H2O Man
H2O Man's JournalSpace and Time
Imagine, if you will ….. in a dimension beyond space and time ….. you find yourself back in high school. After class, as students are walking along the sidewalk of life, the most obnoxious kid is feeling his oats. He had recently beaten up a junior high foreign exchange student from Venezuela with a unprovoked surprise attack from behind, and was looking for another victim.
You have despised this fella since grade school. He is a loud mouthed, racist coward. Not a gifted student, who reportedly passes grades because of his necro-nazi father's influence, and the school's desire to graduate him as soon as possible. Everyone in the school knows that he recently faced legal charges for forcing himself on a female student, but somehow escapes consequences.
As you and your classmates are walking on that sidewalk, you see that fella listening to his ne'er-do-well friend, who is excitedly pointing to another potential victim. The fella sneaks up behind the kid, and lands a quick combination, assuming the kid will submit to him. But the kid doesn't. Instead, he throws a blistering combination of his own.
The fella immediately jumps back, and threatens to go nuclear on the kid. But the kid isn't about to back down. No, sir, he stands his ground. So the fella starts yelling at you and your friends for help, insisting he had engaged in his sneak attack to protect you. But that kid had never threatened you. It wasn't like you were friends with him or anything. You never hung out with him. But you didn't start the fight with him, and you tell him and his ne'er-do-well friend that although you are watching, you aren't about to get involved. Later for that noise.
The fella backs away even further, though he is still spouting threats. But the kid isn't showing any fear of the fella. This enrages the fella to the point where he declares victory, and walks away looking for another weaker victim. But no one seems afraid of him any more. Things have changed.
At this point, you don't have to imagine any more. This is where we are today, with that fella and his ne'er-do-well friend having started a war in Iran that has followed an extremely similar path to the above. The big difference is that the school lunches haven't increased in price to pay for those two idiots' terrible behavior. These are the same kids you didn't like since grade school, hated in junior high, and despised in high school.
How did that fella get elected president of the student council? I'd say by being a fucking asshole. You may have other, equally valid theories. Either way, and even though he has access to various weapons, we no longer have to take shit from him. In fact, we need to gang up on him in the mid-terms. Then evaluate our own inventory of options provided by the Constitution and the rule of law.
Hurricane
"Only he who attempts the ridiculous can ever hope to achieve the impossible.”
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
Over the past few days, I've had several good grass roots Democrats tell me that they are tired, not by the future, but by the current social-economic-political reality. It is as if we are hostages in a bank, where the lowest of mob thugs are robbing everyone. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't tire me out, too.
Yet as everyone who is familiar with my rants on this forum knows, I will talk about current events in the context of boxing and boxers. For the boxing ring was where I felt safest in my youth. I knew that tough fights involved cycles. I didn't expect to win every minute of every round. I would do good, then he would do good, and then I would inflict the damage needed to knock him out. Some bouts had more than one cycle.
A couple of good friends noted that, despite not supporting republicans as a rule, they were upset by the recent primary loses of Rep. Thomas Massie and Senator Bill Cassidy. In my opinion, those loses showed how much certain interests will invest to defeat the truth from coming out on issues such as the Epstein scandal. Yet both will finish out this cycle, until after we have the opportunity to take out the individuals who beat them in the primaries. Now back to boxing.
I, for one, did not like getting hit. I preferred punching the opponent. Like boxing, politics has cycles. Some are much larger than others, and some are more positive or negative than others. The Constitution and democracy are being viciously attacked. And the more tired one is, either in the boxing ring or the political ring, the more the opponents' punches hurt. So much in the manner of Muhammad Ali, we have to take advantage of the minute between rounds. Ali did just that in his fights in the ring, and against Uncle Sam in the courts.
Back when all of our ancestor's ancestors lived in tribes, during harsh and dangerous times, the Elders – both female and male – would tell stories from the past in similar times of trouble. These stories might involve the group, or an individual, and how they dealt with serious conflict. Now if I were discussing theology, I'd be quoting from Isaiah chapter 51. Yet boxing will do for now.
