real sheople vs. pseudo/spivs (NWO; rip-offs)

[subject to possible revision]

 .. there's no such thing ...

   .. as a truly 'free' lunch ...

     .. or is there? (not according to 2nd thermo-law there ain't!)

-=*=-

Explication: This is a continuance of and extension to my more NWO ... - which has less to do with any NWO per se but rather more on one of the oldest (& filthiest!) 'tricks' in the book, namely currency debasement.

-=*=-

Preamble (2nd thermo-law[1]): Basically, life as we know it should not exist. Living organisms are more complex than their 'inputs;' this is only possible because energy is 'captured' and employed to build that complexity. But, like a clock that can only run down, some of the energy used to wind the clock gets irredeemably 'lost' (i.e. dissipated, as friction/heat - not lost at all but gone non-usable); a clock can only 'borrow' energy - and can never pay it all back (due to those unavoidable losses). Similarly also, with life - and $s.

Warning (from a friend): "It is not simple." 

Then, a 'pome:'

 « .. never once gave it away
everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York city is the place where they
said Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side ...» 

-=*=-

"Veni, Vedi, Veci[2]" - 'They came, they saw, they conquered,' where 'they' are the US & Israel - each more ugly - and filthily criminal - than the other. A veritable plague on our once jewel-like planet; what sad days indeed, when each first saw the cruel, hard light of day.

Q: What differentiates either from the 3rd Reich[3]?

A: Nothing; nothing at all: *ZERO*!!? 

[End of scene-setting]

-=*=-

I 'grew up' during the so-called 'cold war.' We were advised that there were 'reds under the bed.' Communists (Russia, China then later N.Vienam, many others) were to be feared. Worst was that 'they' (always the amorphous 'they,' in those days 'Commos;' now it's terrorists and more specifically 'Islamo-fascist' terrorists) always were (& still are) 'coming to get us,' to blow us up, with A- and H-nukes (ve-e-ery scary) - or person/car/airplane bombs; whatever.

A remnant of the cold war occasionally echoes through my mind:

  «Better red than dead!» (Or was that vice versa?)

A few things 'they' - now quite a different amorphous 'they;' now I'm talking about the corrupt and venal MSM - including the (traitorous!) AusBC - what the 4th estate 'they' didn't tell us, is that the US (with side-kick Israel) were (a) ripping the world off and (b) murdering to do it. Bad MSM! Worse AusBC!!

-=*=-

Ideally, we (supposedly!) have a democratic society; of/by/for the people; representatives do the so-called 'leading' and we (the sheople) do the voting. In addition, we have workers, 'managers' and entrepreneurs, each doing their bit in the cooperative effort which (again supposedly!) is 'modern civilisation.' Well, sadly, almost all wrong. The sheople are dumbed-down and misinformed (thanks, but "No, thanks!" to the AusBC and other such 4th estate traitors), our representatives are 'fakes' (they may represent alright, but mostly *not* the voters' interests; they are misleading us), and in business, 'they' - the final and worst amorphous 'they' - rip us, we the sheople - and most of the world - off.

The 'shorthand' title of this business 'they' is the M/I/C-plex, as warned of sooo long ago. We can 'see' the US & Israeli military as they go about their utterly filthy murdering for spoil, even though the 4th estate is/are giving these military crooks such a 'soft ride.'

The business 'they' also includes the banksters (very 'special') as well as the corporations, all essentially 'people like us' - but by and large, with a (psychotic!) twist. Whereas the real people like us (aka we the sheople) have to work for a living, the 'others,' the pseudo/spivs who are ripping us and the world off - think they're getting - ta ra! - some sort of 'free' lunch. I write 'pseudo' because one assumes that these psychopaths think that they are somehow human - and they are in a way, but they are both immoral and amoral, and seemingly lack any/all empathy. In comparison to normal people, on the human scale, the pseudos are very definitely 'sub.'

The big, perhaps ultimate question here is Q: Why are there insufficient honest people to mount an effective countervailing resistance to this disgusting, psychotic/criminal domination - of what now amounts to the whole wide world? Countries not actually taking part in the rip-offs themselves are forced into defensive positions; absolutely no one escapes the dastardly effects of these wicked criminals. Then, there's the coming excess-CO2 caused climate 'collapse.'

-=*=-

Now, to the 'main game;' From 'Bringing up Baby:' "Do what you want! (I know you will anyway.)" Doing 'what one wants' must be compared against 'what one should;' the two may be vastly different. Also, I expect everyone at least *tries* to 'do their best,' but that again will have differing results depending on ability, education and application - and assuming sufficient intelligence is available to transcend 'instinctive' reaction. One thing I've learned is that we, the sheople are (deliberately!) *not* well educated (specifically in partner-seeking & child-rearing, not to mention sufficient 'survival/succeed skills'), and our 'wants' are cynically manipulated if too inconvenient to pander to - this situation being described by such terms such as 'manufactured demand' and (worse, *much* worse!) 'manufactured consent.'

To summarise 'the sheople's situation;' one need not don a tin-foil hat to assert that what is happening is *not* coincidence, it's not 'mere' happenstance that the corrupt and venal MSM *relays* lies - and actively, on their own behalf tell us lies, and that the 4th estate is/are permitted, when not ordered - to so lie to us. Naturally enough, it then follows that the 'permission/ordering' comes from/through our so-called 'leaders;' we the sheople are deliberately misinformed, misdirected - and mislead.

