Wake Up America

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steve_bh_060222_wake_up_america.htm
Wake Up America:
.../... "We’ve devolved into a debtor nation, little more than a banana republic in a super-power suit, armed to the teeth. We’ve watched the country of Martin Luther King regress back to the country of Pat Robertson. We have allowed ourselves to be dragged along into an illegal pre-emptive war for empire based on lies. Our President has been brought up on charges by an International Tribunal (with arms control expert Scott Ritter, Gen. Janis Karpinski and other respected authorities testifying) and the story isn’t even worth a paragraph in the “liberal” San Francisco Chronicle. We are flat out of grace, and have in fact disgraced our Founding Fathers. We have hit spiritual bottom -- and most Americans don’t even know it.

The Truth Shall Upset You Free"

The first step in facing any grave illness -- particularly when the disease is addiction-based -- is telling the truth. This may not be pleasant or easy, but as the Swami says, “The truth shall upset you free.” The condition we face is life-threatening, not just to liberty and justice, not just to our democratic republic, but to human life on the planet itself. (We can assume that whatever happens to us, the roaches will very likely survive.)

In addition to the truths the framers of the Declaration of Independence held self-evident 230 years ago, we must now take the first step of facing some darker self-evident truths:

1. The results of the Presidential elections in 2000 and 2004 were very likely the result of fraud, and thanks to very hackable voting machines future elections are in jeopardy.
2. The official 9/11 story has more holes in it than Dick Cheney’s hunting buddy, and could very well be the most devastating and cynical scam ever imposed on the American people.
3. The media -- the fabled “fifth estate” has become the “fifth column,” betraying the truth left and right, mostly right. The one major difference between our “liberal” media and Pravda of 30 years ago is that the Russian people knew they were being lied to.
4. The Democratic Party leadership (an oxymoron very high in irony content) lacks vision, courage and integrity. You can count on them to once again trot out the slogan that has kept them safely out of power for years now: “We’re not as bad as the Republicans.” Not even this is true. In my book, the enabler bears as much responsibility as the abuser. Until they prove otherwise, the only things the Democrats are good for are taking our money and wasting our votes.

Now I hope all of that didn’t sound too cynical, because cynical is the last thing I want to be. The upside of “disillusionment” is that it disabuses us of of the “illusionment” that keeps us knocking on doors that will never open, and marching down pathways that lead to a dead end. The release of false hope is the gateway that can lead to real hope. Hopefully, that is where this is all leading.

So before we take a look at what we CAN do, let’s bump up to the macro to have a look at the big, big picture. We humans are, as a species, facing a “rendevous with destiny.” Despite Einstein’s assertion more than 100 years ago that we live in a universe where all is related, we are still acting as if we’re in a “Newtonian” universe of force opposing force. We humans are definitely slow learners. We’ve had “only” a century to integrate Einstein, and we used his theory to develop weapons of mass destruction. It’s been 2000 years since Jesus said “Love thy neighbor,” and yet we humans still seem to be marching under the “eye-for-an-eye” banner.

But now in this shrinking world that could definitely use a good shrink, push is finally coming to shove, and in the light of shrinking extractable resources and expanding intractable regimes, we are on a collision course with ourselves. The “middle” path of muddling along is about to hit a dead-end, and we stand at a crossroads in human evolution (or devolution). We must now choose one and only one of these two paths: “We’re all in this together,” or “it’s every man for himself.”

We can “play it safe” and say it’s either dominate or be dominated. We can then rally (or huddle) behind our troops and celebrate our own survival as we excuse genocide against others as a necessary by-product. It’s been done before, you know. And not just by the Third Reich. Every empire has done the same thing, and has found some creative way to cloak selfish motives in nobility. But time is running out, and more and more humans are coming to see that from the perspective of all the great spiritual teachings in the world, “survival” at this level is the booby prize.

What we humans are being called to is no less than an evolutionary step toward really giving our professed “faith” a run for its money. We are being called out from behind petty and ancient feuds, unconscious “miasmic” patterns that have thwarted us for centuries. We are being called out from behind the remote, away from reality TV, and towards reality. We are being asked to take the “red pill,” and emerge from the matrix of machine-made illusion and cultivate the “tree of life” right here in the so-called “real world.”

In this evolutionary mission, we have more going for us than we think. We have the teachings and techniques of great spiritual paths and masters, many just recently liberated from secrecy. We have technical know-how, and those most extraordinary of human resources, imagination and curiosity. We have worldwide networks of communication. And of course, we have the force of necessity, the Mother of all reasons to change and change now.

On the other side, the main weapons they have are fear and force. Although these may seem formidable in the short run, in the end they are no match for the power of life. “Life” relentlessly moves forward in greater expansion, creativity, diversity and freedom. Like the weed poking up between the cracks in the sidewalk, life has a tendency to prevail.

Of course, they want you to forget this, and sadly too many people have. As political responses to situations that are “bigger than politics” have been thwarted, and as the current Administration rains down outrageous perpetrations on a daily basis, people have allowed themselves to become disheartened. Without the spiritual compass that helped guide the likes of Martin Luther King, many modern progressives fail to see the spiritual context behind the values they are fighting for. How else could the “moral authority” in this country have been ceded over to those who rail against two men lying together as an “abomination,” but have no problem with a whole bunch of men lying together to bomb a nation?

Time To Face The Music and Dance

So how do we face these issues on a higher level, and translate all of this happy-sounding philosophizing into effective action? How do we make the shift from politics as usual to politics as unusual? What does the American Evolution look like in practice? Here are some ideas which will hopefully lead to better questions, and clearer answers:

1. Cultivate the Field. Early last summer -- at a time when I was feeling particularly frustrated and impatient -- I got an insight which proved to be prophetic: At times when the “form” isn’t fully formulated, focus on “the field.” In other words, all we had to do was to continue speaking our truth with open-hearted courage, and these thought-forms would manifest in unexpected ways. Indeed, within a few months, we had seen the Cindy Sheehan phenomenon, and the whole world had seen the Bush Administration’s response to Katrina. Later on in the year, Scooter Libby was indicted, and then Tom DeLay.

