I'm not getting any younger, my memory may not be all it used to be, but kindly remind me what our "greatest ally" has ever done for The Home of Bacon Cheeseburgers, Midnight Madness Sales, and the 4-6-3 Double play?
That aside, I don't believe any of the so-called world leaders have any idea as to just how fragile the planet is. To do so, they'd have to listen to scientists drone on about the long-term effects of current policies. Not gonna happen with people who are only concerned with the timeline to the next election. They'd also have to turn a deaf ear to any and all talk about nuclear "first strike" and "retaliatory strike" capabilities and the need to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. Recall General Turgidson in Dr Strangelove: Casualties might be "no more than ten to twenty million tops, depending on the wind." What's it take to see no one wins in a nuclear exchange? More vision than anyone's elected leaders have displayed within recent memory.
Recommended reading: "The Doomsday Machine" by Daniel Ellsberg.
What we are stuck with is the all-encompassing effects of vulture capitalism on the human race and ecosystems. This won't change as long as the general population remains divided because the vulture capitalists have divided us. As long as the only goal of capitalists is simply to make money, then nothing good will ever get done. If you want to save ecosystems and species, that has to be your goal. The goal can't be "can we figure out how to make money saving the planet from ourselves?"
What we have today is the result of the fact that America’s system of Government and Governance is a system whereby the highest bidding Vested Special Interests [VSI] can gain ready, easy, but expensive access to the legal power, the administrative and regulatory authority, and, above all, the spending capacity and capability of that Government as it is governed by its elected politicians, entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and anointed political appointees.
Thereby advancing the agendas and well-being of those individual, group, and institutional VSIs.
What we have is not “Capitalism” at all. What we have is “Corporatism”; or, a genetic variation of how Mussolini put it a century ago: "Fascism."
And regarding Your comment that “As long as the only goal of capitalists is simply to make money, then nothing good will ever get done”:
One of the primary reasons that there are so many goods, products, and services available today that are “SPECIES/ECOSYSTEM/EARTH-FRIENDLY is because the people who are investing in, producing, distributing, and selling those goods, products, and services are able to Make Money by doing that; to Monetarily Profit from it.
If they couldn’t Make Money, they wouldn’t stay in business very long at all. And those goods, products, and services would no longer be available.
Also, i’m curious: Are You saying that nothing “good” was done by those “Silicon Valley Capitalists” ~ those folks who, in order TO make money ~ assembled and launched the Internet and developed it into what it is capable of doing today?
If you haven't read it, try Grace Blakeley's book, "Vulture Capitalism". The Internet was developed by the government in the DARPA program. The entire infrastructure of the economy (roads, rails, major airports, ect.) were all built by the government. Most major endeavors have been accomplished by the public sector, including getting to the moon, cell phone technology, GPS, you name it. Capitalists have just leveraged it all for their own profits.
Thanks, John. i will definitely take a look at Ms Blakeley's book.
Having just downloaded the Kindle version of it, i was struck by how she concluded her Introduction:
“By the time you finish this book, it is my hope that you will be convinced that MARKETS AND STATES ARE NOT SEPARATE DOMAINS OF POWER; THAT CAPITALISM IS NOT DEFINED BY THE PRESENCE OF FREE MARKETS, BUT BY THE RULE OF CAPITAL; AND THAT SOCIALISM IS NOT DEFINED BY THE DOMINANCE OF THE STATE OVER ALL AREAS OF LIFE, BUT BY TRUE DEMOCRACY.” [sic] [EMPHASIS added.]
i will be particularly interested to see how she proves her claim that “Socialism is not defined by the dominance of the state over all areas of life, but by ‘TRUE DEMOCRACY.’” [sic and EMPHASIS added again.]
And Your comments about the Internet, the infrastructure, the Moon landing, etc having been accomplished by the "public sector" and the leveraging of so-called "Capitalists" for “their own profits” demonstrates exactly what i am talking about: That those so-called
“Capitalists” are not actual free market, laissez-faire Capitalists at all, but Corporatist Fascists who have figured out how to make the dominance of the State ~ with its legal power, administrative and regulatory authority, and above all, it’s spending capability and capacity ~ to work for them and insure adequate Returns on their Investments in this Nation’s elected politicians.
There is nothing more anti-democratic than a modern multinational corporation. They dominate their workforce as much or more than any government in history. Workers get no say in anything. Do workers get to vote for anything that happens in the company they work for, or is that all done by "investors"? Socialism and communism are about workers either having a say in what the company does, or in owning the company itself. Why should companies be owned by rich people that have nothing to do with the operation of the company? Just because they are rich? I think you will enjoy Blakeley's book. She also has quite a few talks on YouTuibe which are worth watching.
Which is the Ultimate Vote on what and how they think or feel about Anything that that Company does or that happens in that Company.
And second of all: Where do You think the money comes from to buy and provide everything that enables those Workers to HAVE a job to work at, on, and with, in the first place? If not from [quote] “investors” [unquote]?
And then ~ ultimately ~ from the Customers who buy and pay for those goods, products, or services? Thus keeping those Workers with a Job?
You wrote: “Socialism and communism are about workers either having a say in what the company does, or in owning the company itself.”
Can You cite any historical 19th, 20th, or 21st century examples of workers having a say in what a company does/? Or actually, really owned [or owns] it in any socialist or communist Nation?
Is that what Lenin’s and Stalin’s program for Russia and all of post-World War II Eastern Europe ~ and pre-WWII Ukraine ~ was all about? Was that what the madness of Mao and the betrayal of Deng was all about? Was and is that what Cuba was and is all about?
You then asked: “Why should companies be owned by rich people that have nothing to do with the operation of the company? Just because they are rich?”
Why should companies be owned by people ~ rich or poor ~ who have not invested in those companies; and have nothing to lose if that company fails and goes out of business? And, OBTW: Thus eliminating all the jobs of those Workers?
In any event, i’m looking forward to reading Blakesley’s book [or at least scanning it].
In return, permit me recommend a complete critique [as opposed to mere criticism], rebuttal, and refutation of the ideas, concepts, mindset, and worldview presented by Blakesly in Ludwig von Mises’ ECONOMIC POLICY: Thoughts for Today and Tomorrow, available in PDF at https://cdn.mises.org/Economic%20Policy%20Thoughts%20for%20Today%20and%20Tomorrow_3.pdf .
It is impossible to penetrate the religion of capitalism. I am well aware of Hayek, von Mises and Friedman. The world is falling apart now due to unregulated capitalism (compare now with the 1950s or 60s with respect to market stability). The maximal tax rate in the 1950s was 90%.
But like all religions, you really can't reason with the adherents of capitalism. They want revenue streams and returns on investments, regardless of what happens to the world in the process. Funny that no matter how much capitalism and the wars it spawns lead to disaster, the casino remains open, the the players order another drink.
Dennis, i was in the Army when the gubmint got the Internet ~ or at least the Army did ~ back in early 90s.
i'm not talking about what the Internet was back then, when it first happened. i'm talking about what the Internet became after those who very much wanted [and needed] to make money ~ those so-called "Silicon Valley Capitalists" ~ did what they did.
So i will retract my statement about them assembling and launching the very beginning of the Internet. But i will not retract my statement about what those Money Grubbing Capitalists did to make possible what the Internet is today.
And what "theory" of mine are You questioning?
