Another Salvo for the New Year:

Then, Emile Zola Wrote His “J’Accuse”; Now, Tina Staik Asks, “Is it a coincidence...?”

by Tina Staik

The lies of "deregulation" and "war" are NOT a coincidence! Deregulation has done nothing but open doors for corruption, permitting federal regulators and Congress to make decisions on the basis of (1) personal gains and (2) corporate interests--at the expense of public interests. In short, the LIE of deregulation is a pretense, a contrived message, like so many others spit out by radical conservatives, i.e., "family values," "return power to the people with local control," "compassionate conservatism," designed to ultimately destroy the middle class.

War has done nothing but boost profits AND economies in a manner that increases the gap between rich and poor, destroys the middle class, and overall maintains a hierarchical social order, in which the majority of people remain poor, unemployed, uneducated, demoralized, thus, easier to CONTROL citizenry. Speaking of controls, "war" also justifies robbing citizens of civil rights and liberties, justifies secrecy.

Can citizens and leaders throughout the world afford to sit back and watch the world stage be transformed into one military dictatorship after another by the greedy and power-hungry few who, perceiving democracy as their greatest threat, want war and world dominance?

The U.S. military and federal agencies have been spinning out of control since WWII, apparently more interested in fighting PROLONGED wars than "winning" them.

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. showed interest in Hitler's power to achieve "conformity," and then pursued social research to achieve the same over minorities and women activists in U.S.

It is not a coincidence that right wing fascists, following WWII, were welcomed and protected in the U.S. under a twisted interpretation of "free speech.”

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. since has involved itself in ongoing wars, loftily describing their efforts with carefully crafted euphamisms, i.e., "deterring communism," "war on drugs," and now, "war on terrorism."

It is not a coincidence that war is a means of boosting the economy that diverts spending away from social programs to prevent the creation of a socially just, egalitarian society with equality and prosperity for all.

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. and Russia had much in common in the Cold War, both using their ideologies of "capitalism" and "communism," respectively, as smokescreens to mask the establishment of military dictatorships, permitting the flagrant waste of money on bombs and military supremacy, while "justifying" neglect of their citizens’ needs and increases in poverty, homelessness, discrimination.

It is not a coincidence that, since the Vietnam era, the U.S. government has developed programs like COINTELPRO to dismantle civil rights, human and women's rights and peace activist groups, while giving lip service internationally to human rights and democracy.

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. has involved itself in taking down democracies and installing oppressive regimes in one Middle East and South American country after another.

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. developed an interest in studying terrorist activities, and then developed its own professionalized terrorist training "schools.”

It is not a coincidence that since the disappointing (to some) end of the Cold War, the U.S. turned to a "war on drugs," and now, a "war on terrorism" that appears totally contrived and irrelevant and out of synch with the rest of the world.

It is not a coincidence that our involvement in "wars" increased, rather than decreased, the spread of communism, drugs and terrorism.

It is not a coincidence that our financial institutions play key roles in financing terrorism, drugs and human trafficking, yet continue to go unregulated in the interest of "profits.”

It is not a coincidence that Americans discovered in their presidential elections of 2000 that our country is not a democracy, that our elections have been systematically rigged to discount people whom "supremacists" consider inferior--predominantly blacks and the poor (women), yet little, apart from lip service, has been done to investigate and democratize.

It is not a coincidence that oil puppet Bush was "selected" by the U.S. Supreme Court in violation of constitutional law, yet members of Congress remain silent, likely dependent on future campaign financing by oil and war industries.

It is not a coincidence that the oil puppet Bush administration began speaking RECESSION and WAR into being, and making with deals with oil companies and the Taliban, from day one.

It is not a coincidence that the U.S. still refuses to ratify U.N. treaties condemning discrimination against women, racism and human rights abuses, banning proliferation of small arms, bioterrorism weapons, nuclear arms.

It is not a coincidence that "war" keeps people "quiet," "fearfully dependent," "willing to trust" any tyrant to "protect" their lives and families, and "in the dark" about a hidden agenda to establish a hierarchical social order, subjugating people into submission via terrorism, deprivation, poverty, despair.

If not a conspiracy, this seems a very well-planned effort (by oil and war powers?) to dominate the world, dismantle democracies, justify the establishment of military dictatorships, destroy the middle class, and subjugate women and "identified" minorities, through religious fundamentalist interpretations of Christian, Muslim or Jewish sacred text. [Ref. DEMOCRACY OR AUTOCRACY? ]

And it does not have to be a conspiracy of thousands. As we have learned, U.S. covert operations--as well as terrorist cells--are compartmentalized to prevent leakage, so that some individuals know about certain activities, that others involved elsewhere do not. Perhaps not coincidentally, terrorist cells are also described to exist in similarly loose compartmentalization. A master plan, however, is likely available in all cases to a select few. The possibility must at least be considered. This war on democracy is too "organized" and well-funded for American citizens and nations around the world to ignore.

In every case, radical conservatives (supremacists), serving an ultimate goal of maintaining a hierarchical social order, have waged a war on democracy, deceitfully justifying their actions as necessary for citizens' "protection" and "defense" from "enemy" oppressors, lawlessness, disorder--environments that THEY themselves more often create or start.

