WAR INC. IS WONDERFUL!!

Now you know how I feel about this movie. I can't spoil it for you... but John and Joan Cusack are wonderful, the entire movie about the future of war... or... really WAR TODAY where the contractors prosecute the war in conjunction with (fill in the blank), the CIA, DIA, NRO, NSA... you get the story.

According to the liberal blogs, the corporate media is trying to kill this movie... and frankly, I think they're right. Its just too good of a movie to be ignored as if its not happening. But its most definitely happening and GO SEE IT DAMN IT!!!

And after you've seen it, post your thoughts on it below.

Just for fun, I'm giving you a present for making it this far into this post with the film trailer which gives you a hint at the zany world that the movie portrays that is not terribly dissimilar to the world we live in already and heading in this direction FAST. Enjoy the movie!!!

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If Elected, Obama To Review All of Bush's Executive Orders

We just may get a President who respects the Constitution and will hopefully overturn the Bush Dictatorship and his signing of dozens of executive orders (that came out of Dick Cheney's office) on the grounds that they are unconstitutional. From the Reuters Blog from May 28th:

DENVER - Maybe it’s his background teaching constitutional law.

If elected president, Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama said one of the first things he wants to do is ensure the constitutionality of all the laws and executive orders passed while Republican President George W. Bush has been in office.

Those that don’t pass muster will be overturned, he said.

During a fund-raiser in Denver, Obama — a former constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago Law School — was asked what he hoped to accomplish during his first 100 days in office.

“I would call my attorney general in and review every single executive order issued by George Bush and overturn those laws or executive decisions that I feel violate the constitution,” said Obama.

Other goals for his first 100 days: work out a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq; make progress on alternative energy plans and launch legislation to reform the health care system.

Photo credit: Reuters/Rick Wilking (Obama talks to students during a visit to a school in Thornton, CO)

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What About Those "Stans", And Why Should I Care?

I discussed in an earlier post about the tragedy of Myanmar... citing the incredible might of the U.S. Military and the money we spend supporting this massive machine. I wondered why we can not have it put to good use to save lives in a situation in which our military might could have served US well as well and the people of Myanmar.

However, we live in a geo-political reality where its clear to everyone who LOOKS, that U.S. military policy exactly mirrors U.S. economic policy. Our national interests and national security are no longer a matter of nuclear annihilation, but simply a matter of using our overwhelming firepower to ensure the safe delivery of oil and natural gas through the middle east to markets in Asia. (We only get 10 % of OUR oil from the Middle East, that being from Saudi Arabia.) Note Thomas Barnett's "Pentagon's New Map For War and Peace " in the 21st Century. This map shows the focus of the U.S. military in the next century... and note that bulge in Central Asia. That's become a very important place.

I want to bring to your attention what is happening in the world that makes Central Asia the hotspot and focus of our military. Assuming that I am right (which I am) that our military protects our economic interests, then one must consider why we invaded two countries, why THOSE countries, and what we have to gain by these incredibly expensive and horrific adventures.

Earlier in B.L.O.G., I posted the strategic necessities of US Foreign Policy as outlined by the PNAC. In it, they discuss the need for a transfer of American military force from Western Europe... where it is clearly no longer needed... to Asia. Why Asia?

Its quite simple... The "STANS" HAVE THE LARGEST UNTAPPED DEPOSITS OF OIL AND GAS IN THE WORLD. Whoever controls the flow of that oil, will reap enormous benefits and be a major economic power as viewed by the current financial paradigm of the ruling elite... as well as providing a true supplementation to dwindling Middle Eastern Oil over the next decade or two.

From Jane's Foreign Report: "Intense competition for unimpeded access to the world’s natural resources is continuing and is likely to increase. The current unprecedented surge in fuel prices illustrates the growing need for a greater supply and consequently demonstrates the volatile nature of the energy market.

The Caspian Sea could meet some of that demand, because it has sizable proven and possible oil and gas reserves ("proven reserves" are defined as oil and natural-gas deposits that are considered 90 percent probable, and "possible reserves" are defined as deposits that are considered 50 percent probable). The littoral states of the Caspian Sea -- Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan -- collectively have an estimated 10 billion-32 billion barrels of proven and another 233 billion barrels of possible oil reserves."

This represents a new Saudi Arabia of Oil just north of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN. What a coincidence!!! Just so happens to be the two countries that we invaded. Wow... what luck!! Let's take a look at the map to your left.

Notice how incredibly landlocked this region is.... you need LANES to get the oil to the sea and on to those tankers. Look closely at the map... what are the two most perfect lanes to get this out? Afghanistan (just below Turkmenistan) down through Pakistan... that pipeline deal, known as the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline has already been inked. But how do we get even closer?

The Caspian Sea is where the action is and Kazakhstan is the major player here with the most potential for oil. The only OTHER way to move that oil for us to have control of it is WEST AND SOUTH of the Caspian Sea. Look at the map and see what two countries sit to the west and south... Iran and Iraq. WHAT A COINCIDENCE!! Georgia, Azerbaijan and TURKEY would be the route for new pipelines moving the oil away from the Russians and the Chinese and ensuring our control.

Watch in the next few years as Turkey grows in importance. We will be hearing a lot more about Turkey as it is the backbone for U.S. foreign and military policy in Asia for the foreseeable future. They are the hub between Asia and Europe and provide the quickest and best means of getting to this oil other than our control of Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is a map of pipelines under construction and proposed for the region... of particular note is the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline (that will move oil from the Caspian Sea west through Turkey):

I realize that this post may seem incredibly boring... and SO WHAT BRUCE!! I am in the business of understanding WHY we do what we do, and have realized that our military now ENACTS our economic policies by clearing zones of control and then acting as a force to protect those zones.

Therefore, if we want, we can now draw a new pipeline route south through Iraq on the above map. Note that Syria is now surrounded and trust me... eventually will not look anything like it does today. Economic and military realities will ensure this and already is forcing them to the peace table with Israel.