That one of the primary reasons the Internet is what it is today is because people thought they could make money by making that happen? And that the primary reason that did happen is because they made enough money doing it to keep it going on and getting ever more capable of doing what it can do today? And will be able to do even more tomorrow?
At least as long as people can make enough money to make it worth their while.
According to former surgeon generals, Americans are in a mental health crisis. Depression, anxiety, loneliness and isolation. The homeless are mentally ill because they are unable to afford a place to live.
This is the biggest lie of all.
The mental health crisis doesn't reside in the people, it's in the government and corporations leadership. There are at most a few thousand people causing the problems out of six billion. Perhaps only a few hundred. Something to carefully consider.
Americans are suffering from a "mental health crisis" because of the government policies and economic system that supports war and profit over well being of it's citizens and the planet as a whole. Normal mental health has been redefined as what our government decides.
It's glaringly obvious that there are better ways forward. Those ideas however, are labeled as "crazy" as is the person promoting them.
Trump at best is a pathological lier. A narcissist sociopath with delusions of grandeur at worst and yet is being allowed to run for president again.
We have a president who is actively involved, supporting and enabling a genocide with the full support of the Congress. Mass murderers. A government which is ignoring the impending doom of climate change by the continued growth of fossil fuels and a climate change plan which the main concern is continued economic growth in junk consumer goods. Considering nuclear warfare as a viable option. Blatantly lying to the people who they are supposed to represent and serve.
Is there a better definition of insanity?
The lunatics are running the asylum.
Earth may indeed be the only planet in the galaxy given the extraordinary conditions necessary for life to arise and evolve.
99% of all the species of the planet have gone extinct in the evolutionary process. Those are odds even I'D take in a Las Vegas casino. Those species however died off by themselves and didn't cause a mass extinction. This mass extinction will be caused by one species. The planet will recover in millions of years since life seems to be so tenacious and a part of the creation of the universe (however infrequently it arises).
Unfortunately in this extinction humans will be causing the extinction of all the other species which may in fact be as intelligent or more so than humans.
Should we define humans as being the most intelligent species given what we are doing to the planet and each other? You decide.
This is by far your best essay (of those I have read). I wish that it would be read from every pulpit of all denominations/religions this coming weekend and replace the vapid sermons that are the regular spiritual faire that most congregations get. I am an octogenarian who has observed the world since the end of WW II. I am also a trained historian who knows a fair bit of history (both ancient and modern). Humankind is indeed in its most existential crisis ever. I won’t have much of a future, but I am deeply disturbed because the future of my children, grandchildren and their contemporaries is in danger. Your reference to Henry Kissinger’s supposed use and admiration of “Bismarckian Realpolitik” would surprise Bismarck who, after the creation of a unified modern German state in 1871, did everything in his power to prevent war at any cost. He prevented war with astute diplomacy for forty years. Even during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870/71 he wasn’t ruthless enough according to American general Sheridan. “You must see the smoke rise from the French villages to win” said the American to the Prussian statesman. I wish we had statesmen (women) like Bismarck directing the affairs of the western powers. I know this is wishful thinking. The looming ecocide is certainly another very concerning issue that needs cooperation from all nations. Unfortunately, again western greed is insatiable and out-of-control and our mainly western leadership has been (and is) kicking the ball down the road till it roles into planetary abyss.
I very much agree in general about the damage that organized religion does, Dennis, especially Western religions (although I realize that there have been wars involving other religions, as well).
But, "The issue will only be settled on the field of battle with iron and rivers of blood," that part, I wouldn't necessarily agree with. It's certainly looking like that thus far, but I haven't given up hope that there's another solution.
The Really interesting ~ and Very disturbing ~ thing about the House passing the FISA re-authorization Bill was what Speaker of the House Johnson said in explaining his switch from being anti- to pro-FISA:
“Though Johnson was once a vocal critic of FISA’s Section 702 – which handed US intelligence agencies sweeping powers to spy on Americans in the wake of the 9/11 attacks – he quickly reversed course after his promotion to House speaker.
“’When I was a member of [the House Judiciary Committee], I saw all of the abuses of the FBI – there were terrible abuses, over and over and over,’ Johnson told reporters earlier this week, explaining his about-face.
“’And then WHEN I BECAME SPEAKER, I… GOT THE CONFIDENTIAL BRIEFING FROM SORT OF THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, TO UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF SECTION 702 OF FISA AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. AND IT GAVE ME A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,’ he added.”
So the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is privy to information that nobody else in the House has; and “from that sort of OTHER perspective on that,,,,” at that.
That being the case, then how are those Representatives supposed to make decisions on what to vote for and against so as to best serve and protect the well-being and interests of their Constituents and this Nation?
One can only wonder ~ and guess ~ at who else was in those “confidential briefings.” And why they want warrantless surveillance of and spying on American Citizens to continue, thus totally obliterating any respect for and protection of the not just American ~ but Human ~ Right to Privacy.
Once again, yet, and still, Ray: So what ~ if Anything ~ can the American Peoples do to Change that?
Or is it already too late to change Anything without bringing this Nation to confront and have to deal with the two remaining alternatives: Chaos and Terror or Tyranny and Terror?
thank you for this arresting, elucubrating, and eloquent comment, toma. as w/ me and multifarious readers of astore's timely articles, we are old, on our way out, and are subsumed to naught but venting. nonetheless, the least we valetudinarians can do at this end-stage in our respective lives, is endeavour to divulgate astore's beseechings, his anti-war perfervidities, and his readers' comments to the hoi-polloi, or at the least, to the more operose, puerile youngsters in our personal ambits.
Yes, war is an abomination, a nuclear exchange unthinkable.
But even absent any consideration of war---even if another shot were never fired, another bomb never dropped---if we do nothing to stop climate change, the result will be the equivalent of many thousands of Hiroshimas. Ecocide will bring about planetary genocide. The tragic part is that we'll take all the other animals with us.
Bill, you keep writing articles like this and I will keep linking them @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/ as I see nothing to disagree with, with your logic!!!!!!!!!
HOUSE VOTES TO EXTEND WARRANTLESS SPYING POWERS by Will Porter /antiwar.com 12 Apr 24
US lawmakers have passed a bill reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), A LAW WHICH ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO SURVEIL AMERICAN CITIZENS WITHOUT A WARRANT. A small group of Republicans previously blocked the vote, but allowed it to proceed following a minor amendment to the law.
The two-year extension passed the House on Friday in a bipartisan vote of 273-147, with 126 Republicans and 147 Democrats supporting the bill, which will now proceed to the Senate. Though lawmakers also debated an amendment that would have forced federal agencies to obtain warrants before spying on Americans, it failed in a tie vote.
“THIS IS HOW THE CONSTITUTION DIES… THIS IS A SAD DAY FOR AMERICA,” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said after the amendment went “down in flames.” He noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson provided the tie-breaking vote to kill the warrant requirement.
There is, indeed, only one “Spaceship Earth” in this Solar System.
And, as Toma pointed out earlier: “Earth may indeed be the only planet in the galaxy given the extraordinary conditions necessary for life to arise and evolve.”
My guess, hunch, and in fact, Belief, is that across the vast expanse of The Known Universe, that there are many, many, perhaps countless “Spaceship Earths,” or whatever the most intelligent Life Form there calls their Home Planet wherever those extraordinary conditions arise so that Evolution can take place. [And perhaps at least a few in our Milky Way Galaxy.]
