Ignorance Knows No Bounds

When I first left Kansas and landed in Oz I was mesmerized. I thought what a wonderful place, so beautiful, so interesting, such bright colors, and fascinating people. So much was new, so much I had never imagined. And the Munchkins were so cute, quaint. And to get anywhere, there was only one way to go to get there, “Follow the yellow brick road”. So simple, “Why didn’t I think of that?” With Toto in tow I wound myself round and was off to see the wizard.

I found a friend … the inquisitive sort … but nothing was sure … and soon became a bore … So Toto in tow, and one friend mo’, down the road we did go … off to see the wizard …

Such beautiful apples … a delight to the eye and good to eat … (didn’t I hear this myth in Kansas) … “maybe they can make us “wise” and we can know” … But they were corporate property and not to be had easily … so dumb shit straw head started a tiff … nothing too big mind you … just enough to piss off the corpos and to placate us they tossed some budgeted consumer good will merchandise at us … and a non-transferable, ten percent off the purchase of any of their over inflated regularly priced goods, limited time only, redeemable at any of their franchised outlets – coupon. But there was too much fine print to fit on the coupon, and we didn’t have a lawyer to interpret it all for us – so we went looking for the Wicked Witch of the West so we could cram it up her ass. We found the witch, but she was a tight ass, so after getting a bit burned, we flipped her the bird, and Toto in tow, with my friend Moe, and a few wise apples, down the road we did go, off to see the wizard.

Oh, I almost forgot – we came across this hollow dude – just sort of hangin’ out (it’s easy to forget about hollow dudes). I think he’d been stuck there for a while … I think he had experienced some sort of emotional trauma … didn’t like to talk about it very much … and we didn’t push the issue … But … we gave him a bit of moral support .. Asked if he wanted to join the band … (he was a hell of a metal drummer) … and Toto in tow, a Hollow Dude, Moe, and yours truly … by this time we had consumed the apples … down the road we did go … off to see the wizard …

Not is all cool along this endless highway … we passed through some underdeveloped depressed areas … god damn friggin’ cop webs every fuckin’ place … OH … excuse me … that should have been “cob” webs … mustn’t confuse the issue or malign those so nobly dedicated to “protect and to serve” … And watch out for the fat cats … the slum lords … we ran into one … tried to bully us … I think they call it extortion … he sounded real tough … but he was really a pussy … had this strange fascination with tails .. particularly his own … but we figured he’d be good to help guard our asses … we found out later he made a damn good lead singer … so Toto in tow, Hollow Dude, Moe, Pussy and Yo – yours truly … down the road we did go … off to see the wizard …

I don’t know what got into Tight Ass, but she really had a tude. But you got to give her credit; she had some connections to some really good shit … I mean kick ass brain numbing stuff. Yo- yours truly, Pussy, and even Toto got absolutely wasted … fucked up … but damn those dreams were amazing … Hollow Dude got all emotional and reverted back to his former post-traumatic condition and was useless … Moe ran around like a chicken with it’s head cut off … I suppose it’s all the same … He never did have too much upstairs … Then … what would you think … This God damn Miss Goody Two Shoes fairy angel has to stick her nose into our stuff and do what SHE decides is best for us, waves her fuckin’ wand, hides the stash, replaces it with some snow … NO ..no .. no … I mean “snow” … you know … the white shit that falls from the sky … the cold stuff … not the nose stuff … Damn religious do gooders … I thought I left all that back in Kansas … Any way … we get our heads back together … gave Hollow Dude emotional support .. and headed up the road … off to see the wizard … (bet you thought I was going to do the Toto in tow routine … well … the songs not over yet)