Right now, the most effective thing we can do on a daily basis is speak the truth with “calm passion.” In their heart of hearts, a majority of Americans know there is something terribly wrong. We’re not in Kansas anymore, and we may not even be in America, at least not the America we love. The media refuses to go any deeper than positional squabbling. So we must do it. The biggest obstacle we face right now is our collective unwillingness to see our own shadow. However, once a critical mass of us face this fear directly -- and act anyway -- it only becomes easier. Remember, the wall of lies is “hanging by a threat.” When we the people no longer feel threatened by that threat, the wall of lies will crumble into dust. All it takes are one or two or three or a dozen respected prominent Americans to “break through the soundless barrier,” and the media will finally have to cover the story. The stronger the “field” of courage and truth we create at the grassroots, the more inevitable the breakthrough.

2. Stop Marching, and “Stand” Instead. The new theme song for “politics as unusual” should be “I Ain’t A-Marchin’ Anymore.” What? How else are we going to protest? How else are we going to show the world our numbers? I heard Tom Hayden say something last year that struck a chord: “Marching and demonstrations are a tactic used by a besieged minority. Today, those who oppose the Iraq War are in the majority.” The whole idea of marching, shouting, protesting and being “anti” is oppositional. In a perverse way, it actually strengthens our “opponents” by reinforcing polarity.

So, I propose that we never march again, and that we “stand” instead. No more yelling, no more shouting, no more spouting anger that squanders energy better spent. Marching indicates there is someplace to get to. Standing demonstrates that we are already “here” and are quietly steadfast as a “stand” for the world we know is possible -- and necessary. “Standing” is an acknowledgment that we are not fearful or intimidated. It is an invitation to courage, and an inspiration to those who are ready to evolve beyond dueling dualities. Standing also acknowledges that darkness isn’t the “opposite” of light, it is the absence of light. So there is no need to “fight” darkness, as long as we shine the light.

What might this look like? I am envisioning something I call the 50 Million American “Stand.” 50 million Americans voted for regime change in 2004, and with the President’s approval numbers hovering just above freezing, there is the growing understanding that we have now devolved into an entirely new form of government -- an “illegitimacy”: government of the bastards, by the bastards and for the bastards. I know that sounds harsh and judgmental, but have you noticed that these people aren’t even feeling the need to cover up their crimes? Our government is cheating on us, and top officials are brazenly being seen consorting with these gold-diggers in public.

So ... what if on an appointed day -- July 4th would work -- Americans willing to be a stand for what our Founders stood for (truth, justice, liberty and transparency) gathered at every town hall, city hall, state capital, and on the mall in Washington, D.C.? What if 50 million or more Americans took that one day to stand in front of whatever symbolizes governance in America, and reminded our “leaders” that this is ultimately “our” country? Those unable to be there in person could “appoint” a representative by handing them a letter to that effect, and on the appointed day in every city, county, state and in our nation’s capital these citizens would let themselves be counted. Thus, a gathering of 10,000 people might represent 50,000. The theme would be “Stand Up ... And Be Counted.” And we would indeed count the people who show up and are represented, and in this way we would let our erstwhile leaders know that we “count.”

The prevailing mood at all of these events would be hope, inspiration, joy, and a peaceful steadfastness that perhaps hasn’t been experienced since the great civil rights march on Washington forty-something years ago. We would aim for 50 million Americans to be represented, and because of the local connection, the events would have to be covered by every local newspaper and TV station. These events would be reported worldwide, and the message to the world would be: We the people of America have made the choice to take back our country, our heritage, our legacy.

3. Pray For the Soul of America, and Invite the People of the World to Do the Same. I’m sorry if this sounds unctuous, and before you secular humanists reading this run for the hills please take a minute to sit with this idea. There are many definitions of prayer, but if we go with the most generic, it boils down to “shared intention for the good.” In his book on the subject, Dr. Larry Dossey cites studies that show people who are “prayed for” actually recover more quickly from surgery and have fewer complications. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to matter what tradition the prayer is in. As long as there’s healing intention, it works. In this sense, even a self-identified atheist could participate in this field, simply by wishing an individual, a group, or a situation well. In a similar way, practitioners of Transcendental Meditation have correlated an influx of meditators to an area with a reduction of the crime rate.

Would it help heal our afflicted body politic? Well, it would be worth finding out, and like chicken soup, it couldn’t hurt. Imagine a “tag-team” prayer vigil, 24/7 where any and all spiritual groups that want to participate can keep the “flame” burning. Imagine tens of thousands of communities across the country, unified in intention that “only love prevails.” Such a “field” would enliven and inspire the same kinds of gatherings worldwide, among those of all religions (and no religion at all) ready to affirm “we’re all in it together.”

Think of it this way. If we the people of America are able to turn things around here, imagine the inspiration for the rest of the world. Imagine the impact that real freedom -- not economic exploitation and cultural disrespect covered by a thin, artificial veneer -- would have on those who might otherwise be polarized into radical Islam. Who knows? If we birth real freedom at home and treat others with respect abroad, we might be surprised to find that millions of people who “hate” us now will step up and proclaim, “I’ll have what they’re having.”

4. Flex Your Fiscal Muscles. In a country where it’s money, money über alles, let’s begin to flex our fiscal muscles by withdrawing financial energy from what we don’t want, and investing it in what we do. 50 million voters voted for regime change in 2004. If each of those individuals shifted just $100, that’s $5 billion. Now, of course that ain’t much, but it’s a start. What if just one fiftieth of that number, a million people, pulled the plug on their cable, or stopped their daily newspaper subscription, and shifted that money to support online news services such as TruthOut, OpEd News, Common Dreams?

