Shadowwolf's blog: "Political Truths"

Let me make something clear, the United States is not now, nor ever has been, a democracy. It is a Republic, which means we have a representative form of government. In a democracy, everyone votes on everything. Granted there is a council and court system, but they are just there to enforce the choices of the people. Now then, I find it strangely funny that some of the most educated and enlightened men in history chose a republic for our country rather than a true democracy. Granted, a democracy would have been difficult in the first 200 years of our existence, if not impossible. Of course that brings us to another part of our government that needs explaining, the Republic of the United States of America. The states came together to form a federation of states, hence the term the 'federal government.' The implications of this part of our government are simple, in essence, no federal law can be enacted which interferes with the rights of the state. It also means, contrary to popular belief, that any state may at any time declare its affiliation with the Republic over and break all government ties to Washington. In case you are interested, the only Republic in history collapsed after a few hundred years, and that was Rome. Yet, monarchies, true democracies lasted a thousand years. Athens, the root of democracy lasted well over 700 years as an independent city state, as did many other Greek city states. Even the Greek city states that had kings still had a democratic form of government, which meant until the people had voiced their opinion, the kings had to sit on their thumbs. Greece, when it was made up of the individual city states that came together only when necessary, stood against many invaders. But when she was under one government, she fell to Rome. And yes folks, there are still barbarians out there, they aren't the Arabs, or any one race, creed or religion, they are those who believe that the strength of terror is the only way to solve problems. And, the label terrorist depends on one's viewpoint, a cruise missile striking a small village in Iraq in the hopes of getting a dictator can be viewed as an act of terrorism by the child that just lost its parents. We bemoan the fact 3904 of our troops have died in Iraq, yet we hear nothing in our news of the 77,321 – 84,238 Iraqi civilians dead from being in the crossfire. I firmly believe that we fight if even one of our citizens dies at the hand of some terrorist or dictator. However, even as an ex army ranger, I cannot begin to compare the overwhelming number of Iraqi dead to the number who died on 9/11/01. There is no justification for this much blood. Which returns us to the last days of Rome. Slaughter was a common practice among the legions in the final days of the Roman Republic/Empire (there was still the senate, chosen by the people, who had some control over the Emperor.) We have followed the practices of Rome throughout our history, even to the point of not caring about the non-combatants killed in a combat zone.

It is funny when you actually take a look at political parties in conjunction with the region of the country. In the North East, Democrats are strongly anti gun, while in the southern states, mid west, plains states, and western states with the exception of california, gun control is not a big issue. Since 9/11, Republicans have been pushing laws that are basically unconstitutional, (supreme courts have cases dealing with the patriot acts on the dockets) and the democrats of southern california have actually supported them, even introducing what can be called a thought crime bill. (HR1955) Everything that this country is based on is under threat, not by outsiders, but by people within our own government. Do your own research, look into the secret terrorism/organized crime courts, the patriot act clauses that allows for long duration incarceration without charges filed, the fact that the 'sedition and treason act' was modified last year to allow the president to declare a nationwide state of emergency and martial law without congressional approval. (this means suspension of due process... and the authorization for federal troops to use deadly force)

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962). Remember those words? Have you actually thought about those words since you spoke them? How about this fact: A military order must have a military connection and must not contravene existing law, such as the Constitution, treaties, and statutes. Now, here is the rub, if, as it is now, the President of the United States is or has directed government agencies to engage in activities that directly violate the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, are the personnel of the United States Military legally required to continue to follow those orders? Finally, the international community and the world court WILL hold military personnel accountable for war crimes that are committed within the homeland of those military forces. Something to think about....

