Pretend Primary: Diebold strikes again

2000, 2004 revisited…

A week ago I was proud to be an American. Obviously that has been a scarce occurrence over the last eight years, but Iowa showed the true promise of this country. In a state that had 2% minority representation, Iowa overwhelmingly proved that “white” Americans ( sans the powers-that-be ) indeed have the capacity to see past the color of skin, and demonstrated a true desire for “change”. The stunning collective upheaval of “Hope” was a glorious thing to see.

The momentum was not and is not imaginary. That fact was proved out by the response we witnessed from the mainstream media. Their obliviousness was suddenly shattered, and they were forced to view reality in an entirely new fashion… A task that found most of them fumbling for new tools to work with.

Almost instantly, the tide swept through to New Hampshire and within a day, the polls reflected as much. The momentum only increased over the five days to the point that the Clintons were visibly angry, agitated, and confused. The sheep were not being herded properly, and their displeasure was evident. Their final shots at Obama revealed latent prejudices that sadly most white Americans of a certain age have, whether they demonstrate them or not.

The only questions that remained were how large a cascade would occur and would Hillary even have cause to stay in the race afterwards. No one in this world would have expected to see such discussions on mainstream media, but there they were… Trying to figure out a future they hadn’t seen coming.

Yet one day later and here we are again with primary results that in no way shape or form match the pre-election polls, the sentiment of the country, or the turnouts “on the ground” in New Hampshire. Magically we are transported to elections gone by, and topsy-turvy results. Once again in the last moments, 14% of the population of New Hampshire voters decided that change in fact was not what they wanted, and decided this without any indication whatsoever. I don’t believe a bit of it, and neither should you.

Numerous hypotheses have been posed to explain this “miraculous” occurrence. “Tearing up” made her seem more “sensitive” or “human” - A flimsy argument at best if you saw the remainder of that “tearful” comment in which she proceeded to assault Obama. Perhaps it was because young people didn’t turn out, or that independents voted for McCain? More useless arguments since the “young people” were certainly turning out for the rallies and McCain certainly didn’t win by that much. Not to mention people voting democratic were still significantly more than those voting republican.

So what did change between these two events? What dramatic difference could account for such a shift? The answer is quite obvious. The Iowa caucus was conducted with people raising their hands, in the open, and walking to a particular side of the room to be counted. There’s no way to “hack” that. Voting machines counting the so-called “secret” ballot in New Hampshire however, can be, have been, and are being.

One would have hoped that with the mountain of evidence of the “hackability” of the Diebold ( Accuvote ) machines and their scandalous past, no state would “touch” these fraudulent devices. Yet 81% of the votes in the New Hampshire primary were counted on these same Accuvote atrocities… A fact that ( as usual ) has escaped any mention from the endlessly speculating punditry.

New Hampshire ( thankfully ) is not entirely Accuvote however, and the remaining municipalities use paper ballots that are hand counted. These are obviously much more difficult to interfere with if you are not the party conducting the count.

So to satisfy my certainty of the fraud I was witnessing, I decided to add up the hand counted ballots and add up the Accuvote ballots to compare the margins and trends. A simple comparison to be sure and one I would hope someone from MSNBC or CNN would stop talking long enough to provide, but in the absence thereof, here’s how it works out.

At the time of this writing, 297 precincts reporting out of 301

Voting Method	Precincts	Obama	Clinton	Total	Difference	Advantage
Total Votes	297/301	104,339 48.2%	112,036 51.8%	216,375 100%	7697 3.6%	Clinton 3.6%
Accuvote		86,974 47.3%	97,088 52.7%	184,062 100%	10,114 5.5%	Clinton 5.5%
Hand Ballot		17,365 53.7%	14,948 46.3%	32,313 100%	2,417 7.5%	Obama 7.5%

Granted, I left out Edwards and the other candidates in calculating the percentages, but only to illustrate the point. Including them would not change the vote totals anyway and ( from what I hear ) those totals match their expected outcome. I’ll provide the breakdown below in the event someone wants to work the percentages including the other candidates. At least you won’t have to sift out the data like I did. Maybe someone at MSNBC isn’t doing anything important…

What this clearly shows however, is where the 14% points some polls indicated Obama was leading by went. As you can see, the ballots that were counted by hand give Obama a 7.5% win while the Accuvote “count” gives Clinton a 5.5% win. The combined “shift” is 13%. Here is where the percentage points disappear that were expected right up to the casting of ballots. Not tears, not lazy young people, right here in this “shift”.