A recent Zogby poll indicated that 64% of the Democrats in Pennsylvania are women, and I suspect that the trend is true in other states as well. Since every piece of marketing research I could find says that women do the bulk of the shopping in this country, that would indicate a lot of under-utilized clout. What if women who instinctively understand that a “you-and-me” world is safer and more life-affirming than a “you-or-me” world, used their spending power to feed the healing forces in this country, and starve the hurting forces? For starters, folks can check out BuyBlue.org.

If all this sounds “idealistic,” remember that we are rapidly approaching the point where the ideal must become the real deal -- otherwise, when it comes to human life on the planet, it’s no deal. For a long time now, we’ve been hearing that every generation must step up to defend freedom. Now it’s our turn. In the past, we’ve been called upon to march to some foreign land, armed with a gun. In these times, being a stand for freedom looks like standing up where we are, armed only with the Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and the knowledge that every religion or spiritual path boils down to some variation on the Golden Rule. A critical mass of citizens standing on the brink of evolution, firmly and fearlessly, stripped of illusion. Now that is the real “naked power” that will change the world as we know it.

© Copyright 2006 by Steve Bhaerman. All rights reserved.

This is the first in a series of articles called “The Next Step: Putting the American Evolution Into Action.” Next installment: What Keeps the Insanity In Place, and What We Can Do About It.


Steve Bhaerman

http://www.wakeuplaughing.com/

Steve Bhaerman is a writer, humorist and uncommontator who's been posing as cosmic comic Swami Beyondananda for the past 20 years. As the Swami, Steve is the author of four books including his latest, Swami for Precedent: A 7-Step Plan to Heal the Body Politic and Cure Electile Dysfunction. His website is www.wakeuplaughing.com.

Contact Author

$7 Dead=Democracy [scholarly vs gutter proofs]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_christin_060221_why_liberal_democrac.htm
February 21, 2006

Why Liberal Democracy Has Failed: "'The End of History' is in the end an argument about modernization. What is initially universal is not the desire for liberal democracy but rather the desire to live in a modern -- that is, technologically advanced and prosperous -- society, which, if satisfied, tends to drive demands for political participation. Liberal democracy is one of the byproducts of this modernization process, something that becomes a universal aspiration only in the course of historical time.' -- Francis Fukuyama, , NYT 2006/02/19 "

It is certainly true that there comes to be an urge to acquire the modern. At its roots this urge is desire or greed -- the grasping onto the outer, the material. It is driven by change -- newness. That, often subtle, pang of wanting to have something new that my friend has just gotten. Associated with modernity is the notion of prosperity -- a higher standard of living, that is a life with more things that provide not just shelter but comfort, a physically good feeling. Comfortable interior lighting, temperature, indoor plumbing. There's also the leisure time that comes from a 35 - 40 hour work week. The dream of the middle class.

But note well that most of the planet isn't middle class and that the means of sustaining rising prosperity, i.e. low-cost energy, are precarious at best.

So while there is indeed an urge toward modernity there is some considerable evidence that this urge will not be met on current energy economic grounds.

Even if the material expectations of modernity are met in the short-term, there is a much greater question as to whether liberal democracy is a by-product. Democratic institutions, i.e. ones in which the adult population are able to discuss, debate and decide in a popular manner on the matters of how they as a group are organized, are not obviously feasible in large groups. The examples in nature that Thom Hartmann likes to cite are relatively small groups (no more than a few hundreds). When we scale to millions and billions of persons the dynamics of the popular manner tend toward a hierarchical form.

Combine a basic itch to acquire that is fueled by advertising and you have a population base that is driven to acquire and with increase in prosperity can scratch the itch endlessly. Add this to any well meaning hierarchical organization and as the leaders become more and more separated from the masses they acquire greater material wealth or access to control of the flow of wealth - political power.

As long as people are primarily driven by measures of self-worth that are external to the individual and as long as there is a sense of self and other, me and mine; there will be domination of the many by the few that hold the various powers and there will be a strong trend for accumulation points of wealth, political and military power in any sufficiently large organization.

Given this ground - the grasping, clawing human - liberal democracy is not a by-product it's a false hope . It won't happen without a fundamental change in the way that the individual values themselves and the reality they are enmeshed in.

Such fundamental change is possible with a long-term commitment over many generations; however, it is necessary to engage in concurrent short and long term programs. Political, social systems that permit and encourage the long-term commitment are necessary. James Q. Wilson and others who try to play short-term only or long-term only solutions to social organization are missing the point that people as a they are organized are intrinsically holistic in a social process no matter what ontology may be imposed by the intellectual.

Without fundamental change at the level of individuals we will find increasingly a world in which most humans are just meat in the market and a very few enjoy a bountiful material life. Education of ourselves and our peers regarding how to effect the fundamental individual change needed over the long haul is the greatest obligation of each of our lives. We must learn to re-orient our values and to reduce our instinctual reliance on judgmental thinking rather than discerning thinking. We must teach our progeny these values and the techniques of training the mind so that patience and discernment are second nature in the vast majority of the population.

With the dynamic of this fundamental change in place through the agency of supportive social structures in the near-term there will be a true increase in the flourishing of human life and all life on the planet. Maybe we'll call it liberal democracy or maybe we'll end up not calling it anything because such labels will have fallen by the way.

Christine Tomlinson is publisher of Bush Watch www.bushwatch.com
=================

(foul language warning)
February 21, 2006

Diagnosis and Treatment of Right Wing Little Dick Syndrome

http://www.opednews.com

Listen up you stupid, white, Bush Loving, little-dicked man. I call you a little dick, because I think you are so desperate to feel like a man, that you blindly and stupidly, because it makes you feel more like a man, continue to support a piece of shit fake macho president, who is screwing you, your community, your family, your children and your country.

