May 10, 2023·edited May 10, 2023Liked by Bill Astore
Another manifestation of "collateral damage" from all those Mercenary Wars...
With all the mass shootings and other random acts of violence in America, The Future of Freedom Foundation’s Jacob Hornberger asks “What is it that is causing so much violence in America?” And provides an answer… :
If you get to the bottom of that question, then there is a way to pull the weed out by its root rather than simply trying to trim it with some ridiculous and useless gun-control law.
There are two major causes of violence in America.
One is the drug war. Legalize drugs and you immediately terminate all the cartels, drug gangs, turf battles, and drug-war violence. That’s because drug cartels and drug gangs would immediately go out of business. They can only thrive in an atmosphere of illegality. They cannot survive in a legal market competing against pharmacies and other reputable companies that are selling drugs legally.
THE OTHER MAJOR CAUSE OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA IS THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT—SPECIFICALLY THE NATIONAL-SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT — IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST KILLING MACHINE. WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY FOREIGNERS THE PENTAGON AND THE CIA HAVE KILLED IN THE LAST 60 YEARS, BUT IT HAS TO NUMBER IN THE MILLIONS. THAT’S NOTHING TO SCOFF AT. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE. MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD.
The notion has always been that so long as the killings were taking place “over there,” they would have little or no impact here at home, especially if the number of American troops killed “over there” was kept at a low level. Americans could go about their daily lives — working, vacationing, or whatever— and the Pentagon and the CIA could engage in their mass killing sprees in foreign countries. Everyone would be happy.
But that’s just not the way life works. Those continuous mass killings “over there” have ultimately seeped into the subconsciousnesses of Americans here at home. The mass killings “over there” have made regular Americans more tense, nervous, disagreeable, intolerant, discourteous, and quick to anger. Road rage is a good example of this phenomenon.
But the biggest effect of America’s overseas killing machine has been on the off-kilter people here at home. Ordinarily, they would just be living their lives a little weirdly but without bothering anyone. But now they are engaged in what amounts to copycat killings. In engaging in mass killings here at home, they are simply mirroring what the greatest purveyor of violence is doing “over there.”
Thus, to end violence in America, the solution does not involve gun control. The solution is twofold:
~ 1. Legalize all drugs immediately.
~ 2. Immediately bring all troops home from overseas, cease all military operations in foreign countries, abandon all foreign U.S. military bases, and terminate all foreign aid, including weaponry and money.
Overseas, we think we can kill our way out of problems, with various "surges" of violence and "signature strikes" and the like. And domestically there are plenty of Americans who believe the same is true in their lives. Violence begets violence.
I will likely for the rest of my life be outraged by the hypocrisy and irony of the U.S. war establishment's insistence that all other nations (particularly those which might seek self-determination and the betterment of their people) must follow the "Rule of Law" and the "Rules Based Order". Those soulless Neocons driving the bipartisan consensus for imperialism and war have no shame nor sense of irony themselves, as they make such pronouncements out of one side of their mouths even as they refuse to respect basic principles of international law, or justice, and of democracy.
Sadly, I will probably have the faces of Hillary Clinton, Blinken, Nuland, Sullivan, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Pompeo, Bush, Obama and a few other sociopaths etched in my mind whenever i hear any U.S. representative again speak of the Rules Based Order.
Breaking: George Santos Arrested, 534 Members Of Congress Still At Large May 10, 2023 · BabylonBee.com
U.S. — Representative George Santos was taken into custody this morning on federal money laundering, theft, and fraud charges. Americans are still on edge, however, as 534 dangerous felons in Congress still remain at large.
"It's unsettling," said local Cathy Mable upon hearing the news. "To think that many thieves, rapists, and degenerate murderers are still walking free in Washington D.C. and throughout the country makes it difficult to sleep at night."
"Who will protect us?"
Sources warned the unarrested reprobate politicians are surrounded by well-armed security details and have unmatched power to pass laws and destroy the lives of American citizens at will. Citizens are being warned to be on their guard, as one of these creeps could attack another unsuspecting victim at any moment.
At publishing time, Americans grew even more worried upon hearing the news that there are thousands more dangerous villains still on the loose in the FBI, CIA, DOJ, DHS, and DOD.
The good (sarc) thing about fighting a war on terror is that you can pretty much label as a terrorist anyone who opposes your policy. Like parents at school board meetings.
That's exactly what happens, in any case. A terrorist is whoever a Presdident or someone in the security state offices has decided to take out. In the examples, it was 'radicalized' Muslims; but it might just as easily be some environmentalist or community organizer, someone speaking badly of Zelensky or suggesting we not try to start a simultaneous war with China.
And then there are all those America-Hating, unpatriotic, treasonous seditionists, aka "domestic terrorists" demonstrating and protesting anything this government has done, is doing, or plots and plans to do.
