WE'RE WINNING!

Late Comedy Genius and Social Change Advocate Bill Hicks: "You're right!"

Holy s***! I'm a revisionist!

Well, not exactly. I've just decided that I'm going to use the dreaded Facebook to my advantage (like a judo dude using his opponent's momentum to win a contest). And what I've found is a massive activist/radical community there, co-opting the FB playground for worthwhile purposes. You know, other than reporting what they had for lunch or why they're so physically fabulous etc.

The experience has further confirmed my belief that the tide is very much turning in favor of serious social change. Sure, like the tides themselves, at times it's hard to see it happening, but it really is. I'm convinced that we are now the majority. People are fed up and want to wash away the current, corrupt systems and institutions.

When I make new activist "friends" on FB and engage them, I often get very enthusiastic, positive responses, exemplified by one guy who said simply, "We'll win this thing!" Indeed.

The fearful, apathetic, conservative and self-interested are now the minority! Believe it. What needs to happen next is a metamorphosis towards cohesion which will lead us to the critical mass, the tipping point, the moment when the people will regain their democracy and start setting the agenda, big time.

What's the evidence? Check out the movements out there: Wikileaks, Anonymous, Zeitgeist, non-profits, pacifist far-left groups, websites... it goes on and on. Millions of people. All over the world. And it's all based on friendship and camaraderie. And these folks are riled up and rockin!

Sure, there are differences between the groups and between individuals. But that's to be expected. The things that unite us, the major things, far outweigh those differences.

So don't fret if the mass media doesn't report this movement: they don't say much about climate change either but we know it's happening. The elites may own the mass media and the other failing institutions, but we have the numbers, and our own growing alternative institutions.

Feel energized! Stay positive!

And my message to the fearful, the apathetic, the cynical: We are optimistic, and we DO care about you, and we DO have a sense of humor, and we will include you.

My message to all my fellow world shakers -- especially if you ever start to feel overwhelmed -- is to remember the words of the comedian Bill Hicks: "You're right. Not those f***ers who want to tell you how to think. YOU'RE RIGHT!"

And we'll win this thing!


Take care,
Adrian

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at WHY I WRITE THIS BLOG.

OBAMA IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

Noam Chomsky isn't afraid to remind us that Obama knows which side his bread is buttered on

I've been surprised -- and then again, maybe not -- at the hero worship going on among some liberals at present.

Message threads for any stories about Obama on The Huffington Post -- a Dem/liberal news site -- have been praising the president's courage and candor, vision and integrity, because "he" got bin Laden.


He's Not One of Us

This is my take: Obama's a politician and a member of the elite. The whole bin Laden thing was conducted in such a way that if another nation had taken similar action on U.S. soil, a great many people in this country would be howling. But since "we" did it, it's okay with a lot of people (and NOT okay with a lot of people as well, I should add), and therefore Obama is the great architect and moral force behind this "necessary" murder.

Now, don't fly off the rails and tell me that bin Laden was a terrorist and murderer. Even though he never went to trial, most of us accept this to be true. But how is Obama not a terrorist and murderer when children in Afghanistan, to name one instance, are being killed by our armed forces/government? Remember: Obama is the Commander in Chief.


Laws are for Everyone

My point is that there are international laws and international bodies and correct ways of doing things. And if the U.S. government truly wants international respect, then the U.S. must treat all other nations, suspected criminals, and citizens everywhere according to international laws and conventions. It's a two-way street.

I say again: Obama's a politician and a member of the elite. I don't know what he came up with and what he didn't in terms of this whole "covert operation." But he certainly rubber stamped it. And now he's on "60 Minutes" and any podium that will hold him, squeezing all that strong-wise-leader juice out of the story and campaigning like a champion. Yes, that's all he's doing. Campaigning. If our politicians actually worked a fifth of the time they spent posturing for us, we'd be in a lot better shape. No, strike that. The corporations would have even sweeter deals. We'd probably still be in trouble.

I don't trust either party or any president I've seen. Why the hell would anybody? These people aren't our friends. Their motives aren't the same as ours. Personally, my allegiance is to the global common good. That's it.


Chomsky Tells it How it Is

Let me quote an extract from an interview with Noam Chomsky that was published in "The New Statesman" in September, 2010. Chomsky is a very astute critic of Obama, and is ever ready to give some factual perspective on the guy so we don't all fall into the trap of thinking that Bush was a demon (for the record, he was) and this guy is our savior (for the record, he's not):

"What are your thoughts on President Obama?

