Back in the 1950's the US government conceived the notion of a cold warrior to fight a cold war. Men, mostly men, were recruited from the armed forces, colleges and correspondent ranks to become spies. At the same time trainers were selected to teach them the skills of espionage, terrorism and black operations.
All this had to be kept secret from the US electorate, who had been raised in the ideals of chivalry and who had just fought a major war to end state sanctioned terrorism in Europe. "Better dead than Red" was a cry of the day, but the electorate could not be counted on to approve the same methods that were being condemned by Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon in the halls of Congress. The government claimed to be above such treachery.
My father, a trainer and handler of such cold warriors, could never allow himself to be investigated for any wrong doing. He had been officially dropped from officer rank to become a non-suspect NCO cold warrior. His frequently changing posting as an aircraft crash investigator provided the cover he needed to travel the world quietly and without the flag of diplomatic immunity.
But my father was not an honorable man, just as the government leaders who sanctioned the cold warriors were not honorable men. Patriots, yes, but not adherent to the rule of US law. Practioners of torture, blackmail. extortion and murder, they could thrive only under the cover of complete secrecy. These men who killed under the impress and in the name of our government often harmed and killed without that approval. When that happened the dishonorable band of brothers rallied to prevent an investigation of even a private blackmail, torture or killing. Crimes were covered up, the truth hidden from view for reasons of national security.
A covert government must in time become the real government of a people believing still in a free democracy and an open system of justice. Alliances made by these secret men must be protected, strengthened and held sacred above the rule of law, beyond the influence of voters or courts. Their oath become oaths to themselves. They must overcome the restrictions of the Constitution and continually weaken and circumvent it.
James Bond and Jason Bourne are mythical spies. The men who lead the covert organizations are not such men of conscience. They are criminals more akin to the organizers of Blackburn and Smirch than to white knight heroes. They recruit now from the ranks of crime families, pirate businessmen and corrupt politicians. They call themselves patriots, while destroying the land.
The Bushes, Cheneys, Hoovers, Kennedys, Hages and congressional old men speak of patriotism, balanced budgets and secure borders. In their hearts, they dream of the oligarchy that is theirs already. They dream of the day when a hireling class will serve them alone.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Call out the Bigots
I've grown more concerned lately with the outrageous power the Dominionists (that what some of us call the extreme right wing Christians who claim to know the will of God on each and every subject, even if God chose not to mention anything about it at all.) The Dominionists have gained a hold within the Republican Party far beyond the power of the population as a whole.
There is a sizable bigot base in America, hating either blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Jews, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, women, environmentalists or all of the above. The Dominionists have leagued with these bigots and used fear as their biggest weapon to blame each of these groups for the falling apart of marriage, the economy, and the rise of oil prices, joblessness and the national debt.
They are perfectly willing to destroy the country because they are perfectly willing to blame the Constitution and its proclamation of freedom for all the woes these claim to see.
I believe it is time to stand up to them in every public venue, calling them the bigots that they actually are. They are the ones who have swallowed the great lie of Second Thessalonians. They think Jesus who said we should each other and all of our neighbors was mistaken. They would exclude millions who don't fit within their definition of "all right." They are the power hungry who need to put others down to lift themselves higher.
At every church, in every political convention, in every state or federal election, at every town meeting, we should stand and simply say, my Constitution says, "You are wrong." My God calls you, " a bigot." a "liar," and a "murderer." The people of the United States rebuke you and your doctrines. Go home to Uganda, go home to Jamaica, go home to the lands that have no people yearning to breathe free.
There is a sizable bigot base in America, hating either blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Jews, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, women, environmentalists or all of the above. The Dominionists have leagued with these bigots and used fear as their biggest weapon to blame each of these groups for the falling apart of marriage, the economy, and the rise of oil prices, joblessness and the national debt.
They are perfectly willing to destroy the country because they are perfectly willing to blame the Constitution and its proclamation of freedom for all the woes these claim to see.
I believe it is time to stand up to them in every public venue, calling them the bigots that they actually are. They are the ones who have swallowed the great lie of Second Thessalonians. They think Jesus who said we should each other and all of our neighbors was mistaken. They would exclude millions who don't fit within their definition of "all right." They are the power hungry who need to put others down to lift themselves higher.