Well … we made it to the Forbidden City … real uptight, nervous, defensive control freaks these citizens in the green … Don’t get me wrong … once they let us in they were nice enough … but talk about fear … and unable to think for themselves … sheesh … My God … sure … they had all these fancy services and weird horses that could trip your mind … but anything that was new or not “usual” to the Forbidden City … they went into a tizzy … Get this … Tight Ass is flyin’ round … oh I’d say about a thousand feet up … I think she had some really special stuff that her and her fellow bitches … ahhhh … “witches” can get … but she’s up there … I mean really smokin’ …That broom was really doin’ a number … And these green freaks are scared shitless … I mean scared … shitless … You’d think they’ve never seen anybody ever enter an altered state of consciousness and connect with their higher inner self and realize an out of body experience … Well … maybe they haven’t … but to go into a tizzy over it … And all they could do was cower and cry … “The wizard will know, lets see the wizard” … I don’t know … but this wizard guy really had this place by the balls … or so it would appear … And what’s so weird is … Nobody can see the wizard …not nobody … no how … At least … that’s the line you are handed at the door … And these dumb shits the wizard surrounds himself with … they don’t know whether they’re coming or going … But I have a suspicion … a theory … I don’t think anybody around the wizard knows … because the wizard doesn’t know … Of course …at this particular time that was just a theory … and since I had shared it with Moe, Hollow Dude and Pussy … it was written off as a conspiracy theory … But this WIZ … he knew how to intimidate … Ole Pussy shit himself running to the john … at least that’s where I think he was running to …

Any way the WIZ turned out to be an ass … nothing new there .. most of them are I think … but WIZ was a wiz of an ass … and had this fetish for Tight Asses broom stick … I think they had some kind of a kinky relationship and he wanted a keep sake … You know something to connect with … make it a little easier to get into the fantasy …

Well we went looking for Tight Ass … little did we know we were under surveillance … Not the WIZ (although if he could have he would have) … but Tight Ass … she had the cctv system that seemed to be everywhere … Damn … at one time it was zeroing in on Kansas … I can only say … it was a god damn good thing her and the WIZ broke up … can you imagine those kind of power tools in the hands of unscrupulous ego maniacs … well … just thank your lucky stars this is just a fantasy … I hate to think it might be real … would be up shit’s creek … hmmm… hmmm … hmmm

Well … Tight Ass got her bead on us … and who the hell knows where she got them … but she had all these flying monkeys … I mean ugly dudes … maybe there were a few dudettes … but they were still ugly … Damn ugly … “How ugly?” … DAMN …ugly … I’m not real sure … but I believe these were the “demons” that the jolly green folk may have been so scared shitless of … They sure fit the profile … That may explain the break up with the WIZ … green folk can’t handle too much weird stuff … throws them all off balance … they need regularity … a place for everything and everything in it’s place … but please …. Don’t make the mistake of letting them clean your home if you are sick and can’t yourself … you won’t be able to find shit … they’ll know where they put things … and they’ll assume you should know… but you have to love them … and forgive them … they mean well … but sometimes …they like to assume they can rearrange your home as if it were their home … but don’t be afraid to kick their asses out…

Any way … back to our fantasy … The monkeys really made a mess of things … Poor ole Moe is scattered all over the place … straw men can be pretty flimsy … but I guess they serve a purpose … but if you ask me … a little bit phony … (but keep that to yourself) … we wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings … The monkey’s grabbed yours truly and Toto and spirited us away to some dingy detention center for an “interview”. Tight Ass was trying all her psychological interrogation techniques … and was about to prepare for the water boarding … I admit … I was starting to get scared … and that cctv system … you know … I think Tight Ass must have some sort of “borg” implant … because she can be flyin’ who knows where and keep her eye on you … scary shit indeed …

Toto managed to make a break and hooked up with Moe, Hollow Dude and Pussy. They decided to infiltrate the ranks of Tight Asses military .. kind of a covert operation … They got in and followed Toto to break me out. … Now the shit starts to hit the fan … fuckin’ Marx brother’s movie it was … You’d think the military would have their shit together … but … I suppose when you have a Tight Ass in charge you can only expect so much … then again maybe it wasn’t the military but the Tight Ass in charge … don’t matter … Well … we were cornered … no way out of this one … Moe was getting burned … this was desperate … Some how … out of somewhere this “presumed” bucket of water appears …I say presumed because that’s what I thought it was … Trying to douse the flames consuming Moe (straw men make great fires) … Tight Ass got soaked … It was then that I realized that this bucket of water was actually a bucket of sulfuric acid … well … Tight Ass and the acid didn’t mix too well … just be careful to step around the puddle …