There’s no way to legitimately explain why this discrepancy would exist. These are people in the same state, voting for the same set of candidates, from the same party, and on the same day. Nothing happened to one group that didn’t happen to the other. One group doesn’t have information that the other group doesn’t have. One group couldn’t have been “moved” by the “tears” while the other was not. One group could not have had sudden “black-voting phobia” while the other did not, so these “news” people need to start looking for a plausible explanation. The only difference between these two groups is that one had their votes counted by hand, and the other by Accuvote. One group voted definitively for Obama, and the other definitively for Clinton… And as usual, after combining the two the ultimate margin of victory is too thin to be challenged and finding the truth is like finding a needle in a haystack.

If we were to apply the hand count as the standard, then the 5.5% win given to Clinton by Accuvote would actually be a 7.5% Obama win. Thus Obama would have won by nearly 15% and the pre-primary polls, the genuine voter turnout, and the pundits themselves would have all been right for a change. The real question then is which is harder for the American people to believe? The fact that every poll, every pundit, every voter interviewed, and every sensibility turned out to be so drastically wrong, or that Accuvote “flipped” the vote as it has done so many times before?

Mind you, I don’t consider Obama an ideal candidate by any stretch of the imagination. A number of his positions, affiliations, and actions leave much to be desired. The fact that he did not have people on his staff to point this evidence out to him, and that he did not demand an investigation into yet another ridiculously distorted result for instance does not make me happy at all. Al Gore and John Kerry all over again. However, the people of Iowa made an incredible statement to the rest of this country and the rest of the world, and New Hampshire was poised and willing to echo the statement. Although we need a great deal more than symbolism at this point, just the reverberations of electing a black president in such racially divisive times would send shockwaves ( positive ones for once ) around the world. The first step on the long road to true civilization and equality would be made, and the long awaited and critically needed healing could begin. I, for one, would not give Obama a “pass” for one second however, and I would expect him to be true to his word. I would expect him to listen, respond, and act on the wishes of the people. The people neither need nor should they accept anymore deciders of what’s best for them.

So I beg you to watch these primaries very carefully, and don’t be led into the non-analysis by the mainstream media. You can be sure that until they are stopped ( whoever they may be ) and a real voting system ( like actually counting ballots ) is reinstated, the pattern will continue as will the “roller coaster ride” the pundits are so excited and bewildered by. Until they are stopped, the voting machine margins will continue to hoodwink and bamboozle the American public into thinking they are part of a democratic process, while the puppet-masters continue to herd the sheep. Unless you want “them” to decide the next president yet again, it’s time to actually take back the vote.

 

Updates:

* I created a map and spreadsheet to clearly indicate and reference the discrepancies. It’s just the raw data so anyone is free to investigate any explanation they wish. I’m quite sure however that you will find more than a few unusual “flips”, not to mention the totals at the bottom. If we get a “choice” in where the recount starts, I personally would start in Nashua, Manchester, Salem, Rochester, and Derry. These numbers include all 301 precincts reporting.

* For those who still don’t “believe” it’s possible to hack these machines, watch this short YouTube video and see it done for yourself. The Princeton Diebold security analysis and demonstration vote stealing software video are available here

* Statistical analysis from Developing Intelligence: ‘To my complete (and continuing) amazement, the “diebold effect” on Hillary’s votes remains after controlling for any and all of those demographic variables, with a p-value of <.001: that is, there are less than 1:1000 odds for this difference occurring through chance alone, and that’s after adjusting for variability in Hillary’s votes due to education, income, total population, and population density.