In the movie, Defending Your Life, with Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks, the main characters are described as "little-heads," because they are so much dumber than the entities in heaven who "judge" their lives.

So, in that light, I've been thinking about dumb white "little-dicks." Michael Moore described "stupid white men" in his book with the same name. But I've concluded that it is not enough to call them stupid and white. These right wing, usually rural or small town fundamentalist guys who form the most loyal core of the right wing political universe are pitifully sexually inadequate. They talk, walk and act macho, needing phallic symbol guns and rifles to compensate for their little dick minds. They may even be physically well endowed, but these dumb white little-dicks are pathetically needing to find ways to feel more manly.

Mention Brokeback Mountain and the thought of seeing gay men sends them into a panic. Give their wife a better paying job, if she's allowed to leave the house, and they start drinking to drown their feelings of inadequacy.

The political war is a war between men and women. A strong majority of Rebublicans are men. A bigger majority of Democrats are women. The right wingers political issues are ALL about holding down and controlling women. These guys aren't man enough to treat women as equals. These guys need to keep women from doing all that they can do.

They use the bible as an excuse. That's pure bull. The taliban and the religious fanatics, the fundamentalists in Islam and Judaism do the same thing. Any man who needs to quote from a 500 year old or older document to keep women down is pathetic. Any religion that needs to keep women down is weak. Let me be clear. I do not believe that Christianity, Islam or Judaism require that women be kept down. Certain sects' leaders choose to interpret their scriptures that way. It is not a matter of sacred scriptures saying any such thing, It is always a matter of some MAN abusing those sacred scriptures, you could even say prostituting them for his own purposes that put women down. Of course, whole sects may develop from one man's interpretations. But it starts with some man who decides the way he can gain power through tapping the religious propensities of people is to step on and abuse the rights of women, and often, disrespecting other faiths, another sure sign of a weak sect. So, all you fundamentalist extremists out there, make sure you read this whole paragraph. I respect Mohomet. I respect Jesus and the God of Abraham. I just don't respect the venal, corrupting spiritual leaders who turn a pure, beautiful religion based on revelation into a corrupt, hating, divisive sect. These sects end up being composed of a society of little dicked, braindead, angry haters.

Then we have the war. There are millions of dumb white little-dicks who have been using the war as some form of compensatory mental penile enhancement therapy. Sorry Johnny, war is not Viagra. Bush, the chronic loser, moron, fraft evading coward is also not V ia gra. Bush won't change how woefully inadequate you are.

But "Bush is THE GUY to protect us from terrorism." Right!! What a lame bunch of limp-spined, tough talking gutless wonders. "Let's haul ass off to Iraq and kill some Muslims and that'll do it," is their thinking. Geez. What a pile of mindless manure. Who actually believes this crap? Dumb, white little-dicks, that's who. They need to believe it, whatever "it" is.

Then I get these letters from these dumb little Dicks, saying, "Why don't you just accept that you liberals lost?" Well, little dick, I don't consider a bank robber who is wealthy a success in life. And I don't consider a party that stole two elections using election corruption and electronic voting machine manipulation the winner either. Again, little dick, you desperately take what you get. But that doesn't make you a winner either. it makes you a pathetic, dumb, little dick loser. Think of Dick Cheney as one of your heroes. He get's drunk, shoots a friend, and his little dicked friend apologizes. Sounds like little dick philosophy to me. The powerful leaders of the little dicks screw the dumb little dick followers and they worship the leaders for screwing them.

Let's not forget the rich white little dicks. They don't necessarily use Bush to feel bigger. They use money and the things and the influence and power it buys to feel better about themselves. So do their women. They stay right wing by repeating the mantra-- tax-and-spend-democrats-- blindly and perhaps traitorously driving their Humvees (clear signs of self perceived penile deficiency-- don't let the women say they feel safer in bigger vehicles) and ignoring the steady drift of America towards fascism-- all so they can buy $600 shoes and sweaters.

There is a cure for little dicks. Be a man, Face the fact that you have supported a total loser, a president who is a lying, traitorous failure at everything he touches, except corruption. He's a brilliant whore for anyone who gives him money. He'll happily take a thousand bucks in contributions and turn it over, in government deals for ten million bucks to his contributors.

There is a cure for little dicks. Be enough of a man to let the women in your life be strong. Be enough of a man to express emotions, to see beauty, to be nurturing, to respect men who are able to be soft and gentle, kind and artistic, whether they are gay or straight. Be man enough to not go into a homophobic panic when you encounter homosexual men. Any man who can't deal, as a calm un-upset adult with a gay man has inner fears that he's gay himself. Does the sight of gay men upset you?

There is a cure for little dicks. Face the fact that money and the things it buys does not make you a better person. Remember, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24) If a rich man is to enter heaven, it will be cause of the good deeds he does, the kindnesses, the gestures of humility, of understanding and compassion-- not the wealth and power accumulated.
There is a cure for little dicks. Grow up. Stop listening to macho for morons right wing talk radio. Rush and Sean and the other dittohead imitating idiots are pandering to the worst parts of you. Are you a member of the KKK? Are you a racist? If you are, go fuck yourself. You're a total asshole and hopeless. But if you're no, then you should know that the right wing talk radio jerks are pushing those kinds of buttons all the time. That's what makes right wing talk radio work so well. They know how to push little dick buttons. Grow out of it. Figure out how to be a real man. Not a right wing little dick. There is a cure for little dicks. It's not the drugs that are offered in billions of spam ads. It's not the bogus products that claim to make you bigger, longer, etcetera. It's about growing up, waking up and seeing that the right wing mindset is what keeps you feeling, deep inside, like less of a man. Let go of it and you'll find out what being a real man is all about-- something right wingers rarely know anything about.