Long ago, as a young teenage amateur boxer, I wrote to Rubin and said I planned to get him out of prison for two reasons – first, I knew he was innocent, and second, so he could guide my future boxing career. And here some of you thought I was obnoxiously arrogant these days! This was the beginning of a 40+ year friendship. In time, we would be communicating through letters and cassette tapes. In time, my high school English class was communicating with Carter.
But then, in one letter, he wrote, “..... but, man, I kid you not – things are really uptight in this jail, and about to explode in death and destruction.” Cassettes were out of the question, and restrictions on mail coming in or going out was going to limit communications. Now, I knew that previously, a couple weeks after Attica, Rubin had been credited with saving the lives of the warden and two guards during a riot in Trenton State Prison. So, with my teenage ability to know everything, I told Rubin to step up and prevent another riot.
Son of a gun, that was exactly what Rubin did. He had maintained a hermit status in prison, but decided to run for the president of the Rahway Prisoner's Council. He approached the leaders of the various leaders of the gangs and got their support. He won the election, but for a week, the prison administration ruled the loser actually won – kind of like the Supreme Court selecting Bush. But even the guy who came in second said that Rubin had won.
In a letter, Rubin told my brother, “Since I've been writing to Pat, and he asked me not to let this prison explode, I stepped forward and took control of the jail. Something I never wanted to do in the past – and which could be very dangerous to me. And now I am the director of the Rahway Prisoners Council on Penal Reform. So if you and Pat and perhaps Russell P. really want to come into this prison and see what it is like …. we can arrange a day for the near future. What the hell? If I can't go to you. You come to me.”
A week later, in a letter to me, “ …..since I've become the Director of the Rahwat Peoples Council, I've been busy beyond relief. Man! I'm just waiting until you can send me the date that you will be here, to see me in person – that's really going to be a day for me to remember. (smile) I really love you, little buddy – I think you are one of the best things that ever happened to me. You are a real friend. Thank you.”
This was at a time when the public took an interest in prison reform. Almost immediately, university professors and political aides to state officials started to visit Rubin, and listen to his ideas on reform. I have a pile of communications between Rubin and the warden. My impression was that the warden wasn't very interested in what Rubin was advocating. Then things changed quickly – Muhammad Ali visited Rubin, and they planned to box in an exhibition in the prison. This got the attention of more than ABC's Wide World of Sports (they broadcast fights from Rahway), and that was apparently too much.
In 1958, in a study by Princeton University professor Gresham Sykes titled “The Society of Captives,” he wrote: “Centers of opposition in inmate populations – in the form of men recognized as leaders in the inmate population –can be neutralized through the use of solitary confinement to exile to other state institutions. Just as the Deep South served as a dumping ground for particularly troublesome slaves before the Civil War, so too can the mental hospital serve as a dumping ground for the maximum security prison.
Thus, Rubin was taken to the Vroom Building, the state prison's psychiatric wing of Trenton State Prison. He was kept in solitary confinement for the next 90 days, before a hearing in federal court. The judge ruled in hearing that there was absolutely no evidence that Rubin posed a danger by planning an inmate uprising or riot – which I think from this essay alone one can see was the exact opposite of what he was doing.
Eventually, Rubin sued for being placed in the Vroom Building's isolation unit. He was awarded $2000 in damages, which went to hire a former detective, now private investigator, who had been among the police that recognized Rubin was being framed. And this investigator, now trusted by the community, soon was uncovering the extent of the police corruption. They knew the identity of the two NOI gunmen, but would never admit to their purposeful framing of Rubin and John Artis.
Note: If you like or dislike this, the story was something that popped into my fat head as I read a post from my good friend Frank, also known as Kid Berwyn.
Saplings
“The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize a sleeping people around specific goals. You have to wake the people up first, then you'll get action.”
--- Malcolm X
Late in his life, starting around the time he was separating from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm would begin to take more interest in politics. Although he would never be enrolled in either political party, he would have a close association with some elected officials from the Democratic Party. I recognize Malcolm as among the most remarkable of Americans in history, and his teachings continue to influence my thinking and activities in social-political events.
Among the things I find most promising these days is the number of young people who are candidates for office in my region. One was raised in politics – she is the daughter of one of my favorite Congressmen. One of my aunts ran Maurice Hinchey's upstate offices. Michelle is now one of the best state senators we have ever had.