At every church, in every political convention, in every state or federal election, at every town meeting, we should stand and simply say, my Constitution says, "You are wrong." My God calls you, " a bigot." a "liar," and a "murderer." The people of the United States rebuke you and your doctrines. Go home to Uganda, go home to Jamaica, go home to the lands that have no people yearning to breathe free.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Note My Vote
I did not rape you, dear.
I did not rape your husband, or your mother or children
By floating a worthless bond,
Giving you an inflated house loan,
Selling your interests to a corporation,
Sending you job to India or Pakistan.
I wrote this poetic note and spent my time,
hurting no one dear.
I did not rape your husband, or your mother or children
By floating a worthless bond,
Giving you an inflated house loan,
Selling your interests to a corporation,
Sending you job to India or Pakistan.
I wrote this poetic note and spent my time,
hurting no one dear.
At Morning Worship
Scratch a single match, He lights sixteen candles
Seven to each stand and two upon the altar.
So pastor seeks his faith's precise handles.
Seven to each stand and two upon the altar.
So pastor seeks his faith's precise handles.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Let's Flip the societal Clock
The age of consent is too high. In European and North American cultures of the 20th and 21st centuries, marriages are contracted at age 20 or older. This is an absolutely ridiculous situation caused by the aberration of great wars. In Europe many men were destroyed by the two world wars. Surviving females with children posed a severe threat to the economies of their countries. Legislation was enacted to treat the symptom, single mothers, and not the disease, war. The most common laws restricted the marriage age in an upward fashion by raising the age of consent. In North America, the Civil War resulted in the same kinds of laws being passed at even earlier dates.
Raising the marriage ages for both men and women did lead to an apparent reduction in single and unwed mothers. Unfortunately the reduction was short lived and most likely the result of an increasing balance of the sexes between and after these major conflicts. Still we are stuck with elevated legal marriage ages.
I said that this situation is ridiculous and here are my reasons.
Both males and females show almost no signs of infertility in their teenage years. Children born to parents, when both are teenagers, show few if any birth defects. But in both females and males there is a marked increase in infertility after the late teens. There have been many studies correlating the age of the parents with the number of birth defects. In every study, the number of birth defects rises significantly in each decade after the late teens. Men, in fact, will contribute greater numbers of defective sperm and resultant birth defects in their children for each year they age past their teens. Their children will have lower intelligence, more mental illness, retardation and autism. A fertile old man is definitely a danger to society. Younger fathers and mothers are much more beneficial.
Children from the age of twelve show responsible and mature behavior in societies that grant them adult legal rights. Societies that raise the age of adult legal status experience increased juvenal deliquency and antisocial behaviors in young adults and more problems with older adult social participation. Many studies have been done that indicate the truth of these statements, although there is no consensus of why. It should be obvious that lowering the age of adult responsibility is beneficial to society.
Most education programs in the USA, I am not able to comment on European programs, demonstrate reduced participation by the students during the teenage years. All sorts of explanations are given for the high dropout rates and lowered achievement scores and each generation of teachers has been tasked with improving the curriculum. It is very likely that behaviorally and mentally capable students are negatively affected by being treated as irresponsible children. They simply stop relating to controlling teachers and a repressive environment.
With just these three acknowledgments, I suggest that we as a society give adult rights to twelve year olds with the right to marry. I further suggest that all adults over the age of 25 be required to use condoms and other birth control methods in every sexual encounter.
Raising the marriage ages for both men and women did lead to an apparent reduction in single and unwed mothers. Unfortunately the reduction was short lived and most likely the result of an increasing balance of the sexes between and after these major conflicts. Still we are stuck with elevated legal marriage ages.
I said that this situation is ridiculous and here are my reasons.
Both males and females show almost no signs of infertility in their teenage years. Children born to parents, when both are teenagers, show few if any birth defects. But in both females and males there is a marked increase in infertility after the late teens. There have been many studies correlating the age of the parents with the number of birth defects. In every study, the number of birth defects rises significantly in each decade after the late teens. Men, in fact, will contribute greater numbers of defective sperm and resultant birth defects in their children for each year they age past their teens. Their children will have lower intelligence, more mental illness, retardation and autism. A fertile old man is definitely a danger to society. Younger fathers and mothers are much more beneficial.
Children from the age of twelve show responsible and mature behavior in societies that grant them adult legal rights. Societies that raise the age of adult legal status experience increased juvenal deliquency and antisocial behaviors in young adults and more problems with older adult social participation. Many studies have been done that indicate the truth of these statements, although there is no consensus of why. It should be obvious that lowering the age of adult responsibility is beneficial to society.