But if we are going to understand WHAT is going on and WHY in our world... we need to look at maps, and overlay the resources of the world over those maps. When you do so, you will have a glimpse of what is and what will continue to be U.S. Foreign and Military policy.

Its a good idea to know what we are actually up to... it helps us gain insight into what we have done, as well as what is potentially going to happen and perhaps even... PREVENT IT.

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Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's "A Stroke of Insight" IS Changing The World

Not long ago, I posted Jill Bolte Taylor's talk on TED.com about her stroke and her incredible experience from it. Very briefly, she experienced a hemorrhage in her left hemisphere dramatically impairing her left brain and its abilities. What she experienced is what she terms "the deep inner peace circuitry of the right brain". She realized that we can access this "space" and change who we are and how we relate to each other and to the world by choosing to access our right brains, and its innate capabilities.

What was immediately striking to me was how immensely powerful this talk is... but as I've watched it now... oh, about 25 times, (and still cry each time I see it) I've come to realize that as a former brain scientist from Harvard, she has the credentials and believability to assist in bringing about what may be the the next step in our evolution... converging science and spirituality. Here is her talk, please watch it... its truly wonderful and perhaps life transforming:



Why am I re posting this talk? For me, seeing this talk was something that I discovered alone and was a deeply personal experience. And then to discover that this experience has also touched many thousands, if not millions of other people was an astonishing and wonderful revelation. The New York Times did a story on her last Sunday that I discovered and was just blown away that this talk on TED has propelled her to a good degree of fame. The New York Times Story is here.

This was the second story the Times has written about Dr. Taylor. She was just named one of Time Magazines 100 Most Influential People of 2008... and it was from this talk! I just am so completely overjoyed about how a great talk like this can get noticed and recognized. I still am awe struck at the power of the web as well as the emerging influence of TED. It inspires me to be hopeful, keep writing and not to give in to pessimism.

If you want to connect directly with her... which I will certainly try to do... here is her website.

I feel as if this story is just the beginning of something really huge, and its one that I will watch very very closely.

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A Soldier's Story in Iraq

Today, I'm experiencing a sense of real agony over this war. It is so completely wrong I just want to scream out to the world: MAKE IT STOP, WE MUST COME TO OUR SENSES!! There is nothing good about what we are doing... its fitting that just after Memorial Day we are supposed to honor those who have protected our freedom and yet that is the exact opposite of what our war machine does now.

I have this nagging feeling that by doing nothing, we as a society will be punished irreparably for the pain that we have caused. We all know that we are sending a generation of Americans overseas to kill people for no reason other than to control the natural resources of that country and that region. (It seems so obvious to me... I still can't understand how its not to others). One FACT for everyone... Iraq has 115 billion barrels of oil underneath those sands... the second largest reserves of any country in the world.

Its a crime. Its a heavy burden that must face as a society. And we somehow must make this end. Candidly... I am not hopeful... I think that unless we Americans hit the streets and slam the lawmakers so hard to remove all the troops right now, then it won't ever happen in our lifetime. Watch this soldier's "winter tale" and then ask yourself, what can I do to stop this right now. Thank you for watching this...

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Barak's Commencement Address at Wesleyan, The Full Text

Today, I am providing a public service by helping to populate the blogosphere with the prepared speech by our future President Barak Obama. (Who stood in for Senator Edward Kennedy at the Wesleyan Commencement Address.) It is an inspired speech... and calls for a new generation of Americans to do SERVICE as a means for bringing about change.... not to go shopping. (Apparently, CNN cut in the middle of the speech... I'm so glad I don't have to watch that... I would have completely freaked out.) Thank you once again Wolf Blitzer and CNN for showing what you're made of. A Special thanks goes to Stephen C. Rose for posting the advanced script for people like me to disseminate.

Wesleyan University Commencement

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

Middletown, CT

As Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, President Roth, for that generous introduction, and congratulations on your first year at the helm of Wesleyan. Congratulations also to the class of 2008, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.

I have the distinct honor today of pinch-hitting for one of my personal heroes and a hero to this country, Senator Edward Kennedy. Teddy wanted to be here very much, but as you know, he’s had a very long week and is taking some much-needed rest. He called me up a few days ago and I said that I’d be happy to be his stand-in, even if there was no way I could fill his shoes.

I did, however, get the chance to glance at the speech he planned on delivering today, and I’d like to start by passing along a message from him: “To all those praying for my return to good health, I offer my heartfelt thanks. And to any who’d rather have a different result, I say, don’t get your hopes up just yet!”

So we know that Ted Kennedy’s legendary sense of humor is as strong as ever, and I have no doubt that his equally legendary fighting spirit will carry him through this latest challenge. He is our friend, he is our champion, and we hope and pray for his return to good health.

The topic of his speech today was common for a commencement, but one that nobody could discuss with more authority or inspiration than Ted Kennedy. And that is the topic of service to one’s country – a cause that is synonymous with his family’s name and their legacy.

I was born the year that his brother John called a generation of Americans to ask their country what they could do. And I came of age at a time when they did it. They were the Peace Corps volunteers who won a generation of goodwill toward America at a time when America’s ideals were challenged. They were the teenagers and college students, not much older than you, who watched the Civil Rights Movement unfold on their television sets; who saw the dogs and the fire hoses and the footage of marchers beaten within an inch or their lives; who knew it was probably smarter and safer to stay at home, but still decided to take those Freedom Rides down south – who still decided to march. And because they did, they changed the world.

I bring this up because today, you are about to enter a world that makes it easy to get caught up in the notion that there are actually two different stories at work in our lives.

The first is the story of our everyday cares and concerns – the responsibilities we have to our jobs and our families – the bustle and busyness of what happens in our own life. And the second is the story of what happens in the life of our country – of what happens in the wider world. It’s the story you see when you catch a glimpse of the day’s headlines or turn on the news at night – a story of big challenges like war and recession; hunger and climate change; injustice and inequality. It’s a story that can sometimes seem distant and separate from our own – a destiny to be shaped by forces beyond our control.