We got the broom stick and made it back to WIZ … But WIZ was waffling … Lying bastard tried to crawfish … But Toto ain’t no dumb huckleberry … that dog got smarts … and what should appear from behind the curtain … Well … If it isn’t Professor “fucking” Marvel … the Flim Flam man … well … well … well

Well PfM got exposed and made a cunning exit … Moe, Hollow Dude and Pussy took control of the Forbidden City … yours truly found Miss Goody Two Shoes and told her to forget the going back to Kansas crap … I just wanted the rest of the “really good shit” she snatched and get out of my life … to which she complied And I lived happily ever after … but I’m not so sure of the residents of the Forbidden City … because … since they didn’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain … they ended up with a “straw man, a hollow dude and a pussy” running the show …

So if there is a moral to this story … I think it would be this “Pay attention to the man behind the curtain – because even in the land of OZ … Ignorance Knows No Bounds … flim flam, straw man, hollow man, pussy … sounds like a sure combination for political success”

The Traveling Photographer: Gettysburg at Dawn

The Traveling Photographer: Gettysburg at Dawn

I Can Not Blame the People

I Can Not Blame the People

After posting the blog “Body of War” a short dialog ensued. I post a portion of it below:

Rev Ritchie: thank you Bob for posting the amazing heartfelt story.

Bob: As usual ... I was looking for something else ... and this was laid in my lap ... simply shoved in my face ... and as I watched ... my insides were wrenched and twisted ... feelings of empathy and compassion - and anger and disgust ... I couldn't stop watching ... and I couldn't stop feeling ... And I am at that point confronted with a quandry ... Now that I've seen ... now that I've felt ... What do I do with it?... Me ... with my skills and abilities ... what do I do with a truth that is systematically being withheld by power structures intent on manipulating reality to fit their agenda ... I can't walk away from it ....

Rev Ritchie: Bob, I don't blame Bush and his cronies but the American people for not seeking and demanding the truth. The truth is, those bastards are suppose to be working for us but instead, they have turned around and fucked us.

Kim: blame not only the Bush crime family but the israeli ass kissing media that controls everything shown on TV and radio.

Rev Ritchie: What about the people that watch that mess? If people didn't watch, the news media ratings would not be high, therefore they would not make any money from the advertisement.

Bob: We in America ... the United States ... exist in a world of fantasy. Illusions that were crafted many years ago, and for the words stated themselves, noble ideals. Thoughts and ideas worth aspiring too. But inherent in these noble principles is the potential for the perversion of the same. Our best hopes and wishes are turned against us. Hijacked under the guise of a pseudo-freedom waving banner. The opinion that economic industrialism is the yard stick by which freedom is to be measured has turned society into a colony of ants. Everyone a worker...every one a drone ... all is determined by the economic benefit that may be reaped by the corporate sponsors of “life on earth”. “Free” enterprise is a shadowy delusion, unless backed and ultimately controlled by the money brokers, the investment capitalists. And we are sold this ideology. It is the only one that is acceptable. It is the only one expressed and continually reinforced time and time again. It is the only one permitted to be talked about. To enter discussion into the possibilities of alternative systems and values is to brand oneself a rebel, a dissident, a malcontent, a loser, a weirdo pinko commie non-conformist. And having thus been branded – an undesirable, a social outcast.

No – I can not immediately and unequivocally blame the “people” the masses. They are only acting on the information that is continually and perpetually shoved at them. Yes ... the masses of the populace are gullible. But not having the understanding of the resources available to them, and surely the “system” does not want them educated and knowledgeable, I can’t blame the people.

Naïve trust and the resultant gullibility is part of the illusion. “We can trust our elected leaders”; “They have ‘our’ interests at heart”. Welcome to ‘Fantasy Island’. And as our ‘leaders’ commit themselves to the economic delusion and crawl into the beds of pecuniary whore mongers they show themselves for the sluts they are. And we suffer the effects of their fiscal STD’s.

As a nation...what am I saying... the “World” is suffering from an economic HIV equivalent – if it is not in fact a full blown case of AIDS.

