When I finally discover my purpose in life to be that of the man who leads others to discovering their own freedom, how do I reconcile it with the notion of feeling the need to take away the freedom of someone because she is unable to care for herself?
Fuck my life.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The problem with Dr. Paul's Foreign Policy
Honestly, I don't see a problem with it. I think it's not only in line with the teachings of Christ, it's also in line with the beliefs of our founders. That said, let's go over a few points...
ISRAEL
Okay, before anyone goes and calls me an anti-Semite, let's clear something up. I don't hate Jewish people any more than I hate anyone else. I don't hate people based upon their religion, skin tone, national origin, etc. I strongly dislike people who are assholes. In my lifetime, I've met maybe half a dozen “openly” Jewish people. I use the term “openly”, because I'm quite certain I've met more than six Jewish people in my life...but, much like people of other religions, they don't always feel the need to shove their beliefs down your throat. That said, I did grow up in a predominantly Southern Baptist suburb on the Texas gulf coast, so there just ain't that many of them around here. The two Jewish kids I went to school with were cool as hell, and made for great drinking partners when we got older. The guy who went off on the LaRouchePAC reps at school was kinda an asshole. The Jewish chicks in my Mathematical Reasoning class were nice, but they were dumb as a brick like the rest of the sorority sluts in that class. So pay attention. I don't hate “Jewish people”, I just can't stand assholes.
Moving right along. Israel is, by far, our largest foreign policy issue. We give more money to Israel than any other nation on earth, even though its' population is roughly twice the size of Houston, TX. Because of their long-standing feud with the Palestinian Arabs since the UN Partition Plan of 1947, the rest of the Arab world has held animosity toward us. Anyone with an objective view can see that the Arabs in that situation got royally screwed, and as a result, the Arabs got pissed and started a war. It hasn't stopped. Israel came out on top, because we keep giving them so much money and so many guns. The fact that Israel's air force consists of modern fighter jets, instead of a few guys with shotguns in a hot air balloon, speaks volumes about the amount of money and guns we give them...especially when one considers their extremely small population.
This foreign aid to Israel is the main reason the Muslim population has their “death to America” parades. Why continue it?
THE THREAT OF ISLAM
Or, I suppose, maybe we should call it “the lack thereof”. It's impossible to start a rational discussion about the subject of Islam, without someone quoting something to do with “Sharia Law”, “Militant Islam”, or this crazy notion that all terrorists are Muslims.
First, imposing “Sharia Law” is illegal in this nation, for the same reason that imposing any other law based upon religion is illegal. We have this thing called the First Amendment. Many like to quote a New Jersey case, in which a protective order was not granted based upon a couples' culture, which was quickly shot down in appeals for this very reason. Sharia law DOES make itself present often in civil disputes, in which 3rd Party arbitrators are used...but it is CONSENSUAL AMONGST BOTH THE PLAINTIFF AND THE DEFENDANT, just as any other 3rd Party arbitrator would be. A judge must approve the judgment. It doesn't matter if they are Muslims wanting to use Sharia, professional baseball players and owners wanting to use accountants, or two hillbilly meth heads wanting to use a Magic 8 Ball. If both parties agree, they have a right to settle their differences how they see fit. Get over it, you aren't involved and you aren't bound by it.
Now, let's look at “militant Islam”. It's no different than any other hard-line religious order. It's usually based upon a warped interpretation of a religious text, amongst people of low IQ and less education. That said, “militant Islam” wasn't responsible for 9/11. Total failure of those we are forced to depend upon to protect us, because .gov refuses to allow us to protect ourselves, is solely to blame. Let us not forget, the official government story of 9/11 says it was perpetrated by 19 men who were armed with $2 box cutters available at any Dollar General. Even before 9/11, you'd catch a ration of shit if you tried to board a plane with a Buck knife in your pocket. Motive wasn't responsible for 9/11, total government failure was. If a person can hijack an airplane with a box cutter, he can hijack a plane without one.
Moving right along, the claim that “all terrorists are Muslim” isn't true. It isn't even remotely close. The tactic of suicide bombing was made famous by atheist communists known as the Tamil Tigers. Car bombings have been around almost as long as cars themselves, and were made famous by Catholic Irishmen...made so famous, in fact, that there's even a drink named after it!
The fact of the matter is, most Islamic people in the world are of North African, Western Asian, or Middle Eastern descent...and these people really hate America, because America has been meddling in their business since the dawn of the 20th century. That's one hundred years of discontent. We have imposed sanctions upon their governments resulting in starvation and bombings, we have funded oppressive monarchs, we have removed democratically-elected leaders and replaced them with oppressive dictators, and we have done it chiefly in the name of protecting the business interests of large American corporations.
Is it so wrong to see this as the problem, as opposed to blaming it on the popular religious belief in the area?
FOREIGN AID
The United States is trillions of dollars in debt. That's TRILLIONS of dollars, with a “T”. I don't think it's wrong to suggest that we stop giving foreign aid to EVERYONE (yes, even Israel, our biggest welfare queen). It is not only bankrupting us, but our foreign aid always comes with strings attached. Many times, these “strings” do not benefit the common man in the nations we provide this “aid” to. Often, it enriches corrupt governments and the US corporations which benefit from it.
What good is so great that it requires cooperation with corrupt and oppressive governments?
ISOLATIONISM
It is, by any reasonable logic, completely wrong to say it is “isolationist” to deny monetary and military aid to another nation. In fact, our founders felt the same way.
To use a localized example, imagine your neighbors are having a very loud domestic dispute. She got caught using the joint checking account to pay her “on the side” man's car note. The dispute has now gone into the front yard, where the entire neighborhood can hear and see it.
“Isolationism” is the idea that she cannot seek refuge at your house, use the telephone to call her boyfriend-on-the-side, cannot ask you for a band-aid because he slapped the shit out of her, cannot ask you to watch the kids, etc.
“Non-interventionism” means you don't go over there with your snubbie .38 and bust a cap in his ass, because he got upset about his paycheck being spent on the guy that's boning his wife...but if you feel the need to put her kids in a safe place, give her a band-aid, let her use the phone, etc, that's cool.
Is it really wrong to suggest that we aren't the world's policeman?
