Just re-watched Barry Levinson’s wonderful 1996 film “Sleepers”. Got me to thinking about the state of this nation. Putting aside perhaps one or two million of us who protest the many things wrong with various gov’t policies, what about the rest of us? What about the 260 some odd “Sleepers” who say nothing and do nothing to correct the wrongs in this republic?
We have a Congress that acquiesced and gave this President the power and ability to make war on Iraq. Bear with me one minute, you who do not care about Iraq or the fact of a military “first strike”. Do any of you “Sleepers” care about the cost of such a venture? The hundreds of billions of dollars from our treasury into the pockets of the “War Economy”? That means less chance to raise salaries of fire and police and teachers. Less chance to build newer and better schools (hear that “Mr. Education President”?). Less chance to get a Nat’l Healthcare measure adopted (our allies the Brits have it, as do our allies the French) to assure we 260 plus million medical security. How about this? Less chance to obtain proper “homeland security” as the Bushes rammed at us for over a year now All these “best laid plans” and many others out the window in the name of getting this “Butcher of Bagdad”, the “New Hitler” with his “weapons of mass destruction”.
Irony strikes us when we open our eyes to learn all the facts. Irony #1: this man is the same “threat to our nat’l security” who gassed his people (and our mutual enemy Iran) back in the mid 80’s. Yet, the “Butcher of Bagdad” was our friend then, receiving (purchasing, file that away for the moment) mucho aid and weaponry and technology. Some say his capacity to produce biological weapons was helped by guess who?. U.S. corporations had many lucrative contracts with Iraq, and the Reagan/Bush sr. administrations did little to stop this “New Hitler”.
Irony #2: thanks to Victor Thorn of Babel Mag. and Sam Smith of the informative Progressive Review, lets look at one of the major defense contractors (remember the “War Economy” I spoke of earlier) that profits every time this nation makes war. It’s called the Carlyle Group. You cannot buy public stock in this baby–ya gotta be part of the “In Crowd” to profit from Carlyle. Let’s see who this “holding group” employs to help them influence gov’ts and get contracts: George Bush Sr.-( we need no resume on him) Frank Carlucci–Deputy Dir. CIA 1978-81, deputy Sec. of Defense 81-82, Nat’l Security Dir 87-89 James Baker Sec. of State 1989-93–represented Bush Jr. in Florida recount 2000 Arthur Levitt –former head SEC John Major–former Prime Minister Great Britain Fidel Ramos–former Philippine President Afsaneh Beschloss–Treasurer of the World Bank (conflict of interest perhaps?) Park Tae Joon–former Prime Minister of S. Korea Alwakeed Sin Talai Abdulaziz Alsaud–Saudi Arabian Prince(interesting coincidence) George Soros –int’l financier and Bilderberg member (and multi billionaire)
Attention America! We know that the “deck is stacked” against we who get up in the morning and go to work from 9 to 5. We know there is little or no hope for real and fair representation in the current political process. All the more reason for you to step outside yourselves and complain. America is not a nation of “street demonstrators’, I know that. I myself feel uncomfortable standing in public and shouting and carrying signs. Yet, I “nag and challenge’, “nag and challenge” any elected official who I deem as not doing the proper thing. It’s time for the millions of you out there, the ones who need not be politically active, to simply raise your voice and shout “Enough is Enough” to these politicos, nat’l state and local. If we, as a collective 260 plus million, remain silent, the “Powers in power” will make sure we stay that way, through laws and actions to chip away at our civil liberties and rights of dissent.
Read Orwell”s “1984” to realize that labels like the “Butcher of Bagdad” are not something new. Nor is the technique of “Personalizing” or defining an entire nation through the first or last name of its leader or tyrant. We have many tyrants and despots in this world–many are and have been our allies for decades. Wake up “Sleepers”, before its too late!
Philip A Farruggio is a baby boomer Brooklyn NY born bred and educated (Brooklyn College ’74), Currently, he resides in Florida and is self employed as a mfg. rep for an environmental bacteria company. Philip writes for many publications as a free lance columnist. He can be reached at brooklynphilly@aol.com