The manufacturing of demand/consent is not (immediately) apparent, especially to the sheople themselves; almost to a wo/man they 'volunteer' for propaganda, expending a 'good' proportion of their (low and being ever more lowered) disposable income (going so far as to borrow: so-called '0% for 3 years!' - say) - to buy their own personal propaganda dispensers - i.e. their (flat/wide-screen?) TVs; and if challenged most will say "Oh, it's only a movie!" - when it's equally obviously not. A 'best' (of course, worst) example of entertainment as propaganda being the 'ticking bomb' scenario; fully exploited by lots of the (filthy!) Cheney-types of this world - who go on to lie, thieve, torture & kill, and otherwise heinously violate any/all reasonable (i.e. just) law - that they want to; thus perfectly illustrating the 'main game(want)' principle.

To end this 'main game(want)' loop: misinforming, misdirecting - and misleading the sheople is (with malice aforethought!) a breach of the so-called 'democracy' covenant.

-=*=-

Intermezzo 1: Q1: What do we want? A: A proper democracy; truth and justice - and peace. Q2: What have we got? A: None of these. Q3: Why not?

-=*=-

Now, to the 'main game(rip off);' there are at least three ways we are being ripped off:

(But first, a joke: Q: Why to crims rob banks? A: Because that's where the money is. Haw!)

1. In our 'labour relations;' by this I mean (what should be!!?) a *fair* return - on both capital *and* labour. Q: What have we got? A: On the one hand, depressed wages and conditions (to the point now of possibly terminal 'demand collapse'), on the other the rich having *sooo* well ripped us off, having made themselves *sooo* much richer, that they've effectively now got *all* the money. (Any talk of 'envy' will lead immediately to "Wash your mouth out - with Lakoffian®[6] soap!")

2. In our 'patrimony;' by this I mean (what should be!!?) a fair price - for our 'natural' resources (coal, iron ore, forestry; any 'primary' product.) Q: What have we got? A: In general, a low, lower going lowest return to we, the (sovereign!) sheople, and conversely (rip off!) returns - to the so-called 'share holders' (how many o/s?) - plus the bizarre 'manager' packages. (Note again, the already-rich getting ever more obscenely richer.) Keyword: Resource rent. Keyword: Rent seeker. Challenge: Find these in my citations.

3. In our 'money system' itself. Keyword: Asset inflation. Keyword: Printing money. This last is a true disaster, and, if nothing else up to now, indicates just how sick (not to mention criminal) our system really is.

-=*=-

Intermezzo 2: The nasty economic system that we the sheople (currently!) have no choice but to operate under has various names/attributes; primarily 'globalisation,' so-called (erroneously!) 'free markets;' neo-liberalism, the "Washington Consensus" including the (sick!) IMF & World Bank, then even more nasty ones like 'privatisation' and 'user pays' - also 'down sizing,' 'out sourcing,' 'off shoring,' 'sub contracting' - et al.. (Q: Have I missed something? A: If so, please let me know.) As if all that wasn't enough bullshit, there's the (erring!) 'eternal growth' paradigm; on the one hand abso-bloody-lutely impossible (finite world, recall), and on the other hand (well; same hand even:) *really* stupid.

The 'promise' was, that 'a rising tide would lift all boats,' and that although 'yes,' jobs and production were being shipped off-shore, since 'the pie was getting bigger,' none of us would actually be forced to suffer any *loss*. Well, as we can all now see, that was *all* utter & complete bullshit - which I & a few select others saw long ago. But our 'foreseeing' didn't help, and Q: Where are those (erring!) critics now? A: With shit on their faces, that's where. Shit all over their faces; dripping - running down in torrents - off their slimy chins!

To end this intermezzo, Q: Exactly how did the economics profession get so utterly and horribly corrupt? (Q2: Are economists even adults, let alone human?)

-=*=-

Next, the 'main' main-game, aka the bankster swindle. This one's a real bewdy; a favourite word of mine at the moment is quite apropos, namely: gobsmacking! I have written before about fractional reserve banking, fiat currencies and essentially worthless 'money.' Some say the 'best' (even 'only') money is (would be) that based on specie of some sort (i.e. gold, silver) - the reasoning being, that since the physical base is limited (just like all of our once jewel-like planet's resources!) - so too is (would be) the attached money. But not so, fiat money - Oh, no! - and as to the 'magical' US$, not being 'attached' to anything (except perhaps rank greed), even though (Oh, so eff'n clever); oil is traded almost exclusively in US$s. The latter is 'merely' a (self-given) bonus. Need oil? Well; earn US$s, buy oil. Oil gone; all burnt? Boo hoo; earn ever more US$s, loop.

But we're not here to burn oil - or coal, or any other fossil carbon.

Q: What is 'money[4]?' A: (Usual/typical answer:) Both a store of value, and a medium of exchange. These days, money hardly exists - as a physical 'thing' (banknotes), but a fiat currency is - ta ra! - nothing at all - except virtual figures (aka ciphers[5]), in some computer, say. (Cash, aka 'folding money,' is now a tiny, tiny component. Even then, it's only as 'good' as the trust placed in it.) As a 'store of value,' ciphers in some computer require *lots* of trust. Which, not so coincidentally, is the reason ('trust') given by some 'economists' as to why we should use fiat currencies in general, and the US$ in particular. (Ahem??!) Q: What if that trust goes away, eh? A: Well, (get this:) IT (trust) HAS (gone away)! Not so much 'gone' as been 'violated;' the US is now 'printing' its way into monetary oblivion. (Proof? Oh, about 12trio(!!?) 'injected' into otherwise failing banks, say.)

There is a serious point here, in fact three, and all 'odd:'

1. The bankster swindle was always there (at least for the past 300 years - that ought to be far enough back to say "forever"); and the swindle is that banks, whether by multiplying up a small amount of 'real' money (i.e. gold, say, in the 'good old times'), or in these days of fiat currencies, by multiplying up a small amount of *nothing* (aka SFA) - to make loans to us (or to anyone - except other banksters), then charging us interest for the 'service,' are creaming off - money for nothing(!!?) (see my more NWO ...)