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Like it or not, there is no “national defense” motive to killing American citizens without trial. There is no “national defense” motive to invade another sovereign nation...regardless of whether the non-state party who attacked us may or may not have originated from that nation. The American people have yet to be provided with proof that the Afghani government sponsored the attacks of 9/11, or even knowlingly provided safe harbor for those who would. We have yet to be shown proof that Iraq was ever even remotely connected to 9/11, had ever attacked us, or even remotely posed any threat to our national security.
In the meantime, the past decade has seen the largest influx of illegal immigration on record. We now have “border patrol checkpoints” 250mi inland, supposedly to combat the problem. Our current president does not give a damn about the issue. Our past president wanted “guest workers”, and decided to enrich his friends with a “virtual fence” consisting of a bunch of high-tech motion sensors and cameras...instead of an actual fence.
Meanwhile, this nation's borders are as porous as a bathtub made of chicken wire. The “invasion” occurs as I type this, and our National Guard is powerless to stop it...because, when they're given orders to gear up, they're being sent to the Middle East.
Why, instead of defending America, would you insist on spreading our military so thin that it becomes as useless as the Roman army during the days of Nero?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Why I don't "support Israel"...
Well, I suppose the title is a bit misleading. You see, I do support the nation of Israel's right to defend itself. I DO NOT support Israel's right to conquest. I do support Israel's right to engage in free trade. I DO NOT support Israel's assumed right to my money. I do support Israel's right to "exist". I DO NOT support Israel's right to exist at the expense of another, any more than I support welfare or an "I'm starving, I'm going to kill you and eat your food" attitude here at home.
That said, let's go over a few facts here.
A) The Holocaust was bad. No denying that here. It was some pretty twisted shit, people being slaughtered in the name of religion. That's why I think it was some pretty twisted shit. People were being slaughtered for their beliefs, not because people were being slaughtered for being Jewish.
B) The Holocaust is NOT what brought about the modern-day nation of Israel. The "zionist" movement began in the century preceding Hitler's rise to power. It wasn't some new idea that the UN just decided to think up one day, it was started back in 1870 when Hovevie Zion started the first of 20 new Jewish settlements in Palestine (yes, that's what it was called when Britain ran the place). The "zionist" movement was, ironically, initially supported by wealthy Europeans with anti-semitic views who wanted to see Jewish people leave these European nations.
C) Israel's government is NOT a theocracy, it is a secular government whose citizenship happens to be largely dependent upon ones' affirmation of religious belief. Ironically, it's affirmation of the very same religious belief that led so many Jews to the gas chamber. Seems to me like it's something they'd want to shy away from? Laws regarding religion, I mean...not one's faith.
D) Prior to the UN Partition Plan of 1947, the population of what is now the modern-day state of Israel consisted roughly of 66% native Arab, 11% native Jew, 22% immigrant or first-generation Jew, and about 1% "other". The land was divided in half, with 2/3 of the population getting shafted in favor of 1/3 of the population...most of whom were foreigners. Could you imagine if the UN decided to give half of the US back to Mexico, because they needed a "homeland"? I'd be shooting, too! Now, imagine that the Chinese were supplying warplanes and tanks to the Mexicans, so they could occupy even more!
E) The majority of Jewish people do not live in Israel. Sixty percent of them, in fact, live elsewhere (mainly in the United States, whose Jewish population is roughly equivalent to that of Israel, hovering around 39% in America compared to 42% in Israel).
F) Israel receives more foreign aid from the US, than any other nation on earth...even though it is roughly only seven times the size of Rhode Island, a state which happens to be smaller than the county I live in. The vast majority of Israeli men below the age of 26 are either in the Israeli Defense Forces (military), or are paid welfare to study the Torah. Those in the productive sector of their society are forced to pay income and other taxes, to the tune of over 43%, so the Israeli government can cover what our massive amounts of foreign aid won't cover.
G) To date, the nation of Israel has the infamous dishonor of being the leader of the UN's list of Human Rights Council resolutions for their repeated abuses of basic human rights...and they often commit these human rights abuses with weapons, tanks, and bulldozers which are both made in and funded by the United States of America. In addition to "foreign aid" in the form of cash, Obama has requested military aid to Israel totalling over EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2011.
H) While exact figures are not known, Israel's nuclear weapons stockpile is estimated to be smaller than only the US, China, UK, and Russia. It is, to date, the ONLY nation in the Middle East region to possess nuclear weapons...and they, like the M16 rifles carried by the IDF infantryman, were bought and paid for with money borrowed by the US taxpayer.
I) During the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the overwhelming majority of Palestinian casualties have been children under the age of 14. While it has been said that this occurs because Palestinian fighters (I refuse to use the term "terrorist", because the only difference in the warring parties appears to be religious affiliation and funding) commit acts of war in civilian populations. Well, yes, there is truth to that statement. However, it is also true that Israel is a fairly small nation, and cities are where the "strategic" targets of both sides happen to be. Unlike the forests and battlefields of WWII, tanks roll through the streets. Why? Because both parties are fighting for control of the cities in question. Both sides are attacking civilian populations, because both militaries are interspersed within civilian populations. It's common sense.
J) Israel has kept aid flotillas from reaching Palestine, using their naval and air forces, for the purposes of denying Palestine basic necessities that cannot be manufactured at home or imported due to military-enforced embargoes and otherwise must be smuggled into the Palestinian-occupied lands.
K) Israel has destroyed more than TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND Palestinian homes. Most are destroyed due to "military needs of the IDF". Some are destroyed because they were built without a "permit" from the Israeli government, on Palestinian land. Some are destroyed because someone merely suspected of "terrorism" may have lived in or known someone who lived in, or been related to someone who lived in, the home. To date, the Palestinians have never destroyed an Israeli home as a matter of punitive action.
L) Israel has built over 200 "settlements" on lands taken from the Palestinians since the 1947 Partition Plan.
M) Israel currently holds more than 220 political prisoners, and refers to them as "administrative detainees".
N) Israel has erected steel fences and other barricades around Palestinian-occupied lands, and restricts the movement of Palestinians at gunpoint in a manner similar to the Soviet Union's occupation of East Berlin.