I have been telling her to run for higher office for some time now. When Antonio Delgado moved up to lieutenant governor – another politician I campaigned for – Michelle was considered as a potential replacement. She is a graduate from Cornell University, and as an environmentalist, heading that state agriculture committee, has very wide appeal in NYS now. Issues involving the future of farms and utility corporations has even the red neck republicans I know looking for strong leadership.
So I'm fine with her staying in the state senate for now, even if every time I communicate with her, I advocate for her eventually running for higher office. I think it is extremely important – this year in particular – to work for Democrats at all levels of government, from local to state to those who will serve in DC.
A Pine Tree
Q: “You have been busy organizing an alliance of environmentally-aware groups along the Susquehanna River. Tell us about this.”
Chief Paul Waterman: “I have wampum from my nation, and from the Grand Council. I wasn't elected for this work. I was selected. And this work is to be Gauyesa Toyentha, or to be 'the messenger.' My role is to bring a message to non-Indian people along the Susquehanna and the rivers that are connected. And my message is to work together to clean and protect these rivers. Then we have a new confederacy.
“My goal is to teach people that the Susquehanna was my people's first highway. It is an actual bloodline of Mother Earth. My message is that the Susquehanna is sacred, and deserves our greatest respect. This is why I tell all environmentalists that it is important that we work together. Again, the Two Row Wampum Belt.”
Sometimes, things come in three's. Today my European son-in-law, who has recently become fascinated with the fall of the Inca empire, asked me about my favorite period of North American history? Since 1965, it has been the Revolutionary War era in the area where I grew up. More, I've been invited to be a guest speaker in one county over from where I was raised at a celebration of our country's 250th anniversary party. I will talk about the influence of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy on the Founding Fathers. One of Chief Waterman's grandfather's grandfathers was among the Sachems meeting to create a unified government at the 1754 meeting at the Albany Congress, as well as in Philadelphia. So I know those stories. And third, the 2026 mid-terms are approaching, and I think a lot about how to get the greatest number possible of Democrats elected at all levels.
I've also had a few people ask me this week about what we should be doing to prepare for the mid-terms? I've been using an example from 2010 that older community members here might remember. The then town supervisor of a community two counties away from where I now live, along with his board member step son, made the national and international news when they attempted to force a tiny Sufi settlement outside a tiny hamlet to destroy their perfectly legal cemetery. I should note that the pair had recently been kicked out of the area's Tea Party for being too extreme. I am convinced that a DNA study would conclude they are the “missing link” between the Tea Party and maga.
The county and town Democratic Party asked me if I would travel there and help run the then upcoming town elections. This town had never had a Democratic Party majority on its board, and if I'm going to do something, I like a challenge. I wouldn't be satisfied in getting one Democrat on the board, though it would tie the record. At this time, well over half the registered voters were republicans, with independent voters second, and Democrats being the minority.
As a young teen, my father – a first generation Irishman from an FDR adoring extended family who thought LBJ would have been even greater but for that war – taught me to follow the patterns of voting in a four-county area our family lived in. My father was a math savant, and remembered everything in his head. But I had to save the region's newspapers that reported on the various results. Dad said that even in places were there was an even split between parties, or with a small majority of Democrats, the republican's frequently won. He showed me how their numbers stayed about the same, election after election ….. proving, Dad said, that republicans had a better system of getting out their voters. We must, he said, come up with a system that is superior to their's.
Perhaps because the town supervisor was an evil man (in a non-religious meaning per forensic psychology), a few more people started coming to this town's Democratic Party meetings. This included a couple of registered independents who recognized that the only path to having their voices heard was to actively support the Democratic Party. Both were friends of mine who once were among the hippies supporting George McGovern, but had left our party decades after the 1972 elections.
Now, the party leaders were good at promoting voter registration, attending board meetings, going door-to-door in the village to hand out fliers, and call registered voters to get them out. Still, even if every registered Democrat got out to vote, their candidates would continue to lose. We had to do more. And there were cracks in the wall we could exploit, starting with simply letting merchants know the town was getting a bad name due to this freak and his step-son. That can do damage to the town's economy.