He’s involved in war crimes right now. For example, targeted assassinations are war crimes. That’s escalated quite sharply under Obama. If you look at WikiLeaks, there are a lot of examples of attacks on civilians.

What did you think when he was given the Nobel Peace Prize?

Considering the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, it’s not the worst example. It was given to him before he had the time to commit many war crimes.

Is there any point in us being in Afghanistan?

We wouldn’t have asked in 1985: 'Is there any point in the Russians being in Afghanistan?' The fact is that the invasion was a crime. Then comes the question: 'Is there any point in continuing?' But that presupposes legitimacy. Putting aside questions of morality and legality and simply asking about the goals of the US government is a very narrow consideration."

In another interview with The European Courier in March, Chomsky began his answer to the question "How would you summarize the presidency of Barack Obama as of now?" this way:

"Obama is a man of absolutely no principles. He has two constituencies. One of them is the popular constituency, the people who voted for him. For them he is doing essentially nothing. He has another constituency: the people who financed his campaign, the financial institutions. And they are getting rewarded."

Some food for thought. Bon appetit!

Adrian

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at THE MASS MURDERERS OF WASHINGTON D.C.

GEORGE W. BUSH: STILL KING OF THE HYPOCRITES

George W. Bush: Moron, mass murderer, liar and coward.

I just read an AP news story titled "Bush nixes Denver visit, citing invite to Assange."

It read, in part:

DENVER – George W. Bush has canceled plans to visit Denver because WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was invited to attend one of the same events as the former president.

Bush planned to be at a Young Presidents Organization "Global Leadership Summit" Saturday but backed out when he learned Assange was invited.

Bush spokesman David Sherzer said Friday that Bush doesn't want to share a forum with someone who has "willfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States."

"... willfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States." Can anyone come up with a better definition of Bush's presidency? I guess if you threw in something about his willful and repeated harm to a long list of other nations, it would be a little more accurate.

It seems W. likes all his mass murder secrets kept locked away, like any self-respecting despot.

Best wishes,
Adrian

IF YOU FOUND THIS POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at THE KEY FACTS ABOUT WIKILEAKS.

MORE ABOUT WIKILEAKS

I just received this email from WikileaksIsDemocracy.org. (I'll try and hot link all the suggested reading items at the bottom when I get a few minutes.)

Anyway, read this and do something!


Dear Adrian,

Just under two weeks ago I sent the WikiLeaksIsDemocracy statement you signed to several leading intellectuals, community organizers, activists, and people from varying political perspectives. My hope was to begin building a serious, contemplative, engaged community—both nationally and internationally—who are not only concerned about preserving the U.S. Constitution, but understand the consequences of its unraveling as well as the importance of the information being published by WikiLeaks.

Nowhere is this unraveling more apparent than in the WikiLeaks case. Constitutional protections of Freedom of Speech, the Press, and the right of people to peaceably assemble are now in the cross hairs of a United States executive branch run amok with its de facto monitoring of innocent civilians, wars of aggression and other overreaches too numerous to cite here.

The treatment of Pvt. Bradley Manning and Julian Assange, however, merit special mention. Bradley Manning has been held in solitary confinement for 7 months, deprived of many basic human rights. The manner and means of his treatment can only be described as torture. (For an in-depth account of Manning’s treatment and condemnations of such treatment by jurists, non-aligned health organizations, religious and cultural leaders, see Glenn Greenwald's article, The inhumane conditions of Bradley Manning’s detention.) To date, Julian Assange, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of WikiLeaks, has been released on bail but is being held under house arrest in the UK even though the Swedish government has filed no charges related to the much publicized sexual allegations. However, after considering and reportedly abandoning the 1917 Espionage Act, the U.S. Justice Department is working overtime to find a way to prosecute Assange, most recently hoping to argue that Assange helped Manning and would be a co-conspirator in the massive leak.

As we can see from Daniel Ellsberg’s excellent appearance on the Steven Colbert Show, those who oppose WikiLeaks and want to see Assange prosecuted are getting their repetitive talking points on the air. Not surprisingly, views supportive of WikiLeaks are not being heard. We need to change that and the 4th action below is intended to do that.