********************************************
So, there you have it. This is why I say "I do not support giving guns and money to Israel." It's not because I'm some evil Jew-hater, or I "support terrorism". I think both sides should lay down their arms and "just give peace a chance". If they're unwilling to do that, I say let 'em fight it out...but without my money. Certain people may use the line "Blessed by those who bless Israel, and cursed by those who curse Israel", because it came straight from the bible.
I'm cool with that. Somehow, I just don't think nuclear weapons and welfare are a "blessing".
That said, let's go over a few facts here.
A) The Holocaust was bad. No denying that here. It was some pretty twisted shit, people being slaughtered in the name of religion. That's why I think it was some pretty twisted shit. People were being slaughtered for their beliefs, not because people were being slaughtered for being Jewish.
B) The Holocaust is NOT what brought about the modern-day nation of Israel. The "zionist" movement began in the century preceding Hitler's rise to power. It wasn't some new idea that the UN just decided to think up one day, it was started back in 1870 when Hovevie Zion started the first of 20 new Jewish settlements in Palestine (yes, that's what it was called when Britain ran the place). The "zionist" movement was, ironically, initially supported by wealthy Europeans with anti-semitic views who wanted to see Jewish people leave these European nations.
C) Israel's government is NOT a theocracy, it is a secular government whose citizenship happens to be largely dependent upon ones' affirmation of religious belief. Ironically, it's affirmation of the very same religious belief that led so many Jews to the gas chamber. Seems to me like it's something they'd want to shy away from? Laws regarding religion, I mean...not one's faith.
D) Prior to the UN Partition Plan of 1947, the population of what is now the modern-day state of Israel consisted roughly of 66% native Arab, 11% native Jew, 22% immigrant or first-generation Jew, and about 1% "other". The land was divided in half, with 2/3 of the population getting shafted in favor of 1/3 of the population...most of whom were foreigners. Could you imagine if the UN decided to give half of the US back to Mexico, because they needed a "homeland"? I'd be shooting, too! Now, imagine that the Chinese were supplying warplanes and tanks to the Mexicans, so they could occupy even more!
E) The majority of Jewish people do not live in Israel. Sixty percent of them, in fact, live elsewhere (mainly in the United States, whose Jewish population is roughly equivalent to that of Israel, hovering around 39% in America compared to 42% in Israel).
F) Israel receives more foreign aid from the US, than any other nation on earth...even though it is roughly only seven times the size of Rhode Island, a state which happens to be smaller than the county I live in. The vast majority of Israeli men below the age of 26 are either in the Israeli Defense Forces (military), or are paid welfare to study the Torah. Those in the productive sector of their society are forced to pay income and other taxes, to the tune of over 43%, so the Israeli government can cover what our massive amounts of foreign aid won't cover.
G) To date, the nation of Israel has the infamous dishonor of being the leader of the UN's list of Human Rights Council resolutions for their repeated abuses of basic human rights...and they often commit these human rights abuses with weapons, tanks, and bulldozers which are both made in and funded by the United States of America. In addition to "foreign aid" in the form of cash, Obama has requested military aid to Israel totalling over EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2011.
H) While exact figures are not known, Israel's nuclear weapons stockpile is estimated to be smaller than only the US, China, UK, and Russia. It is, to date, the ONLY nation in the Middle East region to possess nuclear weapons...and they, like the M16 rifles carried by the IDF infantryman, were bought and paid for with money borrowed by the US taxpayer.
I) During the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the overwhelming majority of Palestinian casualties have been children under the age of 14. While it has been said that this occurs because Palestinian fighters (I refuse to use the term "terrorist", because the only difference in the warring parties appears to be religious affiliation and funding) commit acts of war in civilian populations. Well, yes, there is truth to that statement. However, it is also true that Israel is a fairly small nation, and cities are where the "strategic" targets of both sides happen to be. Unlike the forests and battlefields of WWII, tanks roll through the streets. Why? Because both parties are fighting for control of the cities in question. Both sides are attacking civilian populations, because both militaries are interspersed within civilian populations. It's common sense.
J) Israel has kept aid flotillas from reaching Palestine, using their naval and air forces, for the purposes of denying Palestine basic necessities that cannot be manufactured at home or imported due to military-enforced embargoes and otherwise must be smuggled into the Palestinian-occupied lands.
K) Israel has destroyed more than TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND Palestinian homes. Most are destroyed due to "military needs of the IDF". Some are destroyed because they were built without a "permit" from the Israeli government, on Palestinian land. Some are destroyed because someone merely suspected of "terrorism" may have lived in or known someone who lived in, or been related to someone who lived in, the home. To date, the Palestinians have never destroyed an Israeli home as a matter of punitive action.
L) Israel has built over 200 "settlements" on lands taken from the Palestinians since the 1947 Partition Plan.
M) Israel currently holds more than 220 political prisoners, and refers to them as "administrative detainees".
N) Israel has erected steel fences and other barricades around Palestinian-occupied lands, and restricts the movement of Palestinians at gunpoint in a manner similar to the Soviet Union's occupation of East Berlin.
********************************************
So, there you have it. This is why I say "I do not support giving guns and money to Israel." It's not because I'm some evil Jew-hater, or I "support terrorism". I think both sides should lay down their arms and "just give peace a chance". If they're unwilling to do that, I say let 'em fight it out...but without my money. Certain people may use the line "Blessed by those who bless Israel, and cursed by those who curse Israel", because it came straight from the bible.
I'm cool with that. Somehow, I just don't think nuclear weapons and welfare are a "blessing".
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Prepping for the protest...
Here's a list of things you might want to consider carrying with you, should you feel the need to jump off into a protest where some shit might "just get real". You know, kinda like how shit just got real over in Rome recently. Yes, I get the whole "non-violent protest" thing. I also understand the concept of driving safely, but that doesn't stop me from wearing a seat belt! There's no need to go somewhere and get it served up, just because you're being "non-violent". Protect yourself, from the pork and the weather. Be smart about it. Here's what you'll need:
1) A backpack. Preferably one with multiple pockets, which makes it easier to organize things. If you're able to get one with MOLLE webbing, all the better. If you're able to pick up a MOLLE vest and spring for multiple pouches, even better!
