibility of racist attitudes and emotional instability into the stew.<br />
<br />
Am I exaggerating? I don't know, what do you think? When you have an authority figure like this ex-military/ex-police chief/professional weapons trainer going on YouTube, vowing to take to the streets and start killing people in the name of preserving his 2nd amendment rights and urging others to do the same, I think I have a point.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VdLo66g93Z0" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
I don't have a problem with anyone claiming their constitutional rights. What I object to is the way people on both "sides" of this issue constantly respond and react out of fear. Indeed, we are constantly being pushed by authority figures and the media to believe we only have two choices: support one position, or be very afraid of what will happen. You must support unrestricted right to carry guns - the only alternative is to cower in fear. Or you must support greatly expanded government restrictions on guns, or else - that's right, cower in fear.<br />
<br />
This choice is phony. It dis-empowers us and it denies the human capacity for creative, innovative thinking, for compassion and courage. We must move past this fake either-or paradigm and stand up for the highest spiritual and ethical principles at every level, starting from the personal to the family and community, instead of expecting our society's institutions to somehow change the way they've always been, just because we demand it. <br />
<br />
Bob Koehler gives us a window into one powerful approach to this:<br />
<a href="http://commonwonders.com/peace/unarmed-empowerment/" target="_blank"><b>http://commonwonders.com/peace/unarmed-empowerment/</b></a><br />
<br />
But there are a million ways, big and small. Find your own way. And always, always refer to Martin Luther King himself, not other people's mis-interpretations of him.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b80Bsw0UG-U" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b><br />
The <a href="http://www.afgsc.af.mil/main/welcome.asp" target="_blank"><b>Air Force Global Strike Command</b></a> wants you to know that Martin Luther King would be proud of them for overcoming racial, cultural and religious differences in order to <span class="maintext_large">"ensure perfection as we maintain and operate...</span><span class="maintext_large"> the most powerful weapons in the U.S. arsenal." </span><br />
<span class="maintext_large"><a href="http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333051" target="_blank"><b>http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333051</b></a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="maintext_large">Well that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, how about you?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="maintext_large"><br /></span>
<span class="maintext_large"><br /></span>Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-61514821061278762732012-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:002013-07-24T08:28:11.482-07:00The Absence of The Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It has been challenging, to say the least, to stay on an even emotional keel this holiday season. The devastating tragedy of the Sandy Hook school shootings presented such a harsh contrast to the Christmas holiday with all its spiritual meaning, it was hard to know how to respond, what to say or feel.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, lots of people think they know, and are doing their best to persuade us that we only have two choices: we must take a stand either for or against gun control, either for or against 2nd amendment rights, either for or against guards with guns in every school.<br />
<br />
And of course there are a variety of conspiratorial perspectives: the
shooter was brainwashed by the CIA; it was a false flag operation meant
to stir up support for severe gun restrictions; etc. There may be grains of truth in such theories, but I prefer the more obvious explanation. A mentally deranged person with
easy access to a weapon of destruction is simply a mirror of the state
of our culture: a broken, twisted, violent world lurking just beneath the surface veneer of affluent, civilized society. In this illusory realm we have an unspoken consensus agreement to remain numb to the violence all around us, except for the moment when it strikes close to home.<br />
<br />
It is heartening, therefore, to see that there is interest in approaching this situation, as a practical matter, on a spiritual level. I have seen some remarkable expressions of support for healing with compassion and forgiveness. A friend posted
this on Facebook and received dozens of positive comments: "When I was talking to my father about the
horrific tragedy in Connecticut on the phone tonight, he said something
that surprised me. He said that the only justification for such a
heinous act is the hope that we, as a people, could respond to it by
becoming more loving toward each other...he said, "Beyond the issues of gun control and mental
health, if we could go further and become more giving toward one
another, to somehow love one another more in response to this, that
would be the only reaction that would at all justify such a tragedy as
this."<br />
<br />
There was also this amazing Facebook post: "It is beautiful that everyone comes together in such times of tragedy. It is my hope that these feelings of compassion could be an every day reaction by everyone, for everyone. Right now we cannot be sad enough, or worry enough, to change what has already happened. What we can do now is have more compassion for everyone's journey, and send our love and light to those who suffer in pain from loss of their loved ones. Perhaps this recent tragedy can also help us understand the extreme grief and sadness any parent any where in the world feels when they lose their child to senseless acts of violence. It is all unacceptable. Overwhelmingly hard to understand because no one can make sense of the senseless. The world is ready for a true shift in consciousness. I will not watch the media reports on the event, because it is unacceptable to me to use the grief of so many people to sell advertising, political points of view, or ratings."<br />
<br />
Another friend shared the stunning, powerful statement
given by Robbie Parker, father of one of the slain kids, and again got
many thoughtful and positive comments:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="236" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PcNEbszYlM0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
I've also seen people whose response is to become utterly deluged with
painful emotions, not realizing that this event was only triggering the
expression of pain and anxiety they were already feeling about something
else. Shortly after the shootings, I had to talk a family member down from being engulfed in a raging flood of feelings that was becoming overwhelming.<br />
<br />
In truth, however, I was not far from there. Our dad was
recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and a number of other health issues have
also come to light. It has been hard for
us to come to terms with, and thus our emotions are already much closer
to the surface than usual.<br />
<br />
Events like this shooting
pull back
the curtain to expose the gaping flaws in our society as a whole, but
they also make it easy for us to get lost in our own personal pain. It's
a very human thing to do. Who hasn't gotten excessively angry with someone over a
minor quibble, only to later admit they were actually upset about something else.
