It's Fascism Man! (part I)

I alluded to this article a couple of weeks ago. I have to tell you that the more I look at America from the view point of a 6-month expat the more I see that America is currently switching to fascist control. Sure, I wrote about this on the Progressive Puritan blog a couple of years ago, but now I have different eyes. My experiences of what real liberty and democracy look like are changing my views of America. . . for the worse. I see the narrowing of media, the abuse of power, the wealth disparity and the lack of education flooding America being used to continue the repression of a people that- if were a little less afraid of a government that should fear them- have the potential to rise above this nonsense!

With that said, are we ready?

Here it goes. . .

Media Control

My problem with media in the U.S. stems from the narrowing of control and the lack of diverse and dissenting voices in the Media. It scares me. We have one 'unified' voice on all channels and people think they're getting different, diverse and 'real' information? huh? Really, the corporations who own the stations (your stations) own the information and have the power.

For a better understanding of media-based control and the use of that control against the people of the US, read this.

Whether it is the internet, television news (local, national and international), or radio, the streamlining of media ownership is resulting in the formation of a common voice that can use or abuse information as they like. This is not the way to a 'free press.' This is not the way to assure we have information before we jump into wars. This is not the way to assure our liberty.

(side note. . .the FCC is currently dismantling the law that prevents one corporation from owning Newspaper, Television and Radio in a given locale. They are being sneaky about it (i.e. not giving people warning of the meetings, not advertising it) hoping that Americans won't raise their voices in support of a free press. The only Media outlet that covered this story is Democracy Now!. Check out their site for the story from two dissenting FCC commissioners.

Political Correctness

This subject goes hand-in-hand with media control, but I'd like to talk about it because of an experience I had in Chicago over Thanksgiving. I was watching "the Craft" with my Father on Friday. When it came to the part where the 3 bad witches start to fuck with the good witch and they use a 'glamour' to make her think that her family died in a PLANE CRASH, the scene was cut. Later at the end of the film, the phrase 'Plane Crash' was bleeped from the mouth of one of the bad witches.

Truth was slaughtered in the name of political correctness and political sensitivity. Really, this notion of political correctness is just a way to sensor free speech. Do I think people should speak without respect for others. . .NO. Do I think truth should be distorted in the name of what is politically correct? NO! Political Correctness is just another form of state sponsored control. Damn! And you thought you were being a good person!

(Side note. . . I was recently informed that movies made in the US- featuring the twin towers- are being remastered to remove the towers! IS THIS TRUE?? If so, it's crazy that Americans want to delete their History)

Spying

Your government can listen to the conversations of citizens to prevent uprisings in the name of Homeland Security (Hitler used the term "Heimat" for Homeland Security). Patriot Acts I/II and the involvement of national (soon to be multinational) companies in spying is creepy and violates the constitution. Spying on people, making illegal arrests and torturing people. . .hmmm, Fascism, Fascism, Fascism!

Torture

The Military Commisions Act of 2006 legalizes torture. It seems to me that allowing torture and allowing black sites for uncontrolled prisons (i.e. Abu Ghraib/ Guantanamo) is a step in the direction of fascism (in fact, Stalin and Hitler did this too).

With the power of torture, you can better control people. The scariest thing here is that the US has confirmed an Attorney General that denounces Waterboarding as torture (primarily because saying that it IS torture means he'd have to admit there are criminals in the white house). Uh, scary! Our government tortures people and won't stop when it comes to torturing us!!!

As I'm writing this, I'm becoming more and more convinced that America has already become Fascist. It's not in the process of becoming Fascist- it's already there! Americans are afraid of their government, and have therefore surrendered all power to that government. Now what?

Uncover the fascism spreading through our country like poison! Talk about it! Get ready to fight it!

Remember, "Your Silence Will Not Protect You!"

When the Hen Crows, the State will fall!

Hey Everyone! The HEN Foundation website is up and running. . . click here.

Briefly, the HEN Foundation is an idea created by Jolie Rickman before dying of Ovarian Cancer in 2005. Briefly, the foundation was established to supply grants to artist activists and to link those artists/activists with a cause (from environment, peace to trade, etc). At the end of each year, a DVD is made detailing the experience of that years' HEN Artist/Activist. Work created by the HEN Artist is then produced and distributed, thus spreading the message of the activist group and helping the HEN Artist be an artist/activist.

Check out the site. And, soon, comrades, we'll need donations which shall be made available through a PayPal account. So, get ready to donate!

SOA Watch Protest II

So, I'm back from the States- back to my computer- and back to all things Dutch and annoying, and that's OK!