Q: What's so odd about this? A: That this perhaps ultimate rip-off racket has remained essentially 'hidden' for so long.

2. Something odder, pointed out to me recently by another friend, is that although the banks are madly creating money, they are *not*, repeat definitely *NOT* creating the money needed - to pay the interest!!? (Hmmm.) This is quite 'easy' to see; if one pays a loan off, that money, 'created' in order to make the loan - simply disappears! The loan, and the act of creation behind it, are both cancelled - poof! Gone! Sooo, dear reader, if that happened everywhere at once, Q: Where would the money come from, to pay the (still outstanding) interest??! A: Nowhere, man: it just doesn't exist! Effectively, this means that loans must always increase (think: Ponzi); new borrowers must continually be found. (Hmmm, again.) But hallo-Oh! US real-estate crash; almost no one is borrowing, the (last, final, end-of-the-road?) - source of new loans is - kaput! This may well be why, dear reader, that 12trio (plus how much more?) - is being thrown Oh, so anxiously - at those otherwise insolvent US banks...

3. Finally (by now we all hope! But only for this bankster swindle section) - the nub: 'real' vs. 'virtual' economies. Here there are at least two things that should be read; I'll set them as 'homework' while I have a little rest (my rest now nearly over; not so for those yet to read the citations):

Credit Default Swaps:
Evolving Financial Meltdown and Derivative Disaster Du Jour
by Dr. Ellen Brown
April 11, 2008
  «The sacrosanct free market would supposedly regulate itself. The problem with that approach is that regulations are just rules. If there are no rules, the players can cheat; and cheat they have, with a gambler's addiction. In December 2007, the Bank for International Settlements reported derivative trades tallying in at $681 trillion - ten times the gross domestic product of all the countries in the world combined. Somebody is obviously bluffing about the money being brought to the game, and that realization has made for some very jittery markets.» 
[globalresearch/Brown]

A FIRE Economy is any economy based primarily on the paper intensive sectors of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (FIRE).
  «Particularly after 1973...pundits of the status quo hailed the proliferation of the “FIRE” (finance, insurance, real estate) economy as the coming of a new “service” “post-industrial” economy that would replace the old “smokestack” economy and the jobs lost through plant closings, restructuring, and down-sizing... Loren Goldner» 
[wiki/FIRE_economy]

As usual, one should read the lot - in the above two cases (as others), any 'snip' must perforce be only indicative. While I'm about it, one more (for now):

May 22, 2009
Recession 'shape' points down
By W Joseph Stroupe
  «The shape of this crisis, then, is a series of steps proceeding downward into the gloom for the US and Britain. The two powers are guilty of massive over-reach, and now they are suffering the terrible consequences. Sooner or later, these ongoing events that were inevitable, and that should have been foreseen before the new asset-based model was so enthusiastically and wholly adopted, will force the two powers to make the gut-wrenching, long reversion back to a more traditional economic model.» 
[atimes/Stroupe]

Now, before I draw all this to an elegantly packaged, deeply meaningful conclusion, two more bits of 'homework:'

Jan 27, 2009
Death agony of Thatcher era
By F William Engdahl
  «As the neo-liberal revolution began in the economies of the US and the UK, it should not be not surprising that the epi-center of catastrophe in the global crisis now unfolding also lies with the economies of the US and the UK, as well as a handful of economies, including Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Iceland, all of which embraced the free market Thatcherite agenda most strongly in recent years.» 
[atimes/Engdahl]

May 14, 2009
The Collapse of the Neoliberal Model
Where Russia Went Wrong
By MICHAEL HUDSON
  «The neoliberal failure to distinguish between productive and merely extractive or speculative forms of gain seeking has created a travesty of the kind of wealth creation that Adam Smith described in The Wealth of Nations. The financialization of economies has been decoupled from tangible capital investment to expand employment and productive powers.» 
[counterpunch/hudson]

[And a penultimate (sort of) citation:]

May 20, 2009
The Latest in Junk Economics
The Toll Booth Economy
By MICHAEL HUDSON
  «After blaming Alan Greenspan for playing the role of "useful idiot" by promoting deregulation and blocking prosecution of financial fraud, most writers trot out the approved panaceas: federal regulation of derivatives (or even banning them altogether), a Tobin tax on securities transactions, closure of offshore banking centers and ending their tax-avoidance stratagems. No one presumes to go to the root of the financial problem by removing the general tax deductibility of interest that has subsidized debt leveraging, by taxing "capital" gains at the same rate as wages and profits, or by closing the notorious tax loopholes for the finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) sectors.» 
[counterpunch/hudson]

Here, a compulsory comment: One of the absolute worst distorters of the market, any market, be it foot-loose and fancy-free or utterly f**ked-up, is tax. Somehow people just hate tax. (I usually try to avoid the H-word - like the (swine-flu!) plague.) But. No slouches in 'neo-liberal' f**king-up, Hawke/Keating brought in 'negative gearing.' One may be able to excuse that, on the grounds that (a) by allowing investment-property owners to run at a (for them tax-reducing) loss, renters might pay less than the market might otherwise bear; and (b) in fact, negative gearing did *not* markedly accelerate the 'normal' house-price inflation. But, again. Costello halved the CGT, thus setting off an almost immediate 100+% house-price inflation. This is 101% *provable*. I can allow, that it was not *only* the CGT halving, at the time interest-rates were low - but (again; now the 3rd - and how insulting!) the low interest-rates and the CGT halving idea were both *imported*! Nevertheless, to this very day, Howard/Costello are 'celebrated' (by the corrupt & venal MSM, including the AusBC) - as 'good financial managers.' (As the constipated mathematician said: "Work that out!" - With a pencil, presumably.)

