>Hi Keith,
> I hope you are right about Americans. Are enough of them agitating
>Congress
>so that some action will be taken that will rid us of the Dumb-Duo? Geez,
>it'd
>be so nice. (Maybe you see things more clearly from Tokyo.)
Some people have been saying maybe you can only see the US from
outside the US these days. I don't know, you decide. Maybe this'll
tell: Sod Congress. Same as sod voting. The same people own them
both. Etc. Sidestep them, get on with real business.
People keep saying so here in different ways, Americans. Just go
round it, build their systems out and your systems in, whether it's
going off-grid or working with some land or doing biofuels or
compaigning or whatever, go where your vote will do some good.
I just had an argument with someone, an American guy. He wrote to me,
I wrote back, he wrote back, and that's where it ends. If I respond
he'll get furious with me and accuse me of being angry and aggressive
and so on. It's a clash between world views. The trouble is one side
is a world view and the other isn't, it's an American view. Fine,
maybe, but he's dealing with global issues. He's looking at it
through the keyhole, and around the keyhole on the door and the wall
someone's painted all these sort of Disneyland images and US flags
and icons and stuff. He won't accept any discussion unless it fits
that view. But it leaves no room for the issues he's discussing, it's
hopelessly distorted, as through a glass, darkly. But he's not going
to relinquish his cherished notions, he's addicted to them. Start
undermining them with a contradictory view and he sees it as an
unprovoked personal attack.
Another one wrote to me, also an American, living in East Asia,
different issues but the same problem. I replied and three weeks
later he wrote back, interesting reply in what it acknowledged and
what it didn't, but he'll keep going, he said so, but he can only
digest it one chunk at a time and it takes time. He was very
grateful.
Actually I only replied to him for East Asia's sake more than for his
sake. With the first one I replied because I needed to formulate
something about that stuff anyway, for a different purpose, and there
was a chance it might have some effect, if not, too bad. Too often
it's obviously just not worth even bothering, so I don't. I don't
have the time anyway.
Bill Blum says this about it:
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens." Friedrich Schiller
"With stupidity, even the gods struggle in vain."
I'm often told by readers of their encounters with Americans
who support the outrages of US foreign policy no matter what facts
are presented to them, no matter what arguments are made, no matter
how much the government's statements are shown to be false. Included
amongst their number are those who still believe that Iraq had a
direct involvement in the events of September 11, that Saddam Hussein
had close ties to al Qaeda, and/or that weapons of mass destruction
were indeed found in Iraq after the 2003 invasion.
My advice is to forget such people. They would support the
outrages even if the government came to their homes, seized their
first born, and hauled them away screaming, as long as the government
assured them it was essential to fighting terrorism (or communism).
My (very) rough guess is that they constitute no more than 15 percent
of the population. I suggest that we concentrate on the rest, who are
reachable. [more]
http://members.aol.com/bblum6/aer31.htm
The Anti-Empire Report
Some things you need to know before the world ends
March 22, 2006
by William Blum
He goes on: "So I'm speaking here of education, and in my writing and
in my public talks I like to emphasize certain points which try to
deal with the underlying intellectual misconceptions and emotional
"hangups" I think Americans have which stand in the way of their
seeing through the bullshit; this education can also take the form of
demonstrations or acts of civil disobedience, whatever might produce
a thaw in a frozen mind."
As for Congress etc, "There is no way of proving your point to
someone whose income and position depend upon believing the
contrary." (Sydney Harris, American journalist). No need to stop
barracking Obama on that account, but it's probably not going to
change the world.
>Or at least
>take back the war making powers they so generously gave to our gonzo
>War President.
> I was really disheartened when I got a reply from Sen. Obama which
>said there was a better way than impeachment. I had a lot of hope in this
>guy
>and got such a lame reply. Sen. Durbin didn't reply.
Maybe they don't relish the idea of being impeached when they get to
be president.
> I never was involved in politics until we got Bushed again. Watching this
>fool before and after 9/11 drove me to join a progressive group of
>Democrats in St Louis. It does seem that his ineptness and hypocrisy
>really woke up a lot of people here.
Yes, that was the hope. Vote Bush!
> Thanks for those links. I read the one where distrust in public
>institutions
>is falling. Hopefully this'll make governments more sensitive to their
>people.