The SOA Watch protest was amazing. 25,000 people together to end torture-based education with our tax dollars. I'm still surprised more Americans aren't all up in this topic since the American rhetoric is all about stopping terrorism. Hmmm.

So, besides the personal aspects of the protest (i.e. seeing Colleen, Jacque, Sandy, etc.) and spending time with my boy (whom I miss horribly) I had a great experience.

Saturday, after a long flight (Thursday) into Chicago and drive (Friday) to Ft. Benning, Georgia we went to the Rally. Boring plenary (I've been going to this protest for nearly a decade now, I get it!), but really good music and spirit throughout the outdoor rally. It's always nice to be around people who share your beliefs, you know?

On Saturday night my boy and I led an illegal protest in the streets of downtown Columbus, Ga with some students from New Jersey! Nice! When the police came (after the under-cover police tried to instigate violence from within the crowd) I became mediator between police/legal collective and protesters. It was the first time I was in this position but I liked it. I mean, I nearly had a heart attack, but I liked it. I'm good at it too. Though, I have to say, there were some asshole cops in Georgia. Specifically, one overly-aggressive black cop who felt the need to poke a protester in the chest provoking violence. Luckily, the protesters took an oath to uphold the principles of non-violence.

Okay, so Saturday night was amazing. Sunday was also amazing. The funeral procession was amazing and, that I know of, 11 people were arrested for crossing onto the base. Three students were arrested for carrying crosses that didn't meet size requirements (ridiculous); you can see that video here.

The Saturday night rally videos can be seen here (also with a clip of me mediating!).

Okay, that's all for now!

Peace and Solidarity!

SOA Watch protest!

Hey Everyone! It's that time of year again! Time to head down to Ft. Benning, Georgia to close the School of the Americas, School of the Assassins, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC/WHISC).

For the complete history of the organization and history of the movement to shut it down, visit The SOA Watch.

I'm heading to Ft. Benning (from Amsterdam, NL) for the protest on Friday Nov. 16th with a group from the University of St. Francis! Woot. Should be fun. I'll keep you posted.

Let's Study War NO MORE!

Learning a different language. . .

So, since I've been living in Amsterdam I've been trying to learn Dutch. It's a hard language but luckily it has similarities to English which make it easier to understand. As of late, I've been understanding a lot more and am even starting to speak it. The unfortunate part of learning Dutch, however, is that most of my friends here speak Spanish! So, I've been speaking a lot of Spanish as well. With all this studying and practicing of languages I got to thinking about what would happen if we all learned a different language. Not Spanish, Not Dutch, Not German, or Arabic. A different universal language. A different language. . .

I've also noticed that since I've been studying Dutch and practicing Spanish, I'm understanding more of my own language. Understanding where it came from, how it developed, its uses and its limitations. There are some expressions in Dutch that can exactly define how I feel better than English. But, really, what if everyone took the time to learn a different language. . .

I think I have a song for this. . .

A Different Language
By: Colleen Kattau

they're sending my boy to Bahrain
to start another war all over again (2x)
learn a different language.
they won't send their boy to Bahrain
their hand's in the oil and they're pulling the strings
they never send their boy to Bahrain
they're royal with the oil and they would be king.
their son sits in a velvet chair- comfortable he ain't going nowhere
my son doesn't have enough money
so they make him a killer for the land of the free
why don't we learn a different language?
that says:
we want peace in this land nuye du salaaem
we want peace in this land di la kibush
nuye du salaaem
now they want to send my girl to Bahrain
equality ties to that ball and that chain
but they'll never send my girl to Bahrain
not till their child goes and not even then
we're teaching her a different language
we're reaching him with a different language
that says
we want peace in this land
nuye du salaaem
peace, nuye du salaaem


A different language. . .a language of Peace. Only after we study this new language can we understand the limitations of our current language of violence and war.

Immigration Resolution: 4 steps

I have been giving this topic a lot of thought. I'm trying to put things together. Maybe you can all help me. This is the way I see the Current Immigration Situtaion.

First let me make sure that all of you know where to find the the Current Immigration Guidelines. These play a very interesting role in the current "US Immigration Crisis."

Now, let me say something right off the bat. I do NOT think that the "Minute Men" should be patrolling our borders with their inflated sense of pro-America ideology. If anything, all of you should know that I don't believe in borders. They are not natural and don't have a place in the world. Now, don't confuse my hatred for borders with the acceptance of globalization. Globalization, they way it is abused politically and economically is NO GOOD. I despise the evil trade-oriented globalization. Now, in terms of my Utopia, I think international co-mingling and exploration as derived through the destruction of borders would be fantastic. So, #1: No Borders; they are designed to separate and destroy inter-personal relationships and human understanding (Remember "Divide and Conquer?").