So it is with grief, anxiety and the agony of feeling helpless,
powerless to change the things that are going wrong.<br />
<br />
The fact is there are things we just can't control. No amount of
feeling stress, anxiety, grief or depression is going to make those kids
come back, or make cancer go away. We may need to express those feelings, but to get stuck in them accomplishes nothing and helps nobody. In fact, we only hurt ourselves, and render ourselves useless for helping anyone else.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we plunge ahead with the intense urge to <i>do</i> something, to make a difference, to solve the problem, to fix what is broken. But that is just covering over the deeper issue we don't want to face: no amount of campaigning for gun control, or gun freedom, mental health awareness, etc. can heal the heavy sense of despair, the spiritual emptiness, the loss of hope that weighs down our hearts.<br />
<br />
If we really want to find a way to restore our ability to feel love, joy, faith and hope, we must be willing to do some hard spiritual work. We must be willing to step back, way back, and see everything in the widest possible perspective. That rusty old saw, "it's always darkest before the dawn," is counseling us to remember the light, even as we are stuck in the darkness. Not so rusty after all.<br />
<br />
This terrible incident happened to very young children. The sadness of such a thing is unbearable, and yet we have other children around us who are there every day teaching us how to live in a state of blissful happiness. We have children who have survived unspeakable horrors who nevertheless come back to show us, the supposedly intelligent and wise adults, a thing or two about hope.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/47791918?title=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br />
<br />
There is also the fact that the shootings happened during the Christmas season, when the genuine spiritual lessons of Jesus traditionally penetrate, for a brief moment, into the mainstream of the public consciousness.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="text Matt-5-9" id="en-NIV-23244"><span class="woj">"Blessed are the peacemakers,</span></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Matt-5-9"><span class="woj">for they will be called children of God..."</span></span></span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>...Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I
forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus
answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."</i></blockquote>
<i> </i>In light of the tragedy, we are called on to pay much closer attention to their deepest meaning. We must learn that these teachings are not only for when things are all lovely, but are most especially important when things are going bad. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous... </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"You have heard that it was said, 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on
the right cheek, turn to him the other also."</i></blockquote>
And to anyone who finds this naive or can see no practical value in focusing on these concepts, we must thank them and continue on our way. We have seen countless examples, time after time, how the actions of one person can make a difference to many others. The simple act of extending humble generosity, compassion and forgiveness to another can have powerfully positive ramifications.<br />
It always starts small - with a spouse, our family, our children, a friend or co-worker - but the ripple effect is undeniable.<br />
<br />
I know what you're thinking. How did we get from gun violence to this? Well, I said this would take work. Sometimes these kinds of ideas need to be approached in small steps. We just need to keep asking ourselves, what do I really want? To win and feel morally superior, or to live in peace? Is being right more important than liberating myself and others from and endless cycle of struggle, suffering, anxiety, guilt and remorse? <br />
<br />
OK, then, what if we just do something, anything that takes us in that direction. Just do one thing that shows some compassion, some generosity, some forgiveness. Help someone relieve their suffering; be of service to someone who needs help.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."</i></blockquote>
We have to stop thinking about how this is not going to change anything. That is the ego talking, thinking that we must have a large, systemic impact to be worth something.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj">"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."</span></span></i></blockquote>
<span class="text Matt-25-40" id="en-NIV-24049"><span class="woj"></span></span>We only
have one reasonable choice: to try, just try, to live each day with hearts
full of love and compassion for things as they actually are. In this way we can bring peace to our little corner of the world. Lots of people are already doing this, all the time. Let's join them.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="236" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bcQwIxRcaYs" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-69785436541323956352012-12-11T23:52:00.000-08:002013-07-24T13:06:18.867-07:00True Believers and Manipulators <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374531617/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=benshermanguitar&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374531617"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0374531617&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970312598/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=benshermanguitar&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0970312598"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0970312598&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><br />
As more and more facts come to light about the <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2008-03-25/us/walmart.insurance.battle_1_wal-mart-retail-giant-health-plan" target="_blank"><b><u>stunningly</u></b></a> <a href="http://thenewstalkers.com/forum/topics/unethical-behavior-and-illegal-business-practices-seems-to-be" target="_blank"><b><u>immoral</u></b></a> <a href="http://nation.time.com/2012/02/27/post-war-profiteering/" target="_blank"><b><u>behavior</u></b></a> of the superclass which seeks to <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/two-id-cards/" target="_blank"><b><u>control</u></b></a> <a href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/303/seeds/reports/1770/seed-giants-vs-us-farmers" target="_blank"><b><u>every</u></b></a> <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0222/Report-London-no-safer-for-all-its-CCTV-cameras" target="_blank"><b><u>aspect</u></b></a> of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maeXjey_FGA" target="_blank"><b><u>our</u></b></a> <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/02/14/us_media_takes_the_lead_on_iran/singleton/" target="_blank"><b><u>lives</u></b></a>, we keep asking ourselves, what motivates these people?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://markcrispinmiller.com/about/" target="_blank"><b>Mark Crispin Miller</b></a>, in his introduction to a recent reprint of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays" target="_blank"><b>Edward Bernays</b></a><i> Propaganda</i>, points to an answer, as he discusses the dual nature of the minds of demagogues such as Hitler, Mussolini, McCarthy and others. While on the one hand, they appear to be radically committed to their mission, on the other they are detached and manipulative. Miller proposes that it is actually both - they are "fanatical and cynical at once, neither wholly in control nor wholly ecstatic. Such agitators work within a certain mental borderland, where one can never clearly see conviction as distinct from calculation. Indeed, that inner murkiness appears itself to be the very source or basis of the mass manipulator's enigmatic power, and so we cannot comprehend it through schematic dualistic formulas."<br />
<i>(By the way, this is a very valuable book to read, and Miller's excellent introduction makes it doubly so.)</i><br />
<br />
I think this idea goes a long way to explaining the actions of all the megalomaniacs running rampant over our <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php?cycle=2012" target="_blank"><b>democracy</b></a>, our <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-feds-vs-goldman-20100426" target="_blank"><b>economy</b></a>, our <a href="http://www.corporations.org/media/" target="_blank"><b>media</b></a>, our <a href="http://www.corbettreport.com/the-ndaa-just-one-more-link-in-the-chain-of-tyranny/" target="_blank"><b>civil liberties</b></a>, our <a href="http://commercialfreechildhood.org/sites/default/files/schools.pdf" target="_blank"><b>education system</b></a>, our <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/9867324" target="_blank"><b>privacy</b></a>, our <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/blast-at-bp-texas-refinery-in-05-foreshadowed-gulf-disaster" target="_blank"><b>environment</b></a>, our <a href="http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/FS_Food_Monopoly.pdf" target="_blank"><b>food</b></a>, our <a href="http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/PrivateEquityReport.pdf" target="_blank"><b>water</b></a>, you name it. And of course, waging wars around the world. They always come up with a rationale to justify what they do, and perhaps they even believe it is a righteous, virtuous cause. But that doesn't stop them from engaging in the most blatantly unethical, manipulative, and usually criminal behavior in pursuit of their goals. <br />