-=*=-

Fazit: Nothing 'gets up my nose' further or faster than unfairness. It seems to me, that (some? Most? All?) rotten, right-wing (and erring!) US ideologues, to deploy the H-word again, just hate - their, by accident of birth or whatever, but anyhow in their bigoted sights disgustingly lesser fellow wo/men. What else can explain the constant, relentless attempts - to reduce any and all 'support' - for the so-called 'lower classes?' What else can explain the constant, relentless (class) warfare - against labour unions?' What else can explain the constant, relentless pressure - reducing the sheople's wages?' What else can explain the constant, relentless destruction - of the sheople's democracies?' (Obviously, if one is (born? Got lucky? Stole heaps) - but however rich, then one needs neither 'assistance' nor democracy. Money rules, OK?) Anyway. It should be obvious, that the US system is *not* one of so-called 'equality/egalitarian.' The exact reverse. There is a so-called (rich) 'élite' - although my thesis is that since this so-called 'élite' is actually, hardened criminal, they do not deserve any 'élite' tag - except possibly and always 'criminal élite' (hereafter 'kleptocracy.') Worse, this kleptocracy has usurped the power that by definition belongs to the sheople, and absolute worst (apart, of course, from the murdering-to-steal wars), is the banking swindle deeply imbedded within this kleptocracy.

Then, not only 'no support' but actively doing all they can possibly think of to reduce the 'wo/men in the street' to (no 'health' care = sick) penury. The wide effect of all the neo-liberal bullshit has been to seriously degrade living conditions, even the life, of 'the sheople.'

We need to stop, or cause to be stopped, the vicious, murdering-to-steal wars. We need to stop, or cause to be stopped, the rotten rip-offs. We need truth and justice; a life free of fear for all - and for universal health care to be firmly placed into the 'no worries' basket. In this essay, I have concentrated on the wicked bankster swindle. See the PS for some hope.

-=*end*=-

PS As usual, it's not much good complaining - without offering some possible solution. Here is one:

  «The most brilliant banking model in our national history was established in the first half of the eighteenth century, in Benjamin Franklin's home province of Pennsylvania. The local government created its own bank, which issued money and lent it to farmers at a modest interest. The provincial government created enough extra money to cover the interest not created in the original loans, spending it into the economy on public services. The bank was publicly owned, and the bankers it employed were public servants. The interest generated on its loans was sufficient to fund the government without taxes; and because the newly issued money came back to the government, the result was not inflationary.7 The Pennsylvania banking scheme was a sensible and highly workable system that was a product of American ingenuity but that never got a chance to prove itself after the colonies became a nation. It was an ironic twist, since according to Benjamin Franklin and others, restoring the power to create their own currency was a chief reason the colonists fought for independence. The bankers' money-creating machine has had two centuries of empirical testing and has proven to be a failure. It is time the sovereign right to create money is taken from a private banking elite and restored to the American people to whom it properly belongs.» 
[globalresearch/Brown, ibid.]

Another possibility can be found here: Revive Lincoln's Monetary Policy, also from Ellen Brown.

PPS As for the inexcusable (if slightly misquoted) Fraser's "Life wasn't meant to be easy;" whose snivelling similar "curled upper-lip" would-be sound-alike successor steps out (34 years later), "Life wasn't meant to be dominated by the ugly, murderingly criminal rogue regimes of the US and horrid, psychotic side-kick Israel either." Certainly not! Sooo, riddle me this, lords and masters - why is it, that the 'best in the world' is producing such really shitty results? Eh? 

-=*=-

Ref(s):

[1] The second law of thermodynamics ...

  « .. is an expression of the universal law of increasing entropy, stating that the entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value at equilibrium.» 
[wiki/Second_law_of_thermodynamics]

Our primary source of energy (we the sheople's, our once jewel-like planet's ecosphere etc.) - is our 'local' thermo-nuclear reactor, aka the Sun. Fossil carbon (oil, coal) is 'borrowed' solar energy, but burning it - in the awfully unsustainable way that we currently are - is in no way 'free;' it is thought (by, amongst others, the best scientific brains on the planet) that the excess-CO2 thus set free can - and most likely will - cripple our 'life-friendly' biosphere. In clear text, it is our 'life-friendly' biosphere which provides us, we the sheople, with our life sustaining energy-inputs. What if that system becomes so damaged, that it fails to keep up with our needs?

Yair; what then? (Tip: Can't eat oil, gold - or $s.)

[2] Veni, Vedi, Veci ...

  « .. alternatively, the remark can be viewed as an expression of [the sheople]'s contempt for the wealthy [US & Israel] kloptocracy, who gave little concern to the lower-class citizens who formed the major part of [the world]'s constituency.» 
[wiki/Veni,_vidi,_vici]

[3] Nazism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  «However, the Nazis often used the church to justify their stance and included many Christian symbols in the Third Reich while in other cases, they replaced ...» 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism - 306k

Comment: Better not be (further) deceived: "The Church" is not, on the whole and any/all where, positive (massive understatement!)

[4] money n. 1 coins and banknotes as a medium of exchange. 2 (pl. -eys or -ies) (in pl.) sums of money. 3 a wealth. b wealth as power (money talks). [POD]

[5] cipher (also cypher) —n. 1 a secret or disguised writing. b thing so written. c key to it. 2 arithmetical symbol (0) used to occupy a vacant place in decimal etc. numeration. 3 person or thing of no importance. —v. write in cipher. [Arabic sifr] [ibid.]

