WHY WE FIGHT

THE THOUGHT POLICE

*sigh* We can't seem to disagree in a constructive fashion. People believe what they believe and surround themselves with like minded people. Good and spirited debate has been replaced by shouting and ranting at each other, sticking to talking points and buzz words.

With the everyone straining to have their point of view heard, how can anyone be listening to one another? It always bothers me when I find myself demeaning someone point a view with veiled personal attacks and pseudo facts and experiences.

It makes me think that something outside of my own logic is making me 'think' a certain way. It all reminds me of 'The Two Minute Hate', and all our frustrations are vented onto the story of the day. I think we waste our energy being distracted with fake news stories like 'The Octomom' or the Perez Hilton controversy. So when you have discussions on real policy, instead of talking about it, we shout and vent.

Is anyone really hearing anything?

Don't know what 'side' it is on, but the documentary 'Why We Fight' brings up a lot of questions in my mind about the rationale for the current war (and ladies and gentleman, there is only one true war ... and it isn't against terror, and it never, ever was, and that is that). It uses the Eisenhower farewell address, where he coined the eerily prescient phrase, 'the military industrial complex' to great effect.

One of the reasons that real debate doesn't seem to be occurring, is that everyone thinks that it is 'their right' to be heard, and that 'they're right' whatever it is they are talking about. Anyone who thinks contrary or can deconstruct their argument is discredited through mud slinging.

The Ministry of Truth is involved with news media, entertainment, the fine arts and educational books. Its purpose is to rewrite history and change the facts to fit party doctrine, for propaganda effect.

Whenever something doesn't make me 'feel' right, something that I think is outside of my true nature, I really question that emotion. That above is from a wiki description of the function of the place that Winston works at in '1984'. One of the reasons that I worried about 'losing myself', which can happen to people in my condition, is that I wanted to keep thinking the way that I knew. I don't want anyone telling me 'what I think', especially when the information is at hand.

In my younger days, I could pull out and link up with stuff that would 'prove' my conspiracy case. One of the topics in the documentary, the think tank Project for the New American Century, is a policy making apparatus that is outside of the elected government. They have been looking at the American presence in the Middle East since the late 60's. Many of the people that crafted the strategy that is taking shape as policy, are in positions of authority in the government.

*whew* You see why I decided to climb out of the rabbit hole? I mean, I still think it is fun, tracing the threads back to where they first begin to unravel ... in fact, there is a blogger who post some of the most arcane stuff regarding 'they who sit above in shadow' (my phrase). Before stuff started happening to me, before I was rambling on the message boards, I decided to stop pulling at things.

GOLDSTEIN

There is always a central point of divisive points in the collective conscious of people. For us, it 'why don't you love America'. In the wake of what occurred as a result of 9/11, it was the rallying cry of those who wanted to build momentum to strip away rights IN GENERAL, let alone the humanity of those who don't agree with us. We here in America are less safe, have more to fear, and fewer freedoms than we did prior to the Patriot Act. One of the reasons this was allowed to happen is the focus on Osama Bin Laden as the personification of what we are 'fighting' against.

There is another term, 'blowback', that hardly makes the rounds whenever there happens to be discussion on 'why they don't like us'. Blowback is when stuff that we don't know about happens in other places, and they get a chance to strike back at us. For some reason, we in America seem to think that we are above and beyond the things that we 'know' other governments do.

We don't know what we do that affect other countries or even understand why. One of the reasons that this season's '24' has me making it lock down time, is that is involves an arm of the dreaded 'complex' , the extension of paramilitary outfits, who want to make a profit in the name of 'protecting the country'. It sounds like what would happen in 'the banana republics' of South America, or what went on in Southeast Asia 50 years ago.

Demonizing Osama Bin Laden seems more than a little purposeful. That one man can create so much havoc is a little beyond ridiculous to me. Even if he was independently wealthy, I never remember hearing that he was like Bill Gates. We assume that because he is from Saudi oil money, that he has cash at his disposal. I don't think that his wealth is like that, and I don't believe that he gets his hands on money like that.

I just think that so much about what is going on is being done for less than honorable reasons.

BIG BROTHER

What does ANYONE believe? What does anyone know?

The way that I interpret the Eisenhower address, is that he is warning about what is taking place, that people who serve their interests, are making decisions that have far reaching effects.

I laugh at how there has been nearly 30 years of sustain winning hockey (I don't have Versus ... am dreading missing the Caps - Rangers Game 7!!) played by the Detroit Red Wings. That means there are folks who are in their 20's and early 30's who have no idea of how bad the Wings were. They were Detroit Lions, historically bad back in the late 70's and early part of the 80's.

So they only know what they know. They have no appreciation for the past, and can only assume that the future will bring more of the same. After all, that is all anyone ever says is going to happen and no one has ever told them any different.

The government is like that in many ways. We have been at 'alleged war' for nearly a decade. That means that their are one time kindergarten children who think that it is perfectly normal for us to be 'at war'. And that the war is justified and good. Of course, the administration that led us into the war, told us that. Big Brother.

Not only did deregulation lead to corporations running amok, there has been a consolidation of voices that is unhealthy as well. That it also coincides with a consolidation of power is frightening. Not only is the fox in and guarding the chicken house, he owns the coop!

The best I think that I can do, is to maintain control over the things that I can influence. I don't know if I will ever feel as comfortable discussing 'big things' here again, because I don't like the jagged pieces to my comments. When I am sitting with AKA and we talk about what's what, there is a different texture. I prefer talking about stuff that may be taken out of context face to face.

Most conspiracies have some one or some organization that is sinister in nature that manipulates things. Don't think so, but hey, I don't do the rabbit hole thing anymore. Could be wrong and the Knights of the Templar are synced with the Mayan calendar and Ragnarok is going to ensue with the Great Race War that many supremacist organizations across the world believe.

The world will become a cinder. That is something I have no control over. Don't really posses the 'candle power' to find anything to prevent it from happening. So what am I going to do?

PAY GRADE

I want to keep losing weight, because it is more than a vanity for me. In the May issue of Runner magazine, there is a small story about a cat who suffered brain trauma in a car accident, and he ran the Boston Marathon. Reading that I am not the only one that has to push through to run, and that he fights with the same things I fight with as far as balance and coordination is concerned, cheered me. I let me know that I am not alone. I get the same way reading journals, which is why I cheer MJB when she is on an outing.

I have got to get back to handling the stuff in my job description, handle the things that are in the 'limits of my post'.

Beth is worrying over getting her in laws resettled. I am really following her, because I am wondering is there going to be any worry about my planned 'resettlement' in Nebraska. It is going to be different for me, as Beth is connected in a tangible way with her in laws, and while I know that I think highly of Nebraska, I have some doubts, coalesced in what I call 'the icy drop of acid, that is fear' about what I am going to do.

Got to have my 'A game' on. It is hard enough dealing with my life, to worry about LIFE. I was warned that I think too much, and I think that is something that I should keep too. It isn't like fretting about my love life isn't complex enough!!

SORRY ABOUT THE LENGTH

If anything, talking about the world is a way to run away from things that are on my mind, for real. Let's get back on message, because Nebraska is still a million miles away from here.