Long story a tad bit shorter, a few of us who were able to took the same approach as did the Peacemaker and later Hiawatha in ancient times. Interestingly, it was the same approach that Rubin Carter took in Rahway State Prison, at a tense time when prison riots were common. Rubin had helped put down a riot at Trenton previously, saving the life of the warden and two guards. He was a
hermit at Rahway, until I told him to take steps to avoid a riot. So he ran to be the president of the prisoner's council, and by campaigning in a specific way, he unexpectedly won.
Now, some people are comfortable just talking with registered Democrats. That is important work. But with the reality today – that there are more independents than Democrats or republicans – it is obviously essential that some of us do outreach to independents. Not everyone is able to do that for a variety of reasons. Others can. Of course, one must use the basic model of the three groups found in Politics 101.
More, it includes targeting those independents that are influential among their peers. Once you have found common ground with them, and get their support for Democratic Party candidates as our best hope for dealing with today's social-political emergencies, one can be confident they will influence their peers to vote for our candidates.
"I'm not sure everything can be explained. Some things you either understand, or you just don't. Maybe the goal should be to teach respect for other people, even if you don't fully understand them.”
Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman, 2001
On Turtle Power .....
Note: The following is something that I have posted today on two different internet forums that are inhabited by Democrats, republicans, and independents. It is not -- and I repeat not -- intended either as a semi-silent attempt at either mind control or perception management. "Misperception mismanagement," perhaps, but I prefer 'The wisdom of an Onondaga Chief." I will admit to trying to both snuggle with the hearts and minds of those with injured hearts and closed minds. And I post it here on DU:GD because I think that the good people here will appreciate it -- and this is a community of Good People:
Every now and then, I like to remember my conversations with Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman, who represented the Turtle Clan on both the Onondaga and Grand Council of Chiefs. Paul was the wisest human being I've had the pleasure of knowing. Because Paul was a citizen of Onondaga, and a Haudenosaunee Wisdom Keeper, his message could not fit into the “democrat vs republican” context. Thus, I will post a couple questions & answers from one of my interviews with him, in hopes that people will read it with an open mind.
Q: What do you think about a homeland for Palestinians?
CPW: They own land. They always have. There is enough land for them and the Jews. This conflict isn't just about land. It's about who controls the land that produces money. It's not about religion. The Creator is not taking sides in a conflict over money.
Q: President Bush has referred to the “evil doers.” What do you think about this?
CPW: Well, he's the same way. Those people in Afghanistan are so poor and miserable. They suffer when bombs kill their parents, and they hurt when bullets kill their children. So, even if Bush thinks what he is doing is right, he has to commit evil acts to achieve his goal.
But he can't stop. The other guy won't. And when they do kill bin Laden,someone else will take his place
I feel sorry for the soldiers, too. Most of them are young men. They are patriotic. Like those men who fought in Desert Storm, for your national interest. But I can't remember the price of gas dropping much since then. So who's interest was it in?
On a Rainy Day
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
“... But it takes so long, my Lord.” – George Harrison
My west coast brother contacted me with a question. He is a liberal Democrat who despises the president and the damage he is doing to our country and the world. He asked me if I thought antisemitism is on the rise in the United States, and if so, why? I said yes, and that I think it is a case of a rising tide lifting ignorant and angry boats. And that the jackasses are confident that they have license to talk and act in an obnoxious, sometimes dangerous manner.
There are definitely distinctions between recognizing that Netanyahu is a psychopathic war criminal, and being either antisemitic or disliking Israel. I think that Netanyahu & fiends are the greatest threat to a secure future for Israel, exactly the same as this president & fiends are the greatest threat to our society. Netantahu and the convicted sex offender/felon are hate manifested as mad men subjecting the world to obscene violence.
Thus, while I know it is important that we, as the Democratic Party, confront antisemitism, it has to be done as part of an evaluation of the extreme violence of Israel and the United States, and taking a firm stance that we are opposed to the violent aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran. It is essential that we have a conversation on this complicated issue, both before the mid-terms and the 2028 election.