2) Water. You need capacity for AT LEAST two liters of water, in two separate containers. I'll explain in a moment. Many modern backpacks have pockets for hydration bladders in the back that can be filled up and mounted with a flexible drinking tube, these are a Godsend. They keep your water out of the way, yet right where you need it. If that's not available, I recommend a milsurp-style canteen with a pouch that can be mounted on your belt or MOLLE gear.
3) Maalox liquid antacid. This is for when cops decide to start pepper-spraying you because you've annoyed the people working at the Federal Reserve. You mix this in your OTHER 1-liter container of water at a 50/50 ratio. OC pepper spray is an acid. That chemical burn sensation is exactly that...it's a chemical burn. Remove your contaminated clothing asap, and douse the affected area with your Maalox solution until you can get to a steady supply of streaming water to rinse it off for 20 minutes. You remember Uncle Elroy from Next Friday, right? It takes 20 minutes to rinse off the pepper spray. Maalox will help neutralize it until you can get it rinsed off.
4) A gas mask. Duh. What's the most effective crowd control device you can use, short of a belt-fed weapon? Why, it's tear gas! It doesn't necessarily "hurt" like OC, but CS gas does irritate to the point of making you wish you weren't there. It does provide an irritating sensation to the eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. If you wish to keep in the game, you have to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. You can purchase high-quality milsurp gas masks via mail order, with brand-new in-the-wrapper filters, for under $20USD via the interwebs. Israeli and European masks are most common. Get one that uses NATO-style filters, they're the cheapest to replace.
5) A helmet. But no, seriously. When the shit cracks off, you stand a very serious risk of getting smacked upside the head by Officer Friendly's billyclub. Or you might get hit in the head with some guy's bottle, because he can't throw it quite as far as he thought he could. Or you might get knocked down by a stampede of your fellow protesters when the cops roll through on horseback or mopeds. Regardless, if you take a hard enough thumping to the head, you'll wake up and realize you can't do math any more. Protect your grape, bro. While motorcycle helmets and hard-hats do provide protection, they also have their drawbacks. Motorcycle helmets are heavy as shit, and hard-hats fall off very easily. Your best bet is to pick up a bicycle helmet or a milsurp infantry pot. You can store it in your backpack so you don't stand out as "that guy" while people are simply marching and holding signs. Tuck your gas mask inside it when stored, so it doesn't take up much space.
5) A first aid kit. This should be common sense. You shouldn't go ANYWHERE without one of these, at least kept in your vehicle. Many newer cars even have designated storage spaces for them. If you know you're going to be in a large group of people with highly-charged emotions (like, for instance, a PROTEST RALLY), you should keep a first aid kit on your person. The potential for a person actually needing a first aid kit expands in relation to the size of the group. You need the essentials. Alcohol swabs, antibiotic ointment, gauze, ace wraps, first aid tape, insta-cold packs, etc. Also, stuff for minor injuries are good to have. Keep a healthy supply of bandaids in multiple sizes. Keep the "travel-size" bottles of Advil, Tylenol, and aspirin (keep all three, because people want/need pain relief when injured, and some people have allergies). You can have all of this packed into a space smaller than that of the average child's lunchbox.
6) A GMRS/FMS radio. If you're in a crowd of 100 people or more, it's nice to stay connected to your friends. Remember, cellular service can be shut down easily, and they've done it before at events like the BART station protest. In addition, a specific frequency can be pre-decided by protest organizers so attendees can be given informational updates about injuries, police presence, etc.
7) Earplugs. The G20 meeting in Pittsburg showed the world what the "LRAD" noise cannon can do. But it's easily defeated with an 85 cent pair of foam earplugs, unless you're right in front of it.
8) Food. If you're gonna be there all day, bring something to munch on. Keep it compact enough to comfortably carry with you. Energy bars, a banana, an MRE, whatever. Just don't get stuck in a park with hundreds of people, all day long, being hungry. And remember, foods made of sugar like candy bars and whatnot ain't gonna do it for you. Eat something that's going to give you something besides empty calories.
9) A camera. ALWAYS BE RECORDING if there's any encounter with the police whatsoever. Policemen are like all other tax-feeders. Some are great people, a great many are assholes...but at the end of day, none of them like to be exposed acting like assholes toward the public. Let us not forget, Anthony Bologna pepper-sprayed innocent women in the face on the sidewalk of NYC. Because so many cameras were present, he was identified in less than a day...and soon after, the entire internets knew where even his own mother slept at night. Cameras are your friend, unless you're a criminal.
10) A friend. It's always good to have someone with you to watch your back. It's better if that person is someone you know and trust. Strangers have a tendency to forget about you if shit turns bad. If no one at the event knows you, it's unlikely anyone will be working on bail for you until you're able to get to a phone in the event you're arrested. Keep that in mind...
1) A backpack. Preferably one with multiple pockets, which makes it easier to organize things. If you're able to get one with MOLLE webbing, all the better. If you're able to pick up a MOLLE vest and spring for multiple pouches, even better!
2) Water. You need capacity for AT LEAST two liters of water, in two separate containers. I'll explain in a moment. Many modern backpacks have pockets for hydration bladders in the back that can be filled up and mounted with a flexible drinking tube, these are a Godsend. They keep your water out of the way, yet right where you need it. If that's not available, I recommend a milsurp-style canteen with a pouch that can be mounted on your belt or MOLLE gear.
3) Maalox liquid antacid. This is for when cops decide to start pepper-spraying you because you've annoyed the people working at the Federal Reserve. You mix this in your OTHER 1-liter container of water at a 50/50 ratio. OC pepper spray is an acid. That chemical burn sensation is exactly that...it's a chemical burn. Remove your contaminated clothing asap, and douse the affected area with your Maalox solution until you can get to a steady supply of streaming water to rinse it off for 20 minutes. You remember Uncle Elroy from Next Friday, right? It takes 20 minutes to rinse off the pepper spray. Maalox will help neutralize it until you can get it rinsed off.
4) A gas mask. Duh. What's the most effective crowd control device you can use, short of a belt-fed weapon? Why, it's tear gas! It doesn't necessarily "hurt" like OC, but CS gas does irritate to the point of making you wish you weren't there. It does provide an irritating sensation to the eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. If you wish to keep in the game, you have to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. You can purchase high-quality milsurp gas masks via mail order, with brand-new in-the-wrapper filters, for under $20USD via the interwebs. Israeli and European masks are most common. Get one that uses NATO-style filters, they're the cheapest to replace.
5) A helmet. But no, seriously. When the shit cracks off, you stand a very serious risk of getting smacked upside the head by Officer Friendly's billyclub. Or you might get hit in the head with some guy's bottle, because he can't throw it quite as far as he thought he could. Or you might get knocked down by a stampede of your fellow protesters when the cops roll through on horseback or mopeds. Regardless, if you take a hard enough thumping to the head, you'll wake up and realize you can't do math any more. Protect your grape, bro. While motorcycle helmets and hard-hats do provide protection, they also have their drawbacks. Motorcycle helmets are heavy as shit, and hard-hats fall off very easily. Your best bet is to pick up a bicycle helmet or a milsurp infantry pot. You can store it in your backpack so you don't stand out as "that guy" while people are simply marching and holding signs. Tuck your gas mask inside it when stored, so it doesn't take up much space.
5) A first aid kit. This should be common sense. You shouldn't go ANYWHERE without one of these, at least kept in your vehicle. Many newer cars even have designated storage spaces for them. If you know you're going to be in a large group of people with highly-charged emotions (like, for instance, a PROTEST RALLY), you should keep a first aid kit on your person. The potential for a person actually needing a first aid kit expands in relation to the size of the group. You need the essentials. Alcohol swabs, antibiotic ointment, gauze, ace wraps, first aid tape, insta-cold packs, etc. Also, stuff for minor injuries are good to have. Keep a healthy supply of bandaids in multiple sizes. Keep the "travel-size" bottles of Advil, Tylenol, and aspirin (keep all three, because people want/need pain relief when injured, and some people have allergies). You can have all of this packed into a space smaller than that of the average child's lunchbox.
6) A GMRS/FMS radio. If you're in a crowd of 100 people or more, it's nice to stay connected to your friends. Remember, cellular service can be shut down easily, and they've done it before at events like the BART station protest. In addition, a specific frequency can be pre-decided by protest organizers so attendees can be given informational updates about injuries, police presence, etc.
7) Earplugs. The G20 meeting in Pittsburg showed the world what the "LRAD" noise cannon can do. But it's easily defeated with an 85 cent pair of foam earplugs, unless you're right in front of it.
8) Food. If you're gonna be there all day, bring something to munch on. Keep it compact enough to comfortably carry with you. Energy bars, a banana, an MRE, whatever. Just don't get stuck in a park with hundreds of people, all day long, being hungry. And remember, foods made of sugar like candy bars and whatnot ain't gonna do it for you. Eat something that's going to give you something besides empty calories.
9) A camera. ALWAYS BE RECORDING if there's any encounter with the police whatsoever. Policemen are like all other tax-feeders. Some are great people, a great many are assholes...but at the end of day, none of them like to be exposed acting like assholes toward the public. Let us not forget, Anthony Bologna pepper-sprayed innocent women in the face on the sidewalk of NYC. Because so many cameras were present, he was identified in less than a day...and soon after, the entire internets knew where even his own mother slept at night. Cameras are your friend, unless you're a criminal.
10) A friend. It's always good to have someone with you to watch your back. It's better if that person is someone you know and trust. Strangers have a tendency to forget about you if shit turns bad. If no one at the event knows you, it's unlikely anyone will be working on bail for you until you're able to get to a phone in the event you're arrested. Keep that in mind...
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Letter to the Occupiers, 10/6/11
Let's get a few things straight here, folks. Income-wise, you may be amongst the lower 99% of Americans. That DOES NOT put you into a 99% majority, ideologically. I'm writing this after I got home from work, where I spent a great portion of the day sweating my ass off in the humidity of the Texas gulf coast. I get up and do this five days a week, and half a day on every third Saturday. I make $31.3k per year. I think that gives me a bit of knowledge into what is "the working poor"...so pay attention. For the record, I'm not bitching about my pay, I actually like what I do.
1) YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO A FREE EDUCATION.
You don't even have the right to an education at some arbitrarily-decided upon "reasonable expense". Educators cost money. Facilities cost money. Would you work for nothing? Why would you expect an educator to work for nothing? Is someone supposed to just GIVE you your textbooks? Do they appear out of thin air, or did some guy like me have to put forth his labor in order to make those textbooks?
You have two choices here. You can A) spend your time at a community college for as long as you're able in order to keep costs down, and then take out student loans in order to cover the cost of your university degree. Or you can B) bust your ass, live on Ramen noodles and imitation Dr Pepper while sleeping on someone's couch, and barely survive through college. How important is that degree to you? Are you willing to sacrifice for it?
Or, you could C) do like I did. Learn on your free time. There isn't anything a university can teach you, from a "book-learning" standpoint, that your own personal studying can't teach you. I am a college drop-out. Most of the things I learned in college, knowledge-wise, could have been learned at my local library.
You do not have the right to suggest that someone else must provide you with an education. You could be getting an education RIGHT NOW. Yes, you might have to work at it. Yes, you might go hungry occasionally. Yes, you might have to work humiliating jobs that you hate. How much is it worth to you? You don't have the right to say that men with guns have the authority to take from others, so that you may have the ability go to school on their dime.
2) YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO FREE HEALTH CARE.
Doctors cost money. Hospitals have a metric shitload of overhead. The cost of keeping things sterile, alone, is retard expensive. Is it right to charge $8 for an Aspirin? I don't think so...but it's not my Aspirin. It's not YOUR Aspirin, either. Did you go to medical school? Did you run 24hr shifts during an internship? No, you did not. These doctors did. The people who built these hospitals weren't GIVEN the property, they had to purchase it. The nurses had to work their asses off for their certifications. You have no right to take what they built.
If you have a bitch, take it up with state regulatory agencies that prevent competition in the health care field.
3) YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO A "LIVING WAGE".
You have the right to get off your ass and get a job. You have the right to take any job you wish to have...provided there is an employer that will hire you. If you have no job skills, if you have tattoos on your hands and neck, and you have a felony rap sheet, don't expect a six-figure salary unless you've been heavy in the rap game for a decade or more. You haven't earned it. You've fucked off your life. You've made piss-poor choices for yourself. Got a GED, neck tattoos, and an arrest record, and STILL want to make six figures a year without being able to bust a few lines? Get someone to teach you how to weld. You can work 7/12 on a pipeline, one job after another, and do it. But don't even bother if you can't weld, can't pass a piss test, or can't show up to work and put in twice the hours a typical working man puts in. Yes, you're gonna have to work at it.
4) NO ONE GIVES A RAT'S ASS ABOUT DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL, THE LOSS OF WHALES OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN, OR THAT "GLOBAL WARMING" BS.
Worry about the immediate problems you face. Your water is being poisoned with flouride, your bank is giving you .5% interest on your savings and charging you 15% on a car loan, your government is borrowing money like a crackhead at a convent, and you're on the hook for the interest being paid to the Federal Reserve.
How the flying fuck does whaling, fur coats, the rain forests, bacon cheeseburgers, or hair spray testing play into any of this? What, are you that stupid? You're gonna need those leather boots, kiddo. They're far less likely to blow out on you than those trendy "green" sneakers you're wearing.
5) YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A HOME THAT YOU HAVE NOT PAID FOR.
If you're protesting the illegal foreclosure practices of Bank of America et al, more power to you. If you bought a home and are pissed off because you tried to by a McMansion in the 'burbs and couldn't pay for it because you got laid off, tough shit. It wasn't your home, until you finished paying for it. Until then, it belonged to the bank, because the contract YOU signed said so. Don't like it? Buy a run-down ratshack in the hood, afford the payments, and dream of something better. Fix it up, get more than you paid for it, and call it a day. Otherwise, STFU. And yes, as I type this, I'm sitting in a wood-frame house that my family has owned for half a century. It's a two-bedroom woodframe house that my WWII-vet grandpa purchased for my grandma. I could go broke trying to afford something "better", but do I really need it? Not really. Do you need something "better"? Not really. I see it much like I see people trying to justify purchasing a $15k used car, when a $2k car does the same thing. You're not buying value, you're buying chrome rims and leather seats. What is it that you really NEED?
*******************************************************************************
My point here is, essentially, pretty damned simple. Figure out what you're protesting against. The biggest enemy you face is practically right in front of you. Your congressional representatives, of both parties, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the special interests that have purchased them.
The Federal Reserve Bank network and the debt it creates, as well as those who profit from it directly, are your biggest problems. They are the ones starting the wars. They are the ones who created the "housing bubble". They are the ones who were "too big to fail", bilking $700+ billions of dollars out of the tax coffers.
But no, you bitch because someone isn't paying you $19/hour to stock the shelves of Kinko's when you've got tattoos on your face, you can't pass a piss test, you can barely spell your name correctly, and you don't know how to tie a half-windsor.
/B/ro, even your "nerdy" classmates who went to college, got engineering degrees, and are making a hundred grand a year are getting fucked right now. As a matter of fact, they're getting fucked harder than you are, because the powers that be are taxing the "slightly more wealthy" at a higher rate than they're taxing me...while the wealthiest 400 Americans pay a tax rate of 18%. You wanna fight? Bitch about the tax code. Bitch about corporate influence on our legislation. Bitch about wars being fought for fun and profit, while our nation's sons and daughters have to go and fight them. Put your might where it's right...
1) YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO A FREE EDUCATION.
You don't even have the right to an education at some arbitrarily-decided upon "reasonable expense". Educators cost money. Facilities cost money. Would you work for nothing? Why would you expect an educator to work for nothing? Is someone supposed to just GIVE you your textbooks? Do they appear out of thin air, or did some guy like me have to put forth his labor in order to make those textbooks?
You have two choices here. You can A) spend your time at a community college for as long as you're able in order to keep costs down, and then take out student loans in order to cover the cost of your university degree. Or you can B) bust your ass, live on Ramen noodles and imitation Dr Pepper while sleeping on someone's couch, and barely survive through college. How important is that degree to you? Are you willing to sacrifice for it?
Or, you could C) do like I did. Learn on your free time. There isn't anything a university can teach you, from a "book-learning" standpoint, that your own personal studying can't teach you. I am a college drop-out. Most of the things I learned in college, knowledge-wise, could have been learned at my local library.
You do not have the right to suggest that someone else must provide you with an education. You could be getting an education RIGHT NOW. Yes, you might have to work at it. Yes, you might go hungry occasionally. Yes, you might have to work humiliating jobs that you hate. How much is it worth to you? You don't have the right to say that men with guns have the authority to take from others, so that you may have the ability go to school on their dime.
2) YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO FREE HEALTH CARE.
Doctors cost money. Hospitals have a metric shitload of overhead. The cost of keeping things sterile, alone, is retard expensive. Is it right to charge $8 for an Aspirin? I don't think so...but it's not my Aspirin. It's not YOUR Aspirin, either. Did you go to medical school? Did you run 24hr shifts during an internship? No, you did not. These doctors did. The people who built these hospitals weren't GIVEN the property, they had to purchase it. The nurses had to work their asses off for their certifications. You have no right to take what they built.
If you have a bitch, take it up with state regulatory agencies that prevent competition in the health care field.
3) YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO A "LIVING WAGE".
You have the right to get off your ass and get a job. You have the right to take any job you wish to have...provided there is an employer that will hire you. If you have no job skills, if you have tattoos on your hands and neck, and you have a felony rap sheet, don't expect a six-figure salary unless you've been heavy in the rap game for a decade or more. You haven't earned it. You've fucked off your life. You've made piss-poor choices for yourself. Got a GED, neck tattoos, and an arrest record, and STILL want to make six figures a year without being able to bust a few lines? Get someone to teach you how to weld. You can work 7/12 on a pipeline, one job after another, and do it. But don't even bother if you can't weld, can't pass a piss test, or can't show up to work and put in twice the hours a typical working man puts in. Yes, you're gonna have to work at it.
4) NO ONE GIVES A RAT'S ASS ABOUT DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL, THE LOSS OF WHALES OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN, OR THAT "GLOBAL WARMING" BS.