Of course, people get really scared and threatened when you talk about destroying their border lines. Perhaps people feel safer when borders are established. To them I say #2: "let go of your fear!" / You have nothing to fear but fear itself! The reason for war? (Other than Religion, Money and Greed?) Control of land. . . which can be linked to the three parenthetical items. Forget it. You can't own the land! Plus, it's not worth it. Unless of course you are a greedy, selfish asshole. No judgements, I just don't want any of your shit to get on me.

So, no borders; no fear of other people; I guess we should talk about jobs. Taco Bell, the evil and labor-abusive fast food chain has been hiring 'Illegal Immigrants' for years. They hire illegal migrant workers. The workers pick tomatoes, come payday, Taco Bell calls the INS...those ASSHOLES! Now, we are seeing this huge uprising against the Immigrant people (who again: HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY U.S. AGRO-BUSINESS AND FREE TRADE) by Americans. The stupid people were NOT UPSET AT TACO BELL FOR HIRING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS??? If they are so pissed off about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, why are they not boycotting Taco Bell with the rest of us?? So, #3: Don't misplace your anger on the immigrants. They do your dirty work. Take your anger out on the CORPORATIONS and OTHER RICH ASSHOLES that employ them. . . preferentially by boycotting their companies and forcing them out of international free trade agreements!

Also,#4 my fellow US-Americans, remember that Compassion thing I talked about...Try to use some!. Got it?

So, we have no borders, we have no fear of a different culture, we don't misplace our anger on the immigrants displaced by US foreign policy and we have compassion. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.

Let's do this thing. Stop the minute men. Stop evil, people-displacing trade policies.

Paz

Also, Check Out One of My Favorite Singers!

The Party . . .

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in writing! I'm busy cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for my friends in Amsterdam and trying to stay healthy with this horrible weather!

So, here's a story. . . and kind of goes along with my feelings of Amsterdam at the moment (it's so time for me to go on vacation).

I worked at this party last weekend. . .

Pause.

Think.

Okay, it wasn't a party. It was a hardcore techno trip to hell for me and my friend Ana.

We worked from 10:30pm Saturday night until 7am Sunday morning. Mmmhmmm. I sold T-shirts for the first half then switched to selling Ijsjes (popsicles).

How did I get myself into that situation?

Well, my friend Sandra works for the company that threw the party (she builds and strikes the 'set'). Which, by the way, looked really cool. Unfortunately the children at this event were so high on X that they couldn't enjoy (let alone remember) the decorations. Hmmm.

So, while selling shirts and stuff I had a good time. Danced a lot. Talked to some people. But when I switched to Ijsjes, it was all over. People were more ignorant (I think their drugs kicked in) and demanding. Not to seem like it was all bad, because really, I talked to some really cool people and had fun with Ana- even though we didn't get paid! hehe.

So, anyway, my issue isn't with the party but with the drugs and the desire to forget everything that is real in the name of having a good time. . .

Does that seem a little pathetic (zielig) to anyone besides me?

I like reality. I like knowing what's going on in the world. I like being a part of the world. I know that not everyone can think the way I do (bless their hearts) but, come on. . .someone. . . give me an A-MEN on being over that scene!!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

I'll never condone violent revolution. . .but either way, celebrate Guy Fawkes Day!

Revolution starts with the mind!

Fires update. . .

Hey, recently I wrote about the California Fires and now I have an update!

Enjoy America's Fucked-Uptitude!

Waterboarding

Okay. I read this a couple of days ago and have to tell you that it really freaks me out. . . for several reasons!

For a person to not immediately condemn waterboarding as torture means a person thinks torture is okay. . .and there are people who think torture is Okay! And I thought Gonzales was bad?

Oh wait. . . do you know what waterboarding is?

Waterboarding is the act of strapping a person down to a board, covering their face with cloth and pouring water through the cloth into their lungs to simulate the act of drowning. Let op! This technique was reportedly first used in the Spanish inquisition.

So, the question. . .is waterboarding torture? For MuKasey, this is a difficult question. MuKasey believes that waterboarding may not be torture depending on the manner in which it is used.

Shudder.

This is a man who is so far up Bush's ass he can't see torture when it is systematically drowning him! And, we want him as Attorney General?

The thought of many is that MuKasey is protecting Bush and his cronies from being charged with war crimes. Torture is defined as a war crime and everyone up the ladder to the president involved in torture can be tried for a war crime (which would be a pity for the President to go out like this, since he and his buddies have done everything in their power to protect themselves against war crime charges (i.e. suspension of Habeus Corpus; Patriot Acts I/II).

Really, I want to know. . . what does this mean for the country?

