texas dumps jefferson

The Education board of the great state of Texas is rewriting history once again. This time they want to make sure kids get it right. And getting it right means just that: right, or as far right as we can possibly go for the time being. In doing so, the board decided to dump Thomas Jefferson. The reason? Apparently, Jefferson committed a grave sin by arguing for the separation of church and state. That, the board found was un-enlightened or possibly even un-American.

So there you have it, if even the Founding Fathers were infiltrated by un-American sympathizers, we have to make doubly sure that our kids learn the right lessons in school, lest they too be brainwashed by those who hate our great nation, like TJ? Soon Texas will vote to remove TJ from the currency and replace him with their hero, Ronnie.

In the new curriculum students will learn that America is a Christian nation and that the Founding Fathers wanted it to be that way, notwithstanding subversive forces like Thomas J. They will also learn that supporting the government with taxes can be detrimental to economic well being and it too should be considered a subversive act.

If you are confused, don't worry. Just memorize this simple truth: America is good and its government is evil. Did I get that right?

But it isn't just the American government that is bad. All governments are bad, and the baddest of them all is the United Nations. The UN isn't a government yet -oh thank the forces of good and the will of the almighty- but if it were to become one, it would surely be EVIL.

The UN strikes fear in the hearts of all good citizens, and rightfully so, because kids will now learn that the UN can be a danger to personal freedom, a key American value. As long as that personal freedom excludes such things as free speech, freedom of religion and other perverted freedoms that have no place our Christian religion.

I can' think of a more appropriate ending than to say to y'all: God bless America and the Great State of Texas!!

freedom

Today we celebrate the Fall of the Berlin wall. Not that wall building has necessarily stopped, mind you. Just today the BBC had pictures workers sitting by the Israeli wall. It appears walls are alive and well. To say nothing of the wall America is building on its Southern border to keep the hispanics out. For good measure we called that one a fence instead of a wall.

Why then is the Fall of the Wall such a big issue? For many it signifies the fall of Communism and the victory of Capitalism. But what fall of Communism? China shows that Communism couldn't be doing better, decades after Ronnie the vanquisher apparently "did away with it." Just like he did away with the wall I guess?

The collapse of the Berlin wall means freedom, but what exactly is freedom other than a slogan? Are we truly free? Do we even want to be free? Who says freedom is what people want?

Apparently not the people! A cursory look at humanity will reveal how eager people are to give up their personal freedom, while at the same time singing its praises. It is only a little ironic that America, the most religious of all advanced nations, calls itself the land of the free. Because submitting oneself to religious teachings is one of the most common ways to give up a whole lot of freedom. And people willingly and eagerly submit as we can all witness.

Americans give up freedoms all the time. They join home owners associations to protect the value of their property, giving up the freedom to do with it what they would want. They submit to random drug testing at work. They let the government eavesdrop on their phone conversations or check their library records without a warrant. They let themselves be bombarded with advertising on a daily basis until they are no better than brainwashed automatons.

And look how readily the people were willing to give up even more of their privacy and personal freedoms in the wake of 9/11. The country did away with habeas corpus and nobody seemed to care. The government can lock you up and throw away the key. They never have to charge you. Does anyone care? Far from it! They think it is a good thing.

Everyone gladly submits to all kinds of searches in the name of security, even when there is no evidence that such searching is effective and even when the potential for abuse is well documented. When protections were in place, government officials managed to break the rules and spy on citizens. Do you think it is better now that these protections are no longer in effect?

America supports pre-emptive strikes. That is tantamount to validating thought crimes. 1984 anyone?

When it comes to freedom, all the evidence points the wrong way. People it seems, do not care much about freedom, just as long as they can shop and indulge in other excess. Maybe that is the meaning of freedom? Consumption!

Land of the consumers!

voting and democracy

Remember when Iraqi's went to the polls and everyone in the White House touted it as a victory? One of the many victories we scored in Iraq. One of the many missions accomplished. But as today's vote in Zimbabwe clearly demonstrates, voting does not equal democracy. You can vote all you want and dip your finger in whatever color dye you prefer but it won't do you no good.

