So this is Democracy ?

[Marmaduke]

King O’ the Hill or Have the Prisoners Taken over the Prison at last ?

By Jasperthecat

We are familiar with the phrase ‘The lunatics taking over the asylum’, but perhaps a more accurate analogy in the age, heralding the loss of more and more personal freedoms in our head long rush into war on an abstract noun (even Bush’s abuse of language never quite managed this full frontal assault before) would be the prisoners taking over the prison. Well, it might have been except none actually went to prison.

Henry Kissinger is set to head the independent investigation into 911, which should prove interesting , given his penchant for official secrets and his desire to insure they remain this way (one wonders what he might have uncovered if there had been an investigation into the secret bombing of Cambodia, had he not been it’s architect). Evidence that he convinced the South Vietnamese to reject a peace treaty being negotiated by Lyndon Johnson, so paving the way for the election of that other criminal, Richard Nixon, must fill the American public with such faith into his ability to transmute national security into domestic politics and provide another rich vein of sycophancy for George Bush to mine at will. Or should that be drill ?

Were this an isolated case of one of the cold war warrior old guard being appointed some ‘token post’ (and head an enquiry Bush never wanted in the first place), it might be brushed off as another irrelevancy to be overshadowed by the valiant dress rehearsals of Gulf War II, that our ever vigilant press are eager to insure they have front row seats, while ignoring the broader question of why we need to fight it in the first instance.

Alas, Heir Kissinger is not alone in prime government appointments. Given the general amnesia that seems to have affected many of the American people, why not resurrect the flailing careers of some other ex-cons, desperate to earn a crust ? Given Bush’s axing of so much of the Social Security that acted as a safety net to many American’s suffering redundancy (no doubt as a result of the same ‘shred from shame’ antics that Enron’s accountants- Price Waterhouse adopted from the Regan era of honest disclosure to Congress). So while next year, some 90,000 US citizens, per month, may find themselves without any social security benefits, it’s good to know several old gentlemen of politics find the Bush administration willing to forgive for past misdemeanours- even where they involved fraud and deception. But, hey, that was only of the American public, and as we see so clearly, they don’t count too much these days, unless they can be whipped into some hysterical mass that blindly accept any restriction Bush deems necessary for the protection of the liberty they are seldom likely to see. What better people to overlook vital departments than relics from the Iran-Contra days, who, circumventing that unnecessary obstacle called Congress, used money gained from the illegal sale of arms to fund the equally illegal arming of rebels in Nicaragua, or was it the illegal selling of drugs ( recipient, one US populace, whole) to fund the selling of arms to Iran ? Who remembers anyway ?

Enter, stage right, one Admiral, John Poindexter – 5 times convicted on felony counts of conspiracy, making false statements to congress and obstructing congressional affairs (‘Over Rulled !’- on the technicality, that he was granted immunity because of his forced testimony to congress). Iran- Contra was considered a sufficient enough scandal to have lead to the impeachment of the President Ronald Regan (save for the fact Ollie North discovered previously unknown secretarial skills with a shredder), according to the investigator of the Iran-Contra affair- Arthur L Liman.

What more suitable man to appoint as head of the Information Awareness Office, part of the Pentagon’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPRA)- talk about poacher turned gamekeeper. But he has the president’s backing for ‘serving our nation very well’ – according to Ari Fleischer’s press briefing of February 25th 2002. The man that told Ollie North to lie is now responsible for finding the lies other’s tell. Wonder if it allows time for some ‘off balance sheet’ arms dealing on the side ?

Then there’s Otto Reich who ran the office that managed the Iran-Contra affair, who has the dubious accolade from the Comptroller General of behaviour that was “beyond the range of acceptable agency information services” and in violation of “restrictions on the State Departments annual appropriations prohibiting the use of federal funds for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorised by Congress”. One wonders whether he might have been better in Poindexter’s post ?