And yet, the history of this nation tells us this isn’t so. It tells us that we are a people whose destiny has never been written for us, but by us – by generations of men and women, young and old, who have always believed that their story and the American story are not separate, but shared. And for more than two centuries, they have served this country in ways that have forever enriched both.

I say this to you as someone who couldn’t be standing here today if not for the service of others, and wouldn’t be standing here today if not for the purpose that service gave my own life.

You see, I spent much of my childhood adrift. My father left my mother and I when I was two. When my mother remarried, I lived in Indonesia for a time, but was mostly raised in Hawaii by her and my grandparents from Kansas. My teenage years were filled with more than the usual dose of adolescent rebellion, and I’ll admit that I didn’t always take myself or my studies very seriously. I realize that none of you can probably relate to this, but there were many times when I wasn’t sure where I was going, or what I would do.

But during my first two years of college, perhaps because the values my mother had taught me –hard work, honesty, empathy – had resurfaced after a long hibernation; or perhaps because of the example of wonderful teachers and lasting friends, I began to notice a world beyond myself. I became active in the movement to oppose the apartheid regime of South Africa. I began following the debates in this country about poverty and health care. So that by the time I graduated from college, I was possessed with a crazy idea – that I would work at a grassroots level to bring about change.

I wrote letters to every organization in the country I could think of. And one day, a small group of churches on the South Side of Chicago offered me a job to come work as a community organizer in neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plant closings. My mother and grandparents wanted me to go to law school. My friends were applying to jobs on Wall Street. Meanwhile, this organization offered me $12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car.

And I said yes.

Now, I didn’t know a soul in Chicago, and I wasn’t sure what this community organizing business was all about. I had always been inspired by stories of the Civil Rights Movement and JFK’s call to service, but when I got to the South Side, there were no marches, and no soaring speeches. In the shadow of an empty steel plant, there were just a lot of folks who were struggling. And we didn’t get very far at first.

I still remember one of the very first meetings we put together to discuss gang violence with a group of community leaders. We waited and waited for people to show up, and finally, a group of older people walked into the hall. And they sat down. And a little old lady raised her hand and asked, “Is this where the bingo game is?”

It wasn’t easy, but eventually, we made progress. Day by day, block by block, we brought the community together, and registered new voters, and set up after school programs, and fought for new jobs, and helped people live lives with some measure of dignity.

But I also began to realize that I wasn’t just helping other people. Through service, I found a community that embraced me; citizenship that was meaningful; the direction I’d been seeking. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

Each of you will have the chance to make your own discovery in the years to come. And I say “chance” because you won’t have to take it. There’s no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should by. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America’s.

But I hope you don’t. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt.

It’s because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you’ll play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story

There are so many ways to serve and so much need at this defining moment in our history. You don’t have to be a community organizer or do something crazy like run for President. Right here at Wesleyan, many of you have already volunteered at local schools, contributed to United Way, and even started a program that brings fresh produce to needy families in the area. One hundred and sixty-four graduates of this school have joined the Peace Corps since 2001, and I’m especially proud that two of you are about to leave for my father’s homeland of Kenya to bring alternative sources of energy to impoverished areas.

I ask you to seek these opportunities when you leave here, because the future of this country – your future – depends on it. At a time when our security and moral standing depend on winning hearts and minds in the forgotten corners of this world, we need more of you to serve abroad. As President, I intend to grow the Foreign Service, double the Peace Corps over the next few years, and engage the young people of other nations in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity.

At a time when our ice caps are melting and our oceans are rising, we need you to help lead a green revolution. We still have time to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change if we get serious about investing in renewable sources of energy, and if we get a generation of volunteers to work on renewable energy projects, and teach folks about conservation, and help clean up polluted areas; if we send talented engineers and scientists abroad to help developing countries promote clean energy.

At a time when a child in Boston must compete with children in Beijing and Bangalore, we need an army of you to become teachers and principals in schools that this nation cannot afford to give up on. I will pay our educators what they deserve, and give them more support, but I will also ask more of them to be mentors to other teachers, and serve in high-need schools and high-need subject areas like math and science.

At a time when there are children in the city of New Orleans who still spend each night in a lonely trailer, we need more of you to take a weekend or a week off from work, and head down South, and help rebuild. If you can’t get the time, volunteer at the local homeless shelter or soup kitchen in your own community. Find an organization that’s fighting poverty, or a candidate who promotes policies you believe in, and find a way to help them.

At a time of war, we need you to work for peace. At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again.

Now understand this - believing that change is possible is not the same as being naïve. Go into service with your eyes wide open, for change will not come easily. On the big issues that our nation faces, difficult choices await. We’ll have to face some hard truths, and some sacrifice will be required – not only from you individually, but from the nation as a whole.

There is no magic bullet to our energy problems, for example; no perfect energy source - so all of us will have to use the energy sources we have more wisely. Deep-rooted poverty will not be reversed overnight, and will require both money and reform at a time when our federal and state budgets are strapped and Washington is skeptical that reform is possible. Transforming our education system will require not only bold government action, but a change in attitudes among parents and students. Bringing an end to the slaughter in Darfur will involve navigating extremely difficult realities on the ground, even for those with the best of intentions.

And so, should you take the path of service, should you choose to take up one of these causes as your own, know that you’ll experience frustrations and failures. Even your successes will be marked by imperfections and unintended consequences. I guarantee you, there will certainly be times when friends or family urge you to pursue more sensible endeavors with more tangible rewards. And there will be times when you are tempted to take their advice.

But I hope you’ll remember, during those times of doubt and frustration, that there is nothing naïve about your impulse to change this world. Because all it takes is one act of service – one blow against injustice – to send forth that tiny ripple of hope that Robert Kennedy spoke of.