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The powerful manipulators seem to have two underlying attitudes. One goes something like: "I think you are inferior, therefore I have no reason to treat you with any respect, compassion or humanity. I can exploit you and do whatever I want to you with no concern. The only things of importance are the increase of my own wealth and power." The other would be: "I think you are inferior, therefore I must use my vast superiority to do whatever is necessary to protect and improve the world as I see fit. Because you are inferior you are incapable of deciding for yourselves what is best for you. I, in my superiority, must make those judgements - for the greater good of all." As Miller suggests, both of these attitudes may exist simultaneously in their minds.<br />
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As you explore this topic you find there are many levels as the elites manipulate those below them, who in turn manipulate those below them. The plight and peril of anyone who has genuine passion and commitment is that he is susceptible to being used by someone who knows how to manipulate his passion. Thus the revolutionaries in the Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt and Libya are in danger of being manipulated by Western covert forces who only view their countries as pieces on the global chessboard. NGO's and charitable foundations, staffed by hard-working, smart, sincere, committed individuals, unwittingly provide cover and credibility, disguising the true objectives of the mega-billioinaires who finance them. Honorable young men and women with noble ideals, equipped with great intelligence, skills, and bravery, become the public face of a military that, just below the surface, is rife with corruption and senseless brutality.<br />
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Perhaps the true believer's passion is actually nothing more than bigotry, or simple hatred of the poor, the foreign, the dark-skinned. He can be used by the elites to engage in the most heinous, in-humane actions - which also happen to serve the long-term agendas of the elites. That person may eventually be exposed as a racist or extremist, but his manipulators remain obscured.The recent coverage of the sordid history of forced sterilizations in the U.S for most of the 20th century is but one example:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/15/health/california-forced-sterilizations/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/15/health/california-forced-sterilizations/index.html </a><br />
<a href="http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/11/07/8640744-victims-speak-out-about-north-carolina-sterilization-program-which-targeted-women-young-girls-and-blacks">http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/11/07/8640744-victims-speak-out-about-north-carolina-sterilization-program-which-targeted-women-young-girls-and-blacks</a><br />
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We have some contemporary examples in which it is hard to tell whether one is a true believer, or a cynical manipulator. Take for example <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Clarridge" target="_blank"><b>Duane Clarridge</b></a>, a CIA officer who became notorious in the 80's for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. He is a perfect example of someone so wrapped up (apparently) in the myth of American exceptionalism that he is convinced that any level of brutality is allowable, as long as it is in the cause of defending and promoting American interests. Note how insistent he is on selling us on the righteousness and importance of what are clearly violent, inhumane acts.<br />
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And his present-day counterpart, Jose Rodriguez, virtually identical in his tone and intent:<br />
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Do they really believe what they're saying? If so, whose agenda are they serving so willingly? Or are they just cynically spouting the words that they know will inflame the passions of those who respond more to appeals to emotion than to reason? Or is it all of the above?<br />
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In political rhetoric, there is always some invocation of a "greater good" to justify actions that are clearly, obviously uncompassionate, inhumane and destructive. Cut social spending to save the economy. Fight endless wars to achieve peace. Support a dictator to help spread democracy. The illogic of such double-speak is usually so transparent one wonders how they carry it off. Then we remember: they are experts at that. <br />
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In a world of such insane contradictions, it helps to recognize that this is actually the elites' weakness: the inherent irrationality of their actions. By being so utterly obsessed with personal gain and the exercise of control, they are forced to produce a rationale for public consumption that simply doesn't hold up. They are aware of it; that is why they engage in so much propagandizing, media manipulation and cultural conditioning. What we need is for people to reawaken their common sense and capacity for critical thinking, in order to break through all that, and realize we need to stand up and refuse to tolerate it.<br />
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It also calls for us to re-connect to our core sense of compassion and empathy for others, in order to grasp the basic, simple ethical flaw in the mindset of the manipulator: that the lack of caring for others is, in reality, destructive to themselves and to the greater good they claim to serve. <br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-40993371151797166082012-11-29T08:11:00.003-08:002013-07-24T08:28:59.125-07:00The Slippery Slope - Surveillance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The subject matter of this post is intensely provocative, so I have packed it with as many links as possible from recent mainstream sources to help illustrate that the statements made are based on fact, and are happening now. Click on the orange highlighted parts to learn more.<br />
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Ever since 9/11/2001, we have been sliding down the slippery slope on the issue of domestic surveillance, towards an ever more pervasive, and invasive, surveillance state. The current scandal over the General Petraeus affair would never have gained the attention it has if the FBI hadn't made use of the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031302277.html" target="_blank"><b>vastly expanded powers</b></a> it has been quietly acquiring over the last eleven years. Before 9-11, we would not have seen a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578115410189757452.html" target="_blank"><b>complaint from a well-connected socialite</b></a> about supposedly harassing e-mails trigger a full-scale cyber-investigation allowing the FBI to hack into private e-mail accounts, read thousands of e-mails and expose personal activity that was neither criminal nor a <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/14/obama-no-security-breaches-from-petraeus-scandal" target="_blank"><b>security risk</b></a>. But now in today's post-9/11 total surveillance environment, it is <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303567704577519213906388708.html" target="_blank"><b>problematic to even suggest</b></a> that the FBI (or the NSA, or the CIA, or your local police department for that matter) ought not to be exercising such power over American citizens.<br />
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Under the all-purpose justification of "fighting terrorism," surveillance technologies have been developed and rolled out, like a steamroller, at a rapid pace. Typically, the technology is first introduced for military applications on the battlefield, i.e. not anywhere around here. For example, drones. First, we are shown how successful they are in a war zone at giving the good guys greater ability to detect the bad guys. In the case of drones, they can not only detect but also kill the bad guys, efficiently and safely (for the good guys). The mainstream news media helpfully airs lots of programming/promotion to help us get used to the new technology. <br />
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Then, with little fanfare, drones are introduced domestically, for use by government agencies. Of course the purpose of the new technology is at first entirely anti-terrorism, but soon that is expanded to drug dealers, illegal immigrants, search and rescue, and of course, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/10/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211" target="_blank"><b>catching cattle rustlers.</b></a> <br />
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From there it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/22/drones-dhs-program-unmanned-aircraft-police_n_1537074.html" target="_blank"><b>trickles down to local law enforcement</b></a>, and next thing you know, big cities are getting a supply of drones, <a href="http://www.aurora.aero/products/skate.aspx" target="_blank"><b>developed and marketed by military contractors</b></a>, and often acquired with <a href="http://vanguarddefense.com/" target="_blank"><b>financial aid from the Department of Homeland Security</b></a>. Everyone can appreciate how great the drones are at enhancing surveillance of criminals while allowing the officers to remain safe. We are assured that the drones used by local police <a href="http://www.crescentunmanned.com/police-chiefs-issue-recommendations-on-drones/" target="_blank"><b>will not be weaponized</b></a>, except that it quickly becomes obvious that <a href="http://www.tactical-life.com/online/special-weapons/vanguard-shadowhawk/" target="_blank"><b>they will be</b></a>. They won't be used for spying on citizens, except that <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/08/23/docs-law-enforcement-agencies-plan-to-use-domestic-drones-for-surveillance" target="_blank"><b>they will be</b></a>.<br />
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Again, mainstream news is there, basically passing along press releases from the companies that make the drones, reassuring us that this is all cool stuff that we will love, and don't worry, your privacy concerns are being addressed.
