Political Voices of Women Community
Women blogging about politics.
Big Government
Obama wants to double the amount of US troops in Afghanistan and is pressuring NATO to supply more, also.
He insists that we must "win" in Afghanistan, but doesn't say what "winning" is. When asked, the military commander states that he has no idea.
But, reading between the lines, as I have learned to do in this Orwellian society we live in, they are trying to establish a US friendly strong central government in Afghanistan.
How's it working out for them? Not so well. Afghanistan is a decentralized tribal country, (much more than Iraq, where, although family ties are still strong, a strong central government existed before the US invaded and took it over.) Democracy Now had an interesting interview with an aid worker who told how US contractors built 41 courthouses and then tried to hand them over to the Afghan Justice Dept, who pointed out that they didn't have staff, furniture or utilities to run them. The tribes have their own system of justice.
Every centralized government has gone through a period where they consolidated their power. Most people don't like being run by tribal warlords. The US has its own stories of towns run by corrupt sheriffs in cahoots with the local elite, especially in the South. We have the story of the taming of the Wild West, with the same scenario - big government coming in and restoring justice corrupted by violent local thugs in power.
So Americans tend to think of Big Government as the arbitrator of justice. Federal troops escorting 5-year old African American girls to elementary school past jeering crowds of boorish white people. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt, the protection of some of the most beautiful parts of America, like Yosemite and Yellowstone, from private predation. The Supreme Court as the last chance for a fair trial.
Ironically, those Americans who don't like Big Govmint tend to be the more politically conservative, especially in the South, where many are still angry that their tribes lost to the Feds 144 years ago. But these are the same ones who are especially enthusiastic about killing Afghans who resist having outside agitators coming in to their country and forcing centralized oppression on them.
Americans need to quit worrying about the tribal warlords in Afghanistan. What we have here is worse. We have corporate warlords who have captured our centralized government and are using its powerful structure to loot and oppress us.
The bank bailouts are the most publicized, but the giveaway of public land for private profit is just as outrageous. What about taxpayer subsidies to corporations who shut down American factories and move them to cheaper labor countries? What about the transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in the last three decades? What about the relaxing of air and water pollution rules?
And the ongoing attack on our personal freedoms. The latest is the proposal to centralize and computerize our medical records, so that everything you tell your doctor, the results of your lab tests and xrays, etc., will be available to whoever has access to those records. In other words, thousands of people, including insurance companies and the FBI and the military.
And now you have to submit fingerprints, bodily fluids and background checks to get many jobs! You now have to show two forms of ID to get a job. You can't travel out of the USA without a passport. You can't buy a plane or train ticket, or check into a hotel, without a government issued ID.
Listen up, America. You can't "export freedom" to other countries when you don't have it here. Do you want to see our future? Look at Iraq. They now have checkpoints, fingerprints, retina scans, more prisons than they had before, and soldiers breaking into their houses without warrants.
The corporate warlords who have seized our government have the same plans for us. Let's concentrate on regaining our own country and quit trying to conquer other people's countries.
He insists that we must "win" in Afghanistan, but doesn't say what "winning" is. When asked, the military commander states that he has no idea.
But, reading between the lines, as I have learned to do in this Orwellian society we live in, they are trying to establish a US friendly strong central government in Afghanistan.
How's it working out for them? Not so well. Afghanistan is a decentralized tribal country, (much more than Iraq, where, although family ties are still strong, a strong central government existed before the US invaded and took it over.) Democracy Now had an interesting interview with an aid worker who told how US contractors built 41 courthouses and then tried to hand them over to the Afghan Justice Dept, who pointed out that they didn't have staff, furniture or utilities to run them. The tribes have their own system of justice.
Every centralized government has gone through a period where they consolidated their power. Most people don't like being run by tribal warlords. The US has its own stories of towns run by corrupt sheriffs in cahoots with the local elite, especially in the South. We have the story of the taming of the Wild West, with the same scenario - big government coming in and restoring justice corrupted by violent local thugs in power.
