The Red Pill Society
How Deep is the Rabbit Hole?

The torture debate may be a classic example of the old magician’s “sleight of hand” routine. Watch what I’m doing over here in my right hand, while the actual trick is happening in my left.

Osama Bin Laden clearly stated the reason for Muslim hatred was the American presence in Muslim nations. Infidels on Muslim soil. Our mere physical presence has generated new legions of fighters and suicide bombers. In addition, the knowledge of American torture of Arabs and Afghanis is one of the best recruiting tools our enemies have.

And Arabs and Afghanis have made us pay dearly. The American occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to over 5,000 US military deaths, and tens of thousands of horrible injuries and disabilities.

But, knowing the clear reasons for Arab anger, the American military and intelligence agencies still use torture…just like always.

The various American intelligence agencies, both military and non-military…you know, the “three initials” agencies like CIA, FBI, NSA, etc…have been capturing people and using “enhanced interrogation” techniques since their inception. The American populace simply doesn’t know much about their history.

Why did the Bush Administration make a decision that they would disclose to the world that they had captured “enemy combatants?” They went further and disclosed that they had moved them to locations around the world, outside of the reach of American law. Then they started talking about “renditions,” and various forms of torture like sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, electric shock and simulated drowning, otherwise known as “waterboarding.”(I refuse to disinfect and redefine the act of simulated drowning.)

Could it be to create a diversion?

Torture is the least of the many crimes that the American Federal Government has perpetuated over the last 150-plus years. Yet, while the American media trots out this story continually over months and years…even though it deserves the ink…it obscures the greater crimes done by the American Federal Government.

Greater atrocities are ignored while the feigned outrage in this country is largely focused on this single crime.

Here is a short list of atrocities performed by the US Federal Government:

Theft of land from native Americans from sea to shining sea
Abrogation of all treaties between the American government and Indian nations
Murder and genocide of native American tribes
The Civil War
Internment of American citizens of Japanese origin at the beginning of WWII, and confiscation of their assets
Atomic weapons used against civilian targets at Nagasaki and Hiroshima
Overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and theft of the Hawaiian Islands
The enactment of the individual income tax
Attempted overthrow of Fidel Castro
Ruby Ridge murders by FBI
Branch Davidian massacre, Waco, TX
Overthrow of other governments like Chile and most Central American nations
Use of Depleted Uranium ordnance in Iraq, rendering the entire country radioactive and lethal, causing illness and horrific birth defects
The Patriot Act
The Department of Homeland Security

The American government has not strayed from its high principles. It does not possess any high principles. It simply had a moment of hubris mixed with indiscretion when it disclosed that it uses torture. It could have been a diversionary tactic, but I doubt it. The government is pretty sure that it can get away with anything because it does not fear its citizens. And why would it?

President Obama has not repudiated the use of torture with his actions, only with his words. He is simply returning the system to the secrecy that it enjoyed for the last 60 years. He encourages America to look forward, not backward, which in essence guarantees the status quo and immunity from prosecution for the torturers and the politicians who ordered it.

Don’t get any weird idea that America is special, God’s chosen nation to bring freedom to the world. The mass perception of American citizens is not reality. It is not that “city on a hill” that Ronald Reagan called it. Every king, potentate, Caesar, Czar, or Emperor throughout human history has committed mind-numbing atrocities on the populations they wished to subdue, conquer and plunder.

Including their own people.

Get some perspective, America. Torture is heinous, but your government is doing a lot worse things than torture. Save your anger and outrage for the really bad stuff.

Copyright 2009 by Russell D. Longcore

Author: Russell Longcore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Bill O’Reilly does it again. None of you would ever think I could agree with him on very many issues. I’m sure there are a few but not many. Bill’s latest tirade is against the rap singer Eminem for his latest song that parodies, among other celebrities, Governor Sarah Palin. Eminem depicts Sarah Palin in a sexual context in his video (by the way I find Sarah Palin sexy too, so long as she’s not trying to talk to me about politics). Bill doesn’t cover up the fact that he deplores Eminem, Rap music and the audience it attracts. His disdain for all of them is obvious. He does go on to bitch and moan that the “Big Media” hasn’t taken Eminem to task about his “attack on Sarah Palin.” I’m betting Bill needed some ratings so he lambastes a popular artist so HE can get some more free press. Bill O’Reilly is a performer after all.  

Bill, I hope you actually watched the entire video before you spewed your agenda riddled diatribe. Not that I actually think you would ever find my little blog, or even care about it, but just in case you haven’t actually seen the entirety of Eminems video I added it here for your viewing pleasure. 

Now as you can see Eminem makes fun of ALOT of people in the video and Sarah Palin takes up maybe 20-30 seconds of the 4 minute 40 second video. Jessica Simpson, Amy Whinehouse, Kim Kardashian, Star Trek and some people I don’t recognize (I’m so uncool…). While I don’t particularly like the song or the video I can see it’s obvious attempt to parody society’s placing of certain things/people etc on a pedestal. We as a society tend to elevate people to a stature that can be comical at times. His song and video depict this. He uses his platform to send his message to his audience. Just like Bill O’Reilly uses his platform to send his message to his audience. By the way, I agree with Eminem COMPLETELY. His message is true and on target, but I will save my op-ed piece about societies woes for a later article. 

By the way here is the segment from Bill O’Reilly about Eminem and the “liberal media.”

Bill, why don’t you have any patience or acceptance for views that differ from yours? Maybe that’s because you think you’re always right and everyone should think like you. There’s a name for people like that Bill, but I’m sure you know that already. Bill, why aren’t you just as enraged that Eminem made fun of the other women in the video? Maybe it’s because they aren’t the little darlings of the right wing. Bill, why do you feel the need to belittle someone for the kind of music they like and listen to? Maybe it’s because you can be a self righteous, elitist most times. Bill, do you consider yourself a journalist? I don’t. I think you’re right wing loud mouth with a TV show. Before you get your red frilly panties in a knot Bill, I know you’re not the only one. It’s done on the left also. Journalism has changed and now we’re inundated with opinions, personal agendas etc from our tv personalities. Yes I find it hard to call what you, and others do, journalism. But them again here I am giving my opinion and the only difference is I’m not getting paid huge amounts of money to do it. Anyone hiring?

For a lot of people I’m sure this story pulls their heart strings and gains pity for a mother of 6 who gets pregnant with and gives birth to octuplets. For those who aren’t to familiar with the story allow me to enlighten you of some facts you may not be aware of. For example did you know “before the 33-year-old single, unemployed mother gave birth to octuplets last month, she had been caring for her six other children with the help of $490 a month in food stamps, plus Social Security disability payments for three of the youngsters. The public aid will almost certainly be increased with the new additions to her family.” These new 8 children were conceived via VITRO TREATMENTS. That means she purposely went to have more kids when she can’t even afford the 6 she already had.

There are also other points raised about her desire to emulate Angelina Jolie. So much so that she has undergone plastic surgery to LOOK more like her. Reminds me of Michael Jackson’s abtuse desire to look like Diana Ross. For the record Nadya says she’s never had plastic surgery and Angelina Jolie has no part in her decision to have more kids.

Here are some photos of Nadya from an article from The Huffington Post.

before the octuplets and a side by side of her and Angelina Jolie.

Now, my personal opinion about this whole thing, in case it’s not obvious enough to you yet, is that she is a completely unfit person to be a mother of one let alone fourteen! Mark my words, this woman has some kind of mental health issues. It’s disgusting what she’s doing AND getting away with. She even has a website where she asks for money!!! Holy cow she has some really big balls doesn’t she? No, I’m not putting the link to it here. She doesn’t deserve a penny from anyone. She needs a psychiatrist, not government help to pay for her misguided life choices. A person who has plastic surgery to LOOK like a famous person is goofy enough, but when you add in the fact that she’s now responsible for 14 children AND she’s broke, unemployed AND unemployable, you have a certifiable nut case. What needs to happen is California needs to take away ALL of her kids and put them up for adoption.

Nadya – I call BULLS*T my dear. You need to seek help, get a job and a life. I’ll give you some credit though. You made it to prime time, albiet as a pathetic, wannabe, selfish, scammer. Good luck with that.

I friend of mine from Cuba was telling me a story once and the story was about how he got so mad at someone for what they had done. He said it gave him “the red ass” he was so pissed. Well, this story has done just that for me.

A high school girls basketball coach was fired because his team beat another team 100-0. Did you get that? FIRED! You know why too… I don’t have to tell you, but I will. Because some pansy asses felt he was ‘running up the score’ and it’s not fair to the other team to lose like that. Here’s an excerpt from the article and a  link to the complete article for you to chew over when you have the time.

DALLAS — The coach of a Texas high school basketball team that beat another team 100-0 was fired Sunday, the same day he sent an e-mail to a newspaper saying he will not apologize “for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

Kyle Queal, the headmaster for Covenant School, said in The Dallas Morning News online edition that he could not answer if the firing was a direct result of coach Micah Grimes‘ e-mail disagreeing with administrators who called the blowout “shameful.”

Queal did not immediately answer phone messages or e-mail from The Associated Press.

On its Web site last week, Covenant, a private Christian school, posted a statement regretting the outcome of its Jan. 13 shutout win over Dallas Academy. “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition,” said the statement, signed by Queal and board chair Todd Doshier.

Grimes, who has been criticized for letting the game get so far out of hand, made it clear in the e-mail Sunday to the newspaper that he does not agree with his school’s assessment.

“In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed,” Grimes wrote in the e-mail, according to the newspaper. “We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

Unapologetic coach of 100-0 win fired by school

If were not careful, and we follow the lead of all this over the top political correctness, we run the risk becoming a nation of lame ass, whiny people. Listen up people. If you lose you LOSE! If the other team is that much better than you (or you suck so bad) that you lose by that much, then so be it. Holy crap! The man gets fired because his team beat the pants off the other team? What in the hell are we teaching our youth with such an attitude? Is it fair to do what he did? Hell yes it is. He let his girls play their hearts out and they did just that. Why should they have toned down their play? Really, I dare you to give me a good reason. You can’t and you know it. Any argument for that garbage attitude just shows the dumbing down of our society. Well, not exactly but you get my point. They played with respect and didn’t taunt the other team. They didn’t play with poor sportsmanship, yet some would have them stop playing their best just to take care not to hurt the feelings of the other team. Who knows what the other team felt? I have always been an athletic person and was very competitive. When I played or competed with others I expected them to ALWAYS bring their A-Game no matter what. If they “played down” to me I wasn’t getting the truth out of them, myself or the competition.

What are we teaching our kids about the real world when we do things like this. Kids need to learn teh world doesn’t care if they “tried” or they “did their best.” The world will crush those people who are used to being handled with kid gloves their whole life. The world isn’t always “fair” and really what is fair anyway? We need to let little Johnny fall, scrape his knee, cry, get hurt and grow from it – learn from it. We can’t protect kids from everything and we certainly do them a dis-service by molly-coddling them. We can’t insulate them from the world. Everyone has to live in it and interact with ALL aspects of life.

… ok, sorry for the rant. Just had to get that off my chest.

I have to be honest here. I find it terribly funny and telling about how most people in the world view George W. Bush. Personally I think he is a colossal joke as a president. Always has been. He may be a great father, wonderful husband and seems like a cool cat to sit and have a brew with and watch a game. But to be THE person representing our country, leading our country…. hell no. I even feel a little bad for the guy. He has to wake up every morning knowing how pathetic he is considered around the world. It must really suck to be him. I hope he doesn’t fall into a deep depression over his complete and utter failure as president.

Having said that. I have to ask… Where was the secret service? They were pretty slow at making their move. I mean this guy gets off two “shots” at the president before someone tackles him. Looks like it was another reporter too. Shouldn’t they have been all over him? Shouldn’t one of the secret service jumped in front of the president to catch or block anything else coming? Shouldn’t he have been surrounded and scurried off to a safe location? Fine, it was just a couple of shoes, but you don’t know if there’s anything else. Maybe they were too busy laughing.

… But no one listened. In the following video you’ll see Peter Schiff describe EXACTLY what we’re going through now but you must know one thing – He said all this way back in 2006. All the other “pundits” thought he was crazy. He made sense with everything he was saying, but why  didn’t people listen? Why couldn’t we see what he was saying? Or, was it we didn’t want to believe it? Even the mainstream media dropped the ball on this one. I guess the “Ostrich Mentality” has proven our undoing. But I suppose we needed this bad time to straighten out the countries economic values. I’ve said it before. we need to feel some pain before things change. We as a society have been living WAY beyond our means for a very long time and this is the result. The video is about 10 minutes long but it’s worth a sit down. Maybe we can finally learn a lesson from all this. Maybe.

GM, Ford and Chrysler are now on the brink of bankruptcy. I’ve even heard the alarm bell ring of a possible need to close door all together for one of them. The heads of each company went to Washington to ask for a “bailout” package so they can pay their bills for the next few months. There is obviously a lot of disagreement on capital hill regarding how to proceed with the big three. Do we bail them out? If so, how do you construct the package and requirements? What kind of oversight will there be? When do we get paid back and how?

This can potentially be a big problem. Not the bailout, but what happens if they’re NOT bailed out. The obvious implications range from direct affect of the employees who were not the orchestrators of the bad company business plan, and further down the road to suppliers of the automakers who can’t sell their widgets and beyond. There is certainly a lot of blame to go around. It’s easy to point the finger at the high level executives who mismanaged the company so badly that it’s all about to crumble into ashes. Those same executives who flew to Washington to ask for billions in bailout money, all flew on private jets to the tune of $20,000 per person! Listen. I know people out there can afford that kind of luxury and I applaud them for it. But if you’re flying somewhere to beg for money because you screwed up your company, and you fly on a private plane at the cost of $20K a head, you have some pretty damn big balls! I bet those are company jets. If they were personal jets it’s one thing, but I doubt it.

The executives aren’t the only people to blame for this mess though. Take a good look at the UAW. The United Auto Workers Union. Here you have a group that looks out for the employees and makes sure they get the most they can out of the employer. Unions in the past did a very good job of forcing employers to change bad working condition, pay them properly, give them health benefits etc. The problem now is that they continually try to suck the company dry. They do this while the executives try to set things to their benefit. It’s a major tug of war with both sides playing hardball. The unions have a very strong lobby. They’re very influential when it comes time to vote.

Here’s the problem as I see it. They both need each other to have a successful, viable company. They both need to work together so they ALL have jobs tomorrow. I’ll bet dollars to donuts that is the main underlying problem with the auto industry in this country. They need to start viewing their relationship as partners and not adversarial. I heard yesterday on the news a UAW representative said something to the affect “We’re willing to acquiesce a little to help things along.”  I wanted to reach through the screen and slap this guy in the head. I have news for the UAW… YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! you are not in the position now to be willing to acquiesce “a little” for the greater good. If you want a job tomorrow you HAVE TO make changes and give back some. American Airlines did it and stayed out of bankruptcy and didn’t go running to uncle Sam for a loan. All the Pilots, Flight Attendants and ground crew unions went to their people and they all took cuts in pay, worked longer hours etc. They changed their business model and now they’re operating without taxpayers help. They are far from being free and clear of troubles, but they’re handling it themselves… ALL of them.

The mind set needs to change in the auto industry as it does in society in general. In general we have this me first, at all cost attitude and that’s going be our downfall if things don’t change and change fast. Look at things in a global perspective. Our economy starts to dive and the world economy follows. Before you start thinking we’re the lynch pin for the world, forget it. Get over yourself. We are part of something much larger than just ourselves and when we all start to realize that and work with that in mind we can truly start to grow and advance in a reasonable, safe and solid way. So far we were building a beautiful house on a substandard foundation. The form over function theory never works.

After readiing and hearing a lot on this latest economic crisis and thinking about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that we should NOT bail out GM, Ford and Chrysler. I know there are workers who will be directly affected and lose jobs. Some are only qualified to do those jobs they lose. I know. But giving the big 3 money doesn’t fix the problem. We all learn from our failures. Isn’t that why we don’t fix everything for our children? Don’t we let them fall and get themselves back up on their own at some point? These are adults we’re talking about. There’s a lesson in each tough time we face. We grow through our tribulations. Times have changed and the mentality of society needs to change along with it. Bankruptcy isn’t the end of business. It’s just a restructuring of business. Maybe that’s exactly what they need because obviously what they were doing all along hasn’t been working lately.

What do you think? Should we bailout GM, Ford and Chrysler?

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I don’t think there’s anything more I can say about this issue that would serve better than the way Keith expresses in his commentary. I’ve always liked Keith both for his sharp wit and well spoken clarity. This commentary speaks the truth from my own mind and heart and I’m sure to a great number of people reading this. I also am aware that his words will still fall on deaf ears. Why you ask? Well, as much as we like to think of ourselves as a progressive society, a first world nation, we still have elements within are people that are simply unwilling to open, learn, expand and yes even evolve. This defiance to the natural order of life, evolution and growth, is solely based on ignorance and fear. It is my hope that this video is seen my as many people as possible. In doing so there is a chance that things can change. Our acceptance and tolerance of people who are different than us on some levels are still respected as highly as we should like to be respected. That their views and beliefs are honored and not squashed because they’re not in-line with ours. How are we do grow as a people if we continue with the “Us vs Them” mentality. How do we expect the world to come together when we can’t even treat each other here with a basic common courtesy? Can we not “live and let live” or is that just a superficial thought? Do we always have to force one beliefs system onto another?