[6] Lakoff: taught us about 'framing.' Take as some 'random' example, say: The Holocaust. Any mention at all; good, bad or indifferent, immediately plunges the discussion into the frame that 'they' (here unspecified, but hint: the I/J/Z-plex) - have spent the last 61+ years (a) viciously exploiting and (b) pathetically refining; namely the frame of "Poor little Jewish David, facing the 'ugly Arab monster' (these days more often 'ugly Arab Islamo-fascist monster') - Goliath." Seriously. That's *really* what they still do, in this day and (internet-enlightened) age. One practical way of avoiding such a filthy propaganda-trap is to say "Yes. Sad. The Nazis really were bad; but that can never excuse Israel mass-murdering Palestinians to steal Palestinian land and water!" - and then move (briskly!) on.

-=*=-

Epilogue: I started with a '2nd,' then came a '3rd' and a '4th.' What about a '1st?'

OK, this: Do unto others ... do no harm. Suitably sanction any/all laws/rights violators. 
 

unbelievable (hypocrisy; vicious lying murderers)

 .. where are the adults ...

   .. of intelligence (humour) & integrity ...

     .. why is our so-called 'leadership' so incredibly bad? 

-=*=-

Credits: I'd like to thank BobW, both for his inspiring links (like those to GG, say), his inspiration itself - and his ironic humour.

-=*=-

Preamble: I have a problem with 'belief[1],' partly because of the religious component (i.e. supernatural = out of this world), and 2ndly 'belief' is the 2nd worst way of making decisions (the absolute worst being the making of decisions based on *no data at all* (see religion, loop!)) The best and only way to make worthwhile decisions (seems to me), is by basing them on *good data*, the acquisition of which is what our science is all about. Sooo, IF I don't like/won't use 'belief,' THEN 'unbelievable' becomes - inoperative.

Preamble end: Many things that could be termed 'unbelievable' might better be described as 'erroneous' - and/or 'should not occur.'

-=*=-

Detail:

1. The biggest problem on the planet (possible exception: the plague of marauding humans) is pollution, and more specifically excess CO2-pollution; the best scientifically based projections (i.e. by our best brains, based on the best data we can acquire) - point to a coming climate-change catastrophe.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to save our once jewel-like planet. Why that?

2. IF pollution is not biggest problem on the planet THEN the plague of marauding humans certainly is, and that plague is 'led' by the US, with its vicious side-kick Israel. Due to the obvious, awesome - and utterly destructive power of the 'Israel Lobby' in the US, it is proposed by some that in fact Israel, 'the tail' actually wags the 'mad dog' US. What we have been able to see, at least since GWBush and his filthy B, B & H 'led' illegal invasions (murder for spoil), AND the arrival of the internet, is that this plague of marauding humans is actually, seemingly unopposed, both running the planet - and driving it over the climate-change cliff.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to rein these criminals in. Why that?

3. What we are told (aka propagandised) is that the US is 'fighting to make the world safe for democracy.' In actual fact, the preceding in italics was a slogan deployed by Bernays (or on his and/or his ilk's 'inspiration.') Bernays was simultaneously a propagandist and 'public relations consultant,' having morphed propaganda into 'public relations' - merely by renaming. The upshot of all this is that we the sheople, are being comprehensively, scientifically lied to, also via and actively by publicly financed broadcasters, like 'our' AusBC.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to tell us the truth. Why that?

4. It is not only the US and Israel, although they are the joint 'prime movers.' Aus is in it, both then 'under' Howard and now Rudd. Many European nations joined the so-called 'coalition of the willing' (much more accurately: the "coalition of the killing"), but some abstained or otherwise took no part. Here single out France and Germany - which have since 'reverted' to the (murdering!) norm.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to *stop* murdering for spoil. Why that?

5. The sheople are being insistently lied to, aka deliberately 'pushed propaganda paradigm' deceived and dumbed right down, effectively back to before the dawn of The Enlightenment, if not back to before the dawn of so-called 'civilisation' itself. Our so-called 'democracies' lie in smoking, crippled ruins. Our quisling/traitorous MSM including publicly financed broadcasters, our equally quisling/traitorous so-called 'representatives' are all violating their proper functions.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to do the 'right' aka 'truth and justice' thing. Why that?

6. The economy is *stuffed*. Not only is eternal growth *simply not* possible, it is the only model the economic geniuses seem to be able to conjure up. Who cares about running out of resources? Effectively no one. Then, there's so-called 'neo-liberalism,' so-called 'free markets,' the Washington consensus/IMF scam/swindles, and all the rest of the shitty globalisation *rip-off rubbish*. Add to that, as the 'crowning glory,' the bankster fraud - probably all of 300 years old - and now crashed, burning, no bottom in sight.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to set world finances on a correct, fair and sustainable footing. Why that?

7. If all that wasn't enough, what of the sheople themselves? Not 'just' dumbed-down, but deliberately miseducated (partner-choice, child-rearing, say - nothing *really* critical...) We, the sheople are on the whole denied 'single (govt.) payer' (some countries - a few - do it better); go down the 'medicine for profit' path, and you'll get the expected: more profit than medicine. Wages everywhere are being fiercely depressed - now, to the point, where the sheople have ju-u-st about run out of purchasing power - for anything other than the barest of necessities. The so-called 'normal' or 'real' economy cannot function without *demand* - killed off; the 'golden goose' is as good as gone.

Unbelievably, erroneously and/or 'should not occur:' our so-called 'leaders' are doing almost nothing, certainly not enough, so effectively nothing, to create a fair, caring and sharing system - for all. Why that?