The dawn of American-style Neo-Fascism?

Pause. . .

Add new 'blog' post entitled 'It's Fascism Man!

Continue. . .

I imagine dissidents of wars in America, activists against free-market economies, -dissidents, activists, people- being dragged from their homes after being suspected of terrorism and tortured like this. I imagine myself going through something like this.

That makes me scared, but my pride will not let me be afraid of my government.

The really shitty thing about torture is that it gets in the way of real Justice. For example, 80% of information used to convict Khalid Sheikh Mohammed- the supposed 9/11 mastermind- is unusable in court because of 'the means by which the information was obtained! That means, our governments torture tactics are actually interfering with the progress of justice!

Cringe. . ..

Fellow Americans, I need to tell you that no longer can you sit in silent support of your government. These tactics, the donation of 48% of your tax bill to military, the excessive use of force by the military and CIA are NOT FOR YOUR FREEDOM OR PEACE. Your government uses your money to torture and kill TO PROTECT THEMSELVES and one day, this FORCE SHALL BE USED UPON YOU.

Look at the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2007!

Shit is scary y'all! Time to rise up!

Phelps' Fine. . .

I have to say that I was rather happy to hear that Fred Phelps' Church, here was fined $11million for protesting at a military funeral. The policy of Phelps' church regarding war is that essentially "the reason we (America) loses so many wars is because we allow gays to participate in the military."

Shrug.

Let's see. . .

where to begin. . .

Perhaps the reason we lose so many wars is because we participate in too many wars at the same time, over estimate our military strength and underestimate the strength of our 'enemies'? Maybe the reason we lose so many wars is because our military is under the control of our idiot president, Dubya? Maybe the reason so many Americans die in wars is because we hire private mercenaries, like Blackwater, to work toward war and away from peace?

Ugh!

What does war have to do with gaydom anyway?!?!

Now, one thing that really infuriates me with organized religion is the fact that the people who participate usually (a broad generalization, I know; and if it includes you, I'm sorry) believe the simplest stories to understand the most complicated of situations. Whether it's gayness being the cause of military casualties, or God blinking waving his hand to create the universe; the simple stories are only created to make you feel better about where you've come from, why life is the way it is, and comfort you on your journey forward. But, my question is, do we need it? Well, I know that I don't.

I also think that religion in general takes away from the appreciation we all should have for nature and life. With organized religious institutions like that created by Phelps, you put your faith and appreciation into one imaginary being and really, IGNORE the world around you. If Phelps' followers were less interested in following the desires of an imaginary Old Testament God and were more appreciative of life and took a stand for Peace, there wouldn't be wars!

Damn.

Now, back to the funeral issue. Yes, they protested at funerals. Yes, they should have to pay the price (just like all activists). Though I believe in free speech and will support it to my dying day, I still think these people shouldn't have protested at a military funeral. Phelps' church must realize the difference between Liberty and License. Simple. Just because you can doesn't mean you should!!!

Show respect for the dead, even if the dead did not show respect for life. . .

Mmmhmmm. . .

Though I do not support the troops, I do not support people who don't respect life, though I don't support any person (gay, straight, male, female, black, white, brown, yellow, transgendered) who continues our worlds' legacy of war; I still think we must respect the dead. Always!

Oh, I have the perfect song for this!

Universal Soldier
By: Buffy Sainte-Marie

He's five foot-two, and he's six feet-four,
He fights with missiles and with spears.
He's all of thirty-one, and he's only seventeen,
Been a soldier for a thousand years.

He'a a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain,
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew.
And he knows he shouldn't kill,
And he knows he always will,
Kill you for me my friend and me for you.

And he's fighting for Canada,
He's fighting for France,
He's fighting for the USA,
And he's fighting for the Russians,
And he's fighting for Japan,
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way.

And he's fighting for Democracy,
He's fighting for the Reds,
He says it's for the peace of all.
He's the one who must decide,
Who's to live and who's to die,
And he never sees the writing on the wall.

But without him,How would Hitler
have condemned him at Dachau?
Without him Caesar would have stood alone,
He's the one who gives his body
As a weapon of the war,
And without him all this killing can't go on.

He's the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame,
His orders come from far away no more,
They come from here and there and you and me,
And brothers can't you see,
This is not the way we put the end to war.

Can I get an A-men?

Soldiers stop fighting- Drop your guns. Soldiers, you perpetuate these wars!

Respect life and honor the dead!

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos!

To those of you who have lost someone special in your lives, take this day to honor them!
(Though you should be honoring them everyday by your actions!)
Travis
Brian
Richard
Jason
William
Sully
Chris
Jolie

Presente!