America's Story

"When arrogance meets access."

Criminality and butchery are on trial in the U.S. state of Maryland. Sadly, we only witness a vast criminal conspiracy falling on a former servant.

In the case of Bradley Manning, arrogance is on trial... Militarism is on trial. Manning's case also threatens the lapdog corporate media, which does far too little to root-out corruption and murderous dishonesty by the powerful.


Why has the USA waged aggressive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Military operations by the USA undoubtedly killed & maimed innocent people by the tens of thousands, including thousands of Americans. Led by dishonest politicians and scheming political appointees, a corps of militant goons continues to stomp on justice & human rights with impunity. Duplicity, callous disregard for human life, and murder are proved by the government materials (films & documents) allegedly leaked by Manning. People sworn to protect & defend the Constitution of the United States are simply fraudulent criminals cloaked in lies.

"When arrogance meets access..." is the sound-bite reported widely around the world. Surely the US military prosecutor's catchy phrase wasn't meant as ironic. But the bottom line -- the U.S. government is criminally arrogant to the rest of the world.

Until America's people pay proper attention, "Arrogant" could label most mirrors around the country.

Liberty Looted

Liberty Reserve's banking system was brazenly attacked this week.

I've no money in the Liberty Reserve system. I don't know much about them. But it's now clear the forces of good and "justice" are themselves corrupt.

Can we expect anything else? The 'haves' protect themselves.

I've no doubt crooked people may be involved with Liberty Reserve. But many or most depositors & workers were normal people.

Justice officials did not close NASDAQ when former NASDAQ Chairman Bernard L. Madoff was arrested for Securities fraud; Investment advisor fraud; Mail fraud; Wire fraud; Money laundering; False statements; Perjury; Making false filings with the SEC; (and) Theft from an employee benefit plan.

HSBC, one of the establishment's biggest banks (largest bank in Britain) was deeply involved in money laundering, and last December was allowed to pay the US Department of Justice $1.9 billion in fines. Big penalty, but no criminal charges, and rather quietly handled. "HSBC expressed its regret" and "top executives will defer part of their bonuses" (link) -- Meanwhile, Liberty Reserve is dismembered, its executives arrested, and depositor funds frozen. Monies are now in serious danger of being lost or stolen in the huge mess.

The case is a huge gift to the large established banks. Putting your money with smaller startups risks confiscation or prosecution. We're buggered again by big capital.

Local Plus

So many benefits with local focus !

Service to America

How many Americans have served the nation, threatened with horrible combat death? Many did not return, and each death disfigures many lives. Some suffer massive injury, and we celebrate their sacrifice. But such words are too easy to say -- Walk in a military graveyard: even in properly maintained grounds, the dead are largely forgotten. The world moves on.

These days few people look with understanding at elders who sacrificed so much.

Sadly, such places as Korea or Germany would prefer to forget...Tens of thousands of young people were butchered. It's an insult -- America's youth was tasked to protect lands now ashamed of their efforts.

Illegal & Proud

"Guantanamo has become a symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law."
 --- U.S. President Barack Obama, 23 May 2013

Nuclear Hell? Sorry

Cape Downwinders is an organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (USA) working to educate a trusting local population they may be in mortal danger in a nuclear accident -- trapped and exposed to deadly radiation.

As of today, 14 towns have endorsed a shutdown of the aging Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth. I believe the risks of accident are unacceptably high.

Corporate officials from New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. claim the 41-year old nuclear plant is safe, although it shares many design features and exposure weaknesses with the Fukushima nuclear plant - also "perfectly safe."

Entergy should not be allowed to operate as a limited liability corporation. Entergy's owners (board and shareholders) should be liable for all future damages, including threat of garnishing personal property and retroactive wages.

Entergy businesspeople will simply walk away if the Pilgrim plant suffers a meltdown.TEPCO corporate officials at Fukushima have already demonstrated: -- Big Capital gets away with any outrage.

US Govt. Kill List

It is wrong that the U.S. Government has a kill list. It is wrong for U.S. government bureaucrats to assassinate people, whether citizens or foreigners, without due process of law.

Personally, I believe capital punishment is unacceptable. But among those supporting state executions, most people would demand a transparent judicial process as prerequisite.

Unknown unnamed bureaucrats secretly deciding who to kill is outrageous. There is no accountability, and there've been admitted mistakes.  The USA has gone rabidly rogue.  Governments collaborating with the USA share murder guilt.

Invest for Tomorrow

The educational system in the USA needs investment, but selfish wealthy resist taxation. Ultimately, offering education & opportunity is far cheaper than trying to imprison the many dissatisfied with a flim-flam  system of fraud and corruption.

Crony capitalism burdens America.

Newt Gingrich & Mitt Romney never cared a rat's ass for anyone. The only reason they'd slow down seeing someone in distress is to pick valuables from your carcass.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel dismantles schools & neighborhoods in the poorer parts of Chicago, hoping troubled families will move from his city.

Teachers are painted as the enemies of education. We've each been helped more by teachers than by school building construction firms or school equipment companies - it's stupid to assault teachers. Big media, who lead the attacks, never helped any of us; rupert murdoch & family are assholes. Don't support that sourpuss. Turn off his media streams. Invest in your own neighborhood.

President Obama generated great ideas when a candidate, but he's still on five year vacation. He's now done plenty for wealthy folk, and squat for the rest of us.

The big capitalists of GM, Ford, Goldman-Sachs, JPMorgan, etc. get public subsidies and no-interest loans; while working university students, factory workers supporting family, restaurant employees struggling to pay a mortgage, get exhaust blasts of capitalist pig flatus.

War on Whistleblowers

Battling accountability, truth & consequences, the Obama administration has strayed into despotism. They wage endless barbaric military operations around the world, undeclared wars of assassination & mass terror, buttressing satellite tyrants who control their populace with our machinery. They funnel our public funds to prop-up & subsidize well-connected private firms, damaging our system of enterprise accountability. They persecute their own government people who uncover / publicize government crimes. Clearly the US government is now corrupt at the core.

President Obama promised key reforms prior to his election:  (link)

"Protect Whistleblowers:"

"Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled as they have been during the Bush administration. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process."

Obama & Biden in their own words (above) show they've long recognized problems of government waste, fraud & abuse. They dangled a vision of reform in order to get elected, but then mockingly imposed themselves at the heart of the corruption.

Obama is (was?) a constitutional lawyer. But he's disgraced himself. Obama has systematically undermined the US Constitution he swore to protect & defend. He's pursued & imprisoned whistleblowers for espionage as Enemies of the State, while allowing the far-reaching crimes they exposed to continue: unimpeded, unregulated & unpunished.

Some of the messengers harassed or imprisoned by Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder & the US Justice Dept. include:

• Thomas Drake
• William Binney
• J. Kirk Wiebe
• Edward Loomis
• Diane S. Roark
• John Kiriakou
• Stephen Jin-Woo Kim
• Bradley Manning 
• Julian Assange
• Shamai K. Leibowitz
• Jeffrey Sterling
• Aaron Swartz
• Sister Megan Rice
• Greg Boertje-Obed
• Michael Walli
• Everett Stern
• The Associated Press

Pundits unfamiliar with the struggles above & below aren't doing their jobs...

Further references:
http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/6-brave-govt-whistleblowers-charged-under-espionage-act-obamas-administration

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/05/14-5

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/war-on-whistleblowers-film-highlights-dangers-of-crackdown-20130417

http://www.propublica.org/special/sealing-loose-lips-charting-obamas-crackdown-on-national-security-leaks

http://www.thenation.com/article/173521/obamas-crackdown-whistleblowers

 http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/05/15-7