-=*=-

Fazit: I could go on, but why bother? (I'm 'off' - to a barbie.)

-=*end*=-

PS (looping):

 .. where are the adults ...

   .. of intelligence (humour) & integrity ...

     .. why is our so-called 'leadership' so incredibly bad? 

-=*=-

Ref(s):

[1] belief n. 1 firm opinion; acceptance (that is my belief). 2 religious conviction (belief in the afterlife; has no belief). 3 (usu. foll. by in) trust or confidence. [related to *believe] [POD]

believe v. (-ving) 1 accept as true or as conveying the truth (I believe it; don't believe him). 2 think, suppose. 3 (foll. by in) a have faith in the existence of (believes in God). b have confidence in (believes in homoeopathy). c have trust in as a policy (believes in telling the truth). 4 have (esp. religious) faith.  believable adj. believer n. [Old English] [ibid.

utterly, *eff'n stupendous* lies!

 .. normally, a lie is a lie is - just a shitty lie ...

   .. it's like a switch; it's either truth - or it's a filthy lie ...

     .. but *these* lies simply cry out: they really *need* superlatives!

-=*=-

Preamble: Recall that (so they say), one can find *anything* on the 'net. Ergo, it is one function of a 'truth-seeker' to try to sort out the facts (few) from the lies (many). What we *do* know, is that, say, there were *none* - not just one tiny, single WMD. We also know, that there was *no*, repeat *no*, (significant) contact between Saddam and al-Qaeda, etc., and the dance went (goes) on.

So here, a few snips (article cited by BobW, thanks):

How Torture Trapped Colin Powell
By Ray McGovern
May 18, 2009

 1) «"Within an hour, [CIA Director George] Tenet and [CIA Deputy Director John] McLaughlin dropped a bombshell on the table in the [CIA] director’s Conference Room: a high-level AQ detainee had just revealed under interrogation substantive contacts between AQ and Baghdad, including Iraqis training AQ operatives in the use of chemical and biological weapons."
...
Not realizing that the new intelligence was tainted, "Powell changed his mind and this information was included in his UNSC presentation, along with some more general information from the previous text about Baghdad's terrorist tendencies," Wilkerson said.» 
[consortiumnews/McGovern]

 2) «Remember, Tenet and McLaughlin had been warned about Curveball long before they let then-Secretary of State Powell shame himself, and the rest of us, by peddling Curveball’s wares at the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003.» 
[consortiumnews/McGovern, ibid.]

-=*=-

Until reading this article, I had extended the 'benefit of the doubt' to McGovern, now I'm not just unsure of him, I'm downright suspicious.

Caveat: IF Powell was (allowed himself to be) deceived THEN that's most likely what he wanted to happen. From 'Bringing up Baby:' "Do what you want! (I know you will anyway,)" and note: doing what one wants should be contrasted with doing what one should.

(Recall something else: we are confronted with the largest, most powerful - and by far and away the most brutal/evil - empire our poor world has ever had the misfortune to suffer under. Amongst other things, they have a military (Pentagon) which is dedicated to world-conquest, and an intel facility (CIA) dedicated to every filthy trick in the book, ever, and no exceptions. (Previous sentence is called 'damning with faint praise.') To suggest that this Pentagon, this CIA did not know all pertinent details, is to simultaneously suggest they should all be instantly fired - if not summarily executed on the spot. They all knew, alright - including, I now suspect, this McGovern.)

It is, to this observer, simply *not* credible, that Powell, a life-long so-called 'professional' soldier, proud product of the Pentagon, once thought of as a presidential candidate-pretender, was unwillingly deceived - if deceived at all. No credulity can ever be stretched that far. (Possible exception, I suppose: the poor, dumbed-down sheople - baa-aa-aa!)

-=*=-

Although the 'forces of darkness' arrayed against us have all the guns, we have a 'very unique' (haw! My little joke); a unique advantage - which is that there is only one truth, but many (potential) lies. I've pictured this as a relatively few intensely bright points of 'truth-gold' scattered amongst a vast pitch-black universe of 'lie-space.' One upshot of this, is that we dedicated truth-seekers need only keep track of the one (true!) reality, whilst the liars have to integrate their selection from all possible lies into some sort of presentable - they hope believable (that word 'belief' again) - whole.

And that's what the cited article reminds me of - someone floundering around, trying to say "Well yes, this lie belongs to our 'pushed-paradigm' tapestry, but no, this one doesn't..." There can never be any excuses made - for any single one of Powell, Cheney, Bush et al. - they are nothing other than common criminals, which/who their *corrupt* system(s) elevated to the 'highest' offices of their land's *venal* regime. We know that; we see it in action - Afghanistan, Iraq, the vicious threats vis-à-vis Iran, not to mention all the rest of the ghastly stuff - only a few 'highlights' (actually of course, 'low-lights'), starting with the genocide against their own indigenes, Hawaii in 1893, Guatemala post WW2 - the whole sordid, infamous list - and now to be, as good (actually as bad) as seamlessly continued by the Dummocrats and Obama.

-=*end*=-

PS It should not need saying - but we're surrounded by moral, business and political failure, so my 'should not' becomes an absolute 'must;' people deploy lies to deceive. The US (plus Israel) are simultaneously the biggest liars, and the worst murdering-to-steal criminals on the planet. They lie because they *have* to; to admit their crimes would see them all go straight to gaol. And that, dear reader, is our task - to get those filthy, lying criminals right into gaol - ASAP. Only so, and not just BTW, can we ever hope to save our once jewel-like planet.
 

denying the denial (AusBC)

 .. the AusBC retails the worst lies ...