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The slippery slope has already become an avalanche. The issue of encroachment on the civil liberties of ordinary citizens is further compounded by the increasingly <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/how-the-war-on-terror-has-militarized-the-police/248047/#" target="_blank"><b>overt militarization of many police forces</b></a>, again encouraged and <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/bradlockwood/2011/11/30/the-militarizing-of-local-police/" target="_blank"><b>supported by Dept. of Homeland Security</b></a>, leading directly an increasing frequency of <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_d7d979d4-f4fb-5603-af76-0bef206f8301.html" target="_blank"><b>highly</b></a> <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26079096/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/police-raid-md-mayors-home-kill-his-dogs/#.UKXdPa5Ibkc" target="_blank"><b>aggressive</b></a> <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-17-Copmisconduct_N.htm" target="_blank"><b>actions</b></a> by police in response to non-terrorist, even non-criminal situations. Add to that the <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/" target="_blank"><b>NSA's vast expansion</b></a> of its domestic surveillance capacity and the government's insistence that it has the right to operate such programs <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/the-feds-violated-the-constitution-but-the-administration-wont-say-how/260239/" target="_blank"><b>in secret</b></a>. This has led to a situation right out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial"><b>Kafka</b></a>, in which the Justice Department denies any challenge to the legality of being subjected to surveillance unless the subject can prove the government was spying on him, but that can't be proven because the<a href="http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/secrecy-and-surveillance" target="_blank"><b> government classifies that information as secret.</b></a><br />
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And we haven't even gotten into <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/09/rfid-chip-student-monitoring/" target="_blank"><b>RFID tracking</b></a> and <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-10-02/news/bs-md-ca-school-scan-20121002_1_karen-sarno-lunches-scanner" target="_blank"><b>fingerprinting</b></a> of children, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/sunday-review/thats-not-my-phone-its-my-tracker.html" target="_blank"><b>cell phone tracking</b></a>, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20045723-281.html" target="_blank"><b>vehicle tracking</b></a>, the amassing of <a href="http://www.alternet.org/story/155939/why_is_the_government_collecting_your_biometric_data" target="_blank"><b>biometric databases</b></a>, and of course the security cameras which seem to be in use everywhere in spite of their <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Crime-cameras-not-capturing-many-crimes-3290349.php" target="_blank"><b>dubious</b></a> <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/5344262/CCTV-only-effective-at-cutting-car-crime.html" target="_blank"><b>value</b></a>; and the list goes on.<br />
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Where are we going with all this? We are now seeing official, taxpayer-funded surveillance and data mining of ordinary citizens expanding to stunning, unprecedented levels. There is not even a pretense anymore of using the terrorism threat to justify such radical departures from what our society used to be.<br />
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Who benefits? Who decides? We can only say for certain it is not you or me.<br />
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Here comes the typical comment: Why should I care? It doesn't affect me. I have nothing to hide anyway.<br />
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Answer: #1: Ask General Petraeus.<br />
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Answer #2: Think about someone besides yourself, who feels their privacy is important, and with good reason, say a victim of domestic violence, or a political activist.<br />
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Answer #3: Information is power, and power corrupts. We're only part way down this slippery slope. The U.S. is descending into a vast surveillance state in which privacy and civil liberties are disappearing. Do you really want to see us go all the way? <br />
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Further reading:<br />
Bob Koehler "<a href="http://commonwonders.com/world/the-buzzing-wasps/" target="_blank"><b>The Buzzing Wasps</b></a>"<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-24934912071352646232012-11-27T08:24:00.000-08:002013-10-09T08:14:22.521-07:00Together On The Journey<br />
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In this blog, I hope to not only to search for the deeper truth behind the appearances of current events, but also to pursue the idea that personal transformation and spiritual development, person by person, are essential for there to be any hope of turning around the deterioration of our society as a whole.<br />
<br />
The story of <a href="http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/The-Human-Experience-The-Arthur-Boorman-Story" target="_blank"><b>Arthur Boorman</b></a>, a man with a lot of serious health issues who changed his life in a few months with the help of an unconventional yoga instructor, is a wonderful example of this. His story is incredibly inspirational in all the best ways. Arthur shows us:<br />
<ul>
<li>that it is possible for ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things;</li>
<li>you can overcome the most difficult obstacles, and you can exceed what you think of as your limitations;</li>
<li>hard work and determination are essential;</li>
</ul>
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But there is more to this. There are lessons that go much deeper, and things for all of us to seriously take to heart.<br />
<br />
Did you have a moment when you watched Arthur's story where you thought about saying to a loved one or friend, "Look, see, Arthur did it, what's your problem?" <br />
Sounds un-compassionate and judgmental, and it is. Yet people respond this way all the time: "I choose to eat healthy. What's your problem?" "Why don't you just exercise your free will like I did, and choose to quit smoking/drinking/eating junk food/watching the crap on TV?"<br />