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February 22, 2006 http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_driftwoo_060222_how_many_and_when_wi.htm

How many and when will...

by Driftwood

http://www.opednews.com

HOW MANY AND WHEN WILL

How can a man hold office when it is shown that he came by it dishonestly.

How can any group, no matter under what name be allowed to secretely meet and allow the sale of property directly affecting national security?

How many Deaths does it take to add up to Genocide?

How Many Must Die Because Of A Lie?

How many Lies must be told before you are called a Liar?

How many Facts must come to light to Prove A Conspiracy?

When is a Theory no longer a Theory?

How many people shall die before there is an end to an Illegal War?

How many lives must be snuffed out like candles in the wind because of torture and abuse before those that allow it are brought to justice?

How many Birth Defects will come to light before they place the blame on Depleted Uranium?

How many of our Service People will become sick and die before the government admits it is caused by Depleted Uranium.

How long will this government be allowed to use Depleted Uranium and Phosphorus before the World says Enough is Enough.

How many Programs must be destroyed before a Leader is Called Incompetent?

How Many More True Patriots will be ‘Slimed’ by those in office that did not, would not serve in the Armed Forces when it was their time.

How many No Bid Contracts must be handed out before a connection is made of favoritism, before an investigation? More so, when there have been charges time and time again of overcharging and failure to deliver the services paid for.

How many investigations will be stopped before it is called a Cover-up.

When will those in office be forced to accept accountability and responsibility and held accountable and responsible for their actions?

When will the punishment fit the crime? A governor receives a year for swindling 100,000.00 while a man with a family receives 2 to 5 for stealing groceries to feed his family.

How many Programs for the Poor and Elderly could be paid for with the money paid out for the pResidents many, many photo-ops around the world as he travels with his private army, his reporters, cars, Chefs and Food Tasters.

How many Beneficial Programs can be named that replaces any of the programs that have been ended or cut?

How many Katrina’s must happen to show how incompetent and ineffectual FEMA and Homeland Security really is.

How is it that our National Guard is in Iraq fighting a War they are not trained for with all their equipment when they are needed here. Doing what They Are trained for?

How is it that the very same National Guard needed here for our security will now be Cut according to pResident Bush.

How is it that we have seen Military Base closings, cuts in benefits yet Major Bases being built in places such as Iraq, a place where we are supposed to be finding a way to get out of.

How is it that we have not managed to use the right term in describing what we are doing in Iraq? One word describes it. OCCUPATION.

How is it with the Biggest Natural Disaster in our history that those affected most are Seeking Help From Other Countries because Our Own Government Will Not or is too Incompetent to Respond.

How is it when struck with a national disaster such as Katrina Aid was refused when offered by other countries, when our own was doing nothing and showing its incompetence.

How is it that the very people we need here during a Natural Disaster are not here, nor is their equipment? They are in Iraq and elsewhere.

How can you fight a War without preparing for it either going in or in coming out. Without the proper supplies and armament needed for the troops protection and well being.

How many American Citizens must die because of not being able to get food, medicine, shelter or heat before there is mention of pResident Bush Waging War on the American People.

How many republicans are busily scrapping the Bush/Cheney bumper stickers off their cars finally realizing they are supporting a Mad Man.

How many of our gentlemen career politicians wish they had the Heart of awomen like Cindy Sheehan In fact, how many of them even have the Heart to meet with her?


When will someone ask the Present Administration what Country They Work For, it is apparent they do Not Represent the American People.

How many Martha Stewarts will there be before they get one Ken Lay?

When will there be a Ceiling to Price Gouging as promised by VP Cheney?

How many Department Heads In Government actually have a working knowledge and experience at what they are doing?

When will someone in power say Enough Is Enough to the Profiteering of the Oil Companies?

When will the Petroleum Companies be forced to return some of their profits to the customers?

Why is it that the comment has been made by Congressmen that no one can read all the Bills before they are passed. What Are They Getting Paid For? Maybe they need to spend some of their vacation and recess time actually working. Hell give me what they get and I’ll do the reading for them.

Why is it those in Congress spend more time on vacations and recess than they do in office where half of them do not bother to show anyway? Yet they are called Lawmakers and are entrusted with the running of our nation. That is, the parts that not been sold off yet.

How is it that Foreign Interests own more of our country than We, the citizens do?

How is it if you follow the leader blindly and without thinking you are called a patriot, but should you question or ask for the truth you are unpatriotic.

With Petroleum Companies reporting the Largest Profits in History, why is it Bush see’s fit to allow them to sell Royalty Free to the tune of several Billion dollars.

How is it with the mass profits being made by the petroleum companies it takes a Man such as Chavez of Venezuela to help the poor of this country with heating oil.

When will Big Business be forced to Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes?

When will those in Government that Owe Taxes, Be Forced To Pay Them?

What happened to No Taxation without Representation?

How much backing should an Elected Democrat give Republican Programs before he is no longer considered a Democrat and forced from office?

How many Wars will be started on “Just Because’ without any evidence of danger to our country. Or on ‘Manufactured Evidence’.

How many TV Preachers will be allowed to call for the Assassination of Leaders of Another Country before they are Shut Down?

How can they call the Media Liberal when all you hear is Rupugnican Propaganda.

How is it they have time to preach Hate and the Republican view in the Media but no time to report the real news?

How is it when a program does not work they simply change the name, now it works. That being the case they need rename Homeland Security to Homeland Insecurity, we know that is working.

How is it that Bin Laden has such good timing? Every time Bush gets into trouble and his popularity drops, here comes a tape from Bin Laden.

How many corporations have left the United States to Manufacture in another country for cheaper wages and lower taxes but still sell their goods here for the same price as when they left?

How many people have been stranded and left homeless in other states after being taken from the Gulf Coast after Katrina?

How can a person with the mentality of a spoiled, pampered, tantrum throwing twelve year old make it past any type of mental examination and be selected to run the most powerful country in the world?