So Americans tend to think of Big Government as the arbitrator of justice. Federal troops escorting 5-year old African American girls to elementary school past jeering crowds of boorish white people. Starting with Teddy Roosevelt, the protection of some of the most beautiful parts of America, like Yosemite and Yellowstone, from private predation. The Supreme Court as the last chance for a fair trial.
Ironically, those Americans who don't like Big Govmint tend to be the more politically conservative, especially in the South, where many are still angry that their tribes lost to the Feds 144 years ago. But these are the same ones who are especially enthusiastic about killing Afghans who resist having outside agitators coming in to their country and forcing centralized oppression on them.
Americans need to quit worrying about the tribal warlords in Afghanistan. What we have here is worse. We have corporate warlords who have captured our centralized government and are using its powerful structure to loot and oppress us.
The bank bailouts are the most publicized, but the giveaway of public land for private profit is just as outrageous. What about taxpayer subsidies to corporations who shut down American factories and move them to cheaper labor countries? What about the transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in the last three decades? What about the relaxing of air and water pollution rules?
And the ongoing attack on our personal freedoms. The latest is the proposal to centralize and computerize our medical records, so that everything you tell your doctor, the results of your lab tests and xrays, etc., will be available to whoever has access to those records. In other words, thousands of people, including insurance companies and the FBI and the military.
And now you have to submit fingerprints, bodily fluids and background checks to get many jobs! You now have to show two forms of ID to get a job. You can't travel out of the USA without a passport. You can't buy a plane or train ticket, or check into a hotel, without a government issued ID.
Listen up, America. You can't "export freedom" to other countries when you don't have it here. Do you want to see our future? Look at Iraq. They now have checkpoints, fingerprints, retina scans, more prisons than they had before, and soldiers breaking into their houses without warrants.
The corporate warlords who have seized our government have the same plans for us. Let's concentrate on regaining our own country and quit trying to conquer other people's countries.
Add a Comment
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Comment by wagelaborer on April 10, 2009 at 2:29pm -
The comment by Janice shows the submissive attitude of so many Americans to oppressive government. The hallmark of totalitarian government is "show your papers". What's my beef? This is supposed to be a "free country", and yet we are slowly becoming unable to work or travel without registering with the government.
Janice says twice "I have nothing to hide". It's not hiding, it's the right to privacy.
And I'll bet that she also supports Dick Cheney refusing to publish his work product, which should be public information since he was a public servant doing the people's business. Yet the Wash, DC gang, now including Obama, declare that they have the right to privacy about government workings, at the same time that the American people have no right to privacy about our personal business.
That's my beef.
The BAD people that you refer to are not limited to non-governmental people. There are many crooks and liars in corporate and governmental posts that affect us all. There are no cameras watching them. They are in no danger of being arrested or prosecuted. They get taxpayer money.
And bullies and sociopaths are drawn to positions of petty power, like security guards and police. With the vast expansion of coercive powers being created with the militarized police, Homeland Security, mercenaries at large in the US, etc., we are becoming ever more in danger of being physically assaulted by goons with badges.
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Comment by janice blodgett on April 7, 2009 at 3:40pm -
You can't have FREEDOM as we like it because there are too many BAD PEOPLE out there in the USA. Why do you think we had to impliment so many rules and laws if that was not so. I don't MIND showing my ID and hope they catch some criminals in action with the cameras. I have nothing to hide so I'm not worried at all for the little bit of inconvenience. Everyone's medical records are now on computer and further--- I have nothing to hide --I'm not using illegal drugs.
I don't understand your BEEF about this which is the bottom line here.
But I agree about the transfer of wealth to the already rich --and we must stop sending our kids to war for nothing and spending 2 billion dollars a month for IRAQ.
The most abused in the world are female children and women. That's why I joined this site.
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Comment by wagelaborer on February 19, 2009 at 3:05pm
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Thank you. I am doing my small part to resist. When asked for my ID, I either refuse or argue, or get it out very, very slowly. If everyone did this, they would stop!
It would slow down commerce too much.
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Comment by Pamela Lyn on February 18, 2009 at 4:01pm - Loved the post. Posted it to the main site.
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