Many of the people on FUBAR are much too young to remember the seventies in any great detail. Those of us who can, depending on where we were raised might prefer to forget them all together. However, being an independent thinker at a very early age, (something that got me a lot of grief from my father) I actually read the newspaper and watched the news. I informed my father that the war in Vietnam was a useless politically motivated operation that has no chance of being successful. (Dad was Air Force) When the members of AIM occupied Alcatraz, I made my own AIM t-shirt to show my support.... which got me sent home from school. When AIM occupied Wounded Knee, I once more showed my support, which in the ultra conservative town of Abilene TX was a definite wrong thing. (Abilene is the home of Dyess Air Force Base, number 5 on the former Soviet Union's hit list due to the fact it is the home to a bomber wing) Perhaps I should mention that I had been tested at an early age for a learning disability, in turned out that I was bored in school, my IQ was in the low genius range. Now, there was this little incident on the Pine Ridge Souix Reservation in South Dakota. Two FBI agents were killed. Three men were arrested, one, Leonard Peltier is still in federal prison, convicted of a crime the Federal Prosecutor openly admitted that he could not prove. Meanwhile, traditionalist Souix were being beaten, murdered and no one was arrested for the crimes. One woman, the FBI declared had died of exposure... completely ignoring the fact there was a bullet wound in the back of her head that had pretty much destroyed her brain. The FBI supported the non traditional Souix leaders and openly harassed the traditionalists. Now the reason that I even brought the seventies up is simple. Today, we are faced with a similar crisis. The Federal government is making moves that make the bill of rights null and void. If, we the people, continue to allow this to happen, we will soon find ourselves in a country that more closely resembles Nazi Germany than what we have had.

The House of Representatives recently passed HR1955, or the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. Sounds like a good and safe idea here, yes? Well look at this, specifically number four. SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS. `For purposes of this subtitle: `(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C. `(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change. `(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. `(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs. In case you didnt catch it, "Ideologically based" translates to THOUGHT BASED! This bill actually allows for federal law enforcement agencies to arrest people for even thinking about possibly doing something. Or more specifically, you can be arrested for belonging to any group the United States Justice Department has declared subversive. Please remember, in the sixties, the equal rights movement was called subversive, as well as the NAACP and the ACLU, just a few years ago. Considering the United States has established new secret courts to handle some inquiries, it is no surprise this bill should follow. Just think, tomorrow, they may be telling you what to think.... And to tell me, they will have to find me.

Guess what folks, have I got a bombshell to lay on you people concerning gas prices..... And it ain't the Arabs putting the screws to us either. Alright, at present, a barrel of crude costs $72.66 or $1.73 a gallon of unrefined crude oil. So, your gas prices breakdown as follows $1.73 cost of crude oil $0.62 cost of refining the crude oil into gasoline $0.18 Federal gasoline tax. $0.20 State gasoline tax... california is $.18/gal. $2.73 at the refinery prior to shipping. $0.129 cost of transportation $2.859 cost per gallon at the pump in Abilene TX Now then, everyone remember when gas was under $2. a gallon? Well, guess what, nothing has really changed EXCEPT inflation. However, the oil companies are really screwing one group of Automobile owners big time. I mean, these people being screwed without a kiss or any KY jelly.... You could say that the Oil Companies are committing economic RAPE. You see, aside from #2 bunker oil and tar, there are two other WASTE products made from crude oil... Want to guess what they are? How about Diesel and Kerosene. Thats right folks, if we didn't have diesel and jet engines, the stuff would just be used to heat houses. You see, when they run crude oil through the refinery, the oil goes into what is called a cracking tower. This heats the crude to allow it to break down to all its useful products, lighter products on top, heavier on the bottom, and leaving the left over garbage products at the very bottom of the tower, the three products I mentioned. Now back in the 1970's, Diesel cars and pickup trucks were very rare, in fact most Diesel fuel was used in highway transportation, so the cost per gallon was 48 cents. Then there was the fuel crisis of the early 80's, Reagan pissed off OPEC and they raised the price of oil per barrel, and to top it off, Reagan set a price cap on 'old' oil in the US. Suddenly, everyone wanted a Diesel car or truck to save money. Oil company executives ain't stupid. They saw what was going on and got together and said, "You know, the average car owner has no clue where diesel comes from, we can screw them blind price wise." And so, the barbed wire wrapped economic adult phallic toy came out, and every owner of a diesel powered vehicle got reamed. This price cap essentially locked the price of oil coming from established oil fields at pre-1984 prices, so it was financially impractable to produce from these fields. Now, any new oil fields discovered either within the United States, or within its territorial waters could be produced and sold at the current market price..... Now, here is the problem with that.... With the exception of two known fields in the US, and the ones in Alaska, there ARE no new oil fields within the United States. Now, you are going to ask, "Well, what about the two fields not in Alaska?" Well, one is under the Del Rio plate, and very VERY deep. However the Del Rio plate is made up of broken up bedrock, primarily granite which is about 20,000 feet down. It is the same kind of geologic mess you find along any major fault...(yep, Texas is another one of them states that is just waiting for the Big One. The major problem is this fault ain't moved since before the spainish got here) The other oil field was discovered in Oklahoma, below a natural gas field that is so deep, it takes five years to drill one well. In other words, with the present technology, we cant get at the oil down there. (By the way, I am not sure which Oil Exploration company is offering it, but there used to be a $10,000,000.00 reward for anyone that could come up with a cost effective way to get through the del rio plate.) Now then, at present, the major fields in West Texas are, for the most part, not producing. Most of the wells drilled between 1982 and 1985 have been plugged, the old wells pump just enough to pay the mineral rights to the owner of the land the well is on, figure 0.00000003% of the total domestic production. Now, the people that benefited from the Reagan move are the same people that are benefiting now, every stuffed shirt that plays the futures market. I.E fat cat wealthy republicans. That, my fellow Cherry Tappers is the facts of life concerning gas prices, and the rape of the people who drive diesel powered cars and trucks.... You know, I do believe that there used to be a law about charging extreme prices for the left over waste products of a manufactoring process...