When will they finally put qualified people over programs instead of incompetents?

How can Bush Preach Democracy in other countries when he is Destroying it here at home?

When will they return to voting with a pencil and paper with a picture of the candidate by their name so they can be counted without doubt as to who won. Instead of with machines that leave no paper trail and can be tampered with by a high school student?

It is supposed to be One Person, One Vote. Why then with the Electoral College some are allowed to Vote Twice?

How is it that the members of congress with their healthy wage increase every year, their benefits, their perks and what they can swindle through their pork barrel bills are not required to put in as many working days as the average working American?

Why should it be that the Supreme Court has Lifetime Appointments when it is not allowed in any other Branch of Government. Should they not be voted in just as any other politician?

How much power will the churches have in government before they are made to pay their fair share of taxes. I pay more tax on the case of beer I buy on sunday than the church does. Not only that, I am giving a job to someone who is actually working for a living.

We have always been known for a two party system, now we are three major parties. Democrat, (for the people) Republican (for the corporations) and Republicrat (for themselves and republicans) though voted in by democrats.

The Final Question…

How long will it be before we see this Administration up on Charges High Crimes and Misdemeanors, of Treason or brought before the Hague for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity?

This is quite a list and can no doubt be added to. See how many more you can add.

Nuff said…for now
Driftwood
Small Town Southern Illinois

14 DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM

14 DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM
Tell A Friend
America has all of the 14 defining characteristics of Fascism and, like sheep, we passively endure our fleecing : Allen L Roland

by Allen L Roland, Ph.D

14 DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM

: "1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of 'need.' The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc."

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

From Liberty Forum

http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?cat=&board=news_constitution&number
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Urge CA SofS McPherson to reverse decision on Diebold
http://www.opednews.com

Last Friday afternoon, as millions of Californians were preparing for their Presidents' Day holiday weekend, Secretary of State Bruce McPherson quietly re-certified Diebold electronic voting machines for the 2006 elections.

To rush through this re-certification, the Secretary of State had to go back on his word -- twice -- and violate federal and state law in the process. Compounding this travesty is that the re-certification is based solely on the views and recommendations of people on the Secretary's payroll.

This is unacceptable!

Urge Secretary of State McPherson to reverse his decision on Diebold -- email him today!

The Secretary of State based his decision on what he called an "independent audit" -- which was really a review of the Diebold machines conducted by a board that he appointed himself. The results of this study were kept secret from you and every other California voter until after the Secretary made his decision to give Diebold the green light.

There was absolutely ZERO public review or input before this decision was made. That's not how you restore public confidence in California elections.

Why is Secretary McPherson so intent to rush through this Diebold certification?

Where are the results of tests conducted by the federal "Independent Testing Authorities?" McPherson told us last December that he wouldn't even consider Diebold's application until those tests were done.

And why didn't McPherson allow experts and the general public to review and comment on this latest report BEFORE he decided to flip-flop on the issue and re-certify these Diebold machines?

Urge the Secretary of State to reverse his decision to re-certify the Diebold machines -- and schedule a public hearing to independently review new and damaging information about Diebold's machines!

This report determined that "there are serious vulnerabilities" with the Diebold machines "that go beyond what was previously known."

Don't you think that Californians deserve voting systems without "serious vulnerabilities?"

Urge Secretary of State McPherson to stop the re-certification of these Diebold machines until we know the facts -- send him an email today!

So, just to recap the facts here:

* The Secretary of State's own rushed secret study points out "serious vulnerabilities... that go beyond what was previously known," yet the Secretary decided to re-certify the machines.

* There has been absolutely no opportunity for public comment or review on these latest findings.

* The Secretary of State told us he would wait for test results from the federal "Independent Testing Authorities" before acting on Diebold's request to re-certify its machines. He didn't do that.

* The Secretary of State said any voting machine in California would have to meet all federal laws, rules, and regulations. These Diebold machines fail that test -- especially by using "interpreted code" that is banned by the Election Assistance Commission.

* The Secretary of State said any voting machine in California would have to meet state law. These Diebold machines violate state law because they don't provide an audible "read-back" of the machines' auditable paper trail for blind and visually-impaired voters.

What could Secretary of State McPherson possibly be thinking?

Tell Secretary of State McPherson to put his decision to re-certify the Diebold machines on hold now!

Thanks so much for your help on this critical issue. The integrity of California's state elections system is at stake.

Sincerely,

Debra Bowen
California State Senator

P.S. I'm pursuing many other actions as well, including compelling voting machine vendors and the Secretary of State to appear before the State Senate. But right now it's important for Secretary of State McPherson to hear from all of us directly, since it was his decision on Friday to certify Diebold's machines -- and it is his responsibility to hear the facts and comply with the law.

====================
The recent news cycles, impelled as they are by the GOP, have been masterful. The Cheney shooting and subsequent media frenzy surrounding that episode occupied an entire week, the very week that followed three news stories on the previous Friday that would otherwise have been quite difficult to deal with directly.

After a week of hearings into the FEMA response to Katrina that saw Michael Brown laying blame on the DHS and claiming the White House knew from the first moment that New Orleans was flooding, Friday came along and we learned that Scotty Libby was fingering Cheney as the White House leaker-in-chief. That same day, news that former CIA official Robert Pillar, the man in charge of Middle East intelligence, was making claims that

intelligence was misused publicly to justify decisions already made,

which simply reinforced the already known content of the Downing Street Memos.

And as though that weren't enough ugly news, air force veteran and former National Security Council aide, Heather A. Wilson (R-NM), chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, called for a full Congressional inquiry into the NSA wiretapping program.