   .. whilst disguising disgusting crimes ...

     .. traitors - and thieves of public tax money

-=*=-

Preamble: Some may ask, Q: "Why do I keep listening to the AusBC?"

A: One *may*, in order to keep up with the current state of unreality as portrayed via and actively by the AusBC. Whether one *should* do that is a possible subsequent question.

-=*=-

Reminder: Pay attention to Lakoffian framing! In particular, the following two stories are used (abused!) by the AusBC to continue their own campaign of propagandising us, we the sheople. The biggest question of all (with respect to the AusBC), is Q: "How dare they so depravedly abuse their writ[1]?"

-=*=-

There are two stories I noticed this morning on the AusBC/justin:

1. Ahmadinejad slammed over Holocaust denial: report

2. More mass graves found in southern Iraq

As one can see from the 1st item-title, this is yet another loop through the *allegation* of Holocaust denial, an allegation IMHO *not* supported by what Ahmadinejad has ever said; which is (my paraphrase), that whatever the details of the so-called Holocaust *directed towards Jews* are (which, note, does *not* deny any detail at all), that Holocaust has nothing to do with the actuality of Israel murdering Palestinians in order to steal Palestinian land.

And from the 2nd item-title, this is yet another loop through the demonisation of Saddam. Another note, I do not myself deny that Saddam was an utter tyrant, nor do I necessarily like whatever Ahmadinejad might say. On the one hand, Saddam was a bastard but at the time of the Anfal, Saddam was very definitely *their* bastard, where 'their' was the US regime of the time. As for Ahmadinejad on the other hand, like anyone else on the planet, he should be accorded the normal allowance - of free speech. In that story, the AusBC goes on to remind us that Iran may be secretly planning to build an A-bomb. Which, even if true - in itself hotly disputed, could only ever be 'deployed' by Iran as a defence against being attacked by Israel and/or the US. In fact, an Iranian bomb would not be deployed at all, see the effective deterrence of the N.Korean device(s).

Once more around another loop; it is not anti-Semitic to criticise the criminal behaviour of the Israeli regime, we do not hate any particular Jewish people, but we very definitely deplore those crimes and we absolutely abhor the ghastly immorality displayed; lastly we hold *all* Jewish people totally responsible for not stopping those awful, murdering-to-steal Israeli regime crimes.

-=*=-

Fazit: The stories continue two of the many and varied propaganda ploys directed by the AusBC at their very own 'customers,' namely we, the sheople. Boo! Hiss!

-=*end*=-

PS But (and it's *whopper* but): we, those of us with eyes to see, know exactly who the biggest liars are. Take Howard, and his 'people-shredders;' not only no shredders, but not one single WMD. Take Costello, and 'best financial manager;' Howard/Costello halved the CGT, the 'last stone' laid in enabling Aus house prices to more than double. On the 'IF ... THEN' principle, the AusBC should mention at least one (one? - hundreds!) - of drastic failings of each of Howard and/or Costello - just as they do when discussing Ahmadinejad or Saddam. Especially, when the AusBC reports on Iraq, the AusBC should remind the sheople that the invasion was as illegal then, as the brutal occupation is now - and that illegality is to be continued indefinitely by Obama; and when Israel is mentioned, that Israel is in violation of perhaps 100s of UN resolutions, and that Israel is performing a 61+ year-long genocide against the rightful owners of most if not all of Israel, namely against the hapless Palestinians.

Most emphatically, the Nazi Holocaust *then* can neither justify nor excuse the Holocaust *now* being inflicted by Israel on Palestinians.

Ref(s):

[1] writ1 n. form of written command to act or not act in some way. [Old English: related to *write] [POD]

-=*=-

PPS One of at least three required democratic prerequisites, namely free and full info flow via and by the AusBC, is obviously failing. That in itself is enough to cripple our democracy, for lacking full and accurate info, the voters cannot make reasoned - or reasonable - decisions. On a slightly separate track, what of Lakoffian framing; consider this 'snip:'

  «Iranian presidential hopeful Mehdi Karroubi has criticised hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust saying it served Israeli interests, a newspaper reported.» 
 
It seems to me that Karroubi has himself 'served Israeli interests' by his statements, although no exact quote has been given us by the AusBC, so we are most probably *not* seeing 'the whole story' - all we can see is a report of a report; what we *need* are checkable quotes.

Then, do I help 'the enemy' too, by drawing attention to the AusBC depravities? I try my best not to, but always stand ready to be 'improved' upon. It is not just what one says but how one says it; if the so-called 'professionals' in the AusBC wished to fix the problem, they could eliminate all lies, be they direct, tacit or by innuendo, from all their broadcasts. That would be correctly carrying out their writ. How about it, Aunty?

the post-democratic age

[I drafted this yesterday (090505), in answer the question Q:
"How Can This Be? Are People Getting Better While the World is Getting Worse?"
I reserve the right to revise; IF ... THEN, the correct impetus and time allows.]

Thesis: That cheats never prosper.

[The following may *appear* political; IMHO it is not; sub-thesis: That we have moved (been dragged) into a post-political, aka a post-democratic world. The voters have been 'sidelined,' the media relay lies - and even tell lies to us on their own behalf; our 'leaders' betray us, we the (dumbed-down) sheople. Behind all that is what? - Who knows, but in the 'for the people' frame, our so-called 'democracies' have become 'inoperative.']

From the headline, Q: "Where does it go wrong?"

My general answer, A: "Almost from birth."

One, if not the specific answer, A: "Leadership failure."

From the two comments already in [some other-where], two words: a) microcosm and b) beliefs.

As to human nature, recall "the curate's egg: ... parts of it are excellent!"