While this “diebold effect” varies in magnitude depending on the exact covariates used, it seems to center around an additional 5.2% of votes going for Clinton from Diebold machines. The same analysis shows a Diebold disadvantage for Obama of about -4.2%, significant with a p<.001, using the same covariates.’

* I’ve yet to see any mention of the recount on CNN or MSNBC since the day Kucinich asked for it. Normally I would consider that a good thing considering MSM never mentions anything that they are actually afraid of. However, the dead silence on the topic is always a little concerning. I can only hope there is some legitimacy to the ballot chain of custody but as of January 16th, the recount has begun.

* NH CONTEST: DIEBOLD MISCOUNTS REPORTED ACROSS MANY CANDIDATES, WARDS, IN FIRST DAY OF ELECTION CONTEST HAND COUNTS Bradblog

Public Record Request by Election Integrity Advocates on Ground Reveal 550+ Votes Read as Blank by Op-Scanner in Stratham…

Disparities being found during hand-counts of ballots, in many wards, many candidates. Diebold op-scan memory cards unaccounted for at the moment. Secretary of State doesn’t track them after elections, doesn’t track error reports during elections. LHS Associates handles all of it instead, according to reports on the ground. Public records request reveals hundreds of ballots in one area scanned as blank due to incorrect ink used on ballots, and other problems on LHS problem report forms. Numbers are now being posted here from both the Democratic and Republican hand-counts in the NH Primary Election contest. So far, only wards in Manchester (Hillsborough County) have been hand-counted, and disparities between the original counts from the Diebold optical-scan machine and the hand inspections seem to be occurring in many wards, and for many candidates.

FURTHER…Voting Rights attorney John Bonifaz, legal director of VoterAction.org, was on the scene today, and just told me that he has great concerns about the transparency of both the initial election and the hand-count auditing process that got under way in earnest today.

“I’m very concerned that this is not a fully transparent process that is happening there,” he told me. - Bradblog

And as the final insult to everyone’s intelligence, here is what passes for ballot “chain of custody” in our elections. If you still believe this primary wasn’t interfered with after watching these two videos, I seriously have a bridge in Brooklyn that would be the perfect investment for you.

Sham Chain of Custody ( Video 1, Video 2 )

—

New Hampshire Municipalities which use the ACCUVOTE Voting Machine
(as of November 26, 2007)

http://www.sos.nh.gov/voting%20machines2006.htm

To view the names of the City or Town Clerks for each municipality clerk here.

The remaining municipalities ( hand counted ballots ) are derived from the Concord Monitor - Votes by County list.

 

Proxy Wars

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.  The last seven years of this administration have created and exposed so many global problems that it is virtually impossible to keep track.  The mainstream media is still demonstrating complicity by not reporting the truth of the horrific violence we are witnessing all over the world, and it’s very easy for critical events to escape our notice.

 

The primary reason for this of course is our global preoccupation with Iraq.  For most of the world, this is the central point of focus.  The ongoing atrocities, continuous stream of deceptions, and endless efforts to stop the madness can be all consuming and leave little time for other issues.  The magnitude of this problem eclipses the Sun, and it can be difficult to notice anything else.

 

However, nothing in this society is actually what it seems.  What we see occur on this planet on a daily basis are merely the symptoms of a problem and not the problem itself.  Our diligent efforts to ease the numerous sufferings of the world are essentially topical, and never address the root of the disease.  Our desperate attempts to end the pain only last as long as the Band-Aid stays on, or the meal stays in the belly.

 

The same is true about how we address the problem of Iraq.  While most have primarily focused on ending that particular conflict, it too is just a symptom. The disease that caused it however has since metastasized and now infects a large portion of the planet.  Open war, starvation, and genocide are raging in Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc…  And there aren’t enough Band-Aids in the box. 

 

Understand this very clearly.  We do not live in a Civilization, just the illusion of one.  An illusion created by those who wish to enslave your mind, body, and soul.  An illusion created to prevent you from seeing the chains around your ankles, the bag over your head, or the gag-ball in your mouth.  The intent of the creators of this illusion is now and always has been the domination of mankind through fear and death.