I find it amusing that people automatically put the label "liberal" on anyone protesting the war. But, have you ever stopped and asked "what war are they protesting about?" Well, folks, it ain't the war in Afghanistan. Yes, remember that one? You know, where we went in, hit Al Qaida training centers, threw the Taliban out, and basically fought a war against terrorists.... And where we still have a hell of a lot of troops on the ground. You ever wonder WHY no one is protesting that war? The simple truth is that everything that we said was there actually was. Terrorist training camps, Bin Ladin's place of residence, everything... INCLUDING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. Okay, granted, we have not yet run Bin Ladin to ground yet, but we could if there were the resources available. Now, let us look at the OTHER war. The one that has been going on for a shorter time and yet has produced 4 times as many casualties. Iraq, President Bush said there were weapons of Mass Destruction there.... He lied, there wasn't a single WMD in the country. Then he said that we invaded because Saddam Hussain supported Bin Ladin.... He lied, Hussain distrusted Bin Ladin, even executed everyone of Bin Ladin's followers found in Iraq... Probably because Bin Ladin wanted to over through Hussain and put in a Muslim Fundamentalist government. Thats right people, Bin Ladin wanted Saddam gone more than good ol' President Bush. The latest story out of the White House is that the UN asked for a Coalition force to invade. BIG WHOPPER OF A LIE! The UN was very much against an invasion. Now then, people protesting the war in Iraq are not just liberals, they are conservative Republicans too. Republican congressmen have started to distance themselves from the president and his policies, simply because of all the lies concerning Iraq. Not one of the people protesting the war in Iraq has referred to our troops as baby killers, murderers or anything other than "Our Soldiers," or "Our boys." Our troops come home they are not greeted with protesters throwing bags of dog shit at them. In other words folks, they support our troops. The protesters are demanding our troops be pulled out of Iraq and used where they will do some good, Afghanistan. Stop and think about it, before you condemn the next war protester, what are they really protesting? I served in the Army, I support our troops. I do not support the fact they are being put in danger needlessly in what was a completely trumped up war. President Bush lied to the American people about Iraq. In the process he has managed to create everything he needs to take the US from a Republic to a police state with one word. The series of laws called the patriot acts are nothing more than a bunch of illegal laws that infringe on the bill of rights, and the latest law, passed in august of last year actually allows the president to declare martial law without setting a time frame. Think about it, our founding fathers wrote the constitution to prevent just that, however, our present President has managed to get laws passed that makes the constitution null and void. Now folks, why aren't you out protesting? The majority of the American people sat idly by and watched as our rights were infringed, our troops were sent to fight a war built on lies, and our President grabbed more power in the process.