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, there were some Democrats and even more independents who wanted our candidate to take a firm position opposed to the genocide in Gaza. But they were muted, largely by the candidate's campaign, because even questioning Israel was viewed as “high risk.” People were discouraged even on the internet from suggesting that Netanyahu's war crimes were an issue in the election. Indeed, at one point, the pre-corpse of necroconservative Dick Cheney were ushered on stage to endorse our ticket.
I will suggest that the sum-total of citizens who were influenced by Cheney's endorsement to vote for our candidate was far, far less than the number of potential voters who could not in good conscience vote in a manner that did not address the genocide of Palestinians. I say that, recognizing that Cheney may have had as many as ten loyal supporters. Others, quite obviously, think the opposite. We still see people who insist that if one did not vote – either at all, or for our ticket – it equals a vote for the felon. This indicates that they struggled with first grade math problems.
Today, of course, the majority of Americans are opposed to the felon and Netanyahu's war with Iran. This includes being able to connect that war with Netanyahu's “policies” in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. It is also significant that both the United States and Israel are more unpopular globally due to the war's economic impact. I am convinced that the felon and Netanyahu pose the greatest threat to our countries and the global community. Again, being opposed to this president is not “anti-American.” Being opposed to Netanyahu is not “anti-Israel.” In my opinion, being in favor of Trump is anti-American, and being in favor of Netanyahu is anti-Israel. I recognize that this is merely my opinion, but it seems that more and more people understand this.
If the Democratic Party is to regain a wholesome control of two-thirds of the federal government in the mid-terms and in 2028, we must have an honest discussion, putting all the cards on the table, about the crimes of the felon and Netanyahu. Our relationships within the global community are changing, and not for the better, as a result of the war with Iran. It is interesting to note that our allies were hesitant to disagree with the president in his first term and early in his second.
They recognized him as an unstable bully. But since he attacked Iran, for example, and found himself in deep shit, they refused his demand they help him. The German chancellor correctly noted – in public – that Iran has humiliated the president. China and Russia quietly watch the president self-destruct, knowing the severe damage he is doing to our country. The changes within the world community are accelerating, and not in our favor. We need to change, if as LBJ said, we are to master that change.
Choices
“Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice.”
Prison Chaplain, A Clockwork Orange.
Earlier this week, five teenage boy – ages 13,14,14, 15, and 15) attacked a homeless man in Binghamton, N.Y. They filmed the brutal assault, including pistol-whipping their helpless victim, to share on the internet. The man died in the hospital.
The man's name was Peter Bennedum, and he was 45 years old. I live an hour away from where this happened, and never knew Peter. I've read lots of comments on the internet about him though, from friends and classmates. It sounds like he was a good guy, who obviously did not deserve this.
The murder has outraged the local community and surrounding area. Perhaps the only good thing is that a “go fund me” site collected about $14,000 for his funeral in an extremely short time.
This isn't a new thing. But having kids video the attack for the internet is for this region. It does remind me of when my son and I got into Buffalo on May 14, 2022, about an hour after a freak traveled from outside Binghamton to Buffalo to shoot, kill, and video him shooting black shoppers. It was strange at the state Golden Gloves finals the following day. Such things tend to fit some of Gary Bruncato's ideas on the connections between violent criminals who study or participate on the information highway.
Today my son drove us to an old friend's land, where five of us participated in a sweat lodge healing ceremony ….. not for us, but for society. It was a particularly long and hot four rounds. My son invited me to come to his home to watch boxing tonight, but I'm just resting tonight, and thinking about that which needs to be done before the mid-terms.
Think for Yourself
"Learn to see, listen, and think for yourself.” – Malcolm X
I've read with interest and respect what a number of people are convinced happened at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday night. Many are certain it was 100% real, while many others think it was a staged event. Both sides include people that I respect, and I can appreciate points they raise.
At this point, I do not have an opinion one way or the other. I do not need to have one, despite my interest in what actually took place. By this late date, we all know that gun violence is a problem, and that there are people who shoot people, both in public and private settings. That the suspect is one of these human gadflies, which can be viewed as evidence the event was real, makes sense. Yet, at the same time, there is a history of others – including some who are not very nice -- using gadflies who are unaware they are being used.