 

Because of the totality of the illusion, it’s very difficult and painful to find reality.  Layers upon layers of illusion must be removed to find the source of any one event or problem.  Mankind has existed in this illusion for so very long that it is actually all he knows, and removing the illusion is like removing his skin.  The truth is very painful for him, and as a result he avoids it at all costs.

 

However, due to the complexity and dominance of the illusion and its creators, truth has rarely gotten to the masses anyway.  Seemingly infinite control measures - “vetting” I suppose - prevent any reality from escaping its confines, and generally what we are left with is what the image makers tell us.  The internet is obviously changing that, and more and more glimpses of reality are finding their way to the rest of the world.

 

A friend of mine recently provided another such example.  Mainstream media has understandably spent very little time on the growing crisis in Lebanon.  The most they’ve been willing to reveal is that a group of ( apparently quite heavily ) armed men robbed a bank and fled into the Palestinian refugee camp Narh al-Bared. Since then, we have witnessed something akin to ten days of war.

 

This past week we have been treated to the footage of American C-130s delivering munitions and armaments to the Lebanese army in an overt demonstration of unity in the struggle against the “terrorists”.  As usual, the only explanation we get for their existence are one-word answers like “Al-Qaeda” and “Syria”, and the masses are supposed to - as George Bush says - “Go about your business.”

 

This is of course another illusion and nowhere in these “news reports” do they explain a variety of critical factors.  How could these mere “bank robbers” be so heavily armed?  How could they possibly have existed for any period of time in such numbers and force without the knowledge of the government?  How could it be that part of the rush shipments was for urgently needed night-vision goggles that Fatah al-Islam had but the army didn’t?

 

However, one anonymous email sent from an individual inside the camp explains these things in great detail.  This same email has now been posted in an article by Dr Franklin Lamb ( link below ).  It explains quite clearly who is responsible for the creation of this heavily armed militia and who they serve, and rest assured - it isn’t Syria.  The following is a compilation of that information.

 

Fatah-al-Islam ( in reality ) is a creation of the “Welch Club”.  This club is named for its godfather David Welch - the current assistant to the Secretary of State Condolezza Rice.  He is the “point man” for the Bush administration and is guided by Eliot Abrams.  Key Lebanese members of the Welch Club ( aka: the “Club” ) include:

• The Lebanese civil war veteran, warlord, feudalist and mercurial Walid Jumblatt of the Druze party ( the Progressive Socialist Party or PSP )
• The extremist Phalange party and its Lebanese Forces ( LF ) - The group that conducted the Israel organized massacre at Sabra-Shatilla ( although led by Elie Hobeika, once Geagea’s mentor, Geagea did not take part in the Sept. 1982 slaughter of 1,700 Palestinian and Lebanese ).
• The billionaire, Saudi Sheikh and Club president Saad Hariri - Leader of the Sunni Future Movement ( FM ). 

Over a year ago Hariri’s Future Movement started setting up Sunni Islamist terrorist cells ( the PSP and LF already had their own militia since the civil war and - despite the Taif Accords requiring militia to disarm - they are now rearmed, itching for action, and trying diligently to provoke Hezbollah ).

The FM created Sunni Islamist “terrorist” cells were meant to serve as a cover for ( anti-Hezbollah ) Welch Club projects.  The plan was that actions taken by these cells - of which Fatah el-Islam is one - could be blamed on al Qaeda, or Syria, or anyone but the Club.  To staff the new militias, FM rounded up remnants of previous extremists in the Palestinian Refugee camps that had been subdued, marginalized, and diminished during the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Each fighter got $700 per month, which is not bad in today’s Lebanon.

The first Welch Club funded militia set up by FM is known locally as Jund-al-Sham ( Soldiers of Sham - where “Sham” in Arabic denotes Syria, Lebanon, Palestine & Jordan ) was created in Ain-el-Hilwa Palestinian refugee camp, near Sidon. This group is also referred to in the Camps as Jund-el-Sitt ( Soldiers of the Sitt, where “Sitt” in Sidon, Ain-el-Hilwa and the outskirts pertain to Bahia Hariri, the sister of Rafiq Hariri - aunt of Saad and Member of Parliament ).

