Why We Fight

Why is America at War?

I remember during the Vietnam war, we were told Communism threatened America via Vietnam, and without our support & sacrifice that Southeast Asian nations would fall to the red scourge like dominoes. More than 100,000 American parents suffered their child killed in Vietnam. How many doubt their sacrifice was essential?

Many who waged war feel misguided. Many who lost loved ones in war feel abused.

We fight because we choose to.

Our military is cheered onward by global defense contractors. Our deployment is directed by businessmen positioned to exploit vanquished lands & new markets. We've setup corrupt scum overseas as "leaders" while raping their populations. We need to withdraw our troops, stop the carnage, and spend our resources at home. Bankrupt leaders won't voluntarily change direction - they've killed too many and wasted too much.

Execution Without Trial

Execution Without Trial

John Kipling remembered, d. 1915

Our mechanized assassin
Brought down the Paki hive
We murdered teenage Izabel
No fiend was left alive.

Who made our drone of terror?
Who steered it from our base?
Who calmly watched our weapon burst?
And rip-off half her face...

We cheaply kill without a trial
With orders from on high
Till Fatima retaliates...
Then who'll be next to die?

Fear Government

Governed by Fear ?
     -- raw power breeds distrust
     -- corrupt politicians are undisguised
     -- so we exchange political masters for corporate enslavement
     -- Happy 2013 !

Spotlight on Assassin States

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is conducting an inquiry into state-sponsored assassination programs. The focus is on drone attacks.

Ben Emmerson QC, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-terrorism (link) leads the investigation.

Drone assassinations are increasing around the world. The attacks are typically covert; death & destruction inflicted from far away; nobody admitting responsibility. Over 50 nations reportedly have the technology for drone attacks (link), but presently the most active assassin-state is the USA.

Many hundreds of people have been targeted & terminated by these operations, often outside war zones. Perhaps the UN-led investigation will officially declare some numbers of innocent bystanders have been unjustly murdered, but it's unlikely those responsible will be held accountable.

The assassin teams continue killing with impunity. But assassination activities are unsustainable, promising eventual withering blowback with lethal consequences. State-sponsored extra-judicial assassination must stop !!

Avoid Qatar Airways

I recently made the bad decision to fly with Qatar Airways, attracted to their promise of "5 Star" Service -- but service on Qatar Airways is 5 on a scale of 15.  Frankly, they sucked.

There were assorted shortcomings, but a key problem stemmed from a breakdown in their electrical system; I had to sit in the dark for my eight hour forty minute flight (8hr 40min). This was a business trip, and I'd planned to read & work, which was impossible. Worse, the flight crew could not assist, seemed unconcerned, and subsequent email to corporate complaints were shunted or belittled. (I was told they'd try to make sure the equipment worked on my return).

But what causes such an electrical fault? (My bank of seats and that in front of me were inoperable). Perhaps a rat inside the plane is gnawing at the equipment - next to go will be hydraulics and key avionics... Is this a major safety issue? The staff & service personnel of Qatar Airways seem not to care.

Add to this Doha Airport is one of the world's ugliest. The long bus ride from aircraft to terminal drives along a fortified perimeter fence. Welcome to Doha prison camp! We're finally released to a boxy crowded transit terminal with no character other than being noisy, disordered and unfriendly.

Qatar Airways offers 2 Star Service, 3 Star Marketing

Avoid !

Idle Threat?

Idle No More is a grass-roots effort by indigenous people to assert their sovereignty. The movement was begun in Canada in response to provocation by corporate & foreign efforts to destabilize indigenous communities. Robber interests continue generations of abuse, neglect & outsider-directed exploitation, colonization & genocide.

It's difficult to ascertain how far the effort will carry, but indigenous people worldwide are inspired and moved to action.

And of course these efforts will systematically be demonized by corporate media...

Broken Time Warner Cable

The recent sale of Current TV shows American corporate media weakness. Time Warner Cable decided to censor the new owners immediately, and dropped the channel from those offered subscribers.

It seems Time Warner Cable carries only mainstream programming. Dumb customers are billed forever by the huge corporation. The corporate businessmen impose a "great firewall" and media censorship. Do you need their force-fed bullshit? 

Time Warner Cable is broken. Their many commercials depict friendly community-oriented diversity, while programming is corporate & fascist. Time Warner Cable is not a provider but a censor. If you can switch providers, do it now.

I Don't Support the Troops

Click to read a great essay -- if you dare:

I Do Not Support the Troops

Why those who say "I Support the Troops" really don't

by Michael Moore

 

Happy 2013

Another year finished, a new one begun.

Perhaps this year we can enjoy development of more progressive communities. It may be too much to expect the huge nations to suddenly improve, but hopefully we can generate more dynamic networks & neighborhoods, even if small...

Happy New Year!