TOM AND JANE EAT BREAKFAST by Caitlin Johnstone 051123
[A breakfast table in America. TOM and JANE are eating breakfast and drinking coffee. JANE is reading the news on her tablet while TOM works on a crossword puzzle.]
JANE: [Sips coffee, sighs] Another mass shooting.
TOM: [Not looking up] Mmm, yeah. Des Moines.
JANE: No, another one.
TOM: Not the one in Des Moines?
JANE: No, that was earlier this morning.
TOM: Ohh, the Chicago one you mean?
JANE: No that was yesterday, I'm talking about the one in Palm Springs.
TOM: Ohh, I think I saw something about that on Twitter. The synagogue?
JANE: No, this one's a preschool. The synagogue was last night in Baltimore.
TOM: A preschool? Jesus. What kind of sick fuck shoots up a preschool?
JANE: One of the kids I guess. There was some dispute about snack time.
TOM: Oh man. Did they catch him?
JANE: Her. Live shoot-out with the police right now. They're having trouble because the girl's got some kinda machine gun and body armor. They tried to bribe her with some apple juice but the kid's not having it.
TOM: Ah, man. Come on kid, give it up, you know they're sending in the killbots next.
JANE: [Looks up] I highly doubt a four year-old girl knows about killbots, Tom.
TOM: Okay well hell, I don't know what kids know these days. How the hell's she know how to use a machine gun?
JANE: Pete was shooting the neighbors' cats by that age.
TOM: Yeah, with a rifle! Machine guns aren't for kids. And you gotta shoot cats, cats suck.
JANE: I like cats.
TOM: They're stupid.
JANE: They're not stupid.
TOM: Yeah they are, they're idiots. Tell 'em what to do and they just stare at you like a dope. Tell a dog what to do and they hop right on it.
JANE: That means cats are smarter.
TOM: Ha! Good point.
JANE: Who's smarter, the blindly obedient animal or the one who just ignores your commands?
TOM: Yup, yeah, you've got me there. [Sips coffee.] Dogs are idiots.
JANE: Dumb, obedient idiots.
TOM: Crap, I gotta get going. Gotta lay off the entire third floor today.
JANE: Huh? Why?
TOM: Dunno, boss told me to.
JANE: Oh okay.
TOM: Anything else big in the news?
JANE: Looks like the Russians are killing babies for no reason and we're gonna have to go to war.
TOM: Killing babies for no reason?
JANE: Yep, just putting 'em in microwaves, feeding 'em to sharks, launching 'em outta catapults. Just killing them.
TOM: Is that true?
JANE: It has to be. It's in the news.
TOM: Man. I hate Russians.
[Enter PETE, age 20, clearly miserable.]
JANE: Well look who it is.
TOM: Hey Pete, you gonna put in that application I gave you?
PETE: Nah.
TOM: What? Why not?
PETE: Don't wanna work there.
JANE: Oh Pete.
TOM: What's wrong? You think you're too good to work at the fish poison factory?
PETE: Uhh... Yeah.
JANE: Oh, okay your highness.
TOM: What the hell, son? What's your problem with the fish poison factory?
PETE: They literally manufacture fish poison.
TOM: So??
JANE: They're an aquatic pest!
PETE: They are not, that's just some bullshit they made up to sell fish poison.
TOM: Oh where the hell are you getting this garbage? The internet?
JANE: Alex Jones I bet.
PETE: It's true, fish are a completely harmless animal who make up an important part of the ecosystem. They've just created an artificial demand for fish poison by an aggressive ad campaign and got the government to deregulate it after spending millions on corporate lobbying.
TOM: Oh bullshit! I've had it with these conspiracy theories, Pete! I've had it with your attitude! Why can't you just go turn gears at the fish poison factory like a normal young man? You're a goddamn embarrassment to this family.
[PETE throws up his hands and storms off.]
TOM: [Calls after him] You're gonna feel like a real asshole when there's a fish infestation and we all get the plague!
JANE: Such a disappointment.
TOM: Why can't he just be normal like us?
JANE: It needed to be said.
TOM: Ah shit I gotta run.
JANE: Get going, handsome.
TOM: Third floor folks aren't gonna fire themselves.
JANE: Grab some fish poison on your way home? We're all out.
TOM: You got it toots.
[They kiss. Exit TOM. JANE goes back to reading the news.]
JANE: [Sips coffee.] Oh god, those poor Chinese. Glad I don't live in a backward, crazy country like them.
Another manifestation of "collateral damage" from all those Mercenary Wars...