And each of those Home Planets and their Life is exactly what Earth is: An Experiment.
An Experiment to see what happens when Energy, Waves, and Particles emerge out of a Void, and are acted upon by Forces and Fields in accordance with the Laws, Rules, and Constants of this particular and specific Space-Time Continuum, resulting from and/or in Information and/or ~ but ultimately ~ Entropy.
If Human Beings succeed in destroying themselves and, in the process, even all of Life on this Planet, that will be the end of the Experiment in this region of that Space-Time Continuum. But the Experiment will go elsewhere. And will continue to go on until the end of this Universe.
Or, as Ian McHarg once put it:
"Man, far out in space, looks back to the distant earth, a celestial orb, blue-green oceans, green of verdant land, a celestial fruit. Examination discloses blemishes on the fruit, dispersed circles from which extend dynamic tentacles. The man concludes that these cankers are the works of man and asks, 'Is man by a planetary disease?'"
And
"The nuclear cataclysm is over. The earth is covered with gray dust. In the vast silence no life exists, save for a little colony of algae hidden deep in a leaden cleft long inured to radiation. The algae perceive their isolation; they reflect upon the strivings of all life, so recently ended, and on the strenuous task of evolution to be begun anew. Out of their reflection could emerge a firm conclusion: 'Next time, no brains'." Source: https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/ian_mcharg .
An excellent and wide ranging essay. We Americans want what we want, want it now, want it to be supplied in unlimited quantity and look forward to a future that provides even more stuff.
I'd like to address a specific issue, a big one in our downfall to date - the situation with Israel.
I'd say the war of ideas is over and money has won. Our foreign policy in the Middle East is directed by Israel, whose lobby power is unequalled and if Israel is successful in bringing Iran to war I have no doubt Biden, a Zionist in his bones, will immediately go in with Israel without a second thought.
Please stay with me. Right now the world is waiting for a response from Iran to the Israeli bombing of Iran's consulate in Syria. Iran has put up with humiliation after humiliation from Israel over the decades including assassinations of Iranians inside Iran and the incredible assassination of Qassam Soleimani by Trump at Netanyuhu's behest. Yet Iran doesn't want war with the US and has shown restraint throughout. Israel is eager for the US to fight a war with Iran. All of the neo-cons, Jews or not, have been to a man/woman, Zionists.
Years ago Israel preferred the US take out Iran, but settled for Iraq. Now Israel wants to go the last mile and get Iran and the US fighting. Given the Israeli attitude of "everything we do to others is righteous because we do it, anything they may do to us is the start of a second holocaust" I would not put it beyond the possible that Israel might make war with Iran unavoidable and drop a nuclear bomb on an Iranian city, knowing that 1) Iran would have to declare war and 2) Joe Biden would immediately go in with Israel. Israel uber alles.
(an aside - why have we always thought Iran as pure evil to be kept from nukes while Israel, given the view we know it has, is to be totally trusted with them?)
Now lets consider the crazy guy Trump. He is dedicated to nothing but making money and self glorification. He will not hesitate to denounce anyone no matter what position they hold or the content of their character. He is the sun around which all must orbit reflecting his glory. He demands respect but gives none. If not enough respect and admiration are coming his way, he will readily praise himself. This is the key to his popularity. He leads an army of enraged citizens who want him to get into power to break things and to tell people in positions of power to go to hell. I have no doubt he will deliver if elected and take pleasure in doing so. He's not hiding anything, we all know what he is about and many want him to have at it, impatient for November.
Now I don't want Trump or Biden as president and there is no chance I will vote for either one, but consider the following. Should Israel do something horrendous to Iran that leaves Iran no choice but to declare war, what would Trump do? As mentioned, he has no respect for anything or anyone and in fact denounced Netanyahu for supposedly tricking Trump into killing Soleimani and then (Netanyahu) saying Israel was not involved. Trump does not forget lese majeste. I think there is a real possibility that Trump would respond to Iran declaring war on Israel, after a deliberate attack by Israel on Iran, that Israel can go pound sand.
Think of it! The commander in chief refusing to start a war after so many years of presidents leading the US into one after another as Trump defiantly (his best pose) proves he is like no other before him. Congress would go nuts in deference to AIPAC by suddenly trying to exert its long dormant Constitutional right to declare war to force the US to fight Iran. Trump would use his bully pulpit to the max, nobody in Congress would be safe to defy him.
What we know is true, our capture by Zionism, would be on full display for everyone to see and who would the American people support? Trump would be the lone man standing against all to keep the US out of a war with no benefit for us. It would be the ultimate ego boost as under full attack by the most powerful lobby, he holds the line for the country! We the people would go wild absolutely swamping every member of Congress with approval of Trump's stand. AIPAC destroyed in a stroke. Trump's dream of ultimate glory would be fulfilled. The United States saved by a crazy man.
If Trump did that, Cliff: Before anything changed over there in the Middle East or here in DC or America in the Real World, Trump would be either dead or sufficiently incapacitated so as to no longer be President.
And Trump knows that. His owners, operators, commanders, and controllers have told him that up close and personal: "Keep to Your script, Donnie. And You'll have Lots of Fun."
In his 11 Apr 24 DeMOCKracy.ink piece “Average US Taxpayer Paid Out More For War & Militarism Than Medicare In 2023,” Mark Taylor cites a 9 Apr COMMON DREAMS article by Jake Johnson that states:
“The average U.S. taxpayer was forced to contribute more to militarized programs than to Medicare and Medicaid combined in 2023, according to a new analysis released Tuesday by the National Priorities Project.
“Published ahead of Tax Day, the analysis sheds light on the extent to which the federal income tax dollars of ordinary Americans are fueling "militarism and its support systems" such as the Pentagon, which currently accounts for roughly half of the federal government's total discretionary budget.
"’Overall, in 2023, THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTED $5,109 FOR MILITARISM AND ITS SUPPORT SYSTEMS—including war and the Pentagon, veterans' programs, deportations and border militarization, and federal spending on policing and prisons,’ according to NPP, which is a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
By comparison, THE TYPICAL U.S. TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTED $4,308 TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, $346 TO K-12 EDUCATION, $516 TO NUTRITION ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS, AND $58 TO DIPLOMACY-RELATED PROGRAMS.” [Full article at https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-average-us-taxpayer-paid ; EMPHASES added.]
While interesting and perhaps thought-provoking to some folks, there is another, more accurate ~ and disconcerting ~ way to look at, analyze, and understand the whole situation.
For Fiscal Year 2023, the US federal Government had a Budget DEFICIT of just under $1.7 TRILLION [$1,700,000,000].
Which means that the just over 162,000,000 US Taxpayers that year got an average of just under $10,500 in Government “goods, products, and services” for “free,” at no charge to them; a bit more than double what the article states they “paid” for the “national security and defense” of this Nation.
In other words, American Taxpayers didn’t pay a dime for anything related “national security and defense,” and just put it on Uncle Sam’s NATION, SOVEREIGN DEBT Credit Card. That DEBT passed the $34 TRILLION mark on 4 Jan 23; and now stands at $34.6 TRILLION [$34,600,000,000; or $266,951 per Taxpayer].
[Note: According to the Congressional Budget Office, unless something changes, that National Sovereign Debt will rise to $40.3 TRILLION by 2028; and, if current Spending and Taxing trends are continued, to as high as $46.7 TRILLION.]
