ancona
Praying Mantis
Well, it's only seven o'clock and I am wide awake and on my third cup of joe, on the only day I can sleep past six. That sucks all by itself. These past few weeks have been quite interesting as various windows have opened to let us see inside some of the machinations of our government and how they continue to slowly strip our rights away and subsume us in to their totalitarian ideal, throwing a few scraps to us along the way, such as the twelve bucks a week Joe Six-Pack gets to keep from his paycheck, and extensions to unemployment benefits.
While the foundations of our republic are being quietly undermined, we are engaged in open warfare in two Middle Eastern countries with covert operations in another three, keeping the bees stirred up to a high pitch. We hear them give speeches,, pontificating about "Democracy", "Freedom" and "Oppression", using these words like a punchline in a bad joke, all of which is done to pre-justify yet another in a series of unprovoked wars. Our leaders have seen fit to trample the constitution in the name of "human rights", "equality" and the such, but the protesting public is unheard. Our government it putting the finishing touches on a facility that purports to have the ability to intercept every single bit of digital information traveling through the web and across the cell towers and airwaves. If true, this would amount to invading the privacy of every single person in the US who has a digital footprint. Did I fall asleep and wake up in communist fucking China or something??
Quite honestly, I didn't think we could last even this long, but I guess having the ability to print and distribute unlimited quantities of money, and then say that it doesn't really count because it's sitting in excess bank reserves, goes a very long way toward keeping a lid on shit for just a little bit longer. We are deep in to what is one of the most important election years since Carter was unseated, and every candidate but one is little more than a mediocre mouthpiece for the very corporate interests we need to reign in so badly. The field of candidates illustrates exactly why an "everyman" will never again grace the halls of the White House. Able now to flex their Freedom of Speech, our corporations will choose our leaders for the foreseeable future, leaving us with the best liar instead of the best president.
Sadly, Orwell was right. It seems that now, some pigs really are "more equal than others". Trillions of dollars have simply disappeared, just like that. One minute they were right here and the next minute they were gone. Not one person has gone to jail because of this, not a single fucking suit. We have seen a couple of high profile hedge fund guys go down, but they were both caught only as a direct result of the crash. Bernie Maddof would have continued his ponzi until his death if the economy had not collapsed, placing depositors in a position of making redemptions to cover margins elsewhere. He would still be sipping hundred year old brandy from crystal snifters in the owners box at Yankee Stadium instead of slouching around in a white collar, minimum security dormitory and playing dominoes. Another guy, Raj Rajaratnam or some shit like that, was caught because he got greedy; plain, old-school greedy. When the collapse came, he needed to keep the income stream going so he did riskier and riskier shit, then apparently pissed off the wrong guy and a dime fell in to a phone booth.
Both of these examples are instances of not-beautiful people being perp-walked across a line of cameras in disgrace, and it is done in a high profile and public display of shame, designed to purposefully convict by public opinion and make us feel as though they are getting the bad guys. We get a little bit of 'revenge factor' and Da Boyz get to put a few more days in front of what they are hoping will eventually fade from memory. In fact, Madoff was running a true ponzi, which was destined to fail at some point, making his arrest and conviction truly moot in the conversation. The second guy, Rajaratnam [sic?] was a very dark skinned, fat foreign guy who as a matter of truth, is an ugly son-of-a-bitch to begin with. The play on xenophobia, overweight people, dark skin and foreigners was brilliant here. It was a true gift to the Brotherhood of Darkness to be able to sacrifice a nice fat, ugly foreign bankster lamb on the altar of fascism and to be able to play so deeply on four subconscious biases. Rajaratnam was found guilty before he was even arraigned, by a compliant and collusive media and their genius use of shadows, light and of course that funny accent we all associate with some "customer care" rep in Delhi fucking India. It was brilliant and it worked. So far, the Brotherhood of Darkness has been able to successfully insulate and protect those most responsible for the morass we are in. It looks like thgey distracted me just in time again!
Still at large, the likes of Jamie Dimon, Lloyd Blankfein, Angelo Mozilla and of course let's not forget Jon Corzine, will never see the inside of a cell; never. They are literally too connected and too powerful to convict. If threatened, Dimon could push a few buttons and start a cascade of selling in the market that would be unstoppable. Guys like Mozilla, who was so helpful in making so many new billionaires was protected, and his fines were even paid by Bank of America. Can you fucking believe this? If anyone could have been easily prosecuted for their part in this mess it was Mozilla, yet he was not touched. The only guy who got serious about investigating any of this was Elliot Spitzer, but when he got close enough to actually touch it, it was very conveniently discovered that he was gettiing a little on the side, and we all know that we can't have that now don't we? He was quickly run out of town before he could expose the dirty insiders. Nice huh? The whole prostitution meme is a little weak if you ask me. After all, from a strict business standpoint, it is the perfect business model. You've got it, you sell it, you've still got it. Low G&A costs, and if you're on the higher end, the client pays for everything, right down to the limo service and hotels. You get to sell the same thing over and over and over again, and you always get paid up-front and tghe client is always happy at the end.