The second was Fateh-al-Islam ( The name cleverly put together, joining “Fateh” as in Palestinian and the word “Islam” as in Qaeda  ). FM set this Club cell up in Nahr-al-Bared refugee camp north of Tripoli for geographical balance.

Fatah el-Islam had about 400 well paid fighters until three days ago. Today they may have more or fewer - plus volunteers. The leaders were provided with ocean view luxury apartments in Tripoli, where they stored arms and “chilled” when not in Nahr-al-Bared. Guess who owns the apartments?

According to members of both Fatah el-Islam and Jund-al-Sham their groups acted on the directive of the Club president, Saad Hariri.  So what went so terribly wrong? Why the “bank robbery” and the slaughter at Nahr el-Baled?

According to operatives of Fatah el-Islam, the Bush administration got cold feet with people like Seymour Hersh snooping around and the White House post-Iraq discipline in free fall. Moreover, Hezbollah intelligence knew all about the Clubs activities and was in a position to flip the two groups - who were supposed to ignite a Sunni ­Shia civil war, which Hezbollah vows to prevent.

Things started to go very wrong quickly for the Club last week.  FM “stopped” the payroll of Fateh el-Islam’s account at the Hariri family owned bank.

Fateh-al-Islam tried to negotiate “severance pay” at least with no luck, and they felt betrayed. Bear in mind many of their fighters are easily frustrated teenagers, and their pay supports their families. Militia members knocked off the bank which issued their worthless checks. They were doubly angry when they learned FM is claiming in the media a loss much greater than they actually snatched, and that the Club is going to stiff the insurance company to make a huge profit.

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces ( newly recruited to serve the bidding of the Club and the Future Movement ) assaulted the apartments of Fatah-al-Islam in Tripoli. They didn’t have much luck, and were forced to call in the Lebanese army.

Within the hour Fatah-al-Islam retaliated against Lebanese Army posts, checkpoints, and unarmed off-duty Lebanese soldiers in civilian clothing, and committed outrageous killings - including severing at least four heads.

Up to this point Fatah-al-Islam did not retaliate against the Internal Security forces in Tripoli because the ISF is pro-Hariri and some are friends.  Fatah al-Islam also still hoped to get paid by Hariri.  Therefore, Fatah al Islam went after the Army instead.

The Seniora cabinet convened and asked the Lebanese Army to enter the refugee camp to  silence ( permanently ) Fatah-al-Islam. Since entrance into the Camps is forbidden by the 1969 Arab league agreement, the Army refused after realizing the extent of the conspiracy against it by the Welch Club. The army knows that entering a refugee camp in force will open a front against the Army in all twelve Palestinian refugee camps, and tear the army apart along sectarian cracks.

The army felt set up by the Club’s Internal Security Forces which did not coordinate with the Lebanese Army - as required by Lebanese law - and they did not even make them aware of the “inter-family operation” the ISF carried out against Fatah-al-Islam safe houses in Tripoli.

Today, tensions are high between the Lebanese army and the Welch Club. Some mention the phrase “army coup”.

The Club is trying to run Parliament and is prepared to go all the way not to “lose” Lebanon.  It still holds 70 seats in the house of parliament while the Hezbollah-led opposition holds 58 seats. The Club has a dutiful PM in Fouad Siniora.

The Club tried to seize control of the presidency and when that failed, they marginalized it. Last year they tried to gain control of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee - which audits the government’s policies, laws, and watch-dogs their actions. When the Club failed to control it they simply abolished the Constitutional Committee. As a result, this key committee no longer exists in Lebanon’s government.

The Welch Club’s major error was when it attempted to influence the Lebanese Army into disarming the Lebanese Resistance led by Hezbollah. When the Army wisely refused, the Club coordinated with the Bush Administration to pressure Israel to dramatically intensify its retaliation ( to the capture of the two soldiers by Hezbollah ) and to “’break the rules” regarding their historically more limited response.  This led to Israel’s attempted destruction of Hezbollah during the July 2006 war.

The Welch Club now considers the Lebanese Army a serious problem. The Bush administration is trying to undermine and marginalize it to eliminate one of the last two obstacles to implementing Israel’s agenda in Lebanon.  If the army is weakened, it cannot protect over 70% of the Christians in Lebanon - who support General Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement. The F.P.M. is mainly constituted of well educated, middle class, and unarmed Lebanese civilians. The only protection they have is the Lebanese Army - which aids in maintaining their presence on the political scene.  15% of Christians in Lebanon associate with Geagea’s Lebanese Forces - who are purely militia.

If the Club can weaken the Army even more than it already is, then this Phalange minority will be the only relatively strong force on the Christian scene and become the “army” of the Club.  Another reason the Club wants to weaken the Lebanese Army is that the Army is nationalistic, and is a safety valve for Lebanon - to ensure the Palestinian right of return to Palestine, Lebanese nationhood, and the resistance culture led by Hezbollah ( with which is has excellent relations ).

For their part, the Welch Club wants to keep some Palestinians in Lebanon for cheap labor, ship others to countries willing to take them ( and be paid handsomely to do so by American taxpayers ), and allow - at most - a few thousand to return to Palestine to settle the ‘right of return’ issue.  This while simultaneously signing a May 17th 1983-type treaty ( with Israel ) which enriches the Club members and gives Israel Lebanon’s water along with much of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

From the Club’s perspective, Fatah el-Islam must be silenced at all costs. Their tale, if told, is poison for the Club and its sponsors.  Hezbollah is watching and is in support the Lebanese army but has no interest in seeing this conflict develop.  I suspect Hassan Nasrallah will make that point well known.

 

It is time for this country ( and the world ) to stop accepting the word “Al-Qaeda” as an explanation for all the violence on this planet, and to look to the real creators of terror.  We cannot allow these politically and economically motivated conflicts to be sold as the “Fight for Freedom” and we must hold the creators responsible for the death and destruction they have unleashed.

 

Dr. Lamb’s complete text: http://www.counterpunch.org/lamb05242007.html

Dr. Lamb can be reached at fplamb@gmail.com.

 

Franklin Lamb’s recent book, The Price We Pay: A Quarter Century of Israel’s use of American Weapon’s against Lebanon (1978-2006) is available at www.Amazon.com.uk. Hezbollah: A Brief Guide for Beginners is expected in early summer.  

 

 

Bill Noxid: http://billnoxid.wordpress.com

Proxy War Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kERllcE2ANE

Stop Bloodshed in Lebanon Video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z1oT4j_EIsM 

This article is also posted on Information Clearing House: Proxy Wars

 

 

The White Man’s Burden… April 14, 2007

Change is rarely an easy thing to deal with and as a global community we have an enormous amount of it to attend to.  Numerous recent exposures of the actual inner workings of this society are forcing us to face aspects of our existence that have long been denied.  The reality-based tidal shift in this country that has been evident since the November elections has begun to uncover a host of festering wounds and deceptive practices that Americans were largely unaware ( or in intentional denial ) of, and how honestly we choose to address these issues will determine the length of suffering and the degree of pain we all must endure in order to transform this malignancy into a society in which we all can live. 

One of the most crucial and difficult aspects of understanding this country and its motivations is reconciling the rhetoric with the reality of its origin.  The fundamental reason for this difficulty is that with the exception of a few fixed dates, the two have nothing in common.  What we “believe” about the origin of this country ( and the rhetorical image of the American Pioneer ) does not include the reality of the genocide of the Native American, theft of his property, or the destruction of his culture.  Our rhetorical image of the fastest growing “civilization” in history does not include the enslavement, rape, and deaths of untold millions to build the wealth and power “we” Americans are so proud of. 

This denial is at the core of the American problem.  It is from this original misunderstanding that most if not all of our subsequent problems have arisen.  

Denying ones origin makes it impossible for one to understand where you are, and ( as America has certainly demonstrated over the last six years ) we don’t have a clue.  The fact that “they hate our freedom” ever worked to begin with illustrates what limited ( if not non-existent ) self and global awareness the average American citizen has - or is afforded.  Americans are generally quick and content to believe that this country is ( and always has been ) in the “right” because that is all that they have ever been taught.  According to the rhetorical view, this country ( in its mere two-hundred years of existence ) has apparently invented everything, discovered everything, and saved everyone from themselves. 

The historical reality of course is that of a nation founded on genocide and slavery that has altered its course very little during its comparatively miniscule existence.  The relationship between the white “founding father” and the indigenous / transplanted people of color in this country was one of oppression and ( although superficial representations have changed to some degree ) one need not look far to find the reality of that relationship hasn’t gone anywhere.  The same policies of conquest and oppression that were so effective during the “founding” of this country for instance ( use of bio-weapons and disease, fomenting the division of clans and tribes, re-education, deliberate addiction, etc. ) are identifiable in every “ghetto” in the country and on the planet… Surely that is no coincidence. 

The United States is not the originator of the methodology of oppression of course.  Being a mere two hundred years old, how could it be?  It is as old as “civilization” itself.  All of the world’s would-be conquerors have used similar tactics and methods to dominate and control populations to a greater or lesser degree, but the United States is the “keeper of the flame” and ( as “leader of the free world” ) is responsible for its perpetuation. 

This same methodology has been and is being applied in our occupation in Iraq.  Aside from the “unfortunate problem” of the Iraqi people actually fighting back, the United States ( in a mere four years ) has implemented with great effectiveness what took decades to inflict on the Native American population.  The policy of self-replicating violence has been almost perfected, their culture and history are all but destroyed, the educated and able have been driven out or imprisoned, and the remaining population is developing addictions to Prozac, Valium, and Viagra in a desperate effort to escape the horrific reality we have heaped upon them.  This is no different than the Native American / Black American experience and the intent is exactly the same. 

This methodology stems from one essential belief.  The belief that one man ( due to “heritage” or power ) is “better” or “more worthy” than another man.  The belief that some have “worth” and that some are “worthless”.  The collective societal act and acceptance of the classification, denigration, and dehumanization of people of color all over this world is why it is commonly “permitted” to treat them like cattle, take their possessions, and kill them when necessary without it being perceived as violating “equal” human beings.  The reality of our acceptance of these practices is quite evident in Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq…  Just to name a few. 

This collective belief ( from the very beginning ) is what has created the global caste system in which we live and is responsible for the biases, divisions, and wars among the peoples of this planet.  The belief in inherent individual, gender, or community superiority and inferiority is the root cause of racism, sexism, and oppression on this planet and ( whether we are consciously aware of it or not ) it influences our every action on one level or another. 

The reality of this underlying current is rarely acknowledged for obvious reasons.  To do so instantly shatters the rhetorical view of “all men are created equal” or “land of the free” and forces one to re-examine the structure of society as a whole.  The recent statement and subsequent dismissal of CBS/MSNBC’s Don Imus however has unintentionally brought this current to the surface whether society is ready for the conversation or not.  In one brief statement ( “nappy-headed hos” ) Imus managed to rake across the entire “non-white male” community, and in doing so demonstrated the caste system in living color. 

For a week now I have watched this unfold, and unfortunately it has been quite predictable.  Mainstream media is an integral part of the policies of oppression ( lest we forget ) and their response has been in accordance.  Imus, Dobbs, Scarborough, Carlson, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, O’Reilly, and the like were not hired by accident after all and their perspectives are obviously the ones these networks intend to represent.  The “commentary” and “dialog” they have offered in their effort to “examine” this issue testifies to this reality beyond any question, and we have seen it all before. 

In this country, when a white man of any social stature demonstrates bias, a remarkable process begins.  Because of the total denial of society as a whole for the actual reasons for the offense and the crushing effect it would have on the illusion of American “righteousness”, a frantic search for some other viable excuse ( other than the person actually being bias ) begins.  As was the case when Michael Richards ( Kramer on Seinfeld ) went on his “nigger” screaming tirade or George Allan’s “Macaca” moment, mainstream media ( controlled entirely by the white man ) must find a way to make it look like something other than what it actually is - A white man saying what that white man thinks. 