Reich is vice chairman of ‘Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production- a clothing industry front founded in June 2000 to undermine the growing number of third world sweat shops, yet is dominated by Industry representatives, has no public provision for any problems factories- or even where such factories are located, has a labour code that is anti-union and only requires manufacturers impose only ‘self appointed’ environmentally conscious practices. Perhaps he’s got the right job after all as Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs. Given his love of Cuba, that should prove something of a challenge.

Next stop, Elliot Abrams who was assistant Secretary of State for Latin America under Regan and another Key player in the Iran-Contra Affair and who oversaw much of the atrocities in Central America (Nicaragua, El Salvador), he gets director of the National Security Council’s office for democracy, human rights and international operations. Bush certainly has a sense of irony if not justice. Another who found himself tongue tied before the Congressional committee investigating Iran-Contra, not that he always suffered from such shyness as he managed to lie to Congress when he claimed that the massacre of hundreds of villagers in El Mozote (by US trained forces none-less) was nothing but ‘commie propaganda’. No doubt the same ‘commies’ in the UN were at work when they reported that of the 22,000 killed in El Salvador, some 85% resulted from the abuses of the Regan armed, trained and (of course, thanks to our previous good characters here) financed by the US. Although he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour counts of lying to congress, he was subsequently pardoned by Bush Snr

Other Iran-Contra alumni include UN Ambassador John Negroponte, who as Ambassador to Honduras during the Nicaraguan war assisted in the CIA funded (and don’t forget, covert) terrorism. John Negroponte deliberately falsified State Department human rights reports throughout his time in Honduras. U.S. missionaries and many people of faith and conscience were murdered by the CIA-trained Honduran Battalion 3-16, which Negroponte at best overlooked and at worst oversaw.

Richard Armitage, now assistant Secretary of State is another Bush appointee, who had previously been investigated by President Reagan's Commission on Organized Crime (1984) for alleged links to gambling and prostitution, and was denied a similar post in 1989 because of his involvement in Iran-Contra, as he was named by North as one of the DoD officials responsible for the illegal sale of arms to Iran (he served as Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs under Regan).

With a Pedigree like this hadn’t a war on terrorism best begin with a closer look at home ? Perhaps there’s still hope for ex Enron CEO (and Bush campaign funder) Kenneth Ley, may be Attorney General in a few years, at least he had to good sense to get someone else doing the shreading ?



[Edited by Jasperthecat on 29th November 2002 at 19:30]

[Niquie]

.....what's your excuse?

You have the facts correct and in place, (and most AMERICANS would fail this history test miserably) but here is the one statement I'd like to address......

"What better people to overlook vital departments than relics from the Iran-Contra days, who, circumventing that unnecessary obstacle called Congress, used money gained from the illegal sale of arms to fund the equally illegal arming of rebels in Nicaragua, or was it the illegal selling of drugs ( recipient, one US populace, whole) to fund the selling of arms to Iran ? Who remembers anyway ?"

I remember. I watched every minute of the hearings and I own the transcript of the proceedings. But the one surreal scene that plays over and over in my mind is the one where that enemy of the state, Oliver North, dressed in his military finest, told the Committee -- with profound arrogance -- that his end-run pass around the Boland Amendment was THE RIGHT THING TO DO for the Contras (bullfodder) and the American people (more bullfodder).

And that enemy of the state had the huevos to run for the very august body politic that he gave the middle finger to -- CONGRESS! The fact that he lost is little consolation. The very idea that he COULD run, sickens me. He should have been shot for treason.

Yes, the loonies are running the asylum. Sorry the rest of the World needs to see this -- but maybe a little worldwide shame will light a fire under us. Frankly, when I heard Poindexter's name mentioned on NPR, I about lost control of my car. I just could not believe it!

My God, our forefathers have turned in their graves so much they must have lost all sense of direction by now.

[allenb]

Okay, okay...I have to comment here. First of all, I am going to agree (gasp!) that Bush's choice of Kissinger for this appointment was a bad move. I could have understood if he had asked him to do some sort of diplomatic duty or even some sort of an advising role, but 9/11 investigation?! Given the history and reputation of Kissinger, he just opened the doors wide open for the very people who have been criticizing him for having something to hide to begin with. My reason for saying that Kissinger is a bad choice is no bad reflection on Kissinger, himself, but on Bush's bad public relations move.