So the Bottom Line is that no Taxpayer is paying for ANY National Security/Defense at the present. And given the Deficits since FY 2000, no Taxpayer has paid a dime for America’s 20-year “Forever War” after 9/11 in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and so forth. Again, it’s all gone on Uncle Sam’s tab.
And given the performance of the American Military in that “Forever War,” the American Peoples got ~ and are still getting ~ exactly what they paid nothing for: Nothing.
But while no Taxpayer today is actually paying for any of this now, Future Taxpayers will definitely have to pay for it when Sam’s Credit Limit is reached, and he has to start paying down his DEBT or else… .
And that explains exactly Why there has been no Anti-War Movement in the Nation since 9/11: Americans are not paying anything for it in Treasure with Taxes; and the only Americans paying for it in Blood are those folks in that “All-Volunteer Military” America has had since the end of the Draft after Vietnam.
So with neither Blood nor Treasure in play and at risk, is it any surprise that there is no Anti-War Movement in America? Despite 22 and a half years of Perpetual War?
ps: And then there’s America’s UNFUNDED LIABILITES ~ Social Security, Medicare Parts A, B, and D, Federal Debt held by the Public [and Interest], and Government Employee and Veterans Benefits ~ which stands today at $214.5 TRILLION [which works out to $637,146 per Citizen].
I had not heard that quote by MI Congressman Walberg, Bill. That is a new one and just as disgusting as those spouted by John Kirby, Matt Miller, and Karine Jean-Pierre.
Most Important Questions Part 2, Question #6: What is OPTION 1 and OPTION 3?
OPTION 1: GOD has been formally charged with Crimes Against Humanity.
In an action that took the entire Universe and Beyond by complete and total surprise [with the possible exception of a few scattered Gnostics, a Dudeist or two, and a theoretical cosmologist/physicist, evolutionary biologist, and cognitive scientist or three, here and there], the United Nations today issued a Warrant for GOD’s arrest to defend HIMSelf against Charges of “Crimes Against Humanity,” and numerous and assorted other “War and/or Other Crimes.”
These Charges were listed in the indictment as including, “… but not limited to [and starting with]: criminal deceit and entrapment in the Garden of Eden; global and local geo-, geno-, ethno-, gyno-, infanti-, eco-, and biosphero-cide; the mass slaughters of non-combatants [human and otherwise]; and, most particularly, failure to effectively oversee the actions of HIS designated and representative subordinate Spokefolks. Or the actions of those who have designated [and designate], represented [and represent], and presented [and present] themselves As HIS designated subordinates. Even as we speak.”
GOD is also charged with direct complicity in the murder of HIS Son.
The Warrant mandates that GOD [aka “YHWY/‘Elohim/Adonai,” “God, The Father,” “Allah,” and “Etc”], HIS designated representative[s], and each, every, and all of HIS and their attorneys appear before The United Nations’ and World Peoples’ Tribunal For Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Concerning GOD’s Crimes Against Humanity ~ to be convened at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 11, 2024 ~ to answer these Charges.
A World Peoples’ attorney, identified only as “Q,” briefly outlined the charges against The Supreme Being [“starting in the ‘Garden’”], and their bases, sources, and justification. She also explained the purpose, goal, and intention of the Tribunal. Details at 11.
[Extracted from "Documents From the Proceedings of The United Nations’ and World Peoples’ Tribunal For Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Concerning GOD’s Crimes Against Humanity".]
re the Question You posed to Middle East Peace Negotiators; ie:
“If Your God says that it is Your Land;
and if His God says that it is His Land;
and if Their God says that it is Theirs…;
then, Whose Land is it? Really?
“And, how are we to know?
And more importantly, how do those Gods know?
“And finally and most importantly, how do any of YOU know?”
ANSWER: Exterminate them. Exterminate them all. Or rather, Terminate: With Extreme Prejudice. And then let YHWH, God The Father, Allah, and The Etceteras sort them all out.
Or better, terminate YHWH, God The Father, Allah, and The Etceteras, and let the dearly beloved faithful believers sort THEM all out.
In either case, as retired US Army Special Forces Colonel Walter E Kurtz once put it [albeit in a different context]: “….. we must kill them. We must incinerate them: pig after pig, cow after cow, village after village, army after army… . ”
This nonsense needs to end. This nonsense must end. This nonsense will end. Now.
Before ALL Life [to say nothing of Human ~ or at least Humane ~ Life] on that Planet is very seriously disrupted. If not totally extinguished.
Like i said, Dennis: i am very aware of the role the British Empire played in the creation of the Nation-State of Israel, and how that is directly linked to what is happening in Palestine today.
And i have plenty of "attention span"; Thank You for Your concern.
As i have explained to You several times before: What i don't have is time to watch 1-hour videos that don't include a transcript of what is said on that video so that i can determine in a five-minute scan whether that video is worth the time spent watching it.
And scanning the transcript of what Galloway and his Guest said, i don't have the time ~ or interest ~ to watch that video because it says absolutely nothing about a "Christian God," Israel, and Palestine.
And regarding my "too many questions"... :
We Americans are a curious people.
As such, we demand, we need, we hunger and thirst for, we live and die by Answers. And not Questions.
We depend ~for our livelihood and wellbeing, for our sanity and security, for our sense of our Self and the Real ~ we depend on the expert, the anchorman, the spokesperson, talk show host, reliable source, and, ultimately, The Leader [or Hero, Savior, or Guru] who provides us with All the Answers.
That way, we can make an immediate determination as to whether or not his or her Answers agree with ours. And, if they don’t, then, without having to bother with the process of thinking, we can dismiss her or his Answers out of hand and continue our search for The Answers that agree with Ours.
A curious people indeed….
A gnome, a pitiable creature of sorts, stopped looking for the right Answers to The Terror Event of September 11 when he realized just exactly how ready and able the government and its media were to provide exactly those Answers.
So instead, he chose to focus on finding the right Questions. That happened on the morning of September 12. And that happened again with Saddam’s WMDs in 2003, the 2008 financial “¢risi$,” The COVID Event, January 6, Ukraine, and most recently, Palestine.
Because, he reasoned, if You can ask the right Questions, you will ultimately get to The Truth. Because out of the right Questions The Truth must inevitably emerge.
If, on the other hand, Your focus is on finding the right Answers, all you can get are the Answers You were looking for in the first place.
And what You will get are the Answers that the AnswerMan on the White Horse intends for You to embrace.
I'm not getting any younger, my memory may not be all it used to be, but kindly remind me what our "greatest ally" has ever done for The Home of Bacon Cheeseburgers, Midnight Madness Sales, and the 4-6-3 Double play?
That aside, I don't believe any of the so-called world leaders have any idea as to just how fragile the planet is. To do so, they'd have to listen to scientists drone on about the long-term effects of current policies. Not gonna happen with people who are only concerned with the timeline to the next election. They'd also have to turn a deaf ear to any and all talk about nuclear "first strike" and "retaliatory strike" capabilities and the need to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. Recall General Turgidson in Dr Strangelove: Casualties might be "no more than ten to twenty million tops, depending on the wind." What's it take to see no one wins in a nuclear exchange? More vision than anyone's elected leaders have displayed within recent memory.
Recommended reading: "The Doomsday Machine" by Daniel Ellsberg.