You know, Ted Kennedy often tells a story about the fifth anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps. He was there, and he asked one of the young Americans why he had chosen to volunteer. And the man replied, “Because it was the first time someone asked me to do something for my country.”

I don’t know how many of you have been asked that question, but after today, you have no excuses. I am asking you, and if I should have the honor of serving this nation as President, I will be asking again in the coming years. We may disagree on certain issues and positions, but I believe we can be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency, and I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready, and eager, and up to the challenge.

We will face our share of cynics and doubters. But we always have. I can still remember a conversation I had with an older man all those years ago just before I left for Chicago. He said, “Barack, I’ll give you a bit of advice. Forget this community organizing business and do something that’s gonna make you some money. You can’t change the world, and people won’t appreciate you trying. But you’ve got a nice voice, so you should think about going into television broadcasting. I’m telling you, you’ve got a future.”

Now, he may have been right about the TV thing, but he was wrong about everything else. For that old man has not seen what I have seen. He has not seen the faces of ordinary people the first time they clear a vacant lot or build a new playground or force an unresponsive leader to provide services to their community. He has not seen the face of a child brighten because of an inspiring teacher or mentor. He has not seen scores of young people educate their parents on issues like Darfur, or mobilize the conscience of a nation around the challenge of climate change. He has not seen lines of men and women that wrap around schools and churches, that stretch block after block just so they could make their voices heard, many for the very first time.

And that old man who didn’t believe the world could change – who didn’t think one person could make a difference – well he certainly didn’t know much about the life of Joseph Kennedy’s youngest son.

It is rare in this country of ours that a person exists who has touched the lives of nearly every single American without many of us even realizing it. And yet, because of Ted Kennedy, millions of children can see a doctor when they get sick. Mothers and fathers can leave work to spend time with their newborns. Working Americans are paid higher wages, and compensated for overtime, and can keep their health insurance when they change jobs. They are protected from discrimination in the workplace, and those who are born with disabilities can still get an education, and health care, and fair treatment on the job. Our schools are stronger and our colleges are filled with more Americans who can afford it. And I have a feeling that Ted Kennedy is not done just yet.

But surely, if one man can achieve so much and make such a difference in the lives of so many, then each of us can do our part. Surely, if his service and his story can forever shape America’s story, then our collective service can shape the destiny of this generation. At the very least, his living example calls each of us to try. That is all I ask of you on this joyous day of new beginnings; that is what Senator Kennedy asks of you as well, and that is how we will keep so much needed work going, and the cause of justice everlasting, and the dream alive for generations to come. Thank you so much to the class of 2008, and congratulations on your graduation.

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Truthiness and the National Security State

I had a conversation today with someone who works in the New York Metro region news media, and he said they use the word "truthiness" in their banter. I believe they use it as an internal joke to describe what it is they do and perhaps use it a barometer to measure the garbage they send over the airwaves as "news" and "the truth" with "the facts on the ground".

They lovingly refer to this newstainment as "truthiness"... perhaps to make fun of what they report, of themselves and also perhaps to work through their own guilt at having once dreamed of an admirable profession that informs, enlightens, and by doing so helps to define and remind us of who we are.

The Urban Dictionary definition of TRUTHINESS: The quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts. ... and this seems eerily similar to what we hear from all parts of our governing bodies. Stephen Colbert claims ownership to this word and its fitting as he uses so wonderfully. Below is video where people were voting to make truthiness the Merriam Webster word of the year in 2006.



So today, with truthiness in mind, I want to ask the question, can we fix the mess we're in, or are we doomed to be the shortest living Empire in history, destroyed by its own greed, folly, arrogance, ignorance, laziness, fear and of course, pervasive TRUTHINESS?

As I listen to people talk, they whine on about the Bush Administration in the hopes that this administration is the purpose of all the ills, and once they're gone... our Utopian society will re-emerge.... mmmmm.... NO, ain't gonna happen.

I'm sorry to let you all in on a couple of truths that may hurt your feelings, but I like to say it like it is... that the truth about this country and the system we are in and are told is "democratic" is anything but... and that will not change short of a complete 'makeover', or 'do over'. The past three generations have never lived in a true democracy... and I see it as a reality that was created by a series of actions on the part of the ruling elite... but two stand out as particularly powerful in taking over the country.

1/ The Federal Reserve Act of 1913

In one single piece of legislation, United States currency, banking system, lending system and nearly all control over the financial levers of the economy was turned over to the Federal Reserve Board, a PRIVATE BANK made up of BANKERS who are appointed to 14 year terms and are not bound by the Constitution of the United States... just so happens that the Constitution says that the creation of a Central Bank is ILLEGAL.

Woodrow Wilson, the dimwitted president primed and placed into power by the Morgan's, Rockefellers and Warburg's and other bankiing families... was President from 1913 - 1921. Remember, as I stated in an earlier quote: he who controls the money system of a country controls that country.

Later in his life, Woodrow Wilson would say the following (realizing he had signed away American Democracy): A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men ... [W]e have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated, governments in the civilized world—no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men.
The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the Generous Energies of a People (New York and Garden City: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1913)

Later in same document: Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.

What power is he referring to?

2/ Fast forward to post World War II, and another dimwitted President, Harry S. Truman signs into legislation the National Security Act of 1947.

In one piece of sweeping legislation (the likes we have not seen since the creation of the Department of Fatherland Security), we created the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and The Air Force. One piece of legislation created the secret apparatus and the foundation of the National Security State we live in. It created two secret organizations involved solely in intelligence gathering and one who perhaps was created to develop the machinery to collect the information.

