Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use
Vol.
8 Issue 20…Dedicated to the Dialogue
on Race…May 20, 2005
Intuit’s
Vibe
Reality
By Margaret
Reality is that slap in the face
When you think you have the world by
the tail
And life seems to be moving at your own
pace
When you feel like there is no way you
can fail.
Reality is there to open your eyes
When you find you were walking with
them closed
And it shows you a sight that can make
you cry
Because reality it shows you what you
already know.
Reality breaks a person's heart and
soul
And destroys dreams and hopes that a
person feels
The truth and only truth is reality's
only goal
And it doesn't care whose world that it
might kill.
Reality keeps me in a state of mind
That I know it has complete control
But sometimes my dreams overtake
reality I find
And love lives for a while in my heart
and soul.
Reality is not fair.
Reality does not care.
Bit of
History
Julian Jaynes (1920-1997)
"History does not
move by leaps into unrelated novelty, but rather by the selective emphasis of
aspects of its own immediate past."
Psychologist
Julian Jaynes was born in West Newton, Massachusetts. A preacher's son, Jaynes
received his undergraduate degree from McGill University, and his master's and
doctorate degrees from Yale University.
From
1966 to 1990, Jaynes lectured as a professor of psychology at Princeton
University. According to biographical sketches of his career, Jaynes was a
popular teacher that enjoyed opportunities to serve as Visiting Lecturer or
Scholar in Residence at numerous medical schools and in departments of
philosophy, English and archeology at universities in North America and abroad.
Associate editor of the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, an
internationally renowned journal, he also served on the editorial board of the Journal
of Mind and Behavior.
Widely
published, Jaynes articles appeared in a variety of journals, including Canadian
Psychology, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The History of
Ideas and Art/World. After making significant contributions to
the study of animal behavior and ethology, Jaynes turned his attention to human
consciousness and wrote his most famous and controversial book, The Origin
of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (1976), which was
nominated for the National Book Award in 1978.
Unfortunately,
the controversy that surrounded this book, which spans the fields of
psychology, anthropology, history, philosophy, religion and literary studies
tended to overshadow his other achievements. Most controversial, Jaynes's Bicameral
Mind theorized that early man existed in a state of bicamerality -- the
condition of acting on the command of hallucinated 'divine' voices. According
to Jaynes, in early theocracies of the Middle East (and later the Americas),
men were pushed about like robots by kings and gods without conscious thought.
These ancient civilizations were rigidly hierarchical, centralized around the
'god-king', whose voice was heard by the citizenry to keep them performing
their ordained roles in the absence of conscious volition. For Jaynes, the
conscious man, as the term is understood today, did not appear until after the
Bronze Age.
Jaynes
died November 21, 1997. (Sources: www.julianjaynes.org,
and www.princeton.edu)
By John Burl Smith
Americans
are told that mental manipulation with psychological ploys, like the "war
on terror," are tools only communists and dictators used to control their
people. Americans are moral, freethinking, strong-willed, rugged
individualists, not sheep that follow government propaganda. However, the
selection of George W. Bush by the US Supreme Court as president and the
September 11, 2001 trade center disaster replaced that mind-set with one
similar to what Adolf Hitler infected Germany with in 1933. Now, they
rationalize US government inhumanity just as Germans accepted concentration
camps, the Holocaust and WWII.
Mindless
obedience and selective amnesia facilitate US citizens' acceptance of
fabrications as reality. Their lack of historical perspective or conscience has
made them wimps, unwilling to demand accountability from leaders, even after
the true facts are known. Contrastingly, Americans believe communists cling to
propaganda even when information is disconfirmed, yet they support the
so-called "war on terror" that is contradicted by everyday reality. I
call such a predicament "post reality syndrome" (PRS), which is best
reflected by those that continue to support the war in Iraq.
A
syndrome is a collection or aggregation of concurrent symptoms. Together they
characterize behavior, emotional or physical states that produce an
identifiable pattern. During the developmental stage of PRS, several very
distinct events occur. First, those affected develop a view of reality that
conforms to their beliefs about the world. This view reflects their
interpersonal perception of what is right or wrong in the world and what needs
to be done to change it. Crafting their solution, they selectively sift through
information to support their view. Refusing to recognize any valid alternative,
they cover up logical fallacies. Rejecting all evidence that contradict their
view, they denigrate opposing perspectives and disparage opposition as
ridiculous.
The
post reality period begins when it is no longer possible to deny the reality of
contradictory information. Overwhelming though it is, those affected by PRS
cling even stronger and adamantly defend the right to those views. Stripped of
any logical justification, their cause becomes a righteous crusade. Defending
their view is tantamount to defending civilization, the Christian world and
even humanity itself.
The
invasion of Iraq is the clearest example of how PRS plays out. Built on the
infamous "weapons of mass destruction," Bush's case was a complete
fabrication for justifying regime change. Claims that Saddam Hussein sponsored
terrorism, had nuclear ambitions, and was responsible for 9-11 were all lies.