When I face my future, I do so with a little sadness, because I know the future will not be as kind to my daughter as teh past ahs been to me. We are well past the fail-safe point, where real change could be made and the excess of government and her military industrial complex could be safely dismantled. We are moving inexorably toward a dark place, one which can only be avoided through a complete collapse. Faced with that, I would still choose collapse, since it gives us the ability to learn from the mistakes of the past and build a better place for ourselves. I think we will see things get a hell of a lot more local thean they are now, and many of the things we take for granted now will simply no longer exist in our marketplace. The preparations we are making will only curb the austerity my family will be challenged with in the very near future. Although I have covered the basics like food, home and security, it will be hard to give up some of the conveniences we utilize without a second thought. As inflation hits, and we have been openly assured that it will, I may no longer be able to afford 24 hour air conditioning, drives to the Florida Keys and trips abroad, because I envision 5, 6 even 7 dollar gasoline in the near future [just ask opur Energy Secretary].
With sharply reduced consumption, there will be corresponding reductions in tax collections, and that is a mathematical fact. Already, our county seat is closing parks, curtailing lawn maintenance at government complexes, laying of personnel and cutting back available hours of operation. There is talk of going to a four-day school week andelimination of more teachers. What is happening here will happen across the entire country, albeit at different rates and times, but it will happen.
All of this works to break down civility and brotherhood a little bit more each day. The strain is visible, even palpable among the masses. I see it in the store, the sullen faces rife with worry lines and carts loaded with useless plastic crap, comfort food and beer. I see it at work, the worried masses of sheep, all of them battling to throw one another under the government bus in blatant acts of self preservation. I see it on the highway, with frustrated people behind the wheel driving has nearly become a contact sport here. Angry people, living on the edge for too long will become angry groups. When this happens, it will be the start of I fear will get out of control to the point we will be lucky to survive it.
Although I paint a dsytopian picture and hold dark views, what I write is not the sum of who I am, just the part that needs to articulate the bad shit along with the good. If we simply drone on like a good little worker bee, we will be just as much at fault as those who brought us here. We need to keep the conversation alive and spread the word to those who would listen to the message. People need to wake the fuck up and smell the coffee; it is right in front of them but they cannot see it. The truth of what we face can not be found in a newstainment sound-bite. It cannot be found on the television and is not talked about in polite society. The truth is glossed over like so much wood under a paint roller and the general populace lap it up like free beer.
Speaking the truth and taking a stand against the tyranny of government now makes me a domestic terrorist, yet I truly do not care. Fuck it. If they want me they know where to find me.
While the foundations of our republic are being quietly undermined, we are engaged in open warfare in two Middle Eastern countries with covert operations in another three, keeping the bees stirred up to a high pitch. We hear them give speeches,, pontificating about "Democracy", "Freedom" and "Oppression", using these words like a punchline in a bad joke, all of which is done to pre-justify yet another in a series of unprovoked wars. Our leaders have seen fit to trample the constitution in the name of "human rights", "equality" and the such, but the protesting public is unheard. Our government it putting the finishing touches on a facility that purports to have the ability to intercept every single bit of digital information traveling through the web and across the cell towers and airwaves. If true, this would amount to invading the privacy of every single person in the US who has a digital footprint. Did I fall asleep and wake up in communist fucking China or something??
Quite honestly, I didn't think we could last even this long, but I guess having the ability to print and distribute unlimited quantities of money, and then say that it doesn't really count because it's sitting in excess bank reserves, goes a very long way toward keeping a lid on shit for just a little bit longer. We are deep in to what is one of the most important election years since Carter was unseated, and every candidate but one is little more than a mediocre mouthpiece for the very corporate interests we need to reign in so badly. The field of candidates illustrates exactly why an "everyman" will never again grace the halls of the White House. Able now to flex their Freedom of Speech, our corporations will choose our leaders for the foreseeable future, leaving us with the best liar instead of the best president.
Sadly, Orwell was right. It seems that now, some pigs really are "more equal than others". Trillions of dollars have simply disappeared, just like that. One minute they were right here and the next minute they were gone. Not one person has gone to jail because of this, not a single fucking suit. We have seen a couple of high profile hedge fund guys go down, but they were both caught only as a direct result of the crash. Bernie Maddof would have continued his ponzi until his death if the economy had not collapsed, placing depositors in a position of making redemptions to cover margins elsewhere. He would still be sipping hundred year old brandy from crystal snifters in the owners box at Yankee Stadium instead of slouching around in a white collar, minimum security dormitory and playing dominoes. Another guy, Raj Rajaratnam or some shit like that, was caught because he got greedy; plain, old-school greedy. When the collapse came, he needed to keep the income stream going so he did riskier and riskier shit, then apparently pissed off the wrong guy and a dime fell in to a phone booth.