Most everyone can agree that the events appeared a tad surreal. At least to me. That hints that the whole thing was real, in my book, based upon the numerous assassinations and attempted assassinations in my lifetime. Very few these days are choreographed as well as those in the 1960s. Probably just the Charlie Kirk one might not be by an insane amateur like that Squeaky Fromme, who now resides in Utica, N.Y. There are times it's better to hire a professional.
Not everything reported in the media turns out to be true. Like, I heard the gunman was dead. Since a lot of shots were fired, that would make sense to one with as pure and thus gullible a mind as my own. Hence, when the words “he is dead” were uttered by a CNN reliable source, I took it seriously. I hope this explains why on someone's post here, I said he was killed by Officer Jack Ruby. That was unpure speculation on my part, the type I might include on my resume for a CNN job application.
For that matter, it wasn't true when I said that Eric Trump was on a grassy knoll near the event. Or that the FBI found Jared's phone number and five sequential hundred dollars from a Mexican bank in the gadfly's hotel room. Looking back, I grapple with why I think of such things, much less say them. In my defense, however, I should note that neither has been proven to be lies in a courtroom. Release the gadfly files!
It did strike me as odd that at the press conference shortly after the events, everyone on stage was grinning like a Cheshire cat. The president spouted words from his mouth that darned near sounded rehearsed. And the maga response in the hours between then and now sound almost coordinated. Having been a student of math in high school, I can understand why those who are convinced it was fake would say it doesn't add up. But we must keep in mind that the video of said event and the Gadfly Manifesto were released in record time.
I've said all this to show that I don't know if it was real or a set-up. I'm curious how the gadfly was taken down, since he did not appear to bullet riddled, getting emergency medical attention, in the photo of him laying on the floor. I'd like to know how many shots were actually fired, by whom, and what they hit. But that's just me, sitting here listening to Elvis sing “Suspicious Minds.”
So I'm not going to engage in speculation on that event. I might, however, insist it was as fake as a twenty dollar bill to confuse and frustrate republicans. I know my rights. And the lyrics to “Strawberry Fields Forever.” But I do know one thing for certain, and that is no matter what transpired, the president is using it to communicate his “I am the Chosen One” message to his brain-dead followers. And that this is part of his campaign to excite them in the months before the mid-terms, and convince them that God is on their side.
Just Another Day
“Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.” – Thomas Jefferson
Years ago, I took a course on Alternatives to Violence, a Quaker program initially focused on teaching skills to the inmate population. Later, as it expanded, some of the Onondaga Clan Mothers would meet with the Quakers, and add to the program. In many ways, it is similar to the Iroquois' “Power of the Good Mind” from the teachings of Ayenwatha, who is also known as Hiawatha. (The real human being, not the character of Longfellow's poem.)
When I worked in Delaware County, I would use this in dealing with cases involving domestic abuse of all types. Then, in Chenago County, I used them in both jail and domestic abuse groups, with men and women. And I used it as part of a twenty-week course combining mental health, substance abuse/addiction/social services, for parents at risk of losing all custody rights. Some found benefit in it, others didn't.
There are some concepts that are important to put into practice. One has to recognize that others have different life experiences, and thus can view things differently, and hold different opinions. To recognize that the other person/people have the ability to be honest and tell the truth. To be non-confrontational, and speak in a conversational tone. To never be so foolish as to claim the ability to tell another what they are thinking. To focus on the issue at hand.
Now, these things are practiced in lots and lots of homes across this great country. They tend to be skills that parents model for their children, and thus are handed down in generations. But there are people who did not grow up in such homes, who lack these skills, and thus are unable to teach what they don't know. It becomes generation upon generation. (It's important to note that children raised in such a home can and frequently do recognize that violence is not a swell way to deal with disagreements.)
There are certain behaviors that are discouraged. One cannot make threats of any kind either before or after attempts to negotiate a solution to the problem. That obviously includes internet threats intended to intimidate the other into a total surrender to your will. On the local, micro-level, that results in having a judge decide which way the wind blows. That judge will read the reports from agencies, and listen to testimony from a range of people that includes the authors of those reports.