With all the mass shootings and other random acts of violence in America, The Future of Freedom Foundation’s Jacob Hornberger asks “What is it that is causing so much violence in America?” And provides an answer… :
If you get to the bottom of that question, then there is a way to pull the weed out by its root rather than simply trying to trim it with some ridiculous and useless gun-control law.
There are two major causes of violence in America.
One is the drug war. Legalize drugs and you immediately terminate all the cartels, drug gangs, turf battles, and drug-war violence. That’s because drug cartels and drug gangs would immediately go out of business. They can only thrive in an atmosphere of illegality. They cannot survive in a legal market competing against pharmacies and other reputable companies that are selling drugs legally.
THE OTHER MAJOR CAUSE OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA IS THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT—SPECIFICALLY THE NATIONAL-SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT — IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST KILLING MACHINE. WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY FOREIGNERS THE PENTAGON AND THE CIA HAVE KILLED IN THE LAST 60 YEARS, BUT IT HAS TO NUMBER IN THE MILLIONS. THAT’S NOTHING TO SCOFF AT. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE. MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD.
The notion has always been that so long as the killings were taking place “over there,” they would have little or no impact here at home, especially if the number of American troops killed “over there” was kept at a low level. Americans could go about their daily lives — working, vacationing, or whatever— and the Pentagon and the CIA could engage in their mass killing sprees in foreign countries. Everyone would be happy.
But that’s just not the way life works. Those continuous mass killings “over there” have ultimately seeped into the subconsciousnesses of Americans here at home. The mass killings “over there” have made regular Americans more tense, nervous, disagreeable, intolerant, discourteous, and quick to anger. Road rage is a good example of this phenomenon.
But the biggest effect of America’s overseas killing machine has been on the off-kilter people here at home. Ordinarily, they would just be living their lives a little weirdly but without bothering anyone. But now they are engaged in what amounts to copycat killings. In engaging in mass killings here at home, they are simply mirroring what the greatest purveyor of violence is doing “over there.”
Thus, to end violence in America, the solution does not involve gun control. The solution is twofold:
~ 1. Legalize all drugs immediately.
~ 2. Immediately bring all troops home from overseas, cease all military operations in foreign countries, abandon all foreign U.S. military bases, and terminate all foreign aid, including weaponry and money.
Full article at https://www.fff.org/2023/05/08/the-solution-to-violence-in-america/ ; EMPHASIS added.
Mr Hornberger followed that May 8 piece with today’s “Confronting and Dismantling the Federal Killing Machine” at https://www.fff.org/2023/05/09/confronting-and-dismantling-the-federal-killing-machine/ .
Overseas, we think we can kill our way out of problems, with various "surges" of violence and "signature strikes" and the like. And domestically there are plenty of Americans who believe the same is true in their lives. Violence begets violence.
I will likely for the rest of my life be outraged by the hypocrisy and irony of the U.S. war establishment's insistence that all other nations (particularly those which might seek self-determination and the betterment of their people) must follow the "Rule of Law" and the "Rules Based Order". Those soulless Neocons driving the bipartisan consensus for imperialism and war have no shame nor sense of irony themselves, as they make such pronouncements out of one side of their mouths even as they refuse to respect basic principles of international law, or justice, and of democracy.
Sadly, I will probably have the faces of Hillary Clinton, Blinken, Nuland, Sullivan, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Pompeo, Bush, Obama and a few other sociopaths etched in my mind whenever i hear any U.S. representative again speak of the Rules Based Order.
Breaking: George Santos Arrested, 534 Members Of Congress Still At Large May 10, 2023 · BabylonBee.com
U.S. — Representative George Santos was taken into custody this morning on federal money laundering, theft, and fraud charges. Americans are still on edge, however, as 534 dangerous felons in Congress still remain at large.
"It's unsettling," said local Cathy Mable upon hearing the news. "To think that many thieves, rapists, and degenerate murderers are still walking free in Washington D.C. and throughout the country makes it difficult to sleep at night."
"Who will protect us?"
Sources warned the unarrested reprobate politicians are surrounded by well-armed security details and have unmatched power to pass laws and destroy the lives of American citizens at will. Citizens are being warned to be on their guard, as one of these creeps could attack another unsuspecting victim at any moment.
At publishing time, Americans grew even more worried upon hearing the news that there are thousands more dangerous villains still on the loose in the FBI, CIA, DOJ, DHS, and DOD.
https://babylonbee.com/news/breaking-george-santos-arrested-only-534-members-of-congress-to-go
The good (sarc) thing about fighting a war on terror is that you can pretty much label as a terrorist anyone who opposes your policy. Like parents at school board meetings.
That's exactly what happens, in any case. A terrorist is whoever a Presdident or someone in the security state offices has decided to take out. In the examples, it was 'radicalized' Muslims; but it might just as easily be some environmentalist or community organizer, someone speaking badly of Zelensky or suggesting we not try to start a simultaneous war with China.