Both of these examples are instances of not-beautiful people being perp-walked across a line of cameras in disgrace, and it is done in a high profile and public display of shame, designed to purposefully convict by public opinion and make us feel as though they are getting the bad guys. We get a little bit of 'revenge factor' and Da Boyz get to put a few more days in front of what they are hoping will eventually fade from memory. In fact, Madoff was running a true ponzi, which was destined to fail at some point, making his arrest and conviction truly moot in the conversation. The second guy, Rajaratnam [sic?] was a very dark skinned, fat foreign guy who as a matter of truth, is an ugly son-of-a-bitch to begin with. The play on xenophobia, overweight people, dark skin and foreigners was brilliant here. It was a true gift to the Brotherhood of Darkness to be able to sacrifice a nice fat, ugly foreign bankster lamb on the altar of fascism and to be able to play so deeply on four subconscious biases. Rajaratnam was found guilty before he was even arraigned, by a compliant and collusive media and their genius use of shadows, light and of course that funny accent we all associate with some "customer care" rep in Delhi fucking India. It was brilliant and it worked. So far, the Brotherhood of Darkness has been able to successfully insulate and protect those most responsible for the morass we are in. It looks like thgey distracted me just in time again!
Still at large, the likes of Jamie Dimon, Lloyd Blankfein, Angelo Mozilla and of course let's not forget Jon Corzine, will never see the inside of a cell; never. They are literally too connected and too powerful to convict. If threatened, Dimon could push a few buttons and start a cascade of selling in the market that would be unstoppable. Guys like Mozilla, who was so helpful in making so many new billionaires was protected, and his fines were even paid by Bank of America. Can you fucking believe this? If anyone could have been easily prosecuted for their part in this mess it was Mozilla, yet he was not touched. The only guy who got serious about investigating any of this was Elliot Spitzer, but when he got close enough to actually touch it, it was very conveniently discovered that he was gettiing a little on the side, and we all know that we can't have that now don't we? He was quickly run out of town before he could expose the dirty insiders. Nice huh? The whole prostitution meme is a little weak if you ask me. After all, from a strict business standpoint, it is the perfect business model. You've got it, you sell it, you've still got it. Low G&A costs, and if you're on the higher end, the client pays for everything, right down to the limo service and hotels. You get to sell the same thing over and over and over again, and you always get paid up-front and tghe client is always happy at the end.
When I face my future, I do so with a little sadness, because I know the future will not be as kind to my daughter as teh past ahs been to me. We are well past the fail-safe point, where real change could be made and the excess of government and her military industrial complex could be safely dismantled. We are moving inexorably toward a dark place, one which can only be avoided through a complete collapse. Faced with that, I would still choose collapse, since it gives us the ability to learn from the mistakes of the past and build a better place for ourselves. I think we will see things get a hell of a lot more local thean they are now, and many of the things we take for granted now will simply no longer exist in our marketplace. The preparations we are making will only curb the austerity my family will be challenged with in the very near future. Although I have covered the basics like food, home and security, it will be hard to give up some of the conveniences we utilize without a second thought. As inflation hits, and we have been openly assured that it will, I may no longer be able to afford 24 hour air conditioning, drives to the Florida Keys and trips abroad, because I envision 5, 6 even 7 dollar gasoline in the near future [just ask opur Energy Secretary].
With sharply reduced consumption, there will be corresponding reductions in tax collections, and that is a mathematical fact. Already, our county seat is closing parks, curtailing lawn maintenance at government complexes, laying of personnel and cutting back available hours of operation. There is talk of going to a four-day school week andelimination of more teachers. What is happening here will happen across the entire country, albeit at different rates and times, but it will happen.
All of this works to break down civility and brotherhood a little bit more each day. The strain is visible, even palpable among the masses. I see it in the store, the sullen faces rife with worry lines and carts loaded with useless plastic crap, comfort food and beer. I see it at work, the worried masses of sheep, all of them battling to throw one another under the government bus in blatant acts of self preservation. I see it on the highway, with frustrated people behind the wheel driving has nearly become a contact sport here. Angry people, living on the edge for too long will become angry groups. When this happens, it will be the start of I fear will get out of control to the point we will be lucky to survive it.
Although I paint a dsytopian picture and hold dark views, what I write is not the sum of who I am, just the part that needs to articulate the bad shit along with the good. If we simply drone on like a good little worker bee, we will be just as much at fault as those who brought us here. We need to keep the conversation alive and spread the word to those who would listen to the message. People need to wake the fuck up and smell the coffee; it is right in front of them but they cannot see it. The truth of what we face can not be found in a newstainment sound-bite. It cannot be found on the television and is not talked about in polite society. The truth is glossed over like so much wood under a paint roller and the general populace lap it up like free beer.
Speaking the truth and taking a stand against the tyranny of government now makes me a domestic terrorist, yet I truly do not care. Fuck it. If they want me they know where to find me.