And then Dick Cheney shot a guy.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ken_ande_060221_masters_of_message.htm
=======================
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_bob_burn_060221_why_america_fights_3f.htm

..President Dwight Eisenhower’s famous farewell address to the nation. On his last day in office, the former five-star general warned, “We have been compelled to create a permanent armament industry of vast proportions… The total influence, economic, political, even spiritual, is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development, yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”
.../...
Next, Jarecki cut to TV footage of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, boasting that in the Iraqi invasion, America’s new bombing technology is 90-95 percent accurate. Rumsfeld claimed that there would be very few civilian casualties; our ordinance is only killing bad guys. Then the documentary flashes a graphic on the screen: Approximately 50 new-generation smart bombs were used in the opening days of the Iraq war. All missed their targets.

What happened? Was the technology faulty? Was Rumsfeld deliberately lying? Was the military actually targeting civilians? Was the intelligence bad? Was it all of the above? Jarecki doesn’t provide answers. He followed a provocative thread but didn’t tie off the end. The writer-director failed to provide what seems to be the obvious conclusion: America’s military-industrial complex tricked the Department of Defense into paying zillions of dollars for weapons that don’t work.

That’s illustrative of the general problem with Why We Fight. It asks important questions, but doesn’t provide substantive answers. Most of the probable audience for the film already knows that the military-industrial complex is bad for America; they just don’t know what to do about it. Nor, apparently, does Eugene Jarecki.

Bob Burnett is a Berkeley writer and Quaker actvist. He is particularly interested in progressive morality and writes frequently on the ethical aspects of political and social issues.

=================================

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022206A.shtml

.../... It was also revealed yesterday that two actors and the former Guantánamo Bay detainees who they played in the film were stopped by police under anti-terror laws when they returned from Berlin. Reprieve, a human rights group, said Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Rasul and the actors who played them - Rizwan Ahmed and Farhad Harun - were among a group of six "detained" at Luton airport last Thursday.

The charity issued a statement on behalf of Rizwan Ahmed, which said he had been interrogated by three Special Branch officers. It is claimed they went through his wallet and mobile phone to note personal details. Mr. Ahmed said: "[A female officer] asked me if I intended to do more documentary films, specifically more political ones like The Road to Guantánamo. She asked, 'Did you become an actor mainly to do films like this, to publicize the struggles of Muslims?'" .../..

'They Chained You to a Hook on the Floor'

Shafiq Rasul: "In Guantánamo you were sitting on your knees for ages. It was hot and you felt the sun burning your head. For the first month and a half, we never went out of our cells. They wouldn't let us pray; you couldn't stand up in your cell for the first two weeks. You weren't allowed to speak to the guy next to you.

There was a hook on the floor and leg irons attached to the hook, and they put your hands between your ankles on the floor and chained you to the hook on the floor as well. They'd keep you there for five hours, six hours - you couldn't go to the toilet, you'd have to urinate, defecate where you are."

----------------------------- ======= [][][][][][][] =======

---

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022206B.shtml

"At night; they woke us up every half hour for roll call. They put numbered bracelets on us. I was 161. They lined us up squatting; then we went back to sleep after they called us; then they woke us up again a half hour later. Psychologically, it was very hard. There were also detainees they left standing all night long. When they nose-dived, they'd hit them to stand them up again. In the end, the guys were so tired they fell down and let them hit them. I was terrified. I said to myself that given what they were doing to us, they could never risk letting us go. I said to myself: 'Mourad, they're never going to let you tell about this. You have to get ready to die.'"

"At the end of a week and a half, they shaved my head and my beard, put a hood on me, and I left on a plane. They stuck patches on us that must have been sleep-inducing. We dozed. The plane set down after an hour and we changed planes. Then the trip lasted 24 hours. We didn't know where we were going. It was the Red Cross that told me a few weeks later that I was in Cuba."

"In One of the Interrogation Rooms, the Feeling the Brain Was Going to Dissolve"

"We were undressed on arrival. They laid us on our stomachs and kicked us. There was a man with an Arab accent, a Lebanese, I think. He screamed in Arabic. 'What are you doing there; why did you go to Afghanistan?' Then we were led into a room where there was a doctor with a white scrub on. He listened to our chests and put on a glove to stick a finger in our anus. He photographed us naked and gave us red jumpsuits. We were in the provisional Camp X-Ray. There were about 350 people. There were people who had been arrested pretty much everywhere in the world. Six came from Bosnia, two from Zambia, an Afghan had been kidnapped in Mexico; two Algerians claimed they were captured by the Russian Mafia in Georgia. We stayed there for four months before we were transferred to Camp Delta, with cells made out of containers with the panels removed and replaced by grills. There was a Turkish toilet, a sink, and an iron plate that served as a bed, with a thin mattress on it."

"Interrogations could take place at any moment of the day or night. On average, I was interrogated once or twice a week. Never by the same men. To go there, they made us run with cuffs and chains on our feet. They cut into our flesh, which bled. The interrogations could last two to fifteen hours. They took place in big rooms, with two-way mirrors on the sides. Sometimes we heard people behind them. The room was very lit up; there was a chair with a harness for the detainee and big air conditioners behind us. Sometimes they turned them on all the way. The questions were different from in Kandahar. They wanted to know everything about our life, our journey. They wanted to know everything about each stage. They said they were from the FBI. There were always two of them plus an interpreter."

"There was another interrogation room, on which they had written 'Hell' in Arabic. If you didn't cooperate, you went there. It was a completely black room, with a bench fitted out with cinches like in a psychiatric hospital in the middle. There were enormous speakers on the walls and projectors on the ceiling. They bound the detainees and put on the music full blast, often techno music.

The spotlights flashed very strong, very fast bursts of white light. It seems that that [room] makes you feel like your brain is going to dissolve. Some people stayed there two days."

"There was also a special team of five guards, who intervened in anti-crowd gear with big Plexiglas shields. They came in making a rhythmic 'Hou hou hou' sound, tapping their feet. It was very impressive. They came into a cell really fast, their shield in front. You felt like a bus ran into you. Some guards behaved well. I remember one who secretly brought me a cup of coffee he handed through the bars. Some told us that when they got back to the US, they'd tell what they had seen."