Sod them too. Governments have fallen already in this thing because
they wouldn't do what they were told by the people they claim to
represent. In Spain, eg. We're not just asking and saying
"hopefully". Do it or else.
>As it stands it seems regular working people are getting screwed while big
>corporations
>are having wet dreams, having every wish fulfilled by the government. This
>extends all the way down to city governments as well.
Nothing new there, just worse numbers and more in-your-face, but
since you got Bushed again more people are seeing it.
>Many thanks to you! Peace and justice, D. Mindock P.S. I will look at those
>two other links on the
>Art of War and Tao Te Ching. They look useful, indeed!
I hope so.
Hang in there, don't get disheartened.
Peace and justice, yes.
All best
Keith
> > >Keith,
> >>
> >> Most (or enough) Americans are asleep or indifferent.
> >
> > Don't believe it! We were discussing it here about a week ago.
> >
> >>If we had a real
> >>mainstream media here, that
> >>didn't screen out news unfavorable to the administration, especially the
> >>bogus wars, things would never deteriorated to the low
> >>level we have now.
> >
> > But they did, and there were glaring signs long ago that you had to
> > take urgent action to counter corporate ownership concentration of
> > your media. Okay, it's understandable that such a high-intensity
> > ongoing barrage of engineered opinion engineering would send "enough"
> > of you to asleep "enough" of the time for everything to fall to
> > pieces about your ears and you didn't even notice. Maybe that's your
> > affair, or even your prerogative, but the problem is all the stuff
> > Washington and Wall Street export to the rest of us, using your tax
> > money (when they're not stealing it from you) and your inattention to
> > do it. One thing you have to wake up to is that you're part of the
> > rest of us.
> >
> > It's not your prerogative not to notice it when at long last there
> > are such stirrings and rumblings all about and, finally, a head of
> > steam gathered that's spreading like wildfire and sweeping up
> > everything else along with it in what's clearly an awakening, widely
> > being commented on. It reached critical mass last August, and the
> > only question now is what will constitute "enough" in this new
> > picture that's emerging - will enough people wake up and take enough
> > action to stop the disaster potential reaching critical mass? You're
> > among the awake so please stop thinking pre-six months ago and do
> > just whatever you possibly can to help spread the flames. Time to
> > take heart.
> >
> > By the way, there's not much doubt that the critical head of critical
> > steam was built up despite the mainstream media, and though (always
> > with exceptions) the mainstream media had behaved just as you say
> > they're now being left with little choice but to follow along, they
> > can't help getting sucked in. (I've done that to them before!) So
> > what if they pretend they did it?
> >
> > What if you should treat your voting system the same way? Other than
> > fierce monitoring and reporting, just ignore it and get on with real
> > business.
> >
> >>I hardly ever watch TV news and get my info off the web.
> >>I continuously write my Congress people, 2 Demo senators and a Repug rep,
> >>and they just ignore my letters or at best I get polite form letters back.
> >>The Repug rep is such a strong, mindless, Bush backer, it makes me sick.
> >>The
> >>Demos are equally
> >>bad in that they say there's a better way than impeaching Bush/Cheney. I
> >>wish I knew
> >>what that was. Maybe a firing squad? I feel BushCo is out of control but
> >>the
> >>impotent Congress
> >>is afraid, for whatever reason, to take the two idiots on. Yeah, there are
> >>a
> >>couple exceptions, like
> >>Sen. Feingold and the two Demos that've openly backed him. Kucinich (Rep,
> >>OH, D) has had Bush's number way
> >>ahead of his colleagues. The polls show Bush and Cheney are way down in
> >>public opinion. Maybe
> >>the two are desperate to do more of their nasty deeds before common sense
> >>again prevails here. There's no telling
> >>what two thugs like them will do to stay in power. Another 9/11? I would
> >>not
> >>count that out as they
> >>have no morals whatsoever.
> >>
> >> So we have here a number of problems:
> >>
> >>A too trusting people who have been divided by wedge issues
> >>Disinformation on the TV news. 9/11 was our Night of Broken Glass & new
> >>Pearl Harbor
> >>Corporate financed candidates
> >>Hackable voting machines that can swing an election through built-in "back
> >>doors" in the tabulating PCs. Naturally biased to the Repugs
> >>A weak, corrupt, and divided Congress
> >>An administration that is totally corrupt, ruthless, and corporate
> >>controlled.