Yes, Ellsberg wrote a great book. I reviewed it here:
https://bracingviews.substack.com/p/the-doomsday-machine-the-madness-of-americas-nuclear-weapons
One more, "Nuclear War, A Scenario" by Annie Jacobsen, but not before turning in. It should be required reading.
What we are stuck with is the all-encompassing effects of vulture capitalism on the human race and ecosystems. This won't change as long as the general population remains divided because the vulture capitalists have divided us. As long as the only goal of capitalists is simply to make money, then nothing good will ever get done. If you want to save ecosystems and species, that has to be your goal. The goal can't be "can we figure out how to make money saving the planet from ourselves?"
"If you want to save ecosystems and species, that has to be your goal."
WELL DONE, John! Superb job of cutting to the chase!
“Vulture Capitalism” is not Capitalism, John.
What we have today is the result of the fact that America’s system of Government and Governance is a system whereby the highest bidding Vested Special Interests [VSI] can gain ready, easy, but expensive access to the legal power, the administrative and regulatory authority, and, above all, the spending capacity and capability of that Government as it is governed by its elected politicians, entrenched civilian and military bureaucrats, and anointed political appointees.
Thereby advancing the agendas and well-being of those individual, group, and institutional VSIs.
What we have is not “Capitalism” at all. What we have is “Corporatism”; or, a genetic variation of how Mussolini put it a century ago: "Fascism."
And regarding Your comment that “As long as the only goal of capitalists is simply to make money, then nothing good will ever get done”:
One of the primary reasons that there are so many goods, products, and services available today that are “SPECIES/ECOSYSTEM/EARTH-FRIENDLY is because the people who are investing in, producing, distributing, and selling those goods, products, and services are able to Make Money by doing that; to Monetarily Profit from it.
If they couldn’t Make Money, they wouldn’t stay in business very long at all. And those goods, products, and services would no longer be available.
Also, i’m curious: Are You saying that nothing “good” was done by those “Silicon Valley Capitalists” ~ those folks who, in order TO make money ~ assembled and launched the Internet and developed it into what it is capable of doing today?
If you haven't read it, try Grace Blakeley's book, "Vulture Capitalism". The Internet was developed by the government in the DARPA program. The entire infrastructure of the economy (roads, rails, major airports, ect.) were all built by the government. Most major endeavors have been accomplished by the public sector, including getting to the moon, cell phone technology, GPS, you name it. Capitalists have just leveraged it all for their own profits.
Thanks, John. i will definitely take a look at Ms Blakeley's book.
Having just downloaded the Kindle version of it, i was struck by how she concluded her Introduction:
“By the time you finish this book, it is my hope that you will be convinced that MARKETS AND STATES ARE NOT SEPARATE DOMAINS OF POWER; THAT CAPITALISM IS NOT DEFINED BY THE PRESENCE OF FREE MARKETS, BUT BY THE RULE OF CAPITAL; AND THAT SOCIALISM IS NOT DEFINED BY THE DOMINANCE OF THE STATE OVER ALL AREAS OF LIFE, BUT BY TRUE DEMOCRACY.” [sic] [EMPHASIS added.]
i will be particularly interested to see how she proves her claim that “Socialism is not defined by the dominance of the state over all areas of life, but by ‘TRUE DEMOCRACY.’” [sic and EMPHASIS added again.]
And Your comments about the Internet, the infrastructure, the Moon landing, etc having been accomplished by the "public sector" and the leveraging of so-called "Capitalists" for “their own profits” demonstrates exactly what i am talking about: That those so-called
“Capitalists” are not actual free market, laissez-faire Capitalists at all, but Corporatist Fascists who have figured out how to make the dominance of the State ~ with its legal power, administrative and regulatory authority, and above all, it’s spending capability and capacity ~ to work for them and insure adequate Returns on their Investments in this Nation’s elected politicians.
There is nothing more anti-democratic than a modern multinational corporation. They dominate their workforce as much or more than any government in history. Workers get no say in anything. Do workers get to vote for anything that happens in the company they work for, or is that all done by "investors"? Socialism and communism are about workers either having a say in what the company does, or in owning the company itself. Why should companies be owned by rich people that have nothing to do with the operation of the company? Just because they are rich? I think you will enjoy Blakeley's book. She also has quite a few talks on YouTuibe which are worth watching.
First of all, John: Workers can leave that job.
Which is the Ultimate Vote on what and how they think or feel about Anything that that Company does or that happens in that Company.
And second of all: Where do You think the money comes from to buy and provide everything that enables those Workers to HAVE a job to work at, on, and with, in the first place? If not from [quote] “investors” [unquote]?
And then ~ ultimately ~ from the Customers who buy and pay for those goods, products, or services? Thus keeping those Workers with a Job?
You wrote: “Socialism and communism are about workers either having a say in what the company does, or in owning the company itself.”
Can You cite any historical 19th, 20th, or 21st century examples of workers having a say in what a company does/? Or actually, really owned [or owns] it in any socialist or communist Nation?
Is that what Lenin’s and Stalin’s program for Russia and all of post-World War II Eastern Europe ~ and pre-WWII Ukraine ~ was all about? Was that what the madness of Mao and the betrayal of Deng was all about? Was and is that what Cuba was and is all about?
You then asked: “Why should companies be owned by rich people that have nothing to do with the operation of the company? Just because they are rich?”
Why should companies be owned by people ~ rich or poor ~ who have not invested in those companies; and have nothing to lose if that company fails and goes out of business? And, OBTW: Thus eliminating all the jobs of those Workers?
In any event, i’m looking forward to reading Blakesley’s book [or at least scanning it].
In return, permit me recommend a complete critique [as opposed to mere criticism], rebuttal, and refutation of the ideas, concepts, mindset, and worldview presented by Blakesly in Ludwig von Mises’ ECONOMIC POLICY: Thoughts for Today and Tomorrow, available in PDF at https://cdn.mises.org/Economic%20Policy%20Thoughts%20for%20Today%20and%20Tomorrow_3.pdf .
It is impossible to penetrate the religion of capitalism. I am well aware of Hayek, von Mises and Friedman. The world is falling apart now due to unregulated capitalism (compare now with the 1950s or 60s with respect to market stability). The maximal tax rate in the 1950s was 90%.
But like all religions, you really can't reason with the adherents of capitalism. They want revenue streams and returns on investments, regardless of what happens to the world in the process. Funny that no matter how much capitalism and the wars it spawns lead to disaster, the casino remains open, the the players order another drink.
Dennis, i was in the Army when the gubmint got the Internet ~ or at least the Army did ~ back in early 90s.
i'm not talking about what the Internet was back then, when it first happened. i'm talking about what the Internet became after those who very much wanted [and needed] to make money ~ those so-called "Silicon Valley Capitalists" ~ did what they did.
So i will retract my statement about them assembling and launching the very beginning of the Internet. But i will not retract my statement about what those Money Grubbing Capitalists did to make possible what the Internet is today.
And what "theory" of mine are You questioning?
That one of the primary reasons the Internet is what it is today is because people thought they could make money by making that happen? And that the primary reason that did happen is because they made enough money doing it to keep it going on and getting ever more capable of doing what it can do today? And will be able to do even more tomorrow?
At least as long as people can make enough money to make it worth their while.
It's called a "Return On Investment."
According to former surgeon generals, Americans are in a mental health crisis. Depression, anxiety, loneliness and isolation. The homeless are mentally ill because they are unable to afford a place to live.
This is the biggest lie of all.
