On Jun 15, 2006, at 3:45 PM, Jim Devine wrote:
On 6/14/06, Dan Scanlan wrote:
.... The preferred normal business of this American
state is the preservation of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness for ourselves and our posterity. This is, of course,
idealistic, but it is the mission statement paraphrased from the
Preamble of the Constitution. ...
it's not there. It's from the Declaration of Independence.
I screwed up. But my point still holds, I think.. ."We the People of
the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defence, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America." Everything that follows AFTER this
preamble is an attempt to make the preamble come to be (and is a
downright failure). Except for the untried part, the part that reads
"all other powers reside with the people." Of course, exercising that
power means running the risk of torture, poverty, jail or death.
Dan writes:
The point I am trying to make is that when a conspiracy is even
partially exposed, it is up to the citizenry, its press and its law
enforcers to find out the truth of the matter. In every instance in
my lifetime that is important and that has involved a conspiracy of
some kind -- JFK, MLK, Fred Hampton, Gulf of Tonkin, Ruben Salazar,
Iran-Contra, crack cocaine, BCCI, Iraq War, election of GWB, the 911
circus, for starters -- citizens, the press and lawmakers have all
pull back on the reins as soon as they smell shit. Unless each of the
segments -- the people, reporters and cops -- does its job, none have
any right to complain of the smell on their plates and should not
expect their lives to improve.
obviously, investigative journalism is a good thing to do. But we
shouldn't reduce history to a bunch of conspiracies, but also look at
the structure of society (and its "laws of motion").
I don't think acknowledging conspiracies eliminates any other
analysis of the structure of society nor does it reduce history.
Proven conspiracies (even if not "solved") are among the extensions
of the laws of motions and pepper the pages human history.
btw, did you notice that the word "conspiracy" includes the word
"piracy"? But I think it has something to do with "breathing
together."
Interesting that piracy should come up, rather than privateering,
which was piracy sanctioned by the state (or king). As long as the
king got his cut, there would be no prosecution for robbery. Not much
different today. Halliburton can rob all it wants as long as Bush, et
al, get their share. Piracy is outright wrongdoing. Privateering had
the gloss of officialdom and was (and is) a conspiracy. "Breathing
together" is as easy to implement as a wink and a nod.
Dan
