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8月27日 BlackwaterHow many of you out there know about Blackwater? If you don't, you should. Blackwater is the world's most powerful mercenary army. And, it's right here in the U.S.A., in North Carolina.
With President Bush's election to office came the new Pentagon ideologues like Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Stephen Cambone and former corporate executives--like large weapons manufacturers--Under Secretary of Defense Pete Aldridge (Aerospace Corporation), Army Secretary Thomas White (Enron), Navy Secretary Gordon England (General Dynamics), and Air Force Secretary James Roche (Northrup Grumman). This new leadership had two major goals: regime change in strategic nations and the enactment of the most sweeping privatization and outsourcing operation in U.S. military history.
Iraq, from the moment the U.S. troops began advancing the invasion, the Pentagon made private contractors an integral part of the operation. Behind closed doors Halliburton was being prepped for the largest operation in history. By the end of Rumsfeld's tenure, there were approximately 100,000 private contractors on the ground in Iraq. Before Rumsfeld stepped down, he took the step of classifying private contractors as an official part of the U.S. war machine.
President Eisenhower, in his farewell speech, declared, "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together." His scenario, my friends, has come to pass.
Blackwater has risen out of a swamp in North Carolina to become Bush's "Praetorian Guard" in his global war on terror. Employing more than 2,300 private soldiers, deployed in 9 countries, maintaining a database of 21,000 former Special Forces troops,, with a private fleet of more than 20 aircraft, including helicopter gunships and a surveillance blimp division, these forces train on a 7,000 acre private military training facility in Moyock, North Carolina. Blackwater has more than $500 million in government contracts, and it could overthrow many of the world's governments.
Blackwater is a private army controlled by Erik Prince, a radical right-wing Christian mega-millionaire who not only bankrolled President Bush's campaigns but also the Christian-right agenda. His army is one of the contractors in Iraq granted immunity from prosecution, while U.S. soldiers can be prosecuted for killings and torture in Iraq, contractors like Blackwater can not. Blackwater has openly declared its forces above the law. Private contractors largely operate in a legal gray zone that leaves the door open for abuses.
What is scary about Blackwater's role in the war that Bush has labeled a crusade is that their leading executives are dedicated to a Christian-supremacist agenda. Erik Prince and his followers boast of their membership in the eleventh century founded, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, with a mission of defending "territories that the Crusaders had conquered from the Moslems." They boast that they are "a sovereign subject of international law, with its own constitution, passports, stamps, and public institutions" and "diplomatic relations with 94 countries."
Blackwater's story is the living embodiment of changes by the revolution in military affairs and the privatization agenda expanded by the Bush administration under the guise of the war on terror. It is a story of the future of war, democracy, and governance. Just as the fall of the Roman Empire marched on the back of mercenary warriors, so shall Erik Prince, with the groundwork laid by his family in Holland, Michigan with their millions of dollars, bring to power the very forces now known as Blackwater.
Is this really the route Americans want to take? A path lead by a mercenary army and Dick Cheney's Halliburton. The NewsHe Found Jesus!
That's right, Mr. Vick has made a plea deal and he's found Jesus. Well, Mr. Vick, you're only sorry and apologizing because you got caught. It's too bad you didn't find Jesus during on of those dog fights you sponsored.
Attorney General Resigns
It's about time! Now here's what I do not understand--when this all began, our attoney general only had to make one statement. Civil servants--which is what employees of the U.S. Government are--serve at the descretion of the President. When the President no longer wants or requires the services of a civil servant--he can let them go without explanation. Why didn't the attoney general just say--he let those state attorneys go BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT NO LONGER REQUIRED THEIR SERVICES and get it over with. This whole thing has been a big waste of time and a sideshow. Good riddens Mr. Ex-Attorney General.
Presidential Visit to Albuquerque
President Bush visited Albuquerque today for a fundraiser for our U.S. Senator. The Mayor of Albuquerque stated in the paper that the President of the United States is always welcome in Albuquerque, even if the mayor didn't agree with his politics. Mighty big of him considering that the Mayor was the one holding the fundraiser at his home. I don's invite folks to my home if I don't like them, oh well.
Then when President Bush was ready to leave, a Rio Rancho police officer, riding in the Presidential motorcade, crash his motorcycle into a curb, then a tree, just outside the Albuquerque Sunport and died. Needless to say, that was the grand finale. Thanks for visiting, Pres.
8月22日 Who's Stupid?Sometimes I'm too busy or too tired to figure somethings out, so I may misread something when I'm not quite up to it; but, I sure didn't misunderstand these tidbits.
There it was in the morning paper, big headlines, "Albuquerque Police Will Not Check U.S. Resident Status When Making Arrests." So--I read the article and sure enough, the Albuqerque Chief of Police says officers, when making arrests, will not ask felons what their U.S. resident status is. Why not? Well because illegals are too scared to call police when someone (someone like themselves) commit a crime. No, stupid they just don't want to be arrested and deported! And, for once, residents here put up a protest. Good for them, finally speaking their minds.
So, wouldn't ya know it. By 3PM the same day, the Police Chief released a new statement. The good citizens of Albuquerque had misunderstood his statement. Of course, his officers would be checking the legal U.S. status of everyone arrested for crimes. Well, isn't that just great, they are going to actually do their job--all because we legal citizens were to stupid to understand his statement.
Look, Chief, I'm not stupid and I know exactly what I read! You're the stupid one, election days are coming.