Below are four steps to consider:

1. Write a letter to Attorney General Holder, with copies to President Obama and your elected representatives in Congress denouncing the government’s threatened indictment and extradition of Julian Assange. Click here to send the letter.


2. Write to Members of the House Judiciary Committee who held hearings last Thursday on the Espionage Act and WikiLeaks, urging them to demand that the Department of Justice not prosecute or extradite Assange. Click here to send the letter.


3. Tell your friends about WikileaksIsDemocracy.org and urge them to sign the statement and join in the effort to protect Freedom of Press and the American public’s right to know what their government is doing. It is going to take a lot of people speaking out to prevent the United States government from prosecuting Julian Assange and others who work with WikiLeaks. We need as many people as possible working on this project."
 Click here to send an email to your friends.

4. Support Anonymous’s call for widespread reporting on the diplomatic cables. WikiLeaksIsDemocracy.org will provide space for people who want to write articles or blogs about WikiLeaks cables. We also urge you to write letters to the editor and call in to radio shows to express your support for WikiLeaks and the need for transparency in government. Articles providing talking points are attached at the end of this email.

The conflict between WikiLeaks and the U.S. government will define Freedom of Press in the 21st Century. As Americans we all need to work hard to protect our right to know what the government is doing in our name. Please take all of the actions above, forward this email and the www.WikiLeaksIsDemocracy.org URL to everyone you know.

Sincerely,

Linda Schade
WikiLeaksIsDemocracy.org

Suggested reading
Naomi Wolf, Espionage Act: How the Government Can Engage in Serious Aggression Against the People of the United States
Kevin Zeese, "Assange in the Grasp of U.S. Empire"
Ellsberg in LA Times: “There should be a Pentagon Papers out every year.”
Josh, Stieber, An Iraq Surge Vet on Wikileaks
Justin Raimondo, It’s Payback Time! The cyberwar begins
Michael Lind, Does anyone in America believe in the rule of law?
Glenn Greenwald, Getting to Assange through Manning

__________________________________________________________________________________

WikiLeaksisDemocracy.org • 2842 N Calvert St, Baltimore, MD 21218 • 443-708-8360 • Fax 877-637-3335

THE KEY FACTS ABOUT WIKILEAKS

Let's talk about Wikileaks -- and that means I'd like to hear your comments too.

Wikileaks is one of THE stories of 2011: No doubt about it. Especially when you think that a lot of stuff has probably been suppressed or slanted because it is such a big story that doesn't serve the Establishment.

I have a few points I want to throw out there:

1/ To repeat, this is the story of the year because it affects ALL of us.

2/ The media/politicians/banks etc. are trying to turn it into a soap opera about Assange. Whatever the facts turn out to be about his private life and the rape charges, these things are altogether separate from what he has done at Wikileaks. Instead of this becoming an Idiot Culture story (which the Establishment wants) we should recognize that institutions should always be bigger than the individuals that comprise them.

3/ Alleged disgruntled former Wikileaks employees are starting a rival site? Good! That's how democracy is supposed to work, D.C.! Incidentally, it's also how capitalism is supposed to work.

4/ I've said this dozens of times on numerous message boards: If "our" government is so insistent on telling us that Wikileaks puts people in danger, then tell us who is in danger, why, and who has been harmed so far. We don't need top secret information, just a few details would be nice.

5/ Assange has broken "the law." So what? If you knew that important information was being kept from you -- let's say in a court case that involved the fate of your family -- you might consider breaking into an office to grab it, right? Especially if you were entitled to have the information in the public domain in the first place.

6/ Julian Assange has committed treason? We've had governments in the U.S. who've slaughtered millions, lied to its citizens, and conspired with corporate pigs to decide the fate of the nation. Now let's talk about treason.

7/ Wilileaks represents the greatest boost to our democracy in our lifetimes. Probably even much further back than that. Isn't it nice to get some real facts for a change instead of a song and dance act from Wolf Blitzer?

8/ Wikileaks is not the enemy. That's the nonsense those who fear the truth and fear losing their power over us want us to believe. Many "ordinary" people are very anti Wikileaks. I understand where they're coming from but they're really arguing against their own rights. This is a time for objectivity, not leaping to our feet to salute the flag.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Take care,
Adrian Zupp

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might also like to take a look at WIKILEAKS, IRAQ AND THE PRICE OF TRUTH.