The idea that everyone has the opportunity be become “rich”, to become a “master” within the economic system is a con. It has the appearance of seeming a desirable aspiration. But it is far less than a half truth. Because as those who would become masters of and within the system, the intrinsic domination and subjection of other’s is not communicated. Now, no one would enter into a system thinkingly wanting to dominate others, at least not persons of conscience, but it is not the individuals themselves who dominate, it is the nature of the system itself. Masters – by the very nature – require subservients. And all find themselves at various levels on the pyramid. And the higher one wishes to rise the more one will dominate. The vast majority of us end up at the very bottom of the pyramid – these are the ones who bear all the weight.

Part of the illusion is that our government is at the very top of the pyramid. It is not. It only serves as middle managers for the financial puppeteers pulling the strings from the top of the pyramid.

We all need to ask ourselves... How is this war in Iraq being financed? It’s not in our treasury! Our taxes aren’t going to pay for it any time soon. So who is funding it ...? Where is the money being borrowed from?... And what good businessman would lend such amounts unless there was the promise of substantial financial return?

Wake up people...

Jesus Christ was right when he said of the masses “they are like sheep without a shepherd” ... Well' our shepherds have been shearing us and butchering us ... and that is our only value to them ...

Now ... that is one concept of freedom ....

What’s another ...?

Body of War

Body of War

May 30, 2008

Bill Moyers interviews former talk show host Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro on the true cost of war and their documentary, BODY OF WAR, depicting the moving story of one veteran dealing with the aftermath of war. With extensive excerpts from the film, the filmmakers talk about Iraq war veteran Tomas Young who was shot and paralyzed less than a week into his tour of duty. Three years in the making, BODY OF WAR tells the poignant tale of the young man's journey from joining the service after 9/11 to fight in Afghanistan, to living with devastating wounds after being deployed to Iraq instead.

NOTE: Tomas Young's struggle continues day by day. In late May 2008, he fell into a coma brought on by a clot in his lung. His mother, Cathy, tells us they are working to keep him awake and talking a few hours every day.
- Bill Moyers

Well wishing can be sent to:

Tomas Young - patient
Saint Luke's Hospital
4401 Wornall
Kansas City, MO 64111

Download this file in either FLV or WMV formats
http://www.bcmp.us/Body of War/bodyofwar.FLV
http://www.bcmp.us/Body of War/bodyofwar.wmv

BODY OF WAR: Donahue and Spiro: Part I
BODY OF WAR: Donahue and Spiro: Part II

Can We Get It Back?

Can We Get It Back?

Benjamin Franklin, ever the optimist even at the age of 81, gave what was for him a remarkably restrained assessment in his final speech before the Constitutional Convention: "…when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views." He thought it impossible to expect a "perfect production" from such a gathering, but he believed that the Constitution they had just drafted, "with all its faults," was better than any alternative that was likely to emerge.

There is a story, often told, that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: "A republic, if you can keep it." The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people; they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health.

In these two stories about Franklin there is a pragmatic realism that in his years was wisdom for us all, if we had the sense enough to grasp it. Unfortunately, and although this has always been the case, I believe the situation over the last sixty years or so has been exacerbated for the “common folk” who would be expected to participate in a democracy on what might be called an “informed” level or to make “educated” decisions regarding issues. I separate “educated” from “indoctrinated” assessments, educated implying an unbiased access to information upon which to reach reasoned conclusions. To be sure that is much of the purpose for a “republic” rather than a direct democracy. The assumption being our elected representatives would have that information and wisdom to handle the task with our interests in mind.

Yet even as we elect representatives we are at the mercy of ambitious, usually well educated, and too often self serving politicians adept in playing the “con” to get their way and our vote. As complex as many issues have become your average high school graduate simply is not prepared to tackle these, and thus can be relatively easily manipulated. Even college graduates though exiting with a higher level of knowledge, that knowledge is seldom refined to any degree and usually of some specialized nature. I do not write from any sense of expertise here, only personal observation. Add to this the progressive reliance on the television for most of the information that is disseminated within society and the corporate dominance of this and the print and entertainment industries, and further complicated by the sound bite attention spans catered to on the Internet, - the general populace – even though the information is there and available (at least for now) the general populace is not educated enough or willing to educate themselves to be able to participate in a “democracy” with what can be considered a sufficient educated informed knowledge. I am not saying they are “stupid”. Nor am I saying they lack “common sense”. But common sense can be manipulated if all you are getting is partial truths, or you lack the skills and in many cases “interest” to do the work of becoming informed.