Most education programs in the USA, I am not able to comment on European programs, demonstrate reduced participation by the students during the teenage years. All sorts of explanations are given for the high dropout rates and lowered achievement scores and each generation of teachers has been tasked with improving the curriculum. It is very likely that behaviorally and mentally capable students are negatively affected by being treated as irresponsible children. They simply stop relating to controlling teachers and a repressive environment.
With just these three acknowledgments, I suggest that we as a society give adult rights to twelve year olds with the right to marry. I further suggest that all adults over the age of 25 be required to use condoms and other birth control methods in every sexual encounter.
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 6th Journal Entry
On the 4th of July I was floating on the river again. This time in the inflatable that I got from sail boats to go. I was having difficulty rowing and simply could not find a way to sit that would let me use the too small oars. This was not the boats fault but my own as I'll relate in a bit. Anyway, I was having problems when Daddy decided to open up the sky and dump down buckets of new water.
Got to a muddy bank, pulled the boat ashore and started unloading in the rain. I stomped down a patch of stinging nettles, pitched my tent and carried everything inside of it. I even dragged the boat inside the tent and used it as my sleeping mattress.
For most of the day and far into the night the pyrotechnics Daddy put on kept other folk indoors. I woke at about 4am and used some inner hickory bark, a few paper towels and a great deal of puffing breathe to get a fire going. I stretched my fish stringer between trees and hung my clothes up to dry. I went down to the bank, laid broken branches across the oozing mud and walked to the water. I washed my socks and trail running shoes before hanging them up to dry.
I cooked up a meal of beans and nothing else and went looking for raspberries to eat. There were many and if I had needed to stay there I saw that the rabbits had made many trails through the brush. But I did not need to say. At 1pm I reloaded the boat and tied to find a better way to row. No luck at first.
I pulled up on a sand bank and pondered the problem. it finally occurred to me that I may not be using enough inflation for the boat floor. I blew it up more and it worked much better as I could then use some of my equipment to sit up higher. still the oars were too short for my arm and especially for my less than perfect right shoulder.
Back on the water I moved downstream until I came to the Peppers Ferry bridge crossing. River traffic was forbidden at that point because the bridge was under construction. Two two lane bridges were being built to handle traffic for the Radford Military Arsenal. The river was to remain closed until the end of July. Stymied I rowed back upstream to the Radford Municipal Launch site and unpacked again.
I spent the afternoon and night reading and resting. I called Jammie to ask for a ride home. She came and got me with her mother the next evening.
So here I am back in Wytheville planning to get back on the river after my daughter, Liz has her wedding in August. It is a very good thing that I am in no hurry to complete this journey.
Got to a muddy bank, pulled the boat ashore and started unloading in the rain. I stomped down a patch of stinging nettles, pitched my tent and carried everything inside of it. I even dragged the boat inside the tent and used it as my sleeping mattress.
For most of the day and far into the night the pyrotechnics Daddy put on kept other folk indoors. I woke at about 4am and used some inner hickory bark, a few paper towels and a great deal of puffing breathe to get a fire going. I stretched my fish stringer between trees and hung my clothes up to dry. I went down to the bank, laid broken branches across the oozing mud and walked to the water. I washed my socks and trail running shoes before hanging them up to dry.
I cooked up a meal of beans and nothing else and went looking for raspberries to eat. There were many and if I had needed to stay there I saw that the rabbits had made many trails through the brush. But I did not need to say. At 1pm I reloaded the boat and tied to find a better way to row. No luck at first.
I pulled up on a sand bank and pondered the problem. it finally occurred to me that I may not be using enough inflation for the boat floor. I blew it up more and it worked much better as I could then use some of my equipment to sit up higher. still the oars were too short for my arm and especially for my less than perfect right shoulder.
Back on the water I moved downstream until I came to the Peppers Ferry bridge crossing. River traffic was forbidden at that point because the bridge was under construction. Two two lane bridges were being built to handle traffic for the Radford Military Arsenal. The river was to remain closed until the end of July. Stymied I rowed back upstream to the Radford Municipal Launch site and unpacked again.
I spent the afternoon and night reading and resting. I called Jammie to ask for a ride home. She came and got me with her mother the next evening.
So here I am back in Wytheville planning to get back on the river after my daughter, Liz has her wedding in August. It is a very good thing that I am in no hurry to complete this journey.
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