Worry about the immediate problems you face. Your water is being poisoned with flouride, your bank is giving you .5% interest on your savings and charging you 15% on a car loan, your government is borrowing money like a crackhead at a convent, and you're on the hook for the interest being paid to the Federal Reserve.
How the flying fuck does whaling, fur coats, the rain forests, bacon cheeseburgers, or hair spray testing play into any of this? What, are you that stupid? You're gonna need those leather boots, kiddo. They're far less likely to blow out on you than those trendy "green" sneakers you're wearing.
5) YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A HOME THAT YOU HAVE NOT PAID FOR.
If you're protesting the illegal foreclosure practices of Bank of America et al, more power to you. If you bought a home and are pissed off because you tried to by a McMansion in the 'burbs and couldn't pay for it because you got laid off, tough shit. It wasn't your home, until you finished paying for it. Until then, it belonged to the bank, because the contract YOU signed said so. Don't like it? Buy a run-down ratshack in the hood, afford the payments, and dream of something better. Fix it up, get more than you paid for it, and call it a day. Otherwise, STFU. And yes, as I type this, I'm sitting in a wood-frame house that my family has owned for half a century. It's a two-bedroom woodframe house that my WWII-vet grandpa purchased for my grandma. I could go broke trying to afford something "better", but do I really need it? Not really. Do you need something "better"? Not really. I see it much like I see people trying to justify purchasing a $15k used car, when a $2k car does the same thing. You're not buying value, you're buying chrome rims and leather seats. What is it that you really NEED?
*******************************************************************************
My point here is, essentially, pretty damned simple. Figure out what you're protesting against. The biggest enemy you face is practically right in front of you. Your congressional representatives, of both parties, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the special interests that have purchased them.
The Federal Reserve Bank network and the debt it creates, as well as those who profit from it directly, are your biggest problems. They are the ones starting the wars. They are the ones who created the "housing bubble". They are the ones who were "too big to fail", bilking $700+ billions of dollars out of the tax coffers.
But no, you bitch because someone isn't paying you $19/hour to stock the shelves of Kinko's when you've got tattoos on your face, you can't pass a piss test, you can barely spell your name correctly, and you don't know how to tie a half-windsor.
/B/ro, even your "nerdy" classmates who went to college, got engineering degrees, and are making a hundred grand a year are getting fucked right now. As a matter of fact, they're getting fucked harder than you are, because the powers that be are taxing the "slightly more wealthy" at a higher rate than they're taxing me...while the wealthiest 400 Americans pay a tax rate of 18%. You wanna fight? Bitch about the tax code. Bitch about corporate influence on our legislation. Bitch about wars being fought for fun and profit, while our nation's sons and daughters have to go and fight them. Put your might where it's right...
Friday, September 30, 2011
It's gone.
America, I mean. The one my grandpa crossed an ocean to protect. The America my generation was taught to believe in. The one that had "liberty and justice for all!". That great stewpot of cultures who flocked together because they were yearning to be free. The place where people went to escape socialist governments, oppressive police-states, torture, state-sanctioned political assassinations, poverty, and corruption.
In the past week, I've seen a group of defenseless women get pepper-sprayed in the face for standing on a street corner for peacefully voicing a political opinion. That political statement was disapproval of the fact that the wealthiest 1% of this nation's citizens control the vast majority of its wealth, and do so in collusion with politicians who legalize the methods they use which allows the top 1% to pay a smaller percentage of their income in taxes than the rest of the 99%. All of this is happening, of course, right around the time the nation is protesting the state-sanctioned execution of Troy Davis...who, in all likelihood, was innocent of his crimes. Davis' last words were a request to his supporters that they continue the fight to clear his name. All but one of the eyewitnesses testifying against Davis later recanted their testimony, claiming they were coerced by the police to testify in such a manner, and then they fingered the one man who did not recant his testimony as the actual murderer.
Today, I read about how the president has executed an American citizen living in a foreign country, for alleged crimes. I say "alleged", because that is the official term of an unproven accusation against a defendant. The assassinated American should have been a "defendant". Instead, he's being hailed as a "victory against terrorism", in a nation who claims to support the rule of law. Accusations were made by government, not in a court of law under penalty of perjury, but at a press conference. They claim he is a "terrorist". The only "proof" offered of this fact are statements not understood by the majority of the nation, and translated by a known military ally of the US government.
These claims may very well be completely true. Then again, they may not be. That's the point. We, as the American public, have no way of knowing. And now, we never will, because the American government has killed the man. He has no way of ever putting up a defense in a fair and open public trial. He may have been killed merely because he was supporting an end to the Iraqi and Afghani occupations of our empire. Or he may have been killed because he was providing material support to people who are actively attempting to kill American citizens because we watch too much television.
The world will never know, because we killed him. And with it, we killed what was left of American exceptionalism. We were supposed to be better than that. We were supposed to be the place where everyone got a fair shake. We were supposed to be the place where you didn't get shot for saying "Hey, motherfucker! You're wrong for doing that shit!". We're the place that will hang you, if you do some foul shit...but only if we're able to prove it. We're the place that talks trash to countries who mow down their citizens, brutalize them in the streets, and torture them. We're the place that's supposed to stick up for those who can't stick up for themselves.
But this isn't America any more...
In the past week, I've seen a group of defenseless women get pepper-sprayed in the face for standing on a street corner for peacefully voicing a political opinion. That political statement was disapproval of the fact that the wealthiest 1% of this nation's citizens control the vast majority of its wealth, and do so in collusion with politicians who legalize the methods they use which allows the top 1% to pay a smaller percentage of their income in taxes than the rest of the 99%. All of this is happening, of course, right around the time the nation is protesting the state-sanctioned execution of Troy Davis...who, in all likelihood, was innocent of his crimes. Davis' last words were a request to his supporters that they continue the fight to clear his name. All but one of the eyewitnesses testifying against Davis later recanted their testimony, claiming they were coerced by the police to testify in such a manner, and then they fingered the one man who did not recant his testimony as the actual murderer.