> >>An insanely bloated military budget that is way beyond that necessary to
> >>"protect" us.
> >
> > Yea verily. The missing bit, however:
> >
> >> > It's the time of the Other Superpower, and the powers-that-be are
> >> > seeing the signs:
> >> >
> >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg58869.html
> >> > [Biofuel] A global public opinion survey shows people losing faith in
> >> > governments
> >> > 16 Dec 2005
> >> > ... "an alarming picture of declining levels of trust". (Davos)
> >> >
> >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg58999.html
> >> > [Biofuel] New Surveys Show That Big Business Has a P.R. Problem
> >> > New York Times, December 9, 2005
> >> > "More than ever, Americans do not trust business or the people who run
> >> > it."
> >
> > That was two months ago, lots more noise since then.
> >
> > Put your vote where it hurts - down the toilet.
> >
> > (Is that a good bumper sticker? LOL!)
> >
> >>Pray for World Peace, D. Mindock
> >
> > Indeed, for peace. Eventually, maybe, after much travail. But up till
> > now it's been only a dream, now it could be within reach.
> >
> > These things are useful, IMHO:
> >
> > http://www.classicreader.com/read.php/sid.2/bookid.5/sec.1/
> > Sun Tzu : On the Art of War
> >
> > http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html
> > Tao Te Ching
> >
> > Best wishes
> >
> > Keith
> >
> >
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >>To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org>
> >>Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 1:13 AM
> >>Subject: Re: [Biofuel] [Fwd: [IP] Is the US preparing to bomb Iran?]
> >>
> >>
> >> > I've been posting stuff on this here for months, so have a few
> >> > others, very few people have taken any notice.
> >> >
> >> > It is utterly unbelievable that Americans, only now so belatedly
> >> > waking up with growing fury at how they were lied to and manipulated
> >> > on the road to the Iraq debacle are actually swallowing the exact
> >> > same set of lies and manipulations in order to do the same or worse
> >> > in Iran.
> >> >
> >> > What the hell is the matter with you people??? What are you going to
> >> > do about it? Vote??? Good God, WAKE UP!!!
> >> >
> >> > Stop it happening!
> >> >
> >> > Now!
> >> >
> >> > Damn, thank heavens for Seymour Hersh.
> >> >
> >> > "Hopefully" you say Mike:
> >> >
> >> >>Let's all pray that reason and sanity prevail once again.
> >> >>
> >> >>Best wishes for world peace,
> >> >
> >> > With all due respect it'll take a little more than hopes prayers and
> >> > wishes. Do it! Put a stop to your mad dogs.
> >> >
> >> > Keith
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >>Hakan,
> >> >>
> >> >>Agreed. The sh-t would hit the fan. Hopefully enough reason and sanity
> >> >>will
> >> >>eventually prevail like it did during the cold war (we survived it
> >> >>somehow). Of
> >> >>course it may have been MAD (a form of insanity called Mutually Assured
> >> >>Destruction, the idea that no one wins, except by not fighting or
> >> >>starting
> >> >>a
> >> >>nuclear war), that actually saved us during the cold war.
> >> >>
> >> >>What I find to be so ludicrous (silly, ridiculous) is that if IRAN
> >> >>really wanted
> >> >>to Nuke Israel or the USA they would not need a real nuclear weapon,
> >> >>and
> >> >>they
> >> >>would have done it already with a dirty nuclear weapon since they
> >> >>already
> >> >>have
> >> >>nuclear power plants with uranium.
> >> >>
> >> >>I suspect they have not done so, even if they wanted to, because
> >> >>they know if they
> >> >>did the US or Israel would level Iran in retaliation, probably with
> >> >>nukes.
> >> >>
> >> >>The really scary part, I fear, is that even if the US does back
> >> >>down, Israel will
> >> >>still not allow Iran to make nuclear bombs and therefore will not
> >> >>back down. So,
> >> >>anyway you look at it, if Iran does not back off on the nuclear
> >> >>issue we will all
> >> >>be in deep sh-t.
