A Pallet of Prozac, Please

(American diplomacy meets Game of Thrones Edition)

It may come as a bit of a surprise to our Federal policymakers that they do not possess the authority to set policy for the planet. Many people around the globe, myself included, are wondering if those who govern from inside the Beltway have gone out of their minds. To wit:

• We are currently levying sanctions on Russia without any tangible proof of wrongdoing. Aside from the a priori argument “because we said so”, there is nothing substantive to our accusations.

• We are pursuing sanctions against Iran based on similar thin air evidence. 

• Venezuela is getting our sanction cold shoulder as well, but in the case of Caracas, it's more personality based than political.

The list goes on and on but I will not to economize time for both of us. Now, none of these things are overtly Cersei insane in the Game of Thrones known as US politics. To the contrary, these Tywinesque punitive mandates issued via the Twitter raven have become rather routine. Disturbing sure, but not irrefutably bats in the belfry like King Joffrey.

This is very reminiscent of the Lannister’s rule of law. Do as we command or we will lay siege and have your head on a pike at the Red Keep by nightfall.

Nevertheless, the bellicose behavior of our policymakers which many people around the globe, myself included, consider outlandish now constitutes American diplomacy terra firma. Perhaps, we can just chalk the bravado and bad manners up to Sansa Stark youthful naivety. That would be nice and expedient. So, let's assume it's inexperience, ignorance, bad advice from a Maestrer who's been sipping his own Milk of the Poppy, or anything other than malice at work in the Beltway belfry. We can dispatch the issue as quickly as a faceless man.

But then, there is this issue of sanctioning anyone who doesn't respect our sanctions. That is straight up cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs stuff. It's a warning to every other sovereign nation on the pale blue dot that America’s leadership is in need of a Costco size pallet of Prozac addressed:

Residents, et al.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Nut Factory, USA.

This all encompassing dictatorial threat to friend and (perceived) foe alike seems very un-American to me, many people around the globe included. Rather than the acts of an enlightened republic, we are issuing the ultimatums of a senile emperor. A very dangerous and increasingly paranoid emperor who isn't so certain that his reign is just, that truth will out, and that good will always triumphs over evil. A demented and twisted king whose final decree would be, "Burn them. Burn them all!"


Where's a Kingslayer when you need one?


Our diplomatic energies, like all human endeavors, can produce either heat or Light. Justice, Truth and Goodness only produce Light. We have become far too fond of dragons.

USA vs USSR

U.S. Constitutional System	Soviet System
Bill of Rights to protect individual rights with access to independent judiciary enforced. While this may have been true at one time, the courts have rendered increasingly narrow interpretations of individual Rights to the point where it is now legal for the President to summarily execute an American citizen by declaring them an Unlawful Combatant. That is capricious, legal, and it is murder. As for the independent judiciary, the rise of activist judges have turned the bench into their personal political principalities. Built on a foundation of case law where one poor decision can give birth to millions more and our Principles be damned.	Soviet constitution states protections, but there was no independent judiciary Rights? Sure, you got rights. Abstract though they may be, just like every other country.  You have the right to choose from what is offered.  You have the right to throw yourself on the mercy of the State.  You have the right to be systematically swindled by those who administer administrative law.  You have the right to a legal system where the common person stands no chance of finding justice without a high priced "Priest of the Temple" to plea their petitions before the "Gods".  Certain restrictions may apply.
Free elections American elections are duopolized by two  massive, private corporations which hold no Constitutional validity, yet the Democratic and Republican parties are the gatekeepers of power for the United States. While they appear to be two separate institutions each representing  distinctly different constituencies, they both answer to the same "powers that be".  This makes our ostensibly free elections the illusion of Republic. By definition the United States is an Oligarchy.  ˈäləˌɡärkē noun a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.	Government-controlled elections
Representative government at federal, state, and local levels This is true, but whom are they representing? In search of an answer to this question, two university professors did a great deal of research and they came to some stark, but not surprising conclusions. See their work here.	Central Committee of Communist Party in control of central, state, and local government
Police under civilian control Once again, this was true in the past but in our effort to fight the Drug War and now terrorism, we have turned our civilian police force into a para-military force which could rival many nations armies. Often the police officers are ex-military and are working in neighborhoods where they do not reside. The effect is one of an occupying force rather than local law enforcement. We have watched as Homeland Security and other Federal agencies have become far more involved in local law enforcement. Currently, every form of electronic communication transmitted from one American citizen to another is filtered through the National Security Agency (for our protection, of course). Edward Snowden currently has a warrant for blowing the whistle on this glaring violation of our Fourth Amendment Rights. You remember, the Inalienable Rights we received from our Creator. They just ain’t so anymore. On the matter of controlling dissent, we already know that most civil rights leaders were tailed by the FBI. More recently environmental activists and third party candidates have their daily activities recorded in «Official Use Only» dossiers. Let us not forget the newly created “free protest zones“ within a nation that was a free protest zone.	Police under party control; active secret police unit to control dissent
Free press Free is an ambiguous term in this case. While there is a commercial press, it is not necessarily a free press. Corporate sponsors and political heavyweights exert pressure on news outlets by virtue of being the wealth and the power by which media lives or dies. Mr. Turner did not reach the pinnacle of media by saying “no” to the “powers that be”. Here’s an example of America’s “free” press. As media opinions have narrowed, our options have followed suit. We are offered a few schools of thought to battle one another over, but in the end the People’s debate is background noise. The decision was made long before the average person became aware there was a choice to be made. Indeed, today E pluribus Unum, means “We serve monopolies”.	State-controlled press
Military under control of elected civilian government A civilian is in charge of the military, many civilians. They are the executives of our largest defense contractors. Since 1967, the year of my birth, the United States has been at war 51% of my days. Those born after 9/11/2001 have never known a day of peace. Dwight Eisenhower, began his military career as a Second Lieutenant in World War One and ended World War Two as the Supreme Allied Commander, then went on to be the Occupational Governor of Germany and eventually the President of the United States (Resume provided to disarm the “Communist”, “Hippie” or Conspiracy Nut” dismissals). President Eisenhower closed his public career by issuing the American People a stark warning about the military industrial complex. We ignored his appeal and now our military and our brave sons and daughters have become mercenaries for merchants. We live in comfort and ease while we fight a “war” with no declared enemies, no rules of engagement, and no exit strategy. War without end. A nation which remains at war for decades and feels no ill effects (e.g. - Rationing) cannot be a moral nation for they have made war a thing of leisure. Terrorism is a tactic. It’s not an enemy. We can no more defeat a tactic than we can defeat frontal attack or encirclement. The war on terror is nothing more than a license to kill anyone, anywhere, without conscience or consequence. That is a power no lawful nation should abide or exercise ever.	Military under control of central leadership of bodies Communist Party
Extensive private property ownership Indeed, Americans own a great deal of real property. We live in a big country which dwarfs all European nations. The United States is the third largest nation-state on earth. Yet, home equity ratios have been dwindling since the early 1950’s. The property is privately owned, but mostly by the bank We are increasingly house poor. A home is the largest investment most working people will ever make, and the viability and burden of that investment has been slowly ebbing from middle-class America. Many of those working and dream of being middle-class have a $15 an hour job which will provide the down-payment on lunch.	State ownership of major industries; very limited private ownership
In Conclusion Yes, we knew that all along, so WTF are we putting so much time and treasure to becoming the necromancers of the USSR!?!	In Occlusion In short, Communism sucks. It withers the human soul, depreciates the human being, and turns them into dysfunctional and despondent hive dwellers. Bees do hive thinking well. Humans do not. Stop trying.