Deflection is the tactic du jour and as a result we have heard a discussion on a topic that usually gets no mainstream ( TV news ) coverage or exposure whatsoever.  That topic is of course Rap Music and the black man’s use of derogatory words.   

I watch a great deal of news and political commentary and as a result of the limited options offered, I watch a lot of MSNBC.  This meant ( although I was quite aware of Imus’s previous patterns ) I was “exposed” to a good deal of his program that ran for three hours a day.  To the best of my recollection, I never heard Imus discuss a rap artist, play a rap song, or give any indication that rap music was any part of his reality. 

Yet after being caught denigrating the majority of the people of the planet ( for which hopefully I have explained why I do not hold him entirely responsible ), Rap Music was practically the first thing out of his mouth. 

Needless to say this is a deflection of responsibility and this diversion has been repeated on every channel I have access to.  Attempting to deflect and equate his offense with that of the undereducated, disenfranchised, oppressed, and manipulated “ghetto” youth of America is absurd to begin with.  A “ghetto” youth that has been called a nigger, treated like a nigger, feels like a nigger, and understands that society views him as a nigger, has every right to use the word “nigger”.  The “white man” who created, represents, and perpetuates that reality for the “ghetto” youth does not at all have equal privilege in its use. 

Nevertheless, like a twisted game of “telephone”, this is the “conversation” about race in this country that the media has created for us.  Just last night for instance Joe Scarborough had a segment titled “Hip-Hop-Cracy”, indicating just how far from the point we have already gone.  Adding insult to injury of course is the fact that the “white man” cannot divert attention like this by himself.  As I said, representations have changed slightly in the last two hundred years and just “telling” us what we should do and how we should feel is not enough - if spoken only by the “white” man.  Therefore there must also be “black” representation ( supporting the “white” man’s perspective ) to “convince” the population that they are being spoken for in some fashion… And so begins the parade of complicity to support the illusion of “fair and balanced” representation. 

Armstrong Williams for instance ( the man who single-handedly got me to stop listening to AAR in the mornings because of his incessant pandering ) has been a virtual fixture on MSNBC this week.  There for the specific purpose of downplaying black outrage and desperately attempting to equalize guilt and responsibility in the Black community for Imus’s bigoted and sexist comments.  From my perspective, he only conjures up images of the house slave defending his master in order to keep his “better than average” position in the white man’s house.  The behavior of these type of  “black” representatives is transparent and embarrassing…  You can be sure I’m not the only Black Man that feels that way. 

So ultimately the cycle ends ( as it always does ) with the black man being guilty of something or responsible for his ( or her ) own turmoil as “white” society marches on unscathed and unencumbered.  Absolved of “sin” just as the Duke players have been miraculously declared “innocent” without any reference to the blatant racism displayed and documented on that evening. “Hey bitch, thank your grandpa for my nice cotton shirt” are not the words of a racist in this culture, they are the words of a youth whose “image” has been tarnished from false prosecution.  “I plan on killing the bitches and proceeding to cut their skin off” are apparently the sentiments of an “innocent” man who deserves “vindication”. 

As ultimately insulting as Don Imus’s ( and the mainstream media’s ) attempts at deflection and self-justification for these repeated behaviors are, there is one point in which Imus is entirely correct…  He is not alone nor ( by far ) the worst offender.  Like I said, Glen Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, etc are overt advocates of the oppressor methodology and are not in the least shy in expressing it.  Considering Lou Dobbs has a segment virtually every single day denigrating Mexican “immigrants” ( denying the reality of such pesky little facts like a fair portion of this country used to belong to them ), Imus was actually one of the least generally offensive on MSNBC. 

However, whereas Imus and his supporters attempted to use this as justification for him keeping his job ( being the lesser of the evils ), this in reality is justification for all of them to go.  The age of oppression is coming to an end and ( as uncomfortable as that fact may be for the “white” man ) this behavior is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated.  It is the burden of the “white” man to understand the nature of the society he has created, recognize the error of his ways, and correct the behavior that perpetuates the unjust system of oppression in which we live.  Apologies are meaningless, the behavior and mindset must change.