How many remember the 60's? Or the incident that led to the Rodney King riots? Well, check this out. Clearly this officer is a discredit to the law enforcement profession. While I personally feel that an ordinance against skateboarding on the side walk is reasonable, I think this is beyond reason. I do hope that the best civil attorneys in the country approach the families of these teenagers and file civil suits against the officer, department and the city. How many of you Cherry Tappers with teenage children would stand still for this? The city put the officer on administrative leave (with pay) while the incident is investigated. Personally, I have to ask "What the hell needs investigated?" To quote the story that brought this to my attention: June 26th, 2007 “SHE’S JUST RIDING A SKATEBOARD!” Skateboarders know that the annual Go Skateboarding Day is pretty much NO Skateboarding Day in the eyes of law enforcement. We’ve all had our fair share of testosterone-fueled police power trips, but sometimes luck’s on our side, and we have the video camera rolling while their dirty hooves are pushed against our backs. Last week, a few kids in Arkansas were out skating for Go Skating Day and had a run-in with an officer. Unfortunately, the kids fought the law, and the law won. But thanks to a really smart videographer and Youtube, the skateboarders are about to really raise disorderly conduct. If this angers you, then you’re a normal, red-blooded human being. Oh and just in case you were interested, the officer’s name is Joey Williams, and he works for the Hot Springs Arkansas Police Department Phone: (501) 321-6789 Fax: (501) 321-6708 Chief of Police, Bobby Southard Email: bsouthard@cityhs.net 641 Malvern Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901

Contrary to what many people think, the US is NOT a democracy, it is a Republic. In a Democracy, every citizen votes on everything, in a Republic, the citizens elect representitives to make the decisions for them (or in the US, make the decisions the folks with money wants.) What is even more shocking to learn is that the president of the United States does not have to follow the law as specified by the Supreme Court (Please read up on the Trail of Tears and President Andrew Jackson.) There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents a state from leaving the Republic of the United States. So there was nothing Unconstitutional about the southern states leaving the Union, even if it was for a extremely stupid cause. The Civil War could have been prevented in 1843 if the Northern States would have used the same procedure that the British Empire had done when it outlawed slavery... The British Government bought all the slaves, outlawed slavery, then freed the slaves, no one lost any investments, i.e no one was financially ruined. However, the Northern States, and the Northern Banks that held a lot of loan notes in the south would not stand for this move. Of the 900+ treaties the United States government made with the various Native American nations, it broke all but 2. (It may shock you to learn that if the federal government was to suddenly honor those treaties, most of the plains states would become the property of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Commanche, and Lakota.... figure 60% of the land from Kansas City west to central Colorado, and north to the Canadian border.) Could you imagine relocating the entire population of Fargo or Omaha? Under the series of laws known as the Patriot Acts, it is no longer necessary for charges to be filled upon arrest, a person can be held indefinately. Secret 'anti-terrorist' courts can issue search warrents which can be carried out without the notification to the person being searched, hold grand jury hearings without notification to the defendant and order all assets seized on the suspiscion of wrong doing. Also under the latest of the Patriot Acts, it is no longer necessary for the President to notify congress he is planning to declare martial law. Under these laws, any group can be listed as subversive, and therefore all members can be placed under observation by the justice department. One such group is actually a Christian group that is against ANY war. Now with all that being said, there is still the basic fact that under our present form of government, we do have it better than most other nations. However, since 9/11, laws have been passed by Congress, that if acted on in a large scale would eliminate the basic civil rights we hold sacred. You might want to think about that.