“Some pipe dreams are so magnificent and appealing to the human mind that their golden visions last an entire lifetime. Taunting you, shimmering there, just out of your grasp. The dream persists long after the memories of the millions who perished in the last attempt to possess it. Your Precious, your gleaming socialist dream lasts long enough for you to commence the slaughter again. The necromancer lives once more.” 

Now, look away, close your eyes, and pretend you never read these words.

The New New Deal

I was going to rip you off, and probably myself in the process, by reprinting my 240 Candles piece but I thought you deserve better. America deserves better. This is exactly the line of reasoning which is conspicuously absent from our government apparatchiks. Therefore, I will buck this disheartening trend and take this opportunity to remind Americans that the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on the Second of July. It was only read publicly on the Fourth. The Founders had to flee Philadelphia because they had just committed Treason. They were now armed felons sworn to bring down the State. So, if you love your Liberty hug an armed felon. It was their type who gave us real Freedom, not the freedom to a 40 hour work week, V.A. loans, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Home mortgage deductions, Federally enforced Ponzi schemes, or the “right" to be a slave to your cell phone. Thank God, the Founding Felons had something more Principled in mind and may God forgive us for forgetting that.

With that being said, I’ve elected to rip us all off by reprinting the Purpose in Patriotism instead. That’s the beauty of being an aging writer, increasingly we’ve already written all there is to be said. That's the deal...

The Purpose in Patriotism

I understand, times are tough and patriotic displays are one place we can afford to cut spending. A few dollars for fireworks on the Fourth and a "Support Our Troops" bumper sticker for under three bucks. That's about all we've got, just like everyone else. Oh, and we sing the National Anthem before baseball games. We all do that too. Things have cooled over the past couple decades, and we don't want to look like Nationalists. They are all murdering racists.

Being a patriot got a bad rap in the 1980's when love of America took a back seat to the white supremacist, gun-toting lunatic in the woods of wherever who was certain the Guberment (not a typo) was gonna kill us in them FEMA camps the UN was setting up. Oddly enough, this redefinition of patriotism took place at the same time being a "Global citizen" came into fashion.

Weird, huh? I'm not saying it was a conspiracy. It's just one of those perfectly timed, well-planned coincidences that happen rather frequently. Sort of like those chemical weapon attacks made by some deranged leader on his own people (and who has decided to stop using Federal Reserve Notes) right before the U.S. takes a pining to invading the "madman's" country like Iraq, Syria, and Libya. Remember Chemical Ali? It kinda' makes you wonder, "Who would be crazy enough to stock these lunatics with chemical weapons?" It's damn peculiar. I mean mighty damn peculiar.

Nevertheless, patriotism is a good thing because it reminds us that even when we disagree, we're still all on the same side. That's important. Otherwise, we might turn into disparate, feuding factions. We'd be susceptible to manipulations by a biased media who told us what to think and feel rather than what happened in the world today. That would be propaganda, not news. United we stand, right?

If we didn't hang together, the next thing we'd know we'd be jumping from one endless war to another and swindled by corrupt politicians who were in bed with sleazy business tycoons. The perpetrators of giant financial scams would remain nameless while Congress ran up the debt on the national charge card like reckless teenagers on a spending spree once they realize they're never gonna' pay it off. Political parties would be defrauding the voters, political candidates would walk away from felonies free as can be in a country where the people don't give a s#!t about their future because they don't see one.

It's all been so mismanaged for so long it's hopeless. No matter who you vote for, it's just more of the same disastrous policies that got us to this place of despair. Just take a Valium, smoke an Oxycontin, shoot some heroin, pull the covers over your head and hope it all goes away. Worst case scenario, you can just shoot yourself and call it an endless night, right?