posted April 10, 2003 at 3:22 p.m. MDT
NY Police Admit Keeping Anti-War Protest Database [reuters.com]
Let me save you the trouble: in 1973 I was in uniform, working Soviet illicit communications (satellites included) and tracking the Soviet navy's North Atlantic group. ("Yuri Gagarin" isn't only the name of a Russian cosmonaut.) After industrialized democracies overthrew the Chile's democratically elected government (not only did Allende do without WMD, he didn't even arm the population; what was he thinking? where was his faith? who did he trust?) I abandoned the military. After a stint managing communications for NORAD/SAC, I worked for public radio, studied for the priesthood (Catholic) and then Soto Zen, and then undertook projects like resisting American cruise missile testing and deployment. It's been a busy three decades!
My point is, while Powell caves (State folds to Pentagon ... how do you like the sound of that?!) we see that Rumsfeld et al took more care to protect the oil-fields than civil structures in Iraq. Consequence? Those who might be positioned as credible dissenting democrats (i.e. autonomous of Uncle Sam) get blown away (see google cluster concerning the death of respected cleric Abdul Majid al-Khoei) while Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, foot-in-mouth Cheney, and always sneering Perles project their power ahead of the curve (see google news on Chalabi).
Eagle Empire? ... the work of buzzards, looks to me. How much shame are the American people prepared to bear? Is this the "end of history"?! More likely, this is the "best of all possible worlds" for new-millenium fascists (who, I'm sure, will get along with mid-East Stalinists and mafia just fine).
p.s.1 the people of Basra are having to drink salt-water from the drains ... who cares?
p.s.2 number of WMD found: zero. Remember this? "They have WMD. We know they have WMD. We have proof that they have WMD. They have lots of WMD." That's what responsible authorities told the US Congress. Have the American people bought into a lie, just to beat up on someone? Have they lied to themselves? Have they lied to the whole world? How is the government of the United States of America different than a hugely powerful band of thugs? And fools like Stockwell Day, Ralph Klein, Brian Mulroney, Earnie Eves, Mike Harris and dumb-ass Harper say they're ashamed of Canada, begging Uncle Sam to spank us because we dared stand by the UN charter and by international law.
What do a bunch of whores have to say to the world about democracy? Precious little ... the lesson is not "might makes right"; the lesson is this: under the flag of the United States, in this 21st century, we fundamentalists will declare ourselves Christian while serving the Prince of Confusion; we will scorch the earth, plunder the land, torture the men, rape the women, and work the children as beasts of burden. We will it, and our will shall be made so, because we can. Behold! Might, lust, and passion without compassion, pity, or wisdom. Behold and be afraid, all who dare conceive of better!