Since I’m not Keith and I don’t usually keep my opinions to myself, I’ll summarize Keith’s commentary like this. Hey California! WTF is wrong with you close minded idiots!!?? That would be those idiots who voted for Prop 8. Grow the “F” up already!

OK… got that off my chest. Now why not watch the video, leave a comment if you like, and certainly share this with everyone you know. Don’t worry I have plenty of bandwidth so I can handle the traffic.

Now let’s all hope he can do what he said he would do and bring our country out of the world of crap we’re in now. No doubt it is a daunting task. Two wars, an failing economy and bad feelings around the world regarding the American Government. I think he can do it. That’s why I supported him. What we need is everyone to get on the same page and follow his lead in bi-partisanship. Our goal is the betterment of EVERYONE, not just the small percentage of the super wealthy.

By the looks of the final results of the general election a good number of Americans think the same way I do. Or at the very least they thought Barack Obama and Joe Biden would do a better job that John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was an electoral landslide for Obama. Needing only 270 electoral votes Obama walked away with 364 to McCain’s 163. There was a 7 point difference in the popular vote. A very reasonable spread. Not huge but reasonable. Here are some basic breakdowns of who voted for Barack Obama:

• Vote By Sex – Male 49% Female 56% – It would seem he reached Hillary Clinton’s female vote.
• Vote By Age – 18-29 66%, 30-44 52%, 45-64 50%, 65+ 45%
• Vote By Race – White 41%, African American 95%, other ethnic 65%
• Vote By Income – under $100k 55%, $100-$200k 48%, above $200k 52% This surprised me a little given his tax plan to increase taxes to those making $250k and more.

His message of “Change” really hit home with the american people. This is truly a historic time. Not only because we now have the first black president in history but because of the promise of what can be. What we need is a fundamental change in how our government does business. We can’t keep going the way we have been for so long. Ideals put in place long ago have changed and so must it’s people. They way Washington works needs to be revamped and that’s what Barack Obama brings. He brings the hope of a new way. A level headed man who thinks before he speaks, has a good command of the issues and the sense to hire the right people for the right position no matter what their political slant is.

I for one am looking forward to what can happen but I’m cautious at the same time. He still has to navigate the garbage in Washington. I actually feel proud to have a president that isn’t such an embarrassment. He is the perfect person to represent us going into the future.

I read this article on the Washington Post website, thought it was interesting and wanted to share it with you all. Below is the article in it’s entirety.

By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 1, 2008; D01

At the Beverly Hills office of criminal defense lawyer Edward M. Robbins Jr., anxious new clients are showing up with an unexpected problem.

The clients put money in Swiss bank accounts, where it was supposed to stay secret. But now those depositors fear the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department will gain access to their bank records, Robbins said.

“They’re coming in from the cold. They’re nervous,” Robbins said.

And with good reason, the former federal prosecutor said. A lawyer who specializes in tax cases, Robbins thinks the government is gearing up to prosecute large numbers of Americans for failing to disclose foreign accounts on their tax returns and evading taxes on income generated by the accounts.

“If I were one of these guys with 10 to 50 million in my account, I’d be having an aneurysm,” Robbins said. “It’s an extremely dangerous situation for these guys.”

The legendary secrecy of Swiss banks has come under fresh assault lately from U.S. and European authorities who say their citizens have used the privacy to hide assets and dodge taxes.

The U.S. effort to capture back taxes targets Americans who hold undeclared accounts at UBS, one of Switzerland’s largest banks. The developments could put UBS in legal jeopardy and undo the reputation for confidentiality that has helped make a small nation in the Alps a magnet for international deposits.

UBS, which also has extensive operations in the United States, has been under investigation by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“UBS takes this matter very seriously and is working diligently with both Swiss and U.S. government authorities, consistent with Swiss law and the legal frameworks for intergovernmental cooperation and assistance,” UBS spokesman Mark Arena said by e-mail.

Over the summer, the IRS won permission from a federal court to demand that UBS turn over the identities of an estimated 19,000 American clients who have failed to disclose their Swiss-based accounts on U.S. tax returns. It remains unclear what has or will come of that effort. Swiss law restricts the bank’s ability to breach client confidentiality. Swiss law also gives clients the opportunity to oppose the release of their names through a judicial process that could slow any disclosures. (more…)