The mental health crisis doesn't reside in the people, it's in the government and corporations leadership. There are at most a few thousand people causing the problems out of six billion. Perhaps only a few hundred. Something to carefully consider.
Americans are suffering from a "mental health crisis" because of the government policies and economic system that supports war and profit over well being of it's citizens and the planet as a whole. Normal mental health has been redefined as what our government decides.
It's glaringly obvious that there are better ways forward. Those ideas however, are labeled as "crazy" as is the person promoting them.
Trump at best is a pathological lier. A narcissist sociopath with delusions of grandeur at worst and yet is being allowed to run for president again.
We have a president who is actively involved, supporting and enabling a genocide with the full support of the Congress. Mass murderers. A government which is ignoring the impending doom of climate change by the continued growth of fossil fuels and a climate change plan which the main concern is continued economic growth in junk consumer goods. Considering nuclear warfare as a viable option. Blatantly lying to the people who they are supposed to represent and serve.
Is there a better definition of insanity?
The lunatics are running the asylum.
Earth may indeed be the only planet in the galaxy given the extraordinary conditions necessary for life to arise and evolve.
99% of all the species of the planet have gone extinct in the evolutionary process. Those are odds even I'D take in a Las Vegas casino. Those species however died off by themselves and didn't cause a mass extinction. This mass extinction will be caused by one species. The planet will recover in millions of years since life seems to be so tenacious and a part of the creation of the universe (however infrequently it arises).
Unfortunately in this extinction humans will be causing the extinction of all the other species which may in fact be as intelligent or more so than humans.
Should we define humans as being the most intelligent species given what we are doing to the planet and each other? You decide.
Outstanding comment, Toma!
As to your last question, we all know the answer is a resounding, "no!"
This is by far your best essay (of those I have read). I wish that it would be read from every pulpit of all denominations/religions this coming weekend and replace the vapid sermons that are the regular spiritual faire that most congregations get. I am an octogenarian who has observed the world since the end of WW II. I am also a trained historian who knows a fair bit of history (both ancient and modern). Humankind is indeed in its most existential crisis ever. I won’t have much of a future, but I am deeply disturbed because the future of my children, grandchildren and their contemporaries is in danger. Your reference to Henry Kissinger’s supposed use and admiration of “Bismarckian Realpolitik” would surprise Bismarck who, after the creation of a unified modern German state in 1871, did everything in his power to prevent war at any cost. He prevented war with astute diplomacy for forty years. Even during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870/71 he wasn’t ruthless enough according to American general Sheridan. “You must see the smoke rise from the French villages to win” said the American to the Prussian statesman. I wish we had statesmen (women) like Bismarck directing the affairs of the western powers. I know this is wishful thinking. The looming ecocide is certainly another very concerning issue that needs cooperation from all nations. Unfortunately, again western greed is insatiable and out-of-control and our mainly western leadership has been (and is) kicking the ball down the road till it roles into planetary abyss.
Very powerful image in your last sentence, Karl. Spot on!
Dennis: Can You explain exactly When, Where, and How the "Christian 'God' started this genocide in Gaza many years ago"?
I very much agree in general about the damage that organized religion does, Dennis, especially Western religions (although I realize that there have been wars involving other religions, as well).
But, "The issue will only be settled on the field of battle with iron and rivers of blood," that part, I wouldn't necessarily agree with. It's certainly looking like that thus far, but I haven't given up hope that there's another solution.
I very much condemn weapons shipments to Israel. That I agree with you on.
Good point.
The Really interesting ~ and Very disturbing ~ thing about the House passing the FISA re-authorization Bill was what Speaker of the House Johnson said in explaining his switch from being anti- to pro-FISA:
“Though Johnson was once a vocal critic of FISA’s Section 702 – which handed US intelligence agencies sweeping powers to spy on Americans in the wake of the 9/11 attacks – he quickly reversed course after his promotion to House speaker.
“’When I was a member of [the House Judiciary Committee], I saw all of the abuses of the FBI – there were terrible abuses, over and over and over,’ Johnson told reporters earlier this week, explaining his about-face.
“’And then WHEN I BECAME SPEAKER, I… GOT THE CONFIDENTIAL BRIEFING FROM SORT OF THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, TO UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF SECTION 702 OF FISA AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. AND IT GAVE ME A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,’ he added.”
So the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is privy to information that nobody else in the House has; and “from that sort of OTHER perspective on that,,,,” at that.
That being the case, then how are those Representatives supposed to make decisions on what to vote for and against so as to best serve and protect the well-being and interests of their Constituents and this Nation?
One can only wonder ~ and guess ~ at who else was in those “confidential briefings.” And why they want warrantless surveillance of and spying on American Citizens to continue, thus totally obliterating any respect for and protection of the not just American ~ but Human ~ Right to Privacy.
Full article at https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/12/house-votes-to-extend-warrantless-spying-powers/ ; EMPHASES added.
Once again, yet, and still, Ray: So what ~ if Anything ~ can the American Peoples do to Change that?
Or is it already too late to change Anything without bringing this Nation to confront and have to deal with the two remaining alternatives: Chaos and Terror or Tyranny and Terror?
thank you for this arresting, elucubrating, and eloquent comment, toma. as w/ me and multifarious readers of astore's timely articles, we are old, on our way out, and are subsumed to naught but venting. nonetheless, the least we valetudinarians can do at this end-stage in our respective lives, is endeavour to divulgate astore's beseechings, his anti-war perfervidities, and his readers' comments to the hoi-polloi, or at the least, to the more operose, puerile youngsters in our personal ambits.
Nice reading and very good points. Thank you.
Here something I wrote if you can survive my pore English and typos.
https://mywisdom.substack.com/p/armageddon-revisited
Yes, war is an abomination, a nuclear exchange unthinkable.
But even absent any consideration of war---even if another shot were never fired, another bomb never dropped---if we do nothing to stop climate change, the result will be the equivalent of many thousands of Hiroshimas. Ecocide will bring about planetary genocide. The tragic part is that we'll take all the other animals with us.
Bill, you keep writing articles like this and I will keep linking them @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/ as I see nothing to disagree with, with your logic!!!!!!!!!
Neoliberal militarism, and militarist Keynesians.
Progressivescare ripe to call opposition impossible and Putin slaves
HOUSE VOTES TO EXTEND WARRANTLESS SPYING POWERS by Will Porter /antiwar.com 12 Apr 24
US lawmakers have passed a bill reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), A LAW WHICH ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO SURVEIL AMERICAN CITIZENS WITHOUT A WARRANT. A small group of Republicans previously blocked the vote, but allowed it to proceed following a minor amendment to the law.
The two-year extension passed the House on Friday in a bipartisan vote of 273-147, with 126 Republicans and 147 Democrats supporting the bill, which will now proceed to the Senate. Though lawmakers also debated an amendment that would have forced federal agencies to obtain warrants before spying on Americans, it failed in a tie vote.
“THIS IS HOW THE CONSTITUTION DIES… THIS IS A SAD DAY FOR AMERICA,” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie said after the amendment went “down in flames.” He noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson provided the tie-breaking vote to kill the warrant requirement.
Full article at https://news.antiwar.com/2024/04/12/house-votes-to-extend-warrantless-spying-powers/ ; EMPHASES added.
There is, indeed, only one “Spaceship Earth” in this Solar System.