The purpose behind the creation of the Air Force in this legislation is one that is still open to debate. But using the simple principle of "follow the money" and using my favorite chart "Death and Taxes" , space based operations of the Air Force add up to roughly $30 Billion for satellite creation, deployment and operation. It appears to me that the Air Force was created to develop nuclear bombers, nuclear global strike aircraft and SPACE CAPABILITIES that could then be used by the NSC and the CIA for intelligence gathering and ensuring American hegemony into the next century. By the way, this happens to be twice the size of NASA's (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin) budget which will be in the area of $17 Billion.

The National Security State (formerly known as the United States of America) that was put into motion by this single piece of legislation... and along with a private banking system controlling the purse strings of the country... set in motion the cabal that rules our country today and has for the past 60 years.

Quite simply, the Military Industrial Complex (essentially the permanent arms industry of vast proportions and codified with an ironclad partnership between the Pentagon and a few enormous companies (the top 5 being Lockheed, Raytheon, Boeing, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman) seeks and successfully maintains the flow of unlimited Federal Budget by ensuring that the citizenry is always faced with an enemy and is therefore kept in a permanent state of fear and is forced to agree to fund permanent war.

The banking system reaps immense profit from this permanent war by funneling the spoils of it (cash and debt from the absolute control of the world's natural resources by the military) into American and American controlled banks. This includes the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as well.

There's bad news and good news... the good news is that this system will crush under its own weight as it seems to be doing now. Also, Americans are becoming aware of this cabal and their agenda and beginning to rumble aloud. Sadly, I think its going to take much more than that to dismember this system permanently.

The bad news: as this system crushes under its own weight... it just may take us with it.

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Eisenhower Warned Us... and We Didn't Listen

Attached in the former President of the United Stated Dwight Eisenhower warning an unaware and naive country of the impending doom to our democracy in the face of the "MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX". His chillingly statement, "the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and persists" is perhaps the most powerful and accurately predictive words we've heard from a President in modern times.

What caused Eisenhower to make this speech and how have we become sheep to this immense military machine that now rules our country... and perhaps the world? Whether or not they exist is no longer a question. What makes ME wonder is what went on his administration that led him to make such a speech. What did he see, what did he experience, and what did he know at that time? I believe that what he saw emerging in the Secret Government, the National Security Apparatus and its limitless Secret (black) Budgets was so alarming to him that he realized our Democracy was doomed. I firmly believe what he experienced has everything to do with how we are to dismantle this nightmare of a military dictatorship we live in NOW.

I believe every American should watch this video as it predicted our future as well as gives cues as to how to restore real democracy for future generations.

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Who Doesn't Love Pastor John Hagee?

This guy is a certified Christian Wackadoodle and is glued to John McCain like flies on poop. Have a look at what he has to say and then see McCain squirm when asked about it by Tim Russert. Again... Smart Democrats (assuming they are smart) will fill the airwaves with this guy and make McCain older by the day as he has to answer question after question about endorsing these sermons and points of view. This will pale in comparison to Rev. Wright. Enjoy the hatred and racism from the right wing Christians in the video below.

I LOVE YOU right wing Christians, you are so stupid and always derail Republicans with your non-sense. McCain is too cranky and not articulate enough to wiggle out of this. It will be fun to watch.

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I'll Have The Steak, But Hold The Beef

I'm sure that one of the reasons that it is so challenging for me to grow my blogging audience is that I write on a variety of topics with a perspective that is one that I have developed wholly independently. I am not swayed by the lies of political parties, "conventional wisdom" (which is neither) or what my friends and peers think. Therefore, I simply am not "marketable" to any one specific audience. You have to just like ME and what I have to say. I suppose you also have to like sarcasm and continuous bad news :-) and pictures of really cute cows.

There is one thing about me that has driven me to develop my own world view and even start this blog... and that is that I am not able to un-learn anything... that I can remember (I think). Therefore, I don't posses the ability to forget about things I read, hear or experience (that have an impact on me) because it does not fit with my view of the world or upset the conveniences I've become accustomed to. This is why I am a VEGAN.

I am not from the planet Vega and I don't speak Veganese. Vegan simply means NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS OR BYPRODUCTS GO IN THIS BODY OF MINE. So its been said.... its not terribly hard to do... and is incredibly rewarding because all change starts right here... with me.

I am not here to tell anyone what to do, but simply use myself as an example of a person who lives a life I believe is worth living that is ethical and based on what I have learned. (I also do make suggestions on occasion.) The truth is that we posses an animal holocaust system in the USA referred to as FACTORY FARMING. The term itself suggests the immense horrors that any animal unlucky enough to be born here must experience because we Americans believe that a meal is not a meal unless it has dead animal (or its byproducts) on the plate.

Recently, a talk given by Mark Bittman, Food Writer for the NY TIMES at the TED Conference, highlighted what are some of the critical issues associated with our insatiable appetite for meat and meat byproducts. I'm sorry to suggest you may have forgotten this, or simply don't actually know, but MILK COMES FROM A COW, AND WAS DESIGNED BY NATURE TO BE CONSUMED BY BABY COWS. (Trust me, you wouldn't believe how many people think its like Coca Cola and simply appears out of nowhere.)

Put simply... our meat (and fish) eating habit is not only killing us, its killing the planet. And I believe very strongly that it destroys our humanity, and our belief that we are an ever evolving species that acts out of our own good, and the greater good. Why?

- Agra-business is the 1st or 2nd largest cause of global warming according to an array of studies but the most important is a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, that states the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent and methane – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.

- We have over-fished the oceans to the point that we have completely destroyed the bio-diversity and vitality of sea life.... therefore being forced to produce fish in bacteria filled pools known as Fish Farms or as they're branded "Farm Raised Fish". Look and see where that Salmon you had for dinner comes from. By destroying the bio-diversity of the oceans, we seal our own fate... because everything is connected.

- The immense horror known as Factory Farming where most of our meat comes from, and is nothing short of torture and cruelty to all beings that enter the system. I need not go into the details here as you can get much more accurate and important information from the practices of livestock and fowl farming from the Humane Society or PETA.