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This kind of response misses the critical point that changing behaviors of a lifetime is often incredibly difficult, especially when resisted by the pressures of lifelong habits and addictions, poor self-esteem and other emotional issues, poor education, financial difficulties, as well as the influence of family, community, culture, media and commercial psychological warfare.<br />
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Arthur's story teaches us another whole set of lessons. Look at what happened:<br />
<ul>
<li>Arthur realized he needed to change.</li>
<li>He realized he couldn't do it alone, he needed help,</li>
<li>He reached out, searched and found help. </li>
<li>He accepted the help that awakened him to his own sense of personal power, and inspired him to do the work he needed to do to revitalize his health. </li>
</ul>
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The steps he took afterwards are also very important. When he appeared in this and <a href="http://youtu.be/5Nbt_v_VS1c" target="_blank"><b>other</b></a> <a href="http://youtu.be/cs8b5fUfYcY" target="_blank"><b>videos</b></a>, he sent some vital messages:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>he expressed his gratitude for the help he got;</li>
<li>he turned it around to help others by inspiring them with his story. </li>
</ul>
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We all need to hear this, because each of us may some day find ourselves on either side of this situation: we may be the one who needs help, or we may be the one who can offer it.<br />
<br />
Arthur is very strong and courageous; he struggled and worked incredibly hard. But part of his strength was in opening himself up to being helped, overcoming fear, isolation and feeling hopelessly stuck in his troubles. It also takes strength to change your priorities in life, which Arthur had to do. On his <a href="http://www.ddpyoga.com/arthur.html" target="_blank"><b>testimonial page</b></a> at the DDP Yoga website, he talks about realizing he had to change his eating habits, and says, "I was communicating to my wife and kids
–the people I love the most in the world – that I wanted that pizza more
than I wanted the years that I would not be able to spend with them."<br />
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One of the hardest things about making big changes is distancing yourself from the foods, places, activities and especially people who are not aligned with your new priorities. But Arthur's experience shows that if you are open to it and you ask for it, you will find there are people out there who are ready and willing to help empower you to be the most happy, healthy and awakened person you can be. He also shows that if you think about it, you could be that person for somebody else.<br />
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<a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrYluWLBsN_D7NEh9nlh8M8MNUR_87Y32AGZL_G-XqFrSRKJ1mRPtsX6GbaG3n37UOUYvYbKRRC2huRjdmOjZ0_FQmOsDtUjEPULHHpyHoRL2XpB0zomyXxfYF44vbsjmbNhfVtQQUI49/s400/Queen's+Table+Header+V9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of those people is Crystal, who has had her own experience with overcoming many serious health issues. Her journey of restoring herself to vibrant good health has led her to create an incredible website/blog, <b>The Queen's Table</b>:<br />
<a href="http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>http://thequeenstable.blogspot.com/</b></a><br />
In it, she provides a huge resource library of references to books, videos, websites and people that were helpful to her in her own efforts. She is also full of compassion and understanding that everyone is at a different stage of their own journey, and we all need inspiration and support.<br />
<br />
Self-empowerment is a central concept here, but I think there should be no distinction between that and spiritual growth. Arthur did not become disdainful, condescending or otherwise egotistical as a result of his success, nor did Crystal. In fact, one frequently witnesses a huge expansion of peace, love, wisdom, humility, compassion, gratitude and forgiveness accompanying such personal transformations. It is all part of the same trip, and we are all taking the ride.
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-41090270831375105892012-11-15T21:16:00.001-08:002012-11-15T21:16:09.167-08:00Robert Koehler: Peace Journalist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXdOhR1NgWGURNRZFBGwMOh7KfGpBXcgG2U9jsbkSVMw6cbsQLXkMFpxc4vvNepULSqnpZzz0Ik4VKWDJP84dgDzlSDdtdGIx1KSau-n7JOPQKKZqXaq23jIfbbgEqo-wC2zgqQM8Bl_D/s1600/courage_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXdOhR1NgWGURNRZFBGwMOh7KfGpBXcgG2U9jsbkSVMw6cbsQLXkMFpxc4vvNepULSqnpZzz0Ik4VKWDJP84dgDzlSDdtdGIx1KSau-n7JOPQKKZqXaq23jIfbbgEqo-wC2zgqQM8Bl_D/s320/courage_cover.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
I feel very fortunate to have discovered <a href="http://commonwonders.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bob Koehler</b></a>, a veteran journalist who for many years has turned his talents toward commentary with a mission. His writing has been very inspirational to me, and I would say Bob has figured prominently in motivating me to go forward with this blog. <br />
<br />
Bob speaks his mind, with his heart fully engaged, on matters of conscience. He observes and comments on current events, then drills down into them to find the deeper relevance to our humanity. He unfailingly takes a stand firmly on the side that so few seem to consider: the one of compassion, of forgiveness, and most insistently, of non-violent conflict resolution. He insists that we take a hard look at the callousness, the inhumanity, of much of our modern society, but he is also fully confident in our ability to transcend it.<br />
<br />
As a career journalist in Chicago, he has the credentials to back up his analysis of current events. He has been an award-winning reporter, editor, and for many years a columnist. Regarding his column, I'll let him describe it for you:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Since 1999, I’ve written a column that has been nationally syndicated
by Tribune Media Services, which is part of the Chicago Tribune. That
column was initially called by the name this website still bears, Common
Wonders. It started out more personal than political, then, post-9/11,
as the Bush administration unleashed its war on terror, I became
increasingly focused on current events. I referred to the column as
“part political brawl, part secular prayer...”
