Thursday, August 31, 2006

I Do Not Support “The War on Terror”

To avoid the calling of names such as “hypocrite,” I’m once and for all attempting to make this very clear: I do NOT support the “global war on terror.” The problems many mainstream politicians have with this position, even if the agree with it, comes with the massive stream of neoconservative criticism that is sure to follow when taking such a stance. I’m betting that at least a handful of left-wing democrats in congress oppose the “war on terror,” but refuse to publicly state this in fear of those such as Ann Coulter, or Donald Rumsfeld. Many in the Democratic Party strongly support the war on terror, but most stand against the War in Iraq. Most desperately take a stance of the moderate, in lieu of the extremist on the right or left. In my eyes, Democrats appear weak and confused, not ready to stand up to the so called challenges of terrorism, homeland security, and national defense; they play their cards for votes, not for what is best for the United States or the American people. The difference between the Democratic Party and its sister, the Republican Party, seem very strong; but in reality these differences are only minute disagreements between elite. Voters see these differences in which candidate seems stronger, and which ones are for or against abortion. Abortion aside, for it truly is the least important issue, besides gay marriage, during this great era of revolution. The real issue that should be the difference of each party is the very system which has proved itself tyrannical just as the systems of the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany proved tyrannical. That system in which currently governs the world is none other then the system which high school economic teachers everywhere claim to be “the only system,” and that is, of course, Capitalism.

How do relate Capitalism with the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and all other wars fought in the twentieth and twenty-first century? It is simple when reading the real story behind some of the most brutal and disgusting moments in our short history. Take, for example, the start of World War I and the silencing of the labor and socialist movements in the United States. A perfect solution to halt the overthrowing of the capitalist system that seemed bound early in the twentieth century. The labor movement became powerful, and militant; the poor no longer would become slaves to the elite which would go on to join the war of empires. That war would later become known as World War I, started as a conflict between empire nation states over colonies and military buildup. The “War to End All Wars,” was just a propaganda slogan aimed to win support of the working man hoping to never have another war; this sadly was an utter lie. The capitalist system thrives off war and simply cannot exist without it. The trend continued throughout the rest of the century and into today, alienating any dissenter, calling names, and creating enemies. Communists instantly became treasonous spies and anti-Americans, Muslims instantly became “Islamofascists” and other misleading terms of hate and bigotry.

These problems won’t be solved by just simply abandoning capitalism, these things are true to human nature, but surely these problems will have less of an ability to take advantage of those who are not as privileged enough to be in the small network of the global elite. I propose to rethink capitalism, rethink socialism, and rethink America. Submitting to a misunderstanding that capitalism “is the only way” is just pure ignorance, at least – capitalism as it has been demonstrated very vividly to us over the years.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Sensible Cannabis Policy Reform

I’m begging my readers now to step up to the plate, stop feeding on the propaganda lies, and think with some sensibility about the state of this “drug war.” Like other wars that aren’t actually wars (think: the “war on terror”), the government desperately tries to win over public support through vicious propaganda campaigns. The most effective method in the “war on terror” has been to alienate anyone who disagrees with the administrations policy on terrorists, labeling them as anti-American or terrorists themselves (remember Bush: “you are either with us, or you’re with the terrorists”). The war on drugs is not much different. The method of alienating marijuana users into criminals, thugs, or lazy couch potatoes has been on of the most effect techniques of this propaganda matrix. A massive TV campaign has been in full force for years, proclaiming the facts (lies) about marijuana, claiming it as a gateway drug and a sure way to ruin ones life. Of course, this has no scientific backing what so ever, and why should it? If the government tells us, then it has to be fact… right?

Not only does the government campaign through propaganda, they also do through something a little more primitive: all out force. Since the creation the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), criminals have been created out of thin air through unjust laws that violate the very principals of our constitution. Person’s unalienable rights of property have never been so violated throughout this violent age. The right of a person to put whatever substance in his/her body should not be violated. But the latter is not the subject of this argument, for that debate could last all day, through thousands of pages. Instead, I make the more practical argument – that it is not practical to wage an all out war on drugs. The neocons claim (especially since the Regan era, and into the Bush Dynasty) that drug war is to protect the public from dangerous criminals is not only a lie, but also hypocritical for the very “war” they wage creates criminals. Handling a public crisis (which does not exist), should not be carried out with assault rifles and attack dogs (but this just seems like the way the government loves to do things – think the espionage act or the WTO protests in 1999). The only reason that these dangerous criminals exist is because the very law that was written to prevent these so called dangerous criminals. If the drug became regulated, these dangerous criminals would (for the most part) disappear for the consumer would no longer be forced to buy from them – instead buying from a reliable store, just as a smoker buys cigarettes from the gas station. With regulation the threat of “a gateway-drug” from minors would also drastically decrease for the drug would require the buyer to be “of age.” The latter would indirectly cause the drug to become less readily available to youth. Even though, when actually thinking logically, marijuana is not a “gateway-drug” for the substance itself does not actually cause the user to want to try other, possibly more dangerous drugs; the user rather makes this decision on his/her self.