In other contexts that include harsh disagreements, a couple may use the services known as “marriage counseling.” Properly done, this includes someone trained in this field serving to guide the way to a resolution. In international disputes, that might be someone from a third country. This, of course, requires that the involved parties trust that person.
Now, in a dispute that may be headed to court, or is in court, both sides have the right to be represented by an attorney. Someone educated in the law, who passed the bar test. While, say, a great auto mechanic might be a witness, they can't represent someone else in court. Likewise, in international disputes, during negotiations, each country is represented by diplomats, who are trained in that specific field. Up until this administration, a couple of real estate billionaires who are not part of the administration or approved by the Senate, wholly intent upon accessing real estate deals to enrich themselves, would never have been tasked as diplomats.
We wouldn't consider the selection of someone who wants to build a McDonald's in Gaza, or a dollar store in the West Bank, to be a wonderful way to represent our country. Or someone as crooked as, say, Mr. Haney from Green Acres, because there cannot be trust when it comes to slime balls. Such a thing could only happen if one is not really serious about resolving a dispute.
Apocalypse Noun
“The truth of war is not always easy to hear but it is always more heroic than the hype.”
Jessica Lynch, April 24, 2007
Now, I'm not a Catholic. I was forced to attend the church as a kid, but even before my teen years thought they didn't understand Jesus. I do have relatives who are still church members, and have known a lot of mighty good people who are members of the church. I did like the last Pope, who practiced liberation theology, and I find myself liking this new fellow, Leo, for speaking out against war.
Obviously, the church has had its scandals involving sexual offenses against children. I was involved in a case when I worked with “at risk” teens where the local priest was arrested for sexually abusing a kid. Within twelve hours, the bishop had the charges dropped and after a three week vacation to consider the nature of his sins, the priest was moved to the next unsuspecting community. He should have been incarcerated.
On the other hand, there are a lot of good Catholics. They follow Jesus' teachings about having a social conscience, caring about the poor, and creating a more gentle world . They honor the Pope, and are opposed to the abuse of young people.
I quoted Jessica Lynch, who was used by the Bush-Cheney administration without concern for her well-being. Being an honest person, she would tell the Truth about the horrors of her experience in war. Her being honest resulted in her being threatened by some of the sick individuals in our society. The administration did nothing to help her. Yet she continued to speak honestly, in stark contrast to anyone in the administration.
Governments – included our own – contain some very sick individuals. They may outsource programs like the Epstein Pedo Files' dark scandal. We see some in Congress trying to protect the administration, as if financing such shit gets much-needed intelligence. Obviously, Epstein coordinated with U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies at a high level. The sexual abuse of minors is the most offensive part of that scandal, of course, but if people had a fuller concept of how it was financed, and by who, and how it was connected to wide-reaching money laundering, they would be shocked.
We need to keep in mind some of the strings that tie certain players together here. We know that Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi had a business partner named Jeffrey Epstein. He sold his luxury yacht to the cirrent president. He transported the U.S. missiles from Israel to Iran in the Iran-Contra. As we approach the end of the “cease fire,” we need to recognize that the same people who engage in the underage sex trade and money laundering are the same ones that profit from war.
They are of the cult of Thanatos. That bomb the U.S. dropped om the little girls' school in Iran cost a lot to build. People make big money in the industries that produce weapons like that. Thus, the human parasite Eric Trump has become invested in it. His tapeworm brother-in-law Jared is investing in the recently stolen land of the West Bank. Some, like the felon, get off on seeing big explosions, not caring who gets injured or killed.
In the next episode of a long, rambling rant – which I shall post on this OP/thread – will focus on the related topics of the war in Iran, the decay of empire, and the pattern the economy will most likely take this summer and fall. My recent focus in an OP about the AI image will make more sense, too, as it is a bad sign. Much of this might sound like harsh nay-saying, despite the president saying things are better than they ever have been in our country. I know, I know – call me a skeptic, if you must, but everything the felon says is a lie. And I don't want anyone caught off guard and surprised that things will get worse before they get better.
We shall overcome, however.
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Member since: Mon Dec 29, 2003, 08:49 PMNumber of posts: 79,292