"Many Suicide Attempts, but None Successful"

"They made us take lots of medicine. They said that it was for tuberculosis, tetanus, or malaria. They were little pills with no marks on them. They were round, sometimes a little thick. They gave us headaches or made us throw up. We thought they were doing experiments on us, since, later, nurses asked us questions about the effects. There were also vaccinations - I think I got five of them - and blood samplings. I had nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. Once they gave us an injection that made a bulge in our arms they came to measure with a ruler."

"At one time, we had books brought by the Red Cross, then they were forbidden. They only left us the Koran. Boredom made us crazy. Sometimes we got mail, but they censored it by crossing out passages. Sometimes, they'd just leave a final line: 'That's all the news from the family.' It was a real torture."

"There were many suicide attempts. At least one a day in the time just before I left. As far as I know, no one ever succeeded. The guards took men who tried to hang themselves with their bed sheet down very fast. They were sent to the crazy’s bloc. There was also an isolation camp where they put people they thought were dangerous. No one knows what went on in there. The Red Cross had no access. I think about it often."

"Three times, French policemen came to interrogate me. The first time, there were eight of them. Two asked questions; the others around asked for details. They behaved properly. They knew what was happening in Guantánamo. They told us to hold on; they couldn't do anything. Two Americans were present for the interrogations."

"I learned I was going home two days before the day of departure. A Yemenite said to me: 'Mourad, you're French. You're going back to a country where there are laws. Tell what's happening here.' I have no hatred, no anger. Only incomprehension. I understand that Americans had to respond to September 11. But they have prisons in America. Maybe I made a mistake by going to Afghanistan, but I didn't deserve Guantánamo."

=======================

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022206C.shtml

"Despite the many twists and turns that have brought it to this point, including the disconnect between the expectations articulated in the orders of this court and the court of appeals and the anesthesiologists retained by (the prison), the court nonetheless recognizes and respects the importance to the state of proceeding with the execution," Fogel wrote in his ruling.

The judge specified that the fatal dose had to be administered in a way that left "no reasonable doubt" that it was relatively painless.

The situation rekindled debate about the death penalty and made San Quentin Prison's death chamber an arena for a moral clash between the medical creed of protecting life and voter-backed capital punishment.

"What is being asked of us now is ethically unacceptable," the original anesthesiologists said in a written statement delivered to the press by officials at San Quentin, across the bay from San Francisco.

The warrant authorizing Morales to be put to death as punishment for rape and murder expires at the end of Tuesday, and would have to be re-issued by the original California trial judge.

That judge has gone on record urging that Morales be spared death because of what appeared to be dubious testimony against Morales by a jailhouse informant.

====================

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022206H.shtml

It's a tough point to argue. I think we've got some fantastic, brilliant Democratic leaders in Congress, in both houses. But the fact is, they did sort of roll over and die and let what was such an obvious boondoggle go ahead, with their support.

Why did we fall for it? How in the world could so many otherwise coherent liberals get so fooled? I count myself among them. At the same time I felt it was bogus, I didn't hit the streets in protest over invading Iraq at first. Why?

My little brain keeps spinning around and I keep coming back to the same answer and I don't like it. It's unnerving, uncomfortable, and the kind of idea that the mind just wants to reject out of hand because it's just too difficult to grasp.

It wasn't Bush's 16 words, and it wasn't any connection to 9/11. I think that the main reason Bush was able to get away with getting us into this war was that Colin Powell said that we had to.

Powell's presentation to the UN was not intended to impress the UN (It didn't, by the way.). That speech was for us. That speech was to sell this war to Americans, and it worked.

Powell had become such an icon, the closest thing to a hero that our country had seen in a long time, that it was simply not possible to not believe him. He was so respected and admired on both sides of the aisle that it was patently inconceivable that he could sit up there and lie to us.

Could Colin Powell have lied to us?

Making Powell Secretary of State was the most important thing that Bush did to legitimize his administration. In spite of all the party hacks and cronies and ex-Senators who had lost to dead people, the General was there, and he had that magic effect. He made you feel like somehow, in the end, everything would be all right.

Powell's name had been bandied about as a Presidential candidate with bipartisan support. When's the last time that happened? He had a dignity, an aura of integrity, a sort of a moral righteousness (the real kind, not the fake Pat Robertson kind) that literally glowed around him.

So when he spoke that day, even if you didn't really buy all the evidence, the creative part of the brain would kick in and fill in the blanks. Surely he knows more information that he can't tell us. It's top secret, right? That's Colin Powell up there, for Pete's sake! If he says we need to invade Iraq, then who am I to disagree?
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http://www.usalone.net/cgi-bin/oen.cgi?qnum=184

Urge CA SofS McPherson to reverse decision on Diebold

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? This Diebold pestilence is gratuitous FRAUD, and you Mr Secretary of State of Cal-e-fornification should be IMPEACHED and/or shot as a TRAITOR. And I should speak respectfuly to the abetter of dictatorship, the sultan of subjugation of the poor and miserable?

If you ever had a thought of decency in your cranium, we plead for your token assistance to get one speck of integrity into this system. Brainwashed sheep is bad enough. TOOB_FED Sheep with ZERO ACCESS TO HONEST information is bad enough. What remains of "America" does not deserve to be TOTALLY TRAMPLED BY TYRANTS. NO COUNTRY can ever say it has a "GOVERNMENT" when the vote-counting is all subject to rigged hoaxed absurd fraudulent 'voting machines'.

You must truly have no conceptualization of any God whatsoever. Eternal damnation is much too nice for your serpent-tongued proto-fascist RR GOP crowd.
R.I.P., Ha! Methinks, NOT.
wtchoax@gmail.com RSVP Mr Two-face.

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