-=*=-

On the whole, 'human nature' is good, the problems occur with the (minority) 'bad bits.' (Well, of course!)

Altruism works in small groups (where all are known to one another), because miscreants can be both identified and (gently) sanctioned. The current situation, tending to become uniform, is for people to live largely in isolation; running home, slamming the door - and turning the TV on. Some 'life.'

A good 'microcosm' is the Kindergarten, and one of the biggest problems there is 'the (horrible!) bully.'

The place where *that* went wrong (the bully) is beforehand, i.e. in the pre-Kinder home. Could be termed 'inadequate socialisation.'

In our current society (most of the so-called 'West,' say), many children are *not* being correctly reared. IMHO, the following three 'rules' should be universally adopted: Number one: *NEVER* lie to your/any child, not even telling 'little whites.' (Littlies can detect lies from an early age; any liar risks (permanently!) losing credibility.) Number two: *NO* TV, or at least, the very least; and IF - THEN, only stuff *guaranteed* to be non-damaging. That means, for example, no violence (most cartoons), no lying, screaming or any (copy-able!) bad behaviour (most Hollywood). Number three, *NO* religion, until at least (late) teens. IF religion is encountered (mistake, chance) THEN explain that it's just a cruel & wicked fantasy, and is to be otherwise and henceforth totally ignored...

This brings up 'belief;' there is an age (5-7 yrs) before which children do *not* have fully functioning brains; this period could be termed 'before the Age of Reason.' In this period, the child's mind is, by 'evolutionary design' a completely indiscriminate sponge; they suck up information - assuming all such is survival-critical. (Think: Do not run onto the road!) A not so 'funny' thing is that from a fairly young stage, a child can understand - and therefore fear death, can 'understand' the (despicable fiction!) of 'life after death' - and so can be deceived - into 'believing' in some g*d, say. IMHO wrong, wrong, wrong - serious, if not the ultimate in child abuse. (IF religion is thought necessary (I obviously do not), THEN only to be offered to a *much* more mature mind - i.e. one fully capable of rational evaluation.)

Teach a proper, *secular* morality, based on reflexive altruism, "Do unto others, ..." "Do no harm, ..." and a new addition, "Return any negatives, ..." i.e. tit-for-tat (within reason). There's a charming idea here, recall that "All [we] really need to know [we] learned in kindergarten"

So, if we accepted & applied all that conscientiously, it gets us past Kinder and into schooling in general - where inter-personal relationships should be fully 'explored/explained' with emphasis on mate-searching and eventual child-rearing, each in their own appropriate time-frame.

-=*=-

OK, we're out of school and into the 'real' world - of supposed (representative) democracy. Problem is, it doesn't work - as generally alleged. Of at least three necessary prerequisites, namely aware, informed and involved voters, free, fair and comprehensive info-flows and properly-representing 'leaders' - we have none.

We need some words/concepts here: consider 'obvious and irrefutable,' aka "o&i:"

1. It is o&i, that the people have been turned into 'sheople' - by being both (psychologically) manipulated and propagandised; the process is called 'manufacturing of demand/consent.'

2. It is o&i, that the sheople are being outright lied to, by politicians (our so-called 'leaders'), via and actively by the (corrupt & venal) MSM (main-stream media), including (to their eternal damnation) big bits of many publicly-funded broadcasters.

3. It is o&i, that our so-called 'leaders' are not properly representing us; the example of Iraq is one stand-out, but essentially most of if not all wars since WW2 have been carried out on false pretences, including the vicious attacks by Israel on its neighbours, mostly the hapless Palestinians.

-=*=-

Intermezzo: I have made basically unsubstantiated allegations and assertions - my claim is that a properly aware observer will see the same. I have left out providing supporting links for brevity and short-on-time reasons.

-=*=-

I said (asserted), that this comment is non-political, on the grounds that since our democracies have failed (have been crippled); this on account of the whole process having been subverted, see 1-3. Returning to 'human nature' and its minority failings - there they are, all in one easily identifiable group - our so-called 'leaders' (plus those on whose behalf they rule over us for, namely the kleptocracy); a more pathological bunch is hard to imagine.

-=*=-

Fazit: Oh, yes; some cheats certainly do prosper. Them.
 

clash of civilisations?

This could be the absolute 'pits:'

US denies letting troops convert Afghans
Posted May 4, 2009 21:14:00

"The US military denies it has allowed soldiers to try converting Afghans to Christianity, after a television network showed pictures of soldiers with Bibles translated into local languages."

A quote:

«A military chaplain was shown delivering a sermon to other soldiers, saying: "The special forces guys - they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down".»
 
Of course, a 'US military spokeswoman' goes on to deny any wrongdoing. The US, along with 'allies,' (however coerced or cowardly/quisling), is the foreign invader, killing lots of innocent Afghans, saying one thing - pursuing so-called 'terrorists,' essentially the same people Reagan encouraged as 'freedom-fighters' - whilst doing quite another, namely trying to enable a pipeline project (recall the offer on behalf of the US to the Taliban: a carpet of gold - or bombs), plus establishing ever-more military bases, the one to monopolise and/or control energy resources, the other to further project their murdering miliary might.

And as a 'desert,' their vicious 'grunts' are setting out to convert the locals, obviously regarded as primitive savages, to the Empire-religion, Christianity.

-=*=-

PS I'm reminded of something I read once, it described a remark made on a Spanish ship entering some South-American harbour, a looong time ago. Visible on the skyline were crosses - with dead natives attached, presumably nailed-on. The remark was something like "Good to be getting back to civilised parts." Then, recall that waterboarding was part of the Inquisition, too. Welcome indeed, to currently civilised parts.