Great insight on the current state of the state
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/22/Exclusive-Ralph-Peters-on-Obama-s-Reign-of-Error-and-How-America-Lost-its-Way-in-the-War-Against-Jihad?utm_source=e_breitbart_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+August+22%2C+2014&utm_campaign=20140822_m121829561_Breitbart+News+Roundup%2C+August+22%2C+2014&utm_term=More

Some background for my next post
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/prime-minister-condemns-us%E2%80%88over-protests-67019/

The Imperial Presidency Has Returned: So Long Congress! Welcome Nixon Redux-President Obama!!

No historical truism is more accurate than the simple fact that history repeats itself, again and again.

Just as legislators decided to recess from their already non-existent jobs and careers,  Obama has quickly resumed the mantle of power and authority not seen since the days I worked for President Nixon in the very late 1970’s.  A statement wafted out of the White House ether concerning one simple phenomenon.  President Obama would resort to the ‘phone and pen’ in order to execute governance.  In other words,  Obama alone will decide what is good, bad, appropriate or inappropriate for the American citizens.  Gone is the historical or even hysterical notion that we are a country of ‘checks and balances’.

That myth immediately evaporated once the 103^rd Congress decided to work less,  attend fewer sessions and pose more ‘selfies’ rather than propose effective legislation.  I am not advocating anything other than the simple fact that ‘democracy’ suis generis, is at best a ‘fragile experiment’ at worst it is nothing but an illusion.  Before everyone starts the nonsensical rampage of ‘take back our country’ or ‘eliminate tyranny’, let me assure you good citizens of America that we are not really a ‘democracy’ wherein everyone can vote on every single issue that relates to welfare of the nation.

In fact,  for some time now, since the Bush Jr administrations and Obama’s tenure, nothing has become more clear to me than the fact that we are in fact a REPUBLIC.  A Republic has surrogates who supposedly represent our collective interests; but that is only true in theory.  In practice,  most of the legislators have been stripped of one of the most valuable tools of legislation –the line item budget- or the ability to ‘pork barrel’.  Without sounding a pejorative note,  the ability for a legislator to exchange favors from one person to another was and has been a very effective, if not somewhat distorted, element of our legislative process.

Once stripped of that mechanism, nothing was left to the legislators except to amplify their personality preferences, which for most legislators was self-aggrandizement and spouting nonsensical obstructive palaver, signifying nