Land Of The Flea

Who Funds the War Party?

"I use the 'War Party' phraseology as shorthand for a number of different groups and individuals, all of whom are linked by an ideological and/or financial interest in promoting a foreign policy of perpetual war. This includes those groups pushing for budget-busting 'defense' outlays, as well as those whose commitment to militarism is more ideological. Then there are the foreign lobbyists who have an interest in maintaining and expanding the American Empire: and while there are a number of foreign interests involved in this vector, the one that stands out on account of the sheer quantity of its resources is the Israel lobby, which combines a rich source of funding with ideologically-based activism." Continue reading →

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Should We Celebrate the American Revolution?

"Conservatives who cherish the Fourth of July while cheering today’s wars have a high tolerance for cognitive dissonance. The American Revolution was, at best, a revolt against empire. The taxes at issue were being used to finance Britain’s national security state. The colonial rebels didn’t 'support the troops' – they resented them. And they resented Britain’s status as the hypocritical world power, which closely resembled the modern United States – an empire claiming the mantle of liberty while smashing its colonial subjects. Today’s conservatives would have likely been partisans of King George. Independence would mean Washington, DC, releasing control of its colonies worldwide." Continue reading →

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No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

"To support the troops is to accept a particular idea of the American role in the world. It also forces us to pretend that it is a country legitimately interested in equality for all its citizens. In reality, the troops are not actually recipients of any meaningful support. That honor is reserved for the government and its elite constituencies. 'Support our troops' entails a tacit injunction that we also support whatever politicians in any given moment deem the national interest. If we understand that 'the national interest' is but a metonym for the aspirations of the ruling class, then supporting the troops becomes a counterintuitive, even harmful, gesture." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

Obama rodeo clown: People have lost their ability to laugh

"A rodeo clown at the Missouri State Fair who sparked outrage earlier this month by wearing an Obama mask is speaking out about the controversy. Tuffy Gessling told KCTV people have threatened to burn down his house and run him over with a car since the incident at the fair. Gessling said the irreverent spectacle wasn’t meant to be 'hating on anyone.' 'This clown bit has been around for generations,' he added. 'I didn’t think anything more of it than what we’ve done 15 years ago, 10 years ago, five years ago, when we’ve done it with Bush, Clinton and Ronald Reagan.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama rodeo clown: People have lost their ability to laugh

Obama rodeo clown: People have lost their ability to laugh

"A rodeo clown at the Missouri State Fair who sparked outrage earlier this month by wearing an Obama mask is speaking out about the controversy. Tuffy Gessling told KCTV people have threatened to burn down his house and run him over with a car since the incident at the fair. Gessling said the irreverent spectacle wasn’t meant to be 'hating on anyone.' 'This clown bit has been around for generations,' he added. 'I didn’t think anything more of it than what we’ve done 15 years ago, 10 years ago, five years ago, when we’ve done it with Bush, Clinton and Ronald Reagan.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama rodeo clown: People have lost their ability to laugh

Wisconsin Capitol police tackle man for photographing progressive protest

"A photographer and activist was aggressively arrested at the Wisconsin Capitol on Monday during a daily singalong protest. Video of the incident uploaded to YouTube showed two police officers approaching Damon Terrell, who can be heard saying, 'This is not illegal.' As Terrell backed away, one of the officers grabbed him. Terrell ended up on the ground with three officers on top of him. Another video uploaded to YouTube showed four officers carrying Terrell out of the rotunda by his arms and legs. Christopher J. Terrell, Damon’s brother, was also arrested for participating in the 'Solidarity Sing Along' demonstration in the Capitol." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWisconsin Capitol police tackle man for photographing progressive protest

Wisconsin Capitol police tackle man for photographing progressive protest

"A photographer and activist was aggressively arrested at the Wisconsin Capitol on Monday during a daily singalong protest. Video of the incident uploaded to YouTube showed two police officers approaching Damon Terrell, who can be heard saying, 'This is not illegal.' As Terrell backed away, one of the officers grabbed him. Terrell ended up on the ground with three officers on top of him. Another video uploaded to YouTube showed four officers carrying Terrell out of the rotunda by his arms and legs. Christopher J. Terrell, Damon’s brother, was also arrested for participating in the 'Solidarity Sing Along' demonstration in the Capitol." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWisconsin Capitol police tackle man for photographing progressive protest

Young, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

"The Gallup organization polled Americans across the partisan divide, and ranging in age from pimply and arrogant to wrinkly and bitter, about their opinions of various sectors of American society. When it comes to the federal government, it's probably no surprise that starry-eyed youth and White House-haunting Democrats had the most affectionate sentiments. What is surprising is that the sort of affection they show is less akin to a passionate embrace and more like, 'it's not you, really, it's me. We're just not working out.' That's right, even among the young and the Democratic, warm feelings for the federal government are hard to find." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYoung, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

Young, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

"The Gallup organization polled Americans across the partisan divide, and ranging in age from pimply and arrogant to wrinkly and bitter, about their opinions of various sectors of American society. When it comes to the federal government, it's probably no surprise that starry-eyed youth and White House-haunting Democrats had the most affectionate sentiments. What is surprising is that the sort of affection they show is less akin to a passionate embrace and more like, 'it's not you, really, it's me. We're just not working out.' That's right, even among the young and the Democratic, warm feelings for the federal government are hard to find." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYoung, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

A Long List of What We Know Thanks to Private Manning

"The debate in the media, and in political circles over Edward Snowden—Right or Wrong—often doubles back on references to Pfc. Manning, who was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison on Wednesday. Too often (that is, most of the time), the value and import of the Manning/WikiLeaks disclosures are ignored or dismissed, just as Snowden’s NSA scoops are often derided as 'nothing new.' So for those who either suffer from memory loss or ignorance on this particular score, here is a partial accounting of some of the important revelations in the Manning leak, drawn from my book—with Kevin Gosztola—on the Manning case, Truth and Consequences." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Long List of What We Know Thanks to Private Manning