In all cases, conservative leaders have increasingly cloaked themselves with "religion," depicting themselves as "pious," making deceitful emotional appeals targeted at people's desires for building compassionate and caring communities for their families and children. (It is scientifically known that abused and demoralized citizens are more open to obeying without question.)

In each case, conservatives have portrayed themselves as "benevolent" and "moral" leaders, simultaneously, running campaigns focused on discrediting "liberals" as "socialists," "commies," "godless" and "immoral," as well as dismantling or infiltrating pro-democracy organizations.

Our nation's citizens have been socially conditioned (brainwashed) to accept an economic and political system that benefits few and subjugates many. We stand to gain much understanding from examining what factors contributed to the rise of the Taliban, how U.S. intelligence was used to fuel fundamentalist beliefs against women, how promotion of rape of women and sexual abuse of children creates a citizenry that is more "controllable" by fundamentalist ideologies, and so on.

As several laureates have stated in the last decade, providing education and equality to women is a very PRACTICAL thing to do in fighting poverty and overpopulation. Women's rights are not a “nice to have” thing for women. They are a “must have” guarantee to every society that, by embracing its women as equal human beings, they will more likely succeed in creating a stable and secure society in which there is social justice and democracy and education and abundance for all. By zealously protecting the human rights of women, nations ensure women will speak in their voices, in turn guaranteeing an end to racism, and every other form of human rights abuses and discrimination.

Think about what we know is essential for democratic civilizations to prosper: rule of law, equality under the law, education, jobs, respect for human rights, opportunity for all. We also know what leads to civil war, revolutions, and terrorism--competitions for dominance, lawlessness, oppression of people, unemployment, proliferation of guns, poverty.

Think about what we KNOW is essential for democratic civilizations to prosper: rule of law, equality under the law, education, jobs, respect for human rights, opportunity for all. We also know what leads to civil war, revolutions, and terrorism--competitions for dominance, lawlessness, oppression of people, unemployment, proliferation of guns, poverty.

We also know that GENUINE "Marshall Plans" work. Thus, we must make every effort worldwide to prevent oil and war industries and their media machines to close the doors on this alternative.

American leaders in Congress and business must make every effort to restore democracy in America, and dethrone the LIES of deregulation and war once and for all. Our government is endangering our lives by allowing itself to be used by oil and war profiteers to achieve military and economic world dominance.

The international community must address the serious danger signs the current U.S. administration poses to its citizens and the world. They must not be tempted to protect the U.S. economy as a means of protecting their own, when there is ample evidence that the attacks on America’s economy are purposeful and planned.

The international community must not accept mere token gestures from the U.S. in support of ending terrorism. Without genuine involvement of the United States in ending human rights abuses, proliferations of dangerous nuclear wastes and weapons and small arms, and so on, there is high risk that the U.S. will turn into a "rogue" nation--a danger to citizens worldwide.

Haven't the Afghan people suffered enough? Haven't the Israeli and Palestinian people suffered enough? Haven't the people of Africa suffered enough? Haven't the people of South America suffered enough? Haven't African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans suffered enough? Haven't women and children throughout the world suffered enough?

War is NOT a viable solution. Covert operations and international business deals and banking without auditing and tracking procedures are NOT acceptable. Unregulated hoarding of wealth, otherwise known as "free trade," is NOT conducive to establishing win-win peaceful international relations.

A world without social justice as a prime initiative is a world that threatens all our lives and human survival.

A world without social justice as a prime initiative is a world that threatens all our lives and human survival.

Our lives and world depend on pressuring Congress to restore democracy to end the corruption of our government and agencies and military by oil, war and drug industries. Campaign financing that is totally publicly funded is a must, not an option, for restoring checks and balances. The tax cut that robbed citizens of their surplus for education, health care, prescription drugs, must be repealed. The international treaties of the United Nations must be ratified. Members of Congress who have received campaign financing from oil and war industries must be pressured to return those sums. It is time to call campaign financing what it is, a BRIBE.

Congress and our courts must be TOUGH on those involved in Enrongate. We need checks and balances that ensure no repeat. We need members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to come clean, bravely admit their mistakes, investigate, and get "tough on crime" with the BIG guys. We need to know why auditing and citizen oversight procedures were not established after Enron's predecessor, the Savings and Loan debacle.

It's time to STOP radical conservatives from leading America--and other nations of the world--down a path of endless WAR and/or OIL and/or DRUG profiteering. Our ability to think has been attacked for decades by well financed propaganda campaigns. Many have been socially conditioned to think dominance and violence is a way of life. As social scientists, federal agents and the military will tell you--brainwashing works--on some.

Radical conservatives must be invited to THINK out of the box. There is NO protection against the anger and rage of violated people...only blind fools think otherwise. The Golden Rule is a law of Life. We cannot hurt others without ultimately hurting ourselves.

WAKE UP AMERICA...wake up pro-democracy organizations...wake up leaders of the international community...wake up United Nations...wake up moderate Republicans and Democrats...wake up journalists...wake up women...wake up young people...wake up working families...wake up corporate executives...wake up oil, war and drug profiteers...wake up peace loving people...our lives and world depend on you!

Wishing our country and all nations of the world a peace-filled and prosperous New Year filled with meaningful moments with family and friends.