- 10 Billion. That is the number of animals killed every year in the United States (9 billion chickens, turkeys and other birds and one billion cows) to satisfy the growing appetite of obese and ill-informed Americans who know nothing about the food they eat. (or what that food is doing to them.) This is a widely known number... but I originally learned it from the Humans Society, www. hsus.org. Consider that number for a moment. Does this seem as excessive and inhumane to you as it does to me and so many others?

As Mark Bittman says in his talk, we all have to change the way we behave when it comes to food. Its not just as an issue of social justice, but also one of global survival. He states unequivocally, "there is no good reason for eating as much meat as we do."

I need not torture you with more facts and figures (such as 85% of the food grown in the United States is fed to cows, and that same amount of food could feed 13 Billion humans, twice the population of PLANET EARTH) in order to make my point.

This system has to end for our very own survival. As Mark Bittman discusses, by changing our relationship with food, and better understanding and respecting what we are eating and how it made it to our dinner plates, we could change our behavior to help ensure our survival. But just as an ethical and historical issue for your amusement... we are only the 2nd generation in history that has had no direct relationship to the food we eat... and we don't even realize that.

What is it that I want you to do with this information? 3 EASY things that can change the world:

1/ Thank the animal every time you eat meat for giving up its life so you could enjoy it. Show some respect for the animals and act with decency and kindness to them.

2/ Cut meat out of one meal everyday. Unless you are a vegan or a vegetarian, you are probably eating way too much meat. You don't need nearly as much as you've been taught.

3/ Watch Mark Bittman's talk below and learn, understand, empathize and then act against what may be one of the single greatest horrors of our time, factory farming and its effects on our planet and our humanity.

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The Srait Talk Espresso

I really don't like to write about election politics. First, I have nothing to add as millions and milions of words are being written on this issue... and most of it SPECULATION. Additionally, if you read my earlier posts, you can see that I don't believe the President's job is to do much more than what they are told to by the people that paid to put them in power... and once in power, are clearly dominated by the National Security State apparatus created in the late 1940's that has ruled us with an IRON FIST ever since.

And then there is the immense financial interests involved to keep this sinking ship afloat... that far exceed any one person or administration's ability to do anything other than administer the agenda of others (I call the others 'the one's behind the curtain'). We're talking money so big... its beyond our minds to imagine. The President simply does not have enough power to make palpable change in a way that shakes up that money more than tiny, tiny, tiny bits at a time.

OK... call me a conspiracy theorist... I simply don't care if you think its my "conspiracy theory"... I can prove the whole thing.... one tiny but extremely significant example is Eisenhower's speech about the Military Industrial Complex given on January 16th 1961. I didn't make this all up... HE DID!.. and he was the PRESIDENT for 8 years. You may want to google it and listen watch or read the actual speech because it tell accurately what is happening TODAY. (Bruce.... stop trying to rationalize what you know and can easily prove to be the absolute truth.) I was just talking to myself... don't let it distract you.

Back to the subject at hand: I love watching politicians lie on television and get caught... and John McCain is clearly a champion when it comes to lies, misstatements and just being incredibly misinformed... or dare I say SENILE. Its actually quite funny to watch him try to straight talk himself out of a straight jacket time and again. This video from TheRealJohnMcCain website is funny and alarming and hopefully the Democrats will use it 'liberally' during the campaign to derail him.

By the way, he has a notorious temper, and if the Democrats are smart (which is yet to be proven in recent presidential campaigns)... they can make good use of this as the Clinton's very cleverly manipulated Newt Gingrich's primary weakness (Megalomania) to get him to undermine himself and speedily end his Congressional career. Enjoy and pass along:

The VIDEO

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Ann Coulter Enshrined in Dickipedia, A Great Day In History

Speaking of dumbing down... Dickipedia has just entered Ann the Coulter into the hall of fame of DICKS where she permanently belongs as DICK NUMERO UNO. From Dickipedia:

Ann Hart Coulter (born December 8, 1961) is an American conservative pundit, a syndicated columnist, a best-selling author, a frequent television and radio guest, a self-described “polemicist,” and a self-promoting dick. Best known for purveying hate, Coulter revels in the mass loathing she herself inspires, a delight so aberrational as to invite speculation that she may in fact be an alien life form. That, actually, would explain a lot.

The remainder of her incredibly undistinguished bio in Dickipedia is here. Welcome to Dickipedia Ann!!! No one ever deserved it more than you.

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Successfully dumbing down everything

I've been wondering what it will take for me to gain more readers and/or interest in the topics that I explore in B.L.O.G. The person I was talking with today reminded me that we Americans can handle little more than soundbites and in reality have little time or energy to educate ourselves about the world. Even worse, the more educated we become, the worse it all seems to get... so it can be quite depressing. Therefore, people seek out distractions such as sports, mind numbing reality shows or the latest celebrity rehab or drunk driving accident.

To present this skewed reality and its effects, I found two pieces I want to share with you that illustrate this situation perfectly...

1/ A very brief talk given at TED by Alisa Miller, CEO of Public Radio International where she visually demonstrates the inequities and inanities of International News Coverage, and

2/ Findings published by the National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study on young Americans knowledge of the global map. The findings are alarming... (60% could not find Iraq on a map of the MIDDLE EAST) and demonstrate that as this audience gets their International news, they clearly have no clue as to where the places that are being reported are, and almost nothing about those places... and worst of all, don't really care that they don't know.

Alisa points out in her talk that the lack of international coverage is perhaps due to its cost and cost cutting by the major news networks. I don't disagree, but I have a different take on WHY... I believe that there is a conscious effort afoot (over time) to de-educated us in order that we as a society know nearly nothing about the world that we are not told in the MSM... AND, that the less we know, the more we can be manipulated.

This has been demonstrated time and again that the less people know, the more apt they are to believe what they are told without questioning... as of course they have no knowledge about anything in order to form real questions or challenge the "facts".