And, as Toma pointed out earlier: “Earth may indeed be the only planet in the galaxy given the extraordinary conditions necessary for life to arise and evolve.”
My guess, hunch, and in fact, Belief, is that across the vast expanse of The Known Universe, that there are many, many, perhaps countless “Spaceship Earths,” or whatever the most intelligent Life Form there calls their Home Planet wherever those extraordinary conditions arise so that Evolution can take place. [And perhaps at least a few in our Milky Way Galaxy.]
And each of those Home Planets and their Life is exactly what Earth is: An Experiment.
An Experiment to see what happens when Energy, Waves, and Particles emerge out of a Void, and are acted upon by Forces and Fields in accordance with the Laws, Rules, and Constants of this particular and specific Space-Time Continuum, resulting from and/or in Information and/or ~ but ultimately ~ Entropy.
If Human Beings succeed in destroying themselves and, in the process, even all of Life on this Planet, that will be the end of the Experiment in this region of that Space-Time Continuum. But the Experiment will go elsewhere. And will continue to go on until the end of this Universe.
Or, as Ian McHarg once put it:
"Man, far out in space, looks back to the distant earth, a celestial orb, blue-green oceans, green of verdant land, a celestial fruit. Examination discloses blemishes on the fruit, dispersed circles from which extend dynamic tentacles. The man concludes that these cankers are the works of man and asks, 'Is man by a planetary disease?'"
And
"The nuclear cataclysm is over. The earth is covered with gray dust. In the vast silence no life exists, save for a little colony of algae hidden deep in a leaden cleft long inured to radiation. The algae perceive their isolation; they reflect upon the strivings of all life, so recently ended, and on the strenuous task of evolution to be begun anew. Out of their reflection could emerge a firm conclusion: 'Next time, no brains'." Source: https://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/ian_mcharg .
An excellent and wide ranging essay. We Americans want what we want, want it now, want it to be supplied in unlimited quantity and look forward to a future that provides even more stuff.
I'd like to address a specific issue, a big one in our downfall to date - the situation with Israel.
I'd say the war of ideas is over and money has won. Our foreign policy in the Middle East is directed by Israel, whose lobby power is unequalled and if Israel is successful in bringing Iran to war I have no doubt Biden, a Zionist in his bones, will immediately go in with Israel without a second thought.
Please stay with me. Right now the world is waiting for a response from Iran to the Israeli bombing of Iran's consulate in Syria. Iran has put up with humiliation after humiliation from Israel over the decades including assassinations of Iranians inside Iran and the incredible assassination of Qassam Soleimani by Trump at Netanyuhu's behest. Yet Iran doesn't want war with the US and has shown restraint throughout. Israel is eager for the US to fight a war with Iran. All of the neo-cons, Jews or not, have been to a man/woman, Zionists.
Years ago Israel preferred the US take out Iran, but settled for Iraq. Now Israel wants to go the last mile and get Iran and the US fighting. Given the Israeli attitude of "everything we do to others is righteous because we do it, anything they may do to us is the start of a second holocaust" I would not put it beyond the possible that Israel might make war with Iran unavoidable and drop a nuclear bomb on an Iranian city, knowing that 1) Iran would have to declare war and 2) Joe Biden would immediately go in with Israel. Israel uber alles.
(an aside - why have we always thought Iran as pure evil to be kept from nukes while Israel, given the view we know it has, is to be totally trusted with them?)
Now lets consider the crazy guy Trump. He is dedicated to nothing but making money and self glorification. He will not hesitate to denounce anyone no matter what position they hold or the content of their character. He is the sun around which all must orbit reflecting his glory. He demands respect but gives none. If not enough respect and admiration are coming his way, he will readily praise himself. This is the key to his popularity. He leads an army of enraged citizens who want him to get into power to break things and to tell people in positions of power to go to hell. I have no doubt he will deliver if elected and take pleasure in doing so. He's not hiding anything, we all know what he is about and many want him to have at it, impatient for November.
Now I don't want Trump or Biden as president and there is no chance I will vote for either one, but consider the following. Should Israel do something horrendous to Iran that leaves Iran no choice but to declare war, what would Trump do? As mentioned, he has no respect for anything or anyone and in fact denounced Netanyahu for supposedly tricking Trump into killing Soleimani and then (Netanyahu) saying Israel was not involved. Trump does not forget lese majeste. I think there is a real possibility that Trump would respond to Iran declaring war on Israel, after a deliberate attack by Israel on Iran, that Israel can go pound sand.
Think of it! The commander in chief refusing to start a war after so many years of presidents leading the US into one after another as Trump defiantly (his best pose) proves he is like no other before him. Congress would go nuts in deference to AIPAC by suddenly trying to exert its long dormant Constitutional right to declare war to force the US to fight Iran. Trump would use his bully pulpit to the max, nobody in Congress would be safe to defy him.
What we know is true, our capture by Zionism, would be on full display for everyone to see and who would the American people support? Trump would be the lone man standing against all to keep the US out of a war with no benefit for us. It would be the ultimate ego boost as under full attack by the most powerful lobby, he holds the line for the country! We the people would go wild absolutely swamping every member of Congress with approval of Trump's stand. AIPAC destroyed in a stroke. Trump's dream of ultimate glory would be fulfilled. The United States saved by a crazy man.
If Trump did that, Cliff: Before anything changed over there in the Middle East or here in DC or America in the Real World, Trump would be either dead or sufficiently incapacitated so as to no longer be President.
And Trump knows that. His owners, operators, commanders, and controllers have told him that up close and personal: "Keep to Your script, Donnie. And You'll have Lots of Fun."
In his 11 Apr 24 DeMOCKracy.ink piece “Average US Taxpayer Paid Out More For War & Militarism Than Medicare In 2023,” Mark Taylor cites a 9 Apr COMMON DREAMS article by Jake Johnson that states:
“The average U.S. taxpayer was forced to contribute more to militarized programs than to Medicare and Medicaid combined in 2023, according to a new analysis released Tuesday by the National Priorities Project.
“Published ahead of Tax Day, the analysis sheds light on the extent to which the federal income tax dollars of ordinary Americans are fueling "militarism and its support systems" such as the Pentagon, which currently accounts for roughly half of the federal government's total discretionary budget.
"’Overall, in 2023, THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTED $5,109 FOR MILITARISM AND ITS SUPPORT SYSTEMS—including war and the Pentagon, veterans' programs, deportations and border militarization, and federal spending on policing and prisons,’ according to NPP, which is a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
By comparison, THE TYPICAL U.S. TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTED $4,308 TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID, $346 TO K-12 EDUCATION, $516 TO NUTRITION ASSISTANCE FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS, AND $58 TO DIPLOMACY-RELATED PROGRAMS.” [Full article at https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-average-us-taxpayer-paid ; EMPHASES added.]
While interesting and perhaps thought-provoking to some folks, there is another, more accurate ~ and disconcerting ~ way to look at, analyze, and understand the whole situation.
For Fiscal Year 2023, the US federal Government had a Budget DEFICIT of just under $1.7 TRILLION [$1,700,000,000].
Which means that the just over 162,000,000 US Taxpayers that year got an average of just under $10,500 in Government “goods, products, and services” for “free,” at no charge to them; a bit more than double what the article states they “paid” for the “national security and defense” of this Nation.
