Tinfoil Rambling
Sometimes I shake my head at the ragbag of "folk heroes" that US liberals/radicals polish up for followers. Most recent I've read include Joe Hill and Lynne Stewart. I spent a few hours researching Hill and his brief IWW career, and court case, to conclude he was most likely guilty as accused, but made into a much needed martyr of the IWW. According to wiki: IWW today it is actively organizing and numbers about 2,000 members worldwide, of whom fewer than half (approximately 900) are in good standing that is, have paid their dues for the prior two months. Gotta wonder, when a club has been around 100 years and isn't doing any better than that ...
Supporters of Hill believe it was by coincidence that Joe was shot the same time as a local grocer and son were murdered in a robbery attempt, with another son wounding one of the 2 perps. Joe's friend and traveling buddy also coincidentally disappeared from sight the night of the attempted robbery and killings. Joe decided he would rather hang from the gallows than give up the name of his alleged alibi, a married lady he was in bed with at the time of the shooting. The insinuation is her hubby caught them and shot Joe. Joe refused to name her as in 1914 it would have ruined her reputation. Apparently, the feelings were not reciprocal as the lady never came forward to save his neck. If her hubby caught them I guess he too decided to protect his wife's reputation by keeping quiet. Or - maybe Joe was lying about his alibi, a good one - one that portrayed him as chivalrous. Then, as now, a famous politician and social celeb called for mercy on Joe, but he was hanged, or "murdered by the capitalist class" if you prefer it that way.
Lynne Stewart was the attorney for the blind Sheikh of the 1993 WTC bombing and convicted of, among other things, conspiracy to defraud the United States, providing and concealing material support, and making false statements; she was passing messages from her client terrorist to his terrorist friends. She could have received 20-30 years but was given 28 months. Stewart states she came to view the Sheikh as a "fighter for national liberation of oppressed people." Stewart is a self-proclaimed political radical who told the jury she has advocated a violent "revolution of the people that overthrows institutions." Unbeknownst to the people, the replacement institutions will be far worse than anything they have now - but don't let reality get in the way of rhetoric. And of course what "institutions" does she speak of ? The IRS? The institution of marriage? Or the prison she is heading to for a few months?
The liberal/radical seem to have various types of heroes and/or martyrs. One type, like Joe Hill, is lowborn, from the pool of the "oppressed and poor" folks - elevated to icon status. Their careers are usually short-lived as they meet an untimely end, never through any fault of their own but as a direct result of "standing up to the evil ruling class", or so it is told by the makers of common folk history.
Another type of "radical" or progressive hero is a member of the affluent/ruling class or so close to it they can taste it, e.g. Daniel Elsberg, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda, or more recent Michael Moore, Sibel Edmunds, Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, even Obama for some. And the up and comings like Cindy Sheehan, etc. A few imported icons, Che, Chavez, Fidel.
(On a side note, the World Socialist Web Site last week published a verbose 2-part article in defense of pedophile Roman Polanski, more or less declaring the poor man is an artiste and victim of a vindictive witch hunt. Talk about polishing a turd... And people wonder why our children are prematurely adult and our adults permanently childish?)
Note that today's "radicals" do not come close to martyrdom. These folks are safe - whether their chatter is subtle or radical - they are window dressing, so common folk think they have a few higher-ups on their side. These progressive/radical icons work against the lower classes while appearing to advocate for them - some so dense they may not realize what they're doing. In reality, they exploit the lower classes by encouraging their impulsivity and anti-social behavior. Such folks advocate the belief that government should provide all things and solve all problems. From the other side of their mouth they rant about government oppression and "institutions."
And rather than inform their followers with truth, that the underclass in the US are not victims of oppression, they encourage them to become willing barbarians in destroying what they do have. I guess to make way for their new and improved government institutions.
If affluent/ruling class "heroes" are assassinated, they, like the poor folk hero Joe Hill - are victims of the ruling class, or so it seems as told by the tellers of folk history, e.g. JFK, RFK, or Wellstoned ... Remember, if you have the slightest political profile and/or lean a tad to the left - your death is conspiracy fodder - your car, train, plane, boat was sabotaged, your heart attack or cancer was injected via a CIA needle, you were "suicided," or that lone nut shooter was really backed up by several hundred or thousand agencies, departments, professionals, and lay people who at best were willing participants or coerced into keeping quiet, and/or at worst became part of the ruling class body count, a body count that mysteriously never has any proof - conjecture is not evidence. For instance, if you were anywhere near Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, and you eventually died - you were murdered because you knew or saw something.