In addition, scientific research has shown (not without debate) many different results when studying the effects of marijuana on the mind and body. Most, though, conclude that it is indeed not addicting, not as harmful to the lungs as tobacco, and has very little effect on motor skills (much unlike alcohol which has, obviously, been proven to drastically effect motor coordination). In fact, a resent study has shown no significant increase in lung cancer exists as a result of smoking marijuana. In the study, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol; the active chemical) was actually shown to reduce the risk of cancer for it actually prevents carcinogens from entering into the lungs and into the blood stream. In accordance to this research, many unrelated studies (for years) have shown substantial medical benefits of THC to patients.

So, if marijuana isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be, then what is the next step? First of all, a new sensible policy is needed to allow the cannabis to become legal. This doesn’t mean making it legal and allowing the sale on the streets by criminals and gangs, but rather regulating and taxing the drug similarly to tobacco and alcohol. Economists nation round have agreed that legalizing consumer cannabis as well as marijuana (the drug), can have enormous benefits to the economy, saving government expenditures by billions, as well as generating billions of additional income to the local, state, and federal governments. This quite very well means more money to schools, roads, health care, national defense, and drug rehabilitation, and less money to cops to arrest peaceful non-violent citizens.

With this said, I’m asking all my readers to inform yourself about the real facts, not just the one the government feeds us. Think logically and practical, and ask your local representative why this unjust, unconstitutional prohibition on freedom has continued for so very long.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Mainstream Bigotry in America?

Believe it or not, racism and bigotry is gaining ground. With last week’s terror alerts and the increased “threat” of “Islamic fascists” this nation is experiencing many mainstream media figures and political leaders show not only suspicion towards Muslims, but also down right bigotry. By which group would this sentiment surface from? None other then the neo-conservatives, or as I more properly label: neo-fascist. New books insulting Islam and the middle-eastern culture reach the New York Times Bestseller List, while pundits ask for “Americans” to take the law into their own hands and fight the new crusades.

I think Dave Johnson at Huffington Post will do a better job explaining then me.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Detroit Judge: NSA Wiretapping Program Illegal

A huge blow to the Bush Administration took place yesterday, a truly landmark decision in a federal court in Detroit between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Wait what? Detroit? Not much more then five miles away from home did this landmark decision (that is bound for the Supreme Court) take place.

Bush’s goon Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez says he will fight the ruling all out, defending its legality. The legality, though, of this wiretapping has already been established: it is most defiantly illegal. It clearly violates the fourth amendment by wiretapping without a warrant, it violate the first amendment by infringing upon citizens communications and upon the press’ ability to report information, and finally it violates separation of powers established by the constitution for it refuses to obey law enacted by congress (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978).

Why must Bush act as King George? He is acting as the very king the framers of the constitution fought so very hard to expel and make sure would never return. He is continuing the trend of “Imperial Presidencies.”

So what should we do? For one, don’t forget this; don’t let Bush’s lies deceive us into his evil plan of total control and world conquest and never forget our civil liberties (the very things we are apparently “fighting” for).

ACLU

The Nation

Friday, August 11, 2006

A Bad Attitude of Civil Liberties

Yesterday, driving up to my friend’s house in East Lansing, Michigan with two of my good friends, I discussed the so called terror plot that was broken up by British officials and the raising of the Terror Alert by the Ministry of Homeland Security. After talking for a few seconds I heard a voice loudly interrupting me from the back seat, a normal event when discussing politics. Apparently, while discussing my most recent post on the threat of “terror threats” being used to put fear in the minds of the public, one of my dearest friends (which I mustn’t name) had to throw in her view: “Why would they want to scare us? They are just trying to protect us. Not everyone has the rights we have in this country.” While she was completely false on the former, the latter statement was not completely false, just used in the wrong context. Of course, and as most high school history books will tell you, the United States has unprecedented rights, many more then other nations, and we live a lifestyle far better then the majority of the world. But what they do not explain well enough is why those rights are there, and why we need to do anything in our power to keep them.