WIKILEAKS, IRAQ AND THE PRICE OF TRUTH

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange: prepared to wear a target to reveal the terrible truth.

The bile is piling up again.

The Pentagon/government has had enough of Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange and they're firing every weapon in their propaganda arsenal.

I'd like to make just a few points on Wikileaks massive disgorging of approximately 400,000 government documents yesterday.


THE FALLOUT

As you probably know, the documents showed that civilian casualties in the Iraq invasion have been under-quoted by our government, that Abu Ghraib was an ongoing torture house, that the Iraqis who'd teamed up with us killed their own citizens while we looked the other way, etc etc etbloodycetra.

Firstly, it's worth noting the differences in how the media around the world reported this. I stress HOW as much as WHAT.

Overseas, the focus was generally on the war crimes and U.S. lies, and the stories reflected disgust. Here, in the mainstream mass media, nearly everything I read was padded much softer. And there was more focus on -- and TV head shaking over (Diane Sawyer, what a little actress!) -- Wikileaks and Assange.


THE RESPONSE

And so the smear and spin began here. Assange may be charged with rape in Sweden, the media told us. There's infighting and resignations at Wikileaks, the media reported. This latest exposing of documents puts out troops at risk, our officials were quoted as saying in nearly every initial article.

Okay, to answer those statements:

1/ If Assange is a rapist, lock him up. But that has nothing to do with the documents. He didn't forge them. They are real.

2/ Who cares?

3/ Aren't we intelligent enough to be told HOW this will endanger the troops (even without going into grand detail)? I truly suspect this argument is just a ruse. Clearly there is a lot of information that we, as citizens, SHOULD know and aren't told. If we WERE told, the population would see that the troops really do need to be made safe by bringing them home. But the government/corporations don't want that: It would be bad for business.


WHICH IS THE REAL CRIME?

Now, should Wikileaks be stealing government documents. Well, by the law of the land, no. But should our government be breaking international laws? Should it be keeping secrets about illegal activities? (Nixon got booted for a lot less than this!) In short, should it be doing all the things that the documents reveal?

No!

So, once again I say, not all rules are good rules. Not all laws are good laws. Wikileaks broke a law to reveal a much bigger evil.

We as a people in a purported democracy have a right to know A LOT MORE than our government tells us. And being treated like children who just aren't sophisticated enough to deal with it all is getting old. And it is elitism at its worst!

Our government needs to operate more openly. That doesn't include divulging tactics in legitimate, DEFENSIVE wars. But just about everything else.

Our media need to be taken back by the people. The fat cats who've stolen the airwaves and gobbled up the papers shape the perception we get of the world. THIS IS ONE OF THE TRUE PROBLEMS OF LIVING IN THE U.S. It's like living in a box with one selective hole punched in it that we can look out of.

We all must insist that the United Nations be restructured so that the U.S. doesn't have so much clout, and that THE U.N. be the judge of initiating military actions around the world and NOT America!

I also believe that if the U.S. engages in military invasions which are not supported by the U.N., then it is incumbent upon our military personnel to say "We won't go," en masse, and for the civilian population to support them completely.


CONCLUSION

Remember...

The people who run this country -- and much of the world -- the economic and political elites (and these two spheres overlap, of course), in tandem with our media and the PR industry, have a vested interest in keeping things as they are. They are not about to change a system that benefits them, and they are not about to talk the truth about it.

Bottom line: Our government's culpability justifies what Wikileaks has done.

It is the shame of our political and economic system that we have to steal the truth to get it.

Take care,
Adrian Zupp

IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at THE MASS MURDERERS OF WASHINGTON D.C. and THE FIRST AMENDMENT BELONGS TO YOU

I'M A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER

Hi All,

I'll get back to my current blog topic tomorrow night. I'm not too well this evening and I can't concentrate.

Just quickly, however: I just watched a recording of Michael Moore [pictured] on Larry King from Tuesday night. What I saw was very good. But commercials rained in at unannounced times, sometimes just a minute apart, disrupting what Michael had to say. What's up with that? Makes you wonder. It butchered virtually all of what MM had to say about recent Wikileaks events -- which really raises my antenna.

I'll write about the show and also Wikileaks soon. Off to bed now!

Take care and keep smiling,
Adrian