Scott Ridder and others debunked the WMD lie. Hans Blix confirmed no WMDs in
his UN Report. Then, David Kaye, a man who was convinced there were WMDs and
spent almost a year looking everywhere the US claimed there were WMDs, admitted
"there were none." The IAEA concluded Iraq had no nuclear capability
and Joseph Wilson reported that Saddam did not try to buy uranium from Niger.
The 9-11 Commission on intelligence failures reported, Saddam had no role in
9-11. With the release of Matthew Rycroft's memo to David Manning (7-23-02),
everyone knows Bush's decision to go to war had nothing to do with WMD. But,
like Germans today, who still deny the Holocaust, PRS persists as US citizens
continue to deny reality.
Investigate Intelligence Memo!
According
to a British government memo, "intelligence and facts were fixed" by
the George W. Bush administration to create a false justification for the war
in Iraq. Bush knew at least eight months before the attack on Iraq that Saddam
Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction. British Prime Minister Tony Blair
has not disputed the truthfulness of this memo, which implicates his
administration in this conspiracy to commit fraud as well.
Falsifying
intelligence reports, lying to Congress and the American people to dupe the
nation into launching an attack on a foreign country should constitute adequate
grounds for an investigation by an Independent Counsel. If true, these are
grounds for impeachment and removal from office under high crimes and
misdemeanors.
US
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) is calling for a congressional inquiry into the US-UK
secret agreement. He is critical of mainstream media, which has not touched the
revelations. "Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the US was too busy
with wall-to-wall coverage of a "runaway bride" to cover a bombshell
report out of the British newspapers." You can read Rep. Conyer's letter
at http://rawstory.com/aexternal/conyers_iraq_letter_502,
sign the petition calling for an investigation into the UK memo at www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?UKMemo&701
and forward it to everyone you know.
Reality TV
By Dot
Normally,
I only watch television to catch local and national news. Except for the war on
terror, US networks provide little international news. Some folks wonder
whether what is aired can be really called news, but I regularly watch out of
habit.
Out
of boredom, I channel surf for shows to tweak my interest. Like many US
television viewers, I enjoy home improvement shows that transform drab dens
into classy digs in minutes. Lately, I have gotten into gardening and am trying
to improve the "Curb Appeal" of our home with shrubbery and flowers.
Later this summer, I plan to paint the exterior to make it more attractive. I
have interior plans too, and thanks to reality television, I know exactly what
do. The only obstacle is money!
US
television provides a convenient escape from reality. For many US citizens
plugged into makeovers, whether they involve people, places or things, there
are programs that show how to do them in minutes with commercials for Home
Depot or Lowes--home improvement stores-- plastic surgeons, or diet regimes,
exercise routines and products.
Reality
television generally appeals to our basal instincts; they proliferate, covering
everything from greed to sex. For good measure, the networks air an assortment
of law and order shows that explore the many facets of man's brutality to man.
Reality
television is so popular that when George W. Bush decided to hold a rare prime
time press conference, network executives opined it could impact their ratings
by interfering with their regularly scheduled reality shows and situation
comedies. Some television networks preempted Bush's press conference to
broadcast their reality shows.
Aware
of the controversy, Bush mentioned angering "Desperate Housewives" or
other reality groupies, if he did not promptly end his vetted questions and pat
answer session. Comic relief, with all the spontaneity of "taped
live" episodes of "Fear Factor" and "Survivor," Bush's
press conferences are about as genuine as reality shows.
In
general, US citizens seem to collectively agree, "Reality is
over-rated" and have embraced escapism through the convenient route of
reality television.
Disgruntled wants to
know: Public
school children are taught to revere the Declaration of Independence and the US
Constitution and uphold the noble principles espoused in these documents.
Citizens, like members of the National Rifle Association (NRA), purport to
believe the Second Amendment allows US citizens to carry arms, as part of a
well regulated Militia. Citizens also must be armed in the event it becomes
necessary to overthrown a government that ceases to act in the interest of
citizens as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Even though US media
have been less than forthcoming - actually they have mostly spread government
propaganda - a majority of US citizens realize the government lied about Iraq's
weapons of mass destruction. Thousands have died and been maimed as a
consequence of government fraud and its illegal act of aggression. A majority
of US citizens claim to believe the US stands for truth and justice. Yet, most are silent about prisoner
abuse and illegal occupation. Is the US still bicameral, without a conscious,
which would explain the silent majority?