I'll shut up here and let you watch Alissa's talk... its actually quite entertaining and SHORT enough to watch and enjoy (its kind of funny).

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Tell It Like It Is Keith

My friend and former colleague Ken emailed me this video of Keith Olbermann's latest political commentary from MSNBC and asked if I would post it to B.L.O.G. Ken, you scored big! Its a masterpiece of emotion, truth, terrific writing and powerful speaking about Bush's latest meandering stupidity. We are all so fed up with this administration, and as I've noted, they've made our entire country look behind its shoulder to see who's watching and listening to us... and sadly, done all of it with lies and manipulation,

But in a rare moment of candor and real anger at the government that you seldom see on television, Keith really digs his fangs in for all to see ... and uses three recent examples of Bush insanity to illustrate his feelings.

Thank you to Ken for bringing this to my attention as I do not watch TV, and thank you to Keith Olbermann for telling the truth in such vivid color and emotion that is backed up by fact. Please take the time to watch... its just a few minutes, its just stunning and wonderful to watch, and will help us all to remember what dark days we live in and perhaps help energize us to revitalize what could be an astonishingly great nation... OURS. Take it away Keith:

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Seems to be in Fascion

Recently, I've spoken with few people who are actually AFRAID to click on this blog. I suppose they believe (and perhaps its true) that the NSA, NRO, CIA, FBI or any of our 16 intelligence agencies are watching to see who reads these words and therefore can be branded "enemies of the state", or worse "Enemy Combatants" and have all of their rights immediately suspended. Ahhhh America. Land of the free, home of the brave.

Well, this won't stop me from doing anything. I firmly believe that clicking on my blog is the ultimate form or freedom and patriotism and should not in any way engender fear in the hearts of people that they are "being watched" by simply reading my little ole opinions about what really goes on in this country.

But the most alarming thing I find is the success at which the government has placed fear at the heart of free expression so that people are actually afraid to click on a site because they think the government might be monitoring. I do not espouse violence, or even an uprising against the structure... my goal is to simply inform people of the things I think they may not already know and should. Why? Well to protect their very freedom to able click on this without having their rights suspended. Seems reasonable to me.

Michael Moore said it so wonderfully in SICKO.... democratically elected governments are supposed to be AFRAID of the people.... but here in AMERICA.... (land of the free, home of the brave)... there seems to be lots of people that have little "feeling" of freedom, even less bravery and whole lot of FEAR.

I find it alarming for the simple reason that its that fear of people to speak up and act that we have seen over and over in the past which is the FOUNDATION for the rise of of Fascism. I've found many definitions of Fascism but the one I think is best (below) is because it doesn't reference what it has come BEFORE... because each fascist regine is slightly different each time, whether its Hitler, Mussolini, Pinochet or Stalin.

The 14 Characteristics of Fascism by Lawrence Britt
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
4. Supremacy of the Military
5. Rampant Sexism
6. Controlled Mass Media
7. Obsession with National Security
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
9. Corporate Power is Protected
10. Labor Power is Suppressed
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
14. Fraudulent Elections

Wow, where we have seen all of these before?  Sounds like a history book of the Bush administration.    

To those pathetic fearful indivduals who are too afraid to read this BLOG...  Shame on you for letting this happen...
because its only the start of what your fear will lead you to do.

Why must people feel afraid of their own government when they are told  that the terrorists hate us for our
freedom?  Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

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Stop Torturing Me!

I think there are two current issues that I am by far the most passionate about:

1/ Our complete denial that the planet is dying is we're going to go with it... and resulting inaction from that denial

2/ The use of torture by the government of these Unites States Of America

As I look through the thousands of articles in my Google Reader from all the major media and big blogs... I just don't see much on these issues. The Huffington Post should really just shut up about this election and start to focus on bigger issues. They now look like a left leaning CNN as they dither away the time contemplating their navels about the election and endlessly complaining about conservatives.

Arianna, as much as I love to read what you have to say... the truth of the matter is that if we have no oxygen to breathe then your (very justified) hatred of the right will be so completely irrelevant. Why? Well for those of you who don't know this... we get 70% of our oxygen from the oceans... mostly produced by plankton. If the oceans heat up too much, (some say by just 2 degrees) the plankton will die, and then for all you really smart people who can connect the dots... so do we. Call me crazy.

Thank you to Amnesty International for giving us a glimpse at the horror of water boarding. Have a look... perhaps it will cause YOU to do something now... not tomorrow.



This is a time for ACTION on these two fronts as I believe that no two issues are more important than the very existence of life of our planet and the complete destruction of American values and democracy that torture represents.

That's why I love WE... and that's why I love the ACLU, and that is why I love Amnesty International. THEY DO SOMETHING. They are acting and behaving as if these are extreme emergencies that must be fixed NOW... and not just discussed and then have a committee formed and then have a meeting and then write a memo and then hope for the best.

I have taken the liberty to share with you the blog page from the ACLU on TORTURE and encourage you to look at it, join and TAKE ACTION. They are calling for an Independent Prosecutor and that's a great start as it will make this THE number one political issue of our time as it should be.... not Hillary and Obama and John McCain. They are far secondary to this pressing issue .

Its really simple to make a difference. Go to http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/index.html and donate, send letters to your Congressional Representatives and spread the word. This is an issue we no doubt all agree on. But just remember... someone is being tortured by the Unites States Government with your tax dollars at this very moment for no reason other than to gain false confessions that our military then uses to justify its out-of-control spending.

Don't just sit there... DO SOMETHING! Why not? Is it gonna hurt you somehow to do the right thing?

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AMER Oh?

Something is happening that no one seems to know about except (I suppose, myself and a very few others) and a select few in government and the financial community that will speak publicly about it. Its called the North American Union (NAU) and we (Canada, Mexico and the U.S.) would be united under one currency, the AMERO.