I mention Zimbabwe because it is easier for Americans to relate to than Iraq. On Iraq, opinions are divided, and some people are effectively blocked from seeing the truth. Maybe they are Republican and so they need to toe the party line. Or maybe their friends or relatives are in Iraq putting their lives on the lines. When things like that happen you have little choice but to see progress. Not seeing progress must feel like betraying your loved ones. And we all know how easy it is to influence the human mind. People see what they want to see, or in some cases, what they are told to see.

But the purple-tipped Iraqi finger so proudly displayed, and so widely advertised in the US media, is no more free than the red-tipped Zimbabwan finger illustrated on the BBC's front page today. Voting is one thing, but if nobody cares about your vote, or acts on it, what good does it do you?

Much the same problem happens with free speech. Sure, you are welcome to express your opinion. You can say what you want without fear of prosecution or imprisonment. But if nobody listens, what good does it do you? If a few people control all the media and effectively shut you out from access. Like the red finger of Zimbabwe or the purple finger of Iraq, your voice is meaningless.

It is something big corporations, greedy bosses, and their government minions have figured out long ago. Whoever controls the media, controls the news. And with the news comes public opinion. Better let you waste your breath without anybody hearing you, than make a martyr out of you by arresting you and throwing you in prison. Because, unlike your cries, your arrest would most certainly attract attention.

So it is one thing for Bill Maher to say he is happy that he lives in a country where he can open his mouth without getting arrested, but the reality is quite different. Bill no longer has mass media access. His ideas were not appreciated and he was summarily shut down. Now he has to make do with the much smaller audience on cable TV. So Bill, better watch out what you say next. It is still a long way down.

freedom and terror

The politics of fear works. And one area where success can be seen is in the loss of personal freedom. Ever since 9/11 both the US and the UK have severely curtailed personal freedoms. Citizens in those countries have been eager to give up the rights and freedoms that many consider to be the hallmark of a free society. In true Madison avenue style the US version of the law that takes away our liberty has been called the Patriot act. Now there is some advertising mojo !

All of this bargaining is done in return for perceived protection from evil terrorists. We have been quick to allow wiretapping, extensive spying into our personal lives, loss of habeas corpus, and the use of torture to extract confessions. The latter has been romanticized in shows such as "24," which is not surprisingly perhaps, paid for by FOX. 24 is meant to show how effective torture really is and how it can save the world. Which is easy of course if you write the script and know who the villains are. In real life the situation is a bit more murky and the suspects are more often than not innocent citizens. There have been plenty of examples of this already, but so far none have had any effect on our collective mindset. Mistreated individuals have often not received as much as an apology, let alone compensation. That while some were carted off to foreign countries to be tortured.

Recently, Gordon Brown in the UK won a victory to extend the time period the government can keep suspects without charging them. That should be surprising given the extremely poor track record of the UK anti-terror efforts. Not only have they killed innocent people in highly publicized events, but they had to let go of nearly everyone they ever arrested on suspicion of terror. The most important accomplishment of UK intelligence has been to ban bottled water on planes. And to promote the sale of travel-size tubes of toothpaste.

Fortunately, the US government seems to be turning in the right direction. Remember however that we have a much longer way to go. Nevertheless, the supreme court just dealt a major blow to the White House by allowing civilian appeals in Guantanamo terror tribunals. Not that it will matter much as I am sure the government will quickly invoke national security to classify any data that could be used in one's defense. Furthermore, they have been extremely careful to limit prosecution to carefully profiled individuals. Individuals nobody will feel particularly sorry for because they look like terrorists. Profiling is not allowed in screening, but it appears alive and well in arrests made.

It has often been said that we let the terrorists win if we suspend our personal freedoms. If that were true, the terrorists already won. But that is a rather naive view. The real winners are those in Washington and London who would prefer a tighter rein on the populace. Those who think that they know best. That anyone who disagrees with their ideas is not patriotic or worse, a traitor. Those who long to consolidate their power and eradicate dissent. The enemy within.