Before the American Revolution, the 13 British colonies’ rights started to disappear; houses and businesses were searched or seized without warrant, the people were taxed without any representation or vote, soldiers seized private homes as their quarters, freedom of the press became severely infringed, and the king ruled with tyranny over the colonies. After the Revolution was won (which was fought to win sovereignty and liberty), the founders of this nation set up a constitution with checks and balances, and separation of powers. What they forgot, at first, became the Bill of Rights, and those who opposed it then are still opposing it now. The anti-federalists drafted the Bill of Rights (or the first 10 amendments to the constitution) in order to protect the civil liberties of the common citizen from another tyrannical force like the British crown.

Can you imagine a United States without the Bill of Rights? Can you imagine a world were the executive branch has taken full control of all three branches of government? If you can, and I can, something around the lines of Nazi Germany, Iran, North Korea, or the Soviet Union might come to your mind. It would be a scary, scary place; the president would act as some sort of dictator, with no regard to any rights, possibly waging war for profit or scaring the public into submission. Wait a second… Sound familiar?

If it does sound familiar, and it does to me, then maybe it’s because our president is acting this was as we speak. He has allowed the nation to be attacked (and as of now, we still do not really know) by terrorists, or “Islamic extremists,” used this attack as a pretext to enter into a war over oil (which had been planned before the attack), taken away many of our basic civil liberties (USA Patriot Act), wiretapped our phones and entered all our calls into a massive NSA database, collected a database of our banking records, and just recently passed an act to require all citizens to be issued a national ID card in which all peoples will be placed into a massive database. What is happening here? Is this what George Orwell warned us of? Why must our actions be tracked to every inch of our lives? For security?

It’s obviously not for security, and if you don’t see that then just keep tight behind the president until the next terrorist attack – then you’ll change your mind. I’m making the prediction now: there will be a terrorist attack within the next five years, and when this happens you won’t want to live in the United States any longer, it will be total tyranny. Total control. Martial Law.

Just my two cents before you forget how important civil liberties really are. And one more thing (and I’ve said this over and over again): do anything possible to protect your liberties, no matter what the government tells you.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Terror Alert = Terror, Tyranny

Today the Ministry of Homeland Security declared a Code Red terror alert on all flights from the U.K. to the U.S. and a Code Orange for all flights in and bound for U.S. Now what seems to be the problem with alerting the public to a possible terror attack? Well nothing, but there actually is no terror attack, the government just wants the average citizen to submit their civil liberties out of simple fear. Fear of being attacked by a enemy we have no real knowledge on, other then the “fact” that they are supposedly “Islamic” extremists. What many American’s are missing out on is who we are fighting and what the fighting is really for, and the reasons why things take place they way the do.

It’s September 11, 2001 and we have just been attacked by some terrifying force, completely unexpected to the average American. It was a day that sparked a revolution in the United States, a revolution towards tyranny, a true Reichstag Fire. In 1933 Hitler and his thugs burnt down the German parliament, blamed it on the communists, and used it as a motive to go to war, remove freedoms from the citizens, and declare martial law. It’s not been done just once, it’s been done many times in history, including in Rome, the US and Europe.

The neocon solutions to our problems with terrorism include giving up our basic civil liberties in order to fight the ongoing global “War on Terrorism;” awarding the President with unprecedented imperial powers, allowing him to practice total disregard for our constitution; and also giving us a “terror alert” so we will always know when and when not to be scared.

It is this method of fear and submission that the neocons love so very much; though, they’re plan to achieve total domination over the American people can and will not succeed if my faith in American people are true. I do truly believe the American people, as a whole, are good and compassionate people. This image, though, has been spoiled by a few bad apples (very evil ones, might I add). We have gone from being one of the most loved nations in the world, to one of the most despised. The American government has spewed their ideology of global dominance over the world throughout the Twentieth Century, but not until recently has this trend been so very real.

We, the good people of the United States, have essentially become the terrorists, the target of tyranny. We have surrendered, without a fair fight, our liberties to the USA Patriot Act, the war on terror, the REAL ID act, and similar legislation. The target of the government is not Islamic extremists living in caves in Afghanistan, or the deserts of Iraq, but rather the American people: the true enemy of the oppressor.

So what I ask of my reader today is that you stand up, question authority, refuse to submit to the tyranny, refuse to be placed in databases and viewed as a statistic. Refuse to allow the government, founded by the people, to wage a war on its own people. But most of all, to get out and speak your mind, fight the system that is created to destroy you, and become activists; because democracy starts at the bottom, with local government and grassroots organizing. And please, please, whatever you do, do not forget your rights… especially the one that was written down first on the much forgotten bill of rights.

Knowledge is Power.