Disgruntled says:
The United States is the world's largest consumer of prescription and illegal
drugs. Illegal drugs are consumed for recreational purposes; they facilitate
escape from reality. Prescription drugs also play a major role in the US
population's successful escape from reality. The US pharmaceutical industry
provides an impressive array of drugs and cosmetics that, along with plastic
surgical techniques, turn ugly ducklings into beautiful swans that rival
"Barbie," the doll whose physical attributes are abnormal. Even
senile men can feel young and virile with penile implants and Viagra to enhance
sexual performance. To escape parenting responsibilities, rambunctious children
are required to take Ritalin or other psycho-drugs to calm parents' frayed
nerves by rendering their offspring zombies. It is all about feeling good about
the way one looks on the outside and inside. "The mind makes it
real," so whatever one perceives, no matter how distorted, becomes
reality.
Disgruntled feels:
Impeachable! During the entire eight years of the Clinton administration, an
independent counsel spent millions of dollars investigating allegations of
improper conduct by Clinton and associates. In the end, guided by "the
rule of law," a Republican majority in the House of Representatives
prepared the strongest case possible for impeachment; primarily Clinton's high
crime and misdemeanor boiled down to lying about an adulterous affair with
Monica Lewinsky. If lying about sex is impeachable, then lying about war is
grounds for removal.
Politics
Y2K5
Fox in the Henhouse
"There
is no doubt that Mexican men and women, full of dignity, drive and a capacity
for work, are doing the jobs that not even blacks want to do there, in the
United States." Vicente
Fox
Mexico's President Vicente Fox recently came under fire for the above statement
from a speech delivered before U.S. frozen-food processors in Puerto Vallarta.
Angry over U.S. immigration policies that clear the way for an extension of a
wall along the California-Mexico border and efforts requiring states to make
sure migrants are legal before issuing them U.S. driver's licenses, Fox
probably did not see his remarks as offensive.
Fox is a member of Mexico's white elite, which is about ten percent of the
nation's population. According to his critics, he was probably not conscious of
the racist nature of his remarks. Racism is deeply ingrained in Mexican
society, where the standard of beauty is blue-eyed and blond. Blackface comedy
is common and upward mobility closely follows skin color. Blacks are negritos
or "little black men" and a chocolate pastry advertised in
commercials that feature a white boy with an Afro.
From Fox's perspective, rather than setting up roadblocks to bar Mexican
workers from crossing the border, the US should pass legislation proposed by the
Bush administration that opens the door wider. If passed, Bush's reform would
allow Mexican workers to enter the US to fill job vacancies that would
otherwise remain empty. Implicit in the talking points on the proposed
immigration reform is the notion that US workers do not want these jobs.
Basically, the only difference between what Fox said and what Bush and
administration officials have stated in referring to proposed immigration
reform is the fact that the jobs these immigrants will likely fill are those
traditionally performed by the lowest paid US workers, which are
disproportionately blacks. Driving down wages, Mexican workers are willing to
work for even less pay. US employers prefer cheap labor.
No doubt, the Bush administration would have preferred it if Fox had not
interjected race into the equation, but clearly, it is black workers that are
being displaced in large numbers in the construction, agriculture and
hospitality industries.
Under the circumstances, rather than civil rights leaders Reverends Al Sharpton
and Jesse Jackson calling for a personal apology from the Mexican president for
his politically incorrect comments, they should thank him for interjecting a
dose of reality into the immigrant worker equation. Moreover, they should use
the ruckus raised by this Fox in the henhouse to highlight racism in both
nations.
Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email
www.rense.com The sacrifice of America's economy,
international prestige, its military and its honor via the Bush
administration's self-destructive lust to bolster Israel's military posture in
the Middle East to assure the mutual benefit of total access and control of its
oil, is becoming painfully and increasingly more obvious with the passing of
each day of the Iraqi Holocaust. The Israel-first agenda has not only
sacrificed these aforementioned and formerly unique assets of American
prestige, but is decimating as well all entities that align with it. The
so-called corporate mainstream media Limbaugh describes as "liberal,"
as well as the entire Democratic Party, are rapidly falling by the wayside as a
direct result of this self-destructive foreign policy, a policy supportive of
the Bush family's ultimate goal: "The New World Order." We must
recognize the dangers the Bush administration's foreign policies are imposing
on US, as well as the worldwide community of nations, in terms of international
peace and security. And we must consider as well the rapidly degenerating
impact that these policies are having upon our domestic economic health. We
must act now to save the US!
Email
www.wanniski.com
Buried down in today's New York Times report on President Bush reaffirming his
unqualified support for John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador is the reason why almost
all of you are ready to vote for his confirmation. "Republicans are hoping
to shame Democrats into a quick vote on Mr. Bolton. They argue that he needs to
be in place by June so that the United States will have the latitude it needs
to press its concerns about Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program before the
Security Council. "Why the
big rush? My reliable sources tell me it is because there is a timetable that
makes it urgent for Bolton to be ready for action in June in order to cripple
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as part of the plan to bomb the
Iranian nuclear-power plant at Bushehr. That's because Bushehr, under
construction with Russian supervision, will soon be ready to receive the
Russian fissile material enabling it to produce power.
|| 2005
Issues || The DISH ||