Today, I read about how the president has executed an American citizen living in a foreign country, for alleged crimes. I say "alleged", because that is the official term of an unproven accusation against a defendant. The assassinated American should have been a "defendant". Instead, he's being hailed as a "victory against terrorism", in a nation who claims to support the rule of law. Accusations were made by government, not in a court of law under penalty of perjury, but at a press conference. They claim he is a "terrorist". The only "proof" offered of this fact are statements not understood by the majority of the nation, and translated by a known military ally of the US government.
These claims may very well be completely true. Then again, they may not be. That's the point. We, as the American public, have no way of knowing. And now, we never will, because the American government has killed the man. He has no way of ever putting up a defense in a fair and open public trial. He may have been killed merely because he was supporting an end to the Iraqi and Afghani occupations of our empire. Or he may have been killed because he was providing material support to people who are actively attempting to kill American citizens because we watch too much television.
The world will never know, because we killed him. And with it, we killed what was left of American exceptionalism. We were supposed to be better than that. We were supposed to be the place where everyone got a fair shake. We were supposed to be the place where you didn't get shot for saying "Hey, motherfucker! You're wrong for doing that shit!". We're the place that will hang you, if you do some foul shit...but only if we're able to prove it. We're the place that talks trash to countries who mow down their citizens, brutalize them in the streets, and torture them. We're the place that's supposed to stick up for those who can't stick up for themselves.
But this isn't America any more...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A simple question of logic...
So there's something I've been wondering about, concerning the "protest" going on in NYC. You likely haven't heard about it yet, if you don't go to "alternative" media sources. The mainstream American media hasn't really been covering it, other than minor clips on the cable news channels. European media and the internet has been covering it quite a bit, calling it the "American Spring", and comparing it to Tahrir Square in Egypt.
Sorry, but no. At best, there MIGHT have been three thousand people gathered at the height of this protest. More realistic estimates claim it was more between 1,000 to 1,200 people. Sadly, most of these people showed up thinking it was some kind of hippie "love-in". They played guitars, practiced their yoga, and drew pretty little pictures on the sidewalk with chalk.
Meanwhile, police barricaded the bull to prevent anyone from getting any good photo ops. They took photographs, they checked IDs, and they essentially acted like good little slaves for their masters. Meanwhile, as the "angry masses" that weren't quite angry and even slightly less massed where down on the street marching around with cardboard signs and singing Kum Ba Ya, there were lots of uber-wealthy types pointing, laughing, sipping Pinot Grigio, and taking snapshots from their balconies. It's quite obvious that no one gave a shit about it, other than as entertainment.
Then, I kept hearing about how everyone was so proud that they were being "non-violent". Well, there's a time and a place for that. It wasn't here. These "protesters" accomplished nothing, other than proving that they could get laughed at while a few of them got their heads smacked around by the NYPD.
Here's the deal, kiddos. There are more than 34,000 NYPD officers "active", with an additional 4,000 "auxiliary" officers. Let's say you split that in half, to make up for the aging and the administration. That's still more than 15,000 people with guns. You had, at your best moment, 1,500 hippies.
You're outnumbered 10-1, and these niggas have guns! I'd hope that you at least planned on THROWING that sidewalk chalk at someone. Otherwise, there's about three outcomes here. Best-case scenario? You make it home, and no one knew you were even there. Worse scenario? You get laughed at from a balcony by some overpaid fuck sipping wine out of a bottle that cost more than you made last month, and the NYPD puts your picture into their facial recognition program. Worst case scenario? You get laughed at, no one gives a shit that you were there, and then you get your ass whipped by the NYPD because you tried to be a hard-ass with your cardboard sign when they start pepperspraying the crowd.
Don't get it twisted, I'm not saying you're wrong for being pissed off at people who got rich by totally bending over the economy of this nation. I'm just saying you're doing it wrong. If you want to be a martyr, that's all good and fine with me...but at least try to accomplish something. Otherwise, you're not just getting pissed off. You're getting pissed on.
IF YOU'RE GONNA GO DOWN, GO DOWN SWINGING!
Sorry, but no. At best, there MIGHT have been three thousand people gathered at the height of this protest. More realistic estimates claim it was more between 1,000 to 1,200 people. Sadly, most of these people showed up thinking it was some kind of hippie "love-in". They played guitars, practiced their yoga, and drew pretty little pictures on the sidewalk with chalk.
Meanwhile, police barricaded the bull to prevent anyone from getting any good photo ops. They took photographs, they checked IDs, and they essentially acted like good little slaves for their masters. Meanwhile, as the "angry masses" that weren't quite angry and even slightly less massed where down on the street marching around with cardboard signs and singing Kum Ba Ya, there were lots of uber-wealthy types pointing, laughing, sipping Pinot Grigio, and taking snapshots from their balconies. It's quite obvious that no one gave a shit about it, other than as entertainment.
Then, I kept hearing about how everyone was so proud that they were being "non-violent". Well, there's a time and a place for that. It wasn't here. These "protesters" accomplished nothing, other than proving that they could get laughed at while a few of them got their heads smacked around by the NYPD.
Here's the deal, kiddos. There are more than 34,000 NYPD officers "active", with an additional 4,000 "auxiliary" officers. Let's say you split that in half, to make up for the aging and the administration. That's still more than 15,000 people with guns. You had, at your best moment, 1,500 hippies.
You're outnumbered 10-1, and these niggas have guns! I'd hope that you at least planned on THROWING that sidewalk chalk at someone. Otherwise, there's about three outcomes here. Best-case scenario? You make it home, and no one knew you were even there. Worse scenario? You get laughed at from a balcony by some overpaid fuck sipping wine out of a bottle that cost more than you made last month, and the NYPD puts your picture into their facial recognition program. Worst case scenario? You get laughed at, no one gives a shit that you were there, and then you get your ass whipped by the NYPD because you tried to be a hard-ass with your cardboard sign when they start pepperspraying the crowd.
Don't get it twisted, I'm not saying you're wrong for being pissed off at people who got rich by totally bending over the economy of this nation. I'm just saying you're doing it wrong. If you want to be a martyr, that's all good and fine with me...but at least try to accomplish something. Otherwise, you're not just getting pissed off. You're getting pissed on.
IF YOU'RE GONNA GO DOWN, GO DOWN SWINGING!
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