> >> >>
> >> >>What also concerns me is that if the US attacks Iran, North Korea
> >> >>will probably
> >> >>freak out and go nuts since they would believe they were next. I have
> >> >>heard no
> >> >>mention of this yet in the news.
> >> >>
> >> >>Let's all pray that reason and sanity prevail once again.
> >> >>
> >> >>Best wishes for world peace,
> >> >>
> >> >>Mike McGinness
> >> >>
> >> >>Hakan Falk wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> > Mike,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > As a foreigner and hearing Bush preparing for attacks on Iran, I
> >> >> > sometimes have a very short moment of wishing him doing it, because
> >> >> > it would be so stupid and probably finish him. Then I think about my
> >> >> > American friends with my positive experiences from US and wish
> >> >> > strongly that he would be stopped. If US attack Iran, then we would
> >> >> > rapidly understand what the expression "the sh-t hits the fan"
> >> >> > means.
> >> >> > The global consequences for US would be enormously negative.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Hakan
> >> >> >
> >> >> > At 06:16 09/04/2006, you wrote:
> >> >> > >Reading the article discussed below is just plain scary as hell. If
> >> >> > >it's true we
> >> >> > >need to contact our congresspersons and senators and tell them
> >> >>how we feel so
> >> >> > >that they can put a stop to this madness now before it is too late.
> >> >> > >Since there
> >> >> > >is an election coming up in November, something tells me if
> >> >>they hear from
> >> >> > >enough of us now they will take decisive action.
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > >Mike McGinness
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > >Marty Phee wrote:
> >> >> > >
> >> >> > > > -------- Original Message --------
> >> >> > > > Subject: [IP] Is the US preparing to bomb Iran?
> >> >> > > > Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2006 15:43:42 -0400
> >> >> > > > From: David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> > > > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> >> > > > To: ip@v2.listbox.com
> >> >> > > > References: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > Begin forwarded message:
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > From: Tim Finin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> > > > Date: April 8, 2006 3:40:18 PM EDT
> >> >> > > > To: Dave Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> >> > > > Subject: Is the US preparing to bomb Iran?
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > Seymour Hersh has a 6000 work article in next week's New
> >> >> > > > Yorker on possible plans for a pre-emptive bombing strike
> >> >> > > > against Iran including the use of nuclear weapons. While
> >> >> > > > Hersh has not always been right in his predications, he has a
> >> >> > > > pretty good track record on the whole. It's a good article
> >> >> > > > and also a worrisome one. No matter what you believe of the
> >> >> > > > wisdom of attacking Iran, if we do there are bound to be many
> >> >> > > > more difficulties ahead before things get better.
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > --
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > THE IRAN PLANS
> >> >> > > > Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the
> >> >> > > > bomb?
> >> >> > > > Seymour M. Hersh, New yorker issue of 2006-04-17, posted
> >> >> > > > 2006-04-10
> >> >> > > > http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy
> >> >> > > > in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has
> >> >> > > > increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified
> >> >> > > > planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former
> >> >> > > > American military and intelligence officials said that Air
> >> >> > > > Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and
> >> >> > > > teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran,
> >> >> > > > under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish
> >> >> > > > contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The
> >> >> > > > officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the
> >> >> > > > Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program,
> >> >> > > > planned for this spring, to enrich uranium.
> >> >> > > > ...
> >> >> > > > A government consultant with close ties to the civilian
> >> >> > > > leadership in the Pentagon said that Bush was "absolutely
> >> >> > > > convinced that Iran is going to get the bomb" if it is not
> >> >> > > > stopped. He said that the President believes that he must do
> >> >> > > > "what no Democrat or Republican, if elected in the future,
> >> >> > > > would have the courage to do," and "that saving Iran is going
> >> >> > > > to be his legacy."
> >> >> > > >
> >> >> > > > One former defense official, who still deals with sensitive
> >> >> > > > issues for the Bush Administration, told me that the military
> >> >> > > > planning was premised on a belief that "a sustained bombing
> >> >> > > > campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and
> >> >> > > > lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government." He
> >> >> > > > added, "I was shocked when I heard it, and asked myself, 'What
> >> >> > > > are they smoking?'"
> >> >> > > > ...
> >> >> > > > http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact
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