As with JFK and RFK, the conspiracies surrounding MX and MLK assassination no longer work for me. Why would the American ruling class feel threatened by either of these men? What demands were these men making that the ruling class was not already in the process of doing? If any part of the ruling class backed these murders it was that faction who feared MX and MLK would have fought against the Handout & Dumbdown Slave Plantation that liberalism created.
Do I have heroes? Sure. My family and friends over the years. Decent, hardworking, honest, fun loving, fair-minded, self-sacrificing, loving and loyal people. And all the nameless who stood up to me or for me, to do or say the right thing when it needed to be said or done - the random acts of good people.
Heroes don't have to be perfect, they need to be genuine - not created by press releases and image handlers or self-serving organizations. Most of our "heroes" shine only because they've been wrapped in a lot of tinfoil.
6 comments:
Hi Kate,
During the presidential election, I went to a grocery store and outside were various people pitching their points of view. One of them was a man from the LaRouche organization. He gave me a magazine, DVD and other papers. I brought them home and put them aside. Now almost a year later, I am looking at the DVD. My goodness, this man has compiled a brief international history on the goings on of TPTB. This is quite interesting and a bit frightening. (Frightening only because information of this magnitude is new to me) It seems that a lot falls to the Monarchs with respect to world control, finanancial institutions and wealth, etc.
If thought of from the point of view that they want to hold onto their power, it can be understood. But their sophisticated ways of bringing about what they want can be quite astonishing to the average person you run across. One of the techniques mentioned is brainwashing of heads of state to achieve their means as well as using their own vices against them as weapons. Very civilized.
This is brief I know. But their is so much here.
Anon
You say "One of the techniques mentioned is brainwashing of heads of state to achieve their means as well as using their own vices against them as weapons. Very civilized."
I think the "bluebloods" or PTB only have to dangle money, wealth, prestige to coax the heads, presidents/premiers etc. into doing as they're told. Those rare folks who can't be bought simply return to a decent life, wiser I'm sure.
Those guys and gals composing reams of info and DVDs, are hucksters washing your brain to make money, while furthering the goals of the PTB, whether they know it or not, by spreading fear and dread and hopelessness. Little "us" facing an ancient behemoth "them." A cowed peasantry is easier to herd.
And it's not rocket science to just give we the peons plenty of sex, drugs, and rock and roll and leave us to our own de-vices. Those taking time out from their own vices can be fed the conspiracy pabulum that politically explains "it all" but has no solution - although Hollywood and the media make a fortune convincing you otherwise - they're always speaking "truth to power" according to fans of the Comedy channel and "leftwingy" artiste fartsters.
Best thing to do is become non-invested in regard to the machinations of the world players - because no matter how many slogans and songs or theories and explanations that promise a different world - it's total b.s., and their game has been done over and over almost since day one. There has always been powerful people and always will be but they are not to be feared. Civilization is defined as a society in an advanced state of social development or organization. Chuckle here, hmmm, we're still giving the cavemen shamans power because they convince us only they can access the magic truth that the shiny stones hold.
The only hearts we can change are our own and sometimes those among our family and friends. I wouldn't worry or fear the PTB or their representatives - as my dad would say - they put their pants on the same way as I do, one leg at a time.
As usual Kate, you put everything in such marvelous perspective. As I read your reply, I kept saying: that's right-"...Little "us" facing an ancient behemoth "them." A cowed peasantry is easier to herd."
That's right:
"...it's total b.s., and their game has been done over and over almost since day one. There has always been powerful people and always will be but they are not to be feared." And, so on.
Suddenly, you made all of this seem so small. Thanks. All the better to keep things in perspective. I guess pulling out an old Vincent Price movie would be just as good of a thriller.
By, the way, I find this subject so fascinating. You probably know that by now.
Thank you. I was worried I sounded too preachy.
"Facinating" is right, which is why it sells so well. Our human need to find cause and reason for what goes on in the world.
One of my very pragmatic sons when in high school got into Vincent Price and collected his old movies. Maybe he found Vincent scarier than the rich and their politicians ... :)
Actually, I still like things on TPTB, you just reminded me that they are human, egotistical, with lots of money and power, probably greedy, and have a bigger game to play with than most everyone else. So all though they are very powerful in this world, the fun of it is that I can imagine the powerful as a baboes with diapers on and a bottle in his/her hand playing a game. A game that only almost none or a few can get in on and can play like them, but the imagery with the baby, bottle in hand with a diaper surely makes it less scary. That is as long as I don't have to meet them.
Of course, I imagine all of this.
Sounding "preachy"? Even if you were you have far more knowledge of these things than I do.
Stopped by to wish you and yours happy holidays, and to thank you for the common sense perspective and behind-the-headlines information and research.
I can smell the baking from here (or maybe it's mine).
Kathy
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