And then there are all those America-Hating, unpatriotic, treasonous seditionists, aka "domestic terrorists" demonstrating and protesting anything this government has done, is doing, or plots and plans to do.
TOM AND JANE EAT BREAKFAST by Caitlin Johnstone 051123
[A breakfast table in America. TOM and JANE are eating breakfast and drinking coffee. JANE is reading the news on her tablet while TOM works on a crossword puzzle.]
JANE: [Sips coffee, sighs] Another mass shooting.
TOM: [Not looking up] Mmm, yeah. Des Moines.
JANE: No, another one.
TOM: Not the one in Des Moines?
JANE: No, that was earlier this morning.
TOM: Ohh, the Chicago one you mean?
JANE: No that was yesterday, I'm talking about the one in Palm Springs.
TOM: Ohh, I think I saw something about that on Twitter. The synagogue?
JANE: No, this one's a preschool. The synagogue was last night in Baltimore.
TOM: A preschool? Jesus. What kind of sick fuck shoots up a preschool?
JANE: One of the kids I guess. There was some dispute about snack time.
TOM: Oh man. Did they catch him?
JANE: Her. Live shoot-out with the police right now. They're having trouble because the girl's got some kinda machine gun and body armor. They tried to bribe her with some apple juice but the kid's not having it.
TOM: Ah, man. Come on kid, give it up, you know they're sending in the killbots next.
JANE: [Looks up] I highly doubt a four year-old girl knows about killbots, Tom.
TOM: Okay well hell, I don't know what kids know these days. How the hell's she know how to use a machine gun?
JANE: Pete was shooting the neighbors' cats by that age.
TOM: Yeah, with a rifle! Machine guns aren't for kids. And you gotta shoot cats, cats suck.
JANE: I like cats.
TOM: They're stupid.
JANE: They're not stupid.
TOM: Yeah they are, they're idiots. Tell 'em what to do and they just stare at you like a dope. Tell a dog what to do and they hop right on it.
JANE: That means cats are smarter.
TOM: Ha! Good point.
JANE: Who's smarter, the blindly obedient animal or the one who just ignores your commands?
TOM: Yup, yeah, you've got me there. [Sips coffee.] Dogs are idiots.
JANE: Dumb, obedient idiots.
TOM: Crap, I gotta get going. Gotta lay off the entire third floor today.
JANE: Huh? Why?
TOM: Dunno, boss told me to.
JANE: Oh okay.
TOM: Anything else big in the news?
JANE: Looks like the Russians are killing babies for no reason and we're gonna have to go to war.
TOM: Killing babies for no reason?
JANE: Yep, just putting 'em in microwaves, feeding 'em to sharks, launching 'em outta catapults. Just killing them.
TOM: Is that true?
JANE: It has to be. It's in the news.
TOM: Man. I hate Russians.
[Enter PETE, age 20, clearly miserable.]
JANE: Well look who it is.
TOM: Hey Pete, you gonna put in that application I gave you?
PETE: Nah.
TOM: What? Why not?
PETE: Don't wanna work there.
JANE: Oh Pete.
TOM: What's wrong? You think you're too good to work at the fish poison factory?
PETE: Uhh... Yeah.
JANE: Oh, okay your highness.
TOM: What the hell, son? What's your problem with the fish poison factory?
PETE: They literally manufacture fish poison.
TOM: So??
JANE: They're an aquatic pest!
PETE: They are not, that's just some bullshit they made up to sell fish poison.
TOM: Oh where the hell are you getting this garbage? The internet?
JANE: Alex Jones I bet.
PETE: It's true, fish are a completely harmless animal who make up an important part of the ecosystem. They've just created an artificial demand for fish poison by an aggressive ad campaign and got the government to deregulate it after spending millions on corporate lobbying.
TOM: Oh bullshit! I've had it with these conspiracy theories, Pete! I've had it with your attitude! Why can't you just go turn gears at the fish poison factory like a normal young man? You're a goddamn embarrassment to this family.
[PETE throws up his hands and storms off.]
TOM: [Calls after him] You're gonna feel like a real asshole when there's a fish infestation and we all get the plague!
JANE: Such a disappointment.
TOM: Why can't he just be normal like us?
JANE: It needed to be said.
TOM: Ah shit I gotta run.
JANE: Get going, handsome.
TOM: Third floor folks aren't gonna fire themselves.
JANE: Grab some fish poison on your way home? We're all out.
TOM: You got it toots.
[They kiss. Exit TOM. JANE goes back to reading the news.]
JANE: [Sips coffee.] Oh god, those poor Chinese. Glad I don't live in a backward, crazy country like them.
[CURTAIN]
https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/tom-and-jane-eat-breakfast