Neo-Conservatism is another name for Neo-Feudalism. True, Bill Buckley, George Will, & now Francis Fukuyama are what we might consider true Feudalists, to make a slight distinction.

I watched karl rove earlier on csban at the natl. press club. He’s one very sly, clever operative. Remember Huey Long saying that when fascism comes to the U.S. that it won’t be called fascism but will be wrapped in the American Flag.

-Fidel Castro

*** *** ***

“…pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will…”

-Antonio Gramsci

http://www.independent.org/events/detail.asp?eventID=115

Guess leaving would be an innovation, considering what you’ve said here. Odom seemed to be paraphrasing you about the fact that this administration was set to “pull the rug out” from under the policies of empire building that had been working up until Bushfeld hit town. And happy to be remind of the fact that people in the street after 9/11 probably did slow the clamp down. The peoples’ unhappiness with the invasion and it’s continuing aftermath might just make it impossible for Bushfeld to count on the military to back them up in a general round up of people objecting to nukes used on Iran or anywhere else. Should I be feeling this optimistic?

On another subject: Bob De Niro is going to direct & Eric Roth(Munich, The Insider, Ali, the Horse Whisperer, etc…) is doing the screenplay of “The Good Shepherd”, a bioptic of James Jesus Angleton, long-time cia counterintelligence director & lynchpin of most of the heavy-shit in the early company.Matt Damon to star, Angelina Jolie as his wife, Joe Pesci, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Timothy Hutton,etc… to co-star.

But really, thanks for this. When folks tell me I’m talking “crazy” politics, now I can say, “Well. If you think I’M nuts, then whaddaya think about this….”

Because THIS craziness is tangible, no matter how the corporate/capitalist constructed media tries to hide it from us in a cocoon of consumerist-narcotic-sleep-aid-advertisement and sit-com culture; and the craziness is eating our lives, no matter how hard we try to insulate ourselves.

Living in a lower eschelon of Gringo society, the insulation is thinner, and the folks I run with and talk to outside of political groups have started to “get it.”

I honestly and deeply appreciate your words, brother. Just wish I’d read this when it first came out.

I’m compelled to agree with your statement, “The US is not attempting to build an empire, but to salvage one in a late state of decay. They are building a rampaging nuclear terror state.

When we understand this stark fact, everything makes so much more sense. One of the biggest problems I had was understanding this administration’s “high-roller” mentality. Typically, governments are prudent, they will err on the side of caution. These guys, however, were like Riverboat Gamblers who are holding onto the mortgage oney in one hand, and are desperately blowing on the dice with the other.

And they have lost plenty.

That’s what doesn’t make any sense. An author on Counter Punch was mystified by their “go for broke” attitude. The US would get into negotiations, like trade agreements with South America, for instance. They would push for the maximum, or be completely unreasonable, and they would lose their whole bargaining position. The author couldn’t figure it out, why the US was losing in so many negotiations, and there didn’t seem to be any kind of learning curve.

Unless they have a NUKE in their back pocket! Now, suddenly these petty squabbles seem insignificant.

And yet, if you look at what they’re doing now in Washington, you see all the tell-tale signs of desperation. It’s so obvious: their wild-eyed frenzy, the lying, the cursing and the fists slammed into the table in the Board Room.

Someone said that corrupt systems are inherently unstable. They are built on payoffs. It becomes like a massive MLM scheme where the higher echelons have to keep paying off the lower levels, and over time the whole things begins to sway.

The US is much more fragile than most people realize. Even if we do bomb Iran, it won’t save us. Our nuclear arsenal will not propel us to the top. It will only make us the Madman of the world, and the rest of the world will figure out a way to stop us. Or….they could just wait for us to exhaust ourselves in Iraq…as we hemorrhage to death financially.

You wrote once that ‘the rest of the world has understood that the world order is about to become re-arranged with the US no longer on top. They are jockeying for position when we do tumble’.

I believe that has already happened. We can already see the New Players. They are: China, India, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Central and South America.

A nation is only as good as its citizens, and the US is neglecting its most valuable asset.

ARMS AGAINST WAR asks anyone who wants an end to the war in Iraq – for whatever reason – to wear a strip of torn white fabric around their arm until the war ends. This small gesture seeks to show our numbers, to cross the boundaries between us and unite all regardless of faith, location, belief, politics, colour etc. It is free, no purchase required. It is legal and cannot provoke arrest. It is being active all the time but peacefully. It can be worn on TV and in ‘no protest’ zones. Many cannot afford to attend marches or buy merchandise that states their opinion, still more find it hard to relate to the activities of anti-war/peace groups as they have other items on their agenda ie: socialism, communism, ecology etc. that individuals may not agree to in their entirety. ARMS AGAINST WAR asks only for one opinion on one subject – do you want an end to the war in Iraq.

My belief is that for the many, many people around the world who individually don’t know how to be active – this is a step into activity. This simple symbol empowers me each morning and I am conscious always of the reason I wear my armband.

I am doing my best to publicise this campaign but could use all the help I can get – it is just my sister and I here in the north of England who have started this. I have had some wonderful support and help, but a virus attacked my site and the publicity has to start all over.

I ask you (beg you?) to please wear this symbol to help raise awareness of just how easy it is to start publicly objecting – enough visible objectors would have to show up in even the blinkered media and show the governments just how much objection there is to their policies. Whilst people remain inactive – the government accepts this as complacency and the war train keeps going. I am scared for what will happen next in Iran and feel that all actions are a matter of urgency now.

Thank you for your valuable time and I wish you both peace and strength.

Namaste,
Tina Louise
http://www.pledgebank.org/armsagainstwar
http://www.armsagainstwar.info