Niquie, you mentioned hearing something on NPR...I used to listen to them and finally just gave up. There is nothing but Liberal rhetoric on there anymore these days. I still occasionally turn over there for some classical music, but not often.
I'm sure you guys would be proud to know we now have a station carrying Rush Limbaugh in Tuscaloosa...hehehe...
I'm hardly ever in the office or the car long enough to hear much of his show between 11 and 2, though...

Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

[Niquie]

Poindexter's name was mentioned in his current capacity. Nothing more.

And Rush Limbaugh???? That idiot can't remember hos own wife's name. Keeps calling her "My lady." [barf/gag]

[allenb]

Limbaugh can be quite obnoxious sometimes, but if you can overlook that he makes a very intelligent air-tight argument for his side.

Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

[revolution]

when the majority decides over the heads of minorities
even tough all minorities in sum would be more then the majority...

[Niquie]

Originally posted by revolution
when the majority decides over the heads of minorities
even tough all minorities in sum would be more then the majority...

Revo, dear, this doesn't make any sense to me. The majority cannot be the majority if the sum total of the minorites are the majority.

Unless you are talking about the U.S. electorial college -- which is a convoluted nightmare and the one thing our founding fathers did not properly think through.

[Niquie]

Originally posted by allenb
Limbaugh can be quite obnoxious sometimes, but if you can overlook that he makes a very intelligent air-tight argument for his side.

Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

I find absolutely nothing intelligent that comes out of Limbaugh's mouth and the only thing I find "tight" on him is his rectum.

[imported_iluminado]

Niquie:

LMAO

[allenb]

Originally posted by revolution
when the majority decides over the heads of minorities
even tough all minorities in sum would be more then the majority...

Ummm...so you are proposing what...communism, fascism, or anarchy?



Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

[allenb]

[B}

Originally posted by Niquie

I find absolutely nothing intelligent that comes out of Limbaugh's mouth and the only thing I find "tight" on him is his rectum.
[/b]

"With half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair.." - Rush Limbaugh

Sorry...couldn't resist that one...

Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

[Niquie]

You will never know where, you will never know when. Just gotta do it before the damned board closes!

[revolution]

Originally posted by Niquie

Revo, dear, this doesn't make any sense to me. The majority cannot be the majority if the sum total of the minorites are the majority.

Unless you are talking about the U.S. electorial college -- which is a convoluted nightmare and the one thing our founding fathers did not properly think through.

then think twice!


if you have a choice of 4 posibilities
and 1st gets 30 points and 2nd 25 points and 3rd 20 and 4 25 points
then the winner is the 1st
but on the other hand 70 voted against that first choices...
did you got me???

[revolution]

Originally posted by allenb

Ummm...so you are proposing what...communism, fascism, or anarchy?



Allen B.
allenb@bama.ua.edu

anarchy
heheh

I'm proposing nothing...

[imported_iluminado]

I propose a Social-Democracy. One in which all citizens have EQUAL access to healthcare and education. One in which all citizens have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. One in which freedom of speech and thought are encouraged, and where "the pursuit of happiness" is not limited only to some. Don't tell me this is not possible, it's been accomplished in some parts of the world. If the rich want to build fortunes once these basic rights have been covered, then more power to them (I'm a realist, I know most people are too selfish to make even distribution of wealth possible). But the rich should not keep getting richer at the expense of the basic rights of others like they do now, often using bribes, and military/terrorist tactics to achieve it. These fundamental human rights should be respected for all people, all over the world. The necessary precautions should also be taken to insure that economic development is truly sustainable, and in line with the interests of the majority of people worldwide (i.e. environmental, socio-economical stability of the WHOLE WORLD, not of just one nation or a small group of nations).

Communism didn't work; Neo-liberal capitalism is not working. When are we going to realize that it is not as easy as black and white. It's time to leave ideologies behind and find true answers to achieve peace and justice for everyone.