<br />
...I’ve trespassed, as a journo aiming at a mainstream audience,
upon the sacred consensus that America is a dumbed down, spectator
nation, yet somehow special, God’s Chosen Superpower, the greatest
nation on Earth. Let’s get beyond our limited allegiances, I say, and
celebrate our wholeness as a species and a planet.<br />
I’ve been called blatantly relevant.<br />
And I have proclaimed myself, ever since coming across the term at Transcend Media Service, a peace journalist.<br />
<i>“Peace journalism is when editors and reporters make choices —
about what to report, and how to report it — that create opportunities
for society at large to consider and to value nonviolent responses to
conflict.” </i>— Jake Lynch</blockquote>
Visit his website, <a href="http://commonwonders.com/" target="_blank"><b>commonwonders.com</b></a> to keep up with his weekly columns.<br />
<br />
While you're there, check out his book, <b>Courage Grows Strong At The Wound.</b><br />
<br />
Bob says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The book is a collection of my essays fused into several narratives.
They run the gamut from the highly personal (dealing with grief, the
death of my wife, single parenting) to the acutely political. The book
is about the quest for both inner and outer peace, the urgency of both,
and the fragile future we are giving birth to." </blockquote>
Amazon.com says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This spellbinding book is a plea for sanity and disarmament, a
celebration of the wonder of life and a cry of faith in an empowering
love that can save us."</blockquote>
And a great review of the book can be found <a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/ben_sen/2012/07/04/review_robert_koehlers_courage_grows_strong_at_the_wound" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
<br />
I count on Bob's weekly columns to remind me that there is always
another aspect to be considered when reporting or commenting on the
brutality and injustice of our world: the possibility of non-violent
conflict resolution, forgiveness, redemption, and peaceful co-existence.
Bob is there to remind us that these are not just the topics of Sunday
school sermons, but are in fact essential for our survival and evolution
as a species. And he frequently shows us that there are brilliant, courageous people out there in the world right now, doing the
hard work of seeking peace.<br />
<br />
<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-54623594727342556102012-11-13T22:50:00.000-08:002013-07-24T08:29:22.053-07:00Solutions?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
OK, at last, I am going to come down from my pedestal in the clouds and bestow my inspired ideas on how to solve our problems and get us out of the unholy mess we're in...<br />
<br />
...mmm, not so much.<br />
<br />
In an <a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-about-rest-of-us.html" target="_blank"><b>earlier post</b></a>, I said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"So the point of this blog is ultimately to be an exploration of how to
respond to all this. I can't avoid observing and commenting on the
political aspect of all this, but my intention is to probe deeper. I
think that activism on a personal,family, community or government
level is great, each to his own talents and passion. But beyond that, I
think the ugly mess we're in now requires a renewed embrace of basic ethical, philosophical even dare I say spiritual principles, starting on a deeply personal level. If this seems like a cop-out to you, I hope to develop and express my ideas well enough to change your mind, but the floor is always open for conversation."</i> </blockquote>
What this means is I'm not going to try and spew forth on things I am not knowledgeable enough to speak of. I'm not an economist, I can't advise on how to change our economic system. I'm not a political scientist, so I can't advise about a better form of government (although I will say I'm not an anarchist, not a collectivist, and I'm not in favor of benevolent dictatorships, fascism, satanism or the sale of Star Wars to Disney.). So what good am I? <br />
<br />
Well, don't forget, that this blog is my personal thoughts and opinions, nothing more, and I'm entitled to them. You are entitled to agree or disagree and if you want you can tell me so. Nicely. But I do have some thoughts and perspectives I am passionate about, and in my experience, it is always a good idea to follow your passion. So here I am.<br />
<br />
Here are some ideas I'm going to be exploring:<br />
<br />
I believe in starting with your level of consciousness, and admitting that it can be improved. Beyond that, a conscious mind doesn't exist in isolation, so relationships with others is the next logical step in learning. To me, personal relationships are a microcosm for everything else in life.<br />
<br />
I think we must have an underlying foundation of core values, if we expect to have any success in our activities in the outer world. I believe that spiritual traditions teach these values for practical reasons, not just because they make you feel good about yourself.<br />
<br />
I have an enduring trust in the indomitable spiritual power of human beings, not in institutions. <br />
<br />
So while I will continue to point out what I think are warning signs of serious deterioration and danger in our society, my ultimate point is that these problems can only be truly solved by the evolution of our consciousness, our relationships, and spiritual awareness. I think we can all help each other along the way with that, simply by living by the values we all know are universally beneficial, and making that the basis for our actions in the world.<br />
<br />
You can have the most intellectually sturdy argument or position on an issue, but without a clear commitment to your core values, I believe you are missing something critically important. I have my ideas on how to express those values; I hope that will be a part of the conversation. I hope to flesh out and develop these ideas, and I expect to see them evolve as I go along. There are so many aspects to consider; I think the brief essay format of the blog is a good vehicle for taking the time to explore them, a little bit at a time. Hope you'll stay with me...<br />
<br />
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Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-58672665311634833312012-11-08T08:21:00.000-08:002012-11-29T12:32:36.710-08:00What Kids Teach Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5nytAxkWLiwf0TrFiS0RI_YsRiBZWI03Y2jlnsEbmZDPhGWrehVA-8OpCrltgd73lc_EiM_J6E_lKmln-RRJi5wHg5gDEeTHpK_Qa4NwpLxXeq5PElqLd2KnZw_zi5-nfvt-eV0TIwdT/s1600/Fotolia_38238937_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5nytAxkWLiwf0TrFiS0RI_YsRiBZWI03Y2jlnsEbmZDPhGWrehVA-8OpCrltgd73lc_EiM_J6E_lKmln-RRJi5wHg5gDEeTHpK_Qa4NwpLxXeq5PElqLd2KnZw_zi5-nfvt-eV0TIwdT/s320/Fotolia_38238937_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On the one hand:<br />
The way we treat our kids tells us at least as much about ourselves as it does about them.<br />
<br />
So what does this story tell us:<br />
<br />
New York Times, Oct. 9, 2012: <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Attention Disorder or Not, Pills to Help in School</span></b></span><br />
Drugs that are normally used to increase
focus are in some cases being prescribed simply to improve struggling,
low-income students’ academic performance at school.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/health/attention-disorder-or-not-children-prescribed-pills-to-help-in-school.html?smid=pl-share"><b>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/health/attention-disorder-or-not-children-prescribed-pills-to-help-in-school.html?smid=pl-share</b></a></span></span><br />
<br />
Relevant quotes:<br />
<br />
<i>Although A.D.H.D is the diagnosis Dr. Anderson
makes, he calls the disorder “made up” and “an excuse” to prescribe the
pills to treat what he considers the children’s true ill — poor
academic performance in inadequate schools. </i><br />