As the Boston Globe in their accurate and daring reporting in their article entitled "The Amero Conspiracy" they say, If you haven't heard about the NAU, that may be because its plotters have succeeded in keeping it secret. Or, more likely, because there is no such thing."

Wow, the BOSTON GLOBE!, the GREAT PURVEYOR OF TRUTH, constantly uncovering the untrue conspiracies, I hear everyday about the great journalism going on at the Boston Globe... one of the world's most important newspapers.

A note to the Boston Globe - How about you spend your time uncovering real live untrue conspiracies such all those other untrue ones from the Bush Administration (you've heard of them right?) that cover up torture and secret prisons abroad, destroy terabytes of data about their activities doing so, invade countries with intelligence they made up.... and let someone else handle the easy stories ok?

Yet its fun reading the Boston Globe tell it like it is... that this as an untrue conspiracy and yet all the while, reveals to an uninformed public the entire plan! (You think that's an accident or just another coincidence?) They state that there are some rather prominent members in the media and government (what a surprise) who are talking quite a bit about this and they are not happy... and can clearly see the pattern developing that looks exactly like the development of the European Union (but without the transparency of process the Europeans enjoyed)... and are now obviously united under ONE CURRENCY, the EURO. (Another coincidence!)

One of the great conspiracy theorists of our country in none other than Lou Dobbs of CNN. This guy is certifiably NUTS and there is no conspiracy that he doesn't believe in... give Lou a picture of a UFO and he can clearly see the GRAYS driving and ready to abduct. Let's see what this great conspiracy theorist himself says about the AMERO:



And there is even a conspiracy TELEVISION STATION entitled CNBC... these guys are WACKO!:



Ok, so the truth is that none of this is new... and candidly, a plan that makes a whole lot of sense for big business. So let's take a quick look at what's happened that makes many people who have seen the pattern over and over again believe that the AMERO will be a reality by 2010:

1/The North American Free Trade Agreement that went into effect on January 1st, 1994 creating a free trade zone between Canada, the US and Mexico. Working as it ought to and upsetting enough people that it actually became an issue in this election.

2/ The creation of the NAFTA Superhighway System. For those who live in Texas, this is a currently a big reality (as it is being built right right now on their land. (Don't believe me?.... just give em a call and ask them yourself, or go online and read about all of the town meetings going on now trying to deal with this). And just because its not on TV doesn't mean its not happening. Some of the contractors are building privately run and operated highways, such as the San Antonio construction company that is is owned by a private consortium out of Spain... and is building a toll highway in which the tolls obviously will go back to... Spain. Google it and see if I'm crazy... or if you are.

3/ And then the series of North American Trilateral meetings: From the meeting in 2006: "Bush-Fox-Harper reviewed the progress of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, as well as to set up a North American Competitiveness Council. They agreed to expand the existing cooperation on key issues such as border security, emergency management and clean technologies to produce energy." Huh? If those are the key issues, why would they call it the "North American Competitiveness Council"?

A little research and we find what really happened at that meeting in 2006 and is summarized here so go ahead and read the agreement. Of course it does not explicitly state that such a thing called the Amero exists (Lou did that for us as well as CNBC)... but for those of you who can read baloney, understand finance, and can read the writing on the wall, and between the lines, what the report says is that "agreements were made to substantially reduce transaction fees for goods that are traded across borders". How is it that you ELIMINATE transaction fees?

One currency!

I'll end with the definition of conspiracy for those who dismiss as false anything that they have not heard of (yet)... and of course... since they haven't heard of it... it MUST be a conspiracy, or simply not be true. Right?

Conspiracy as defined by Meriam Websters Dictionary of Law: An agreement between two or more people to commit an act prohibited by law or to commit a lawful act by means prohibited by law

or the more mundane definition: "any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result"*
* Modern Language Association (MLA): "conspiracy." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 May. 2008

No where in these definitions does it say "ill informed people fantasizing crazy theories that they made up out of thin air and are untrue" As we can all see... and, if we were to actually THINK ABOUT IT... we are surrounded everyday by conspiracy theories.

As a matter of fact, almost all news is of and about conspiracies. There currently is a conspiracy by the government of Myanmar, by the Clintons and the Obamas; there is big whopping conspiracy by a band of terrorists known as Al Queda (which by the way, was the name of AMERICAN database of Mujaheddin fighters... wow... who knew that??? huh? More about that in another post.)

And while we're on the Mujaheddin, their creation was (a now very well known) conspiracy by the CIA and the US GOVERNMENT to covertly arm the "freedom fighters' of Afghanistan with American arms to fight the Soviety Union that were "re-branded" with logos from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. No one knew about that either. Hmmm... wasn't there was a Hollywood movie recently made about this grand conspiracy last year that starred Tom Hanks (the great and might conspiracy theorist himself)? And for those who saw the movie... where was the press reporting on this? They weren't, IT WAS A CONSPIRACY!

Let's go to the scorecard. If its a good thing but looks like a conspiracy, its not considered a conspiracy. If its something we don't know about YET... or its considered BAD... then it is clearly not true, or a fantasy of "conspiracy theorists". Its like being called a Communist in the 1950's. Call them "conspiracy theorists" and it dismisses them and their knowledge immediately.

The funny thing is that "conspiracy theorists" are in some pretty good company (this time) about the NAU... such as CNN and CNBC and just about every major foreign news service. And again... you think I'm nuts? Go to "You Tube" and search "North American Union"... and see how many hits you get (hint... hundreds of thousands of videos).

And then you may want to ask yourself... where am I? why am I so poorly informed? and where have I been for the past several years while all of this has been planned and is now in the execution phase?

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Are You Ready To Take The RED PILL

If you are, then sit down and watch the attached short video and then open your mind to new possibilities...



What is a False Flag Operation? "False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is, flying the flag of a country other than one's own. False flag operations are not limited to war and counter-insurgency operations, and have been used in peace-time; for example, during Italy's strategy of tension."

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