In other words, American Taxpayers didn’t pay a dime for anything related “national security and defense,” and just put it on Uncle Sam’s NATION, SOVEREIGN DEBT Credit Card. That DEBT passed the $34 TRILLION mark on 4 Jan 23; and now stands at $34.6 TRILLION [$34,600,000,000; or $266,951 per Taxpayer].
[Note: According to the Congressional Budget Office, unless something changes, that National Sovereign Debt will rise to $40.3 TRILLION by 2028; and, if current Spending and Taxing trends are continued, to as high as $46.7 TRILLION.]
So the Bottom Line is that no Taxpayer is paying for ANY National Security/Defense at the present. And given the Deficits since FY 2000, no Taxpayer has paid a dime for America’s 20-year “Forever War” after 9/11 in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and so forth. Again, it’s all gone on Uncle Sam’s tab.
And given the performance of the American Military in that “Forever War,” the American Peoples got ~ and are still getting ~ exactly what they paid nothing for: Nothing.
But while no Taxpayer today is actually paying for any of this now, Future Taxpayers will definitely have to pay for it when Sam’s Credit Limit is reached, and he has to start paying down his DEBT or else… .
And that explains exactly Why there has been no Anti-War Movement in the Nation since 9/11: Americans are not paying anything for it in Treasure with Taxes; and the only Americans paying for it in Blood are those folks in that “All-Volunteer Military” America has had since the end of the Draft after Vietnam.
So with neither Blood nor Treasure in play and at risk, is it any surprise that there is no Anti-War Movement in America? Despite 22 and a half years of Perpetual War?
ps: And then there’s America’s UNFUNDED LIABILITES ~ Social Security, Medicare Parts A, B, and D, Federal Debt held by the Public [and Interest], and Government Employee and Veterans Benefits ~ which stands today at $214.5 TRILLION [which works out to $637,146 per Citizen].
See https://www.usdebtclock.org/ for details.
I had not heard that quote by MI Congressman Walberg, Bill. That is a new one and just as disgusting as those spouted by John Kirby, Matt Miller, and Karine Jean-Pierre.
Most Important Questions Part 2, Question #6: What is OPTION 1 and OPTION 3?
OPTION 1: GOD has been formally charged with Crimes Against Humanity.
In an action that took the entire Universe and Beyond by complete and total surprise [with the possible exception of a few scattered Gnostics, a Dudeist or two, and a theoretical cosmologist/physicist, evolutionary biologist, and cognitive scientist or three, here and there], the United Nations today issued a Warrant for GOD’s arrest to defend HIMSelf against Charges of “Crimes Against Humanity,” and numerous and assorted other “War and/or Other Crimes.”
These Charges were listed in the indictment as including, “… but not limited to [and starting with]: criminal deceit and entrapment in the Garden of Eden; global and local geo-, geno-, ethno-, gyno-, infanti-, eco-, and biosphero-cide; the mass slaughters of non-combatants [human and otherwise]; and, most particularly, failure to effectively oversee the actions of HIS designated and representative subordinate Spokefolks. Or the actions of those who have designated [and designate], represented [and represent], and presented [and present] themselves As HIS designated subordinates. Even as we speak.”
GOD is also charged with direct complicity in the murder of HIS Son.
The Warrant mandates that GOD [aka “YHWY/‘Elohim/Adonai,” “God, The Father,” “Allah,” and “Etc”], HIS designated representative[s], and each, every, and all of HIS and their attorneys appear before The United Nations’ and World Peoples’ Tribunal For Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Concerning GOD’s Crimes Against Humanity ~ to be convened at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 11, 2024 ~ to answer these Charges.
A World Peoples’ attorney, identified only as “Q,” briefly outlined the charges against The Supreme Being [“starting in the ‘Garden’”], and their bases, sources, and justification. She also explained the purpose, goal, and intention of the Tribunal. Details at 11.
[Extracted from "Documents From the Proceedings of The United Nations’ and World Peoples’ Tribunal For Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Concerning GOD’s Crimes Against Humanity".]
OPTION 3: Intercepted Message [Source Vicinity: Galactic Sector ZZ 9 Plural Z Beta]
re the Question You posed to Middle East Peace Negotiators; ie:
“If Your God says that it is Your Land;
and if His God says that it is His Land;
and if Their God says that it is Theirs…;
then, Whose Land is it? Really?
“And, how are we to know?
And more importantly, how do those Gods know?
“And finally and most importantly, how do any of YOU know?”
ANSWER: Exterminate them. Exterminate them all. Or rather, Terminate: With Extreme Prejudice. And then let YHWH, God The Father, Allah, and The Etceteras sort them all out.
Or better, terminate YHWH, God The Father, Allah, and The Etceteras, and let the dearly beloved faithful believers sort THEM all out.
In either case, as retired US Army Special Forces Colonel Walter E Kurtz once put it [albeit in a different context]: “….. we must kill them. We must incinerate them: pig after pig, cow after cow, village after village, army after army… . ”
This nonsense needs to end. This nonsense must end. This nonsense will end. Now.
Before ALL Life [to say nothing of Human ~ or at least Humane ~ Life] on that Planet is very seriously disrupted. If not totally extinguished.
OUT.
- From the under-construction website Vote-NoneOfTheseCandidates.org, to be launched soon.
i understand and am very aware of all that, Dennis.
But was does "the Christian God" have to do with any of that?
And specifically WHICH "Christian God" is at work here? One that had anything whatsoever to do with anything that Jesus is recorded as teaching?
Like i said, Dennis: i am very aware of the role the British Empire played in the creation of the Nation-State of Israel, and how that is directly linked to what is happening in Palestine today.
And i have plenty of "attention span"; Thank You for Your concern.
As i have explained to You several times before: What i don't have is time to watch 1-hour videos that don't include a transcript of what is said on that video so that i can determine in a five-minute scan whether that video is worth the time spent watching it.
And scanning the transcript of what Galloway and his Guest said, i don't have the time ~ or interest ~ to watch that video because it says absolutely nothing about a "Christian God," Israel, and Palestine.
And regarding my "too many questions"... :
We Americans are a curious people.
As such, we demand, we need, we hunger and thirst for, we live and die by Answers. And not Questions.
We depend ~for our livelihood and wellbeing, for our sanity and security, for our sense of our Self and the Real ~ we depend on the expert, the anchorman, the spokesperson, talk show host, reliable source, and, ultimately, The Leader [or Hero, Savior, or Guru] who provides us with All the Answers.
That way, we can make an immediate determination as to whether or not his or her Answers agree with ours. And, if they don’t, then, without having to bother with the process of thinking, we can dismiss her or his Answers out of hand and continue our search for The Answers that agree with Ours.
A curious people indeed….
A gnome, a pitiable creature of sorts, stopped looking for the right Answers to The Terror Event of September 11 when he realized just exactly how ready and able the government and its media were to provide exactly those Answers.
So instead, he chose to focus on finding the right Questions. That happened on the morning of September 12. And that happened again with Saddam’s WMDs in 2003, the 2008 financial “¢risi$,” The COVID Event, January 6, Ukraine, and most recently, Palestine.
Because, he reasoned, if You can ask the right Questions, you will ultimately get to The Truth. Because out of the right Questions The Truth must inevitably emerge.
If, on the other hand, Your focus is on finding the right Answers, all you can get are the Answers You were looking for in the first place.
And what You will get are the Answers that the AnswerMan on the White Horse intends for You to embrace.
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Why don't we let Bill decide what is and is not an appropriate Comment, Dennis?