On the way to lunch today, I was listening to talk radio and the topic--women living here illgelly giving birth to children who are born legal U.S. residents. It seems that here in New Mexico disabled veterans, who are put on a list for low-income housing are being bumped off the list by women who are illegal residents, with up to five illegal family members authorized to live with them, who are entitled to free housing because at least one of their children was born here in the U.S. Did I get that right? Disabled military veterans, who are legal residents and need low-income housing, are being deprieved of a home because some illegal resident with a legal U.S. resident child can get free housing here!!! Who made up that rule (Governer Richardson, Presidential hopeful)?
Why don't we just put a sign up at the Mexican border--WELCOME HOME TO NEW MEXICO, WHERE EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED IS YOURS FREE. Hell, lets just let Richardson stand at the border and handout vouchers. Yes sir, America, Land of the Free and Home of the Utterly Stupid. 8月13日 Get Over It!I'm getting really tired of all the bickering in Congress over the President getting us into this war with Iraq, when the troops should be brought home, and if they are going to pay for the war or not. Dear members of Congress--if you haven't got the guts to impeach the President and Vice President, then shut up your complaining and come up with some solutions to the problem. 8月6日 A Real Dose of RealityTake a good look around you and make a soul-searching assessment. Are you a negative or positive part of the world situation? Let's face it, the American dream is fast becoming an American nightmare. America is going the the way of all great empires and nations. Read your world history people. If we do not make some drastic changes, we, my friends are doomed.
America, is the only place on this planet where true freedom has been known to exist. And, believe me I have been to many places and none of them compares to what we enjoy here in America. NONE! But, unfortunately, Americans have gone the route of the individual, the "What's in it for ME" route and everywhere we go, we can see the results. American tax dollars are thrown to other countries to impress them, to make them like us; but, do they? NO, they liked, and most of all respected America when America took care of its own, when we stayed out of their business, kept our military within our borders, protected our own citizens; when we sent our military as a last effort only to save the rest of the world from destruction, and most of all when America offered that dream of being the poor immigrant who could seek citizenship here and the opportunity to become wealthy and successful through hard work, assimmilation, and dedication. Not anymore, now even our immigrants want everything free, everything for ME and to heck with anyone else; friends, family, and nation. Now the criminals have more rights than the innocent. Now the people we elect to run our government are too busy lining their own pockets to represent their constituents.
Companies are buying and selling goods that are cheap junk and poisioned to boot. Our American infrastucture is crumbling under our very feet from lack of repair--our money is going to other countries to build their infrastructures while ours wastes away. What happens to ME when the power grid blinks out for the last time? What happens to ME when the government fails to afford us the freedoms we have come to expect, to live with, to not know how to live without?
Let me give you an example. Let's pretend the entire U.S. power grid goes down. (Experts have been saying it will happen since it's outdated and in drastic need of repair/replacement.) Let's say it happens in the middle of a workday. You're at your workplace, all power goes out. Better hope that you are not in an elevator, you'll be there a long time unless folks you work with find a way to get you out. Most likely, if your employer does not have a backup generator, the computer and telephone are useless. Most companies no longer have manual typewriters if they even remember what they are, or how to use them. Depending upon the business you work for, most likely you would be sent home. Those who are released, may have children in school or daycare centers which would need to be picked up since those businesses would also close.
Now you are in your car, trying to drive home with no traffic lights, at the mercy of drivers who have no regard for anyone else. If you are unlucky enough to be in an accident you will be in a long line of folks waiting for already over-involved law enforcement and emergency personnel. If you are hurt and need a hospital, again lack of emergency personnel and hospitals already (hopefully) on backup generators are short on staff. If you are lucky enough to retrieve your children and make it to your home, you now have to cope with no power at home. Your refrigerator and freezer are thawing and frozen foods are spoiling. You can't use the phone to call and check on family and friends. Your kids are now complaining because there's no TV, computer, or video games. They can't entertain themselves because they do not know how to use their imaginations and improvise. Read?--too boring and some do not know how. Hungry?--Is your stove electric? You only know how to use the microwave/convection oven? Let's eat out--oh yeah--the restaurants are closed, their computers are down. And, you do not want to face traffic again do you? Open a can of something you can eat cold--no manual can opener. And, what if it takes days, months, years to fix the power grid? Our money is in banks, we use direct deposit, ATMs are down, and banks are closed. Salary payments are done by computer--no one gets real cash anymore.
How many of us have canned or home preserved food anymore? Even if you had cash to buy supplies daily (no refrigeration to preserve food), where would you buy it? The stores are closed, they have no manual backup systems. Water? No electric pumps to push water through your pipes or the city's pipes. Toilets? Better have an outhouse. Gas for your car? Electric gas pumps at the stations. No electricity for trains and subways. Someone's trying to get into your home, messing with your children, stealing your car, how are you going to defend yourself? You can't call the police on your home phone and your cellphone is dead. Even if you could call police, they are too busy with looters on an astronomical scale, not to mention the theives stealing other folks cars, breaking into other folks' homes; killing, raping, and kidnapping other folks' kids. Can you defend yourself? Oh yeah--gun control has taken away our guns. Maybe you can use a steak knife.
And, what about the terrorists now? In this kind of mess, do you think the terrorists would just sit still and wait for the power grid to get fixed. If they did, they'd be dumber than we give them credit for. Who knows, knocking out the power grid (and it wouldn't take much to do) could just be a terrorist attack. The enemy's ideology of infiltrate, assimmulate, and defeat would become a reality.
Now the billions of dollars that America needs to fix its infrastructure is available. That's right we do have the money to fix these things; however, it's being sent to Iraq to fight the war. Not only fight the war, but build Iraq's infrastructure so that the insurgents can blow it up again.
I don't know about you, but I'd like to see some of my tax dollars go into fixing the American infrastructure. America's bridges, roads, utilities, refineries, and power grid. |
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