This uninformed condition is not something that exists within the “corporatized” system. They know exactly what they are doing and have specific goals. As long as the general populace chooses to simply get by in a “business as usual” modes operandi, the system will not work in the interest of the common man.

So in a sense, yet having a democratic republic – "A republic, if you can keep it." – we have lost it.

The question I continually wrestle with is, “Can we get it back?”

What value is a memorial?

What value is a memorial?

Besides providing a reference for remembrance to lives lost and sacrificed, what is the intrinsic value? What are memorials other than symbols of the “glory” of war? And how is it we are convinced that war, any war, can be “glorious”?

How is it that national interests, any nation’s interests, can justify the threat and ultimately the forced imposition of its will on any other, any other nation, or any other being? What constitutes a “nation”? Is it geographic boundaries? Ethnic background? Religious heritage? Historically evolved cultural commonalities? OR, is it what is emerging today, the corporatization and assimilation of national identities into the fold of economic dominions, under the guise of democratic expansion? Is the democratic process only widow dressing perpetuating the illusion of a narrowly conceived idea of freedom? What does “freedom” have to do with “nationalism” anyway? What makes us assume that our “democracy” is the universal desire of all other nations and peoples? I use the term “democracy” loosely as there is behind the curtain powers that manipulate the image. Powers that we are supposed to “pay no attention too”. But we are permitted to cast our vote for a new “avatar” that looks more attractive to us, a new “mouthpiece” that will say things the way we want to hear them. Nothing will change - the underlying powers remain the same – but we will feel better – we’ve cast our vote.

Now, I’m sure I’ve convinced some, if not many, that I have a problem with “democracy”. NO – that is not the case. I have a problem with the “illusion” of democracy. And as any system may become corrupted, not just economically corrupted which I feel certain is probable, but corrupted with extraneous laws, laws of convenience and compromise, arbitrary in nature and holding no absolute value for permanence other than to secure the presumed rights of a privileged few. It is argued that we are a “nation of laws”. The idea being it is the rule of “law” that binds us and defines our character and relations to each other. This holds well only as a limited exercise in human relations. And most, would agree that as dictated by a common sense of conscience there are human rights no-one is entitled to violate. But as we become engrossed in the codifying of “laws” of less than universal perception and agreed to for the sake of expediency - the conscience and character of our individual identities is lost. My conscience becomes bound by the arbitrarily expedient - my humanity – and human right to act on conscience – my “freedom” is lost. Freedom becomes synonymous with “conforming”.

And it is these same master merchants who would compromise my conscience who would sell me the notion that a memorial is sufficient compensation for a life. Or many lives. Or my son, or sons, or daughters, and friends. A statue on a battle field, a parade down Main Street, a eulogy over dead bodies, a fine obituary. No - I do not find this adequate compensation. Not when the reality of what the sacrifice made for is such a lie.

We have become a nation without conscience. Much talk has been made lately about the inherent compromise of talking to our enemies and the presumed “appeasement” that entails. When are we in the United States going to open our eyes? Appeasement – “Appeasement my ass!” Face the facts – the world – with few exceptions – is in truth tap dancing to our tune and doing everything it can to appease us. After all they wouldn’t want some armed drone aircraft hovering over them just looking for some “target of opportunity”. And in our arrogance we are continuing to press on to manage the planet and seek out those “targets of opportunity” where ever they may be. “You’re either with us or against us” George W. Bush.

GW is just the surface. So are “Dicky C” and the rest of their cronies. Hillary or Barack are not the answer either. Oh a few non –crucial compensations may be implemented, but the underlying reality of the corporate economic domination of the world remains, and WE, the United States, its puppet police force.

Welcome to "Pax Americana"