<br />
<i>
“I don’t have a whole lot of choice,” said Dr. Anderson, a pediatrician
for many poor families in Cherokee County, north of Atlanta. “We’ve
decided as a society that it’s too expensive to modify the kid’s
environment. So we have to modify the kid.” </i><br />
<i>
It is not yet clear whether Dr. Anderson is representative of a widening
trend. But some experts note that as wealthy students abuse stimulants
to raise already-good grades in colleges and high schools, the
medications are being used on low-income elementary school children with
faltering grades and parents eager to see them succeed. </i>
<i> </i><br />
<i>“We as a society have been unwilling to invest in very effective
nonpharmaceutical interventions for these children and their families,”
said Dr. Ramesh Raghavan, a child mental-health services researcher at
Washington University in St. Louis and an expert in prescription drug
use among low-income children. “We are effectively forcing local
community psychiatrists to use the only tool at their disposal, which is
psychotropic medications.” </i>
<br />
<i>On the Rocafort family’s kitchen shelf in Ball Ground, Ga., next to the
peanut butter and chicken broth, sits a wire basket brimming with
bottles of the children’s medications, prescribed by Dr. Anderson:
Adderall for Alexis, 12; and Ethan, 9; Risperdal (an antipsychotic for
mood stabilization) for Quintn and Perry, both 11; and Clonidine (a
sleep aid to counteract the other medications) for all four, taken
nightly. </i><br />
<i> </i>
<br />
This barely touches on the disturbing info presented in this article. As usual it is left to us to wonder and research for ourselves the roots of what is evidently a trend. How is it that prescribing stimulants, anit-psychotics and sleep aids, some if which are known to be addictive and have serious side effects, has become an acceptable thing for doctors to do to children? The government fosters the idea by providing complete prescription coverage through Medicaid. A school system may end up approving the use of such drugs because even though they may be ripped by funding cuts, they are still expected to get their students to perform better and get better grades.<br />
<br />
Frankly this makes me ill.<br />
<br />
But on the other hand:<br />
<br />
The honesty, sincerity and simplicity of a child has a huge amount to teach us about what kind of people we could be:
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">September 7, 2012</span><b><br />8-Year-Old Starts Lemonade Stand for Freedom; Raises $50K in Two Months</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://goinspirego.blogspot.com/2012/09/vivienne-harr-8-year-old-girl-makes.html">http://goinspirego.blogspot.com/2012/09/vivienne-harr-8-year-old-girl-makes.html</a><br />
<br />
Quotes:<br />
<br />
<i>Vivie was inspired to take a stand against slavery after seeing an installation on slavery by <a href="http://www.lisakristine.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Kristine</a>, a photographer who captured these authentic, haunting, gut-wrenching snapshots of modern-day slaves around the world....</i><br />
<i>Vivie was inspired to take action. Watch how she quickly garnered tens
of thousands of supporters from the local and worldwide community and
raised more than $50,000 dollars in just under two months.</i><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="235" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hPLqWWQCgD4" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Certainly the parents probably helped with logistical matters, but it was the child who had the idea, and the simple belief, based on the simple principle of compassion, that she should do what she could, and that it would be worth doing. It was her motivation and persistence that inspired others to help her and spread the word, turning her dream into a plan into reality. What we can learn from this child is much more powerful and positive for our lives than the disturbing news presented above. Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-81258073712258329562012-11-07T11:24:00.001-08:002012-11-07T11:24:34.860-08:00Media Coverage - We Lose Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
OK it's over. As you could guess, I would have been just as unsatisfied if the Republican had won instead of the Democrat. Both are merely emblematic of a system that is rotten, corrupted beyond repair. What I want to point out today is the enormous role of the major media in and the role they play in degrading the average person's understanding of current events, and thus contributing to the abhorrent state of affairs we find ourselves in.<br />
<br />
I did not watch any of the campaign/election coverage on any of the major networks or news channels. I do not read the daily papers or national magazines on any regular basis. I do not follow any popular bloggers or Twitterers. Nevertheless I can tell you what the vast majority of the coverage was like:<br />
<br />
1. The candidates were presented as personalities, celebrities, two-dimensional figures. The focus was not on their genuine character, but on how well they did at concocting an image/"brand" for themselves and selling it to the public.<br />
2. Their activities were covered like a reality TV show or a sporting event. Emphasis on drama, winning/losing, crisis, scandal. <br />
3. Genuine context and background exposition was absent from most analysis. Even if they wanted to, how could they when most of the time, coverage of any particular item only lasts one to two minutes?<br />
4. The various media outlets and their star "journalists" knocked themselves out claiming that each was the most honest, independent, fair, balanced and tough in their reporting, while what you actually saw were egotistical media celebrities whose main talents are looking good, and a willingness to say and do just about anything to boost their ratings.<br />
<br />
The net result is that the picture of reality presented by the mainstream media is, overall, an incredibly superficial one, in which the complex problems of the world are reduced to sketchy dramatic episodes, absent any sense of larger context, background or history. The thoughts of our leaders are reduced to sound bites. Media coverage, especially TV, degrades reality down to the TV paradigm - everything is reduced to short, commercialized bursts of entertainment that are expected to be quickly forgotten.<br />
<br />
One might think that political figures would be unhappy with this state of affairs. But in fact for those at the top of the political milieu, this is just what they're looking for. It is useful for them to have the public accustomed to learning about the world in the most shallow, superficial, fragmented way, because by keeping the public awareness at that level, our political leaders can then come forward with bogus solutions to those problems, that in reality only support the agendas of themselves and their wealthy patrons.<br />
<br />
People like to say the media is biased in either a "liberal" or "conservative" direction. While this may be superficially true, both are smokescreens for the larger bias - towards those with money and power. Especially as regards news and political coverage, those with the money and political clout get covered, period. This guarantees a very narrow range of views is ever presented, thus effectively marginalizing alternate perspectives, which in the real world are quite abundant.<br />
<br />
The media are complicit in making us think it's only Coke or Pepsi. Red or blue. Us vs them. Freedom vs evil. This false reduction of reality down to a fake paradigm of only two choices is the big lie. <br />
<br />
What do you think the consolidation of so much of the multimedia landscape down to just a handful of mega-corporations has to do with this? Hmm, another blog post...<br />
<br />
This is not to say that there is no good information out there, or no good journalism going on. There most certainly is. But in today's world, we must go after it, seek it out, and find it for ourselves. It usually is just laying on the ground, un-noticed, waiting to be picked up, or it has fallen down the memory hole, and must be dug out. And even then, we must frequently do our own work to learn the actual context, history and background of the story for ourselves. It is always there, but almost no one in the mainstream media bothers to connect the dots. We have to do it for ourselves, and you know what? We're actually better off if we do.<br />
<br />
There are some people whose work has been incredibly helpful to me, and has inspired me to work much harder at learning for myself, researching and thinking critically about what I see and hear. I will be highlighting their work in future blog posts, in hopes they might give someone else the kick start they gave me.<br />
<br />
For this post I have leaned heavily on two brilliant books which I highly recommend:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0205082416/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0205082416&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0205082416&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=0205082416" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0205082416/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0205082416&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar">News: The Politics of Illusion (9th Edition, by W. Lance Bennett</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=0205082416" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
and:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441767363/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1441767363&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1441767363&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=benshermanguitar" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=1441767363" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441767363/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1441767363&linkCode=as2&tag=benshermanguitar">Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=benshermanguitar&l=as2&o=1&a=1441767363" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1072387631167128194.post-39164079980047169902012-11-04T23:14:00.000-08:002012-11-20T23:43:53.229-08:00What About The Rest of Us?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The election is one day away. Who will I vote for? I already know who's going to win. I was beaten to the punch in <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/037821_Presidential_elections_Obama_Romney.html" target="_blank"><b>this article</b></a> by Mike Adams at NaturalNews.com, but he is just expressing what a lot of us already knew full well.<br />
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Many people choose their candidate because of his position on one or two issues. They may not like him on everything, but as long as he's on their side on the issue they care about, that's enough. Many people are party-loyal; end of discussion, decision made. But even some of them are not satisfied with their candidate, yet will vote for him anyway because their party's propaganda machine has defined the other candidate as a demon from the pits of hell, and thus they simply have to vote with their party. <br />
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What about the rest of us? What about those of us who see that both major candidates have virtually the same positions on the issues we care about, and those positions are unacceptable? Is this the case? Sure it is. All you have to do is look for the issues that are never mentioned in campaign ads, speeches or debates during this election season (thanks again to Mike Adams for creating a quite in-depth list; I am adapting it to my own purposes). I already discussed the sham that our two party political system makes of the election process in my <a href="http://truth-dots.blogspot.com/2012/11/who-decided.html" target="_blank"><b>previous post</b></a>. But here's just a few more issues on which both parties agree and approve, but I find intolerable:<br />
<ul>
<li>Continuation of the expansion of our military presence around the world.</li>
<li>Expansion of the CIA into full blown paramilitary activity, an aspect of their business once considered too unethical and illegal to be acknowledged.</li>
<li>Expansion of a government-supported domestic surveillance system, in
which the average person's right to privacy is gutted, while the
government increasingly operates such systems in secret, with no public
accountability or legal recourse. This is becoming a critical erosion of
fundamental civil liberties.</li>
<li>Expansion of police departments into more and more militarized
operations, equipped with military grade equipment, weapons, vehicles,
drone aircraft, and an increasingly "gloves-off" approach to daily law
enforcement. </li>
<li>Unwillingness to hold any major figures accountable for the vast criminality and fraud behind the financial crisis of 2008, and failure to produce any meaningful reform, or to enforce reforms that are produced. The result of said failure is a guarantee that another financial catastrophe is imminent.</li>
<li>Support for an industrial food production system that puts control over our food supply in the hands of a very few corporate entities whose production model prioritizes quantity and profit over health and nutrition.</li>
<li>Support for the expansion of biotech/GMO food development while ignoring the plentiful information on the risks and dangers, as well as already occurring damage to food, animals, people and the environment.</li>
</ul>
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Mike Adams' article takes it much further, and he comes to some conclusions I find hard to take. But nevertheless the truth is inescapable: we are seeing the fundamental institutions and systems of our country crumbling around us, and if we look hard enough, we see that our political leadership is not just ignoring, not just enabling, but in some ways actively encouraging and participating in the process.<br />
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So the point of this blog is ultimately to be an exploration of how to respond to all this. I can't avoid observing and commenting on the political aspect of all this, but my intention is to probe deeper. I think that activism on a personal, family, community or government level is great, each to his own talents and passion. But beyond that, I think the ugly mess we're in now requires a <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">renewed embrace of </span> basic ethical, philosophical even dare I say spiritual principles, starting on a deeply personal level. If this seems like a cop-out to you, I hope to develop and express my ideas well enough to change your mind, but the floor is always open for conversation. <br />
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I am always heartened by the realistic optimism of people like Howard Zinn, who said: <br />
<i>“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” </i><br />
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And he is not alone: <br />
<br />
<i>“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”</i><br />
<i> </i>- Thomas Paine<br />
<i>“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”</i><br />
- Margaret Mead<br />
<i>"Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole
staircase, just take the first step."</i><br />
– Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
<i>"Eighty percent of success is showing up."</i><br />
– Woody Allen<br />
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So how will I vote? Hmm. I used to think that simply voting against incumbents was the thing to do, but that is still, in essence, supporting the status quo of the system. I'll just say that any vote besides
Democrat or Republican may be futile in a practical sense, but if enough people stand up up to express their disapproval and non-acceptance of the system as it is, in any way they see fit, that would be a start. <br />
<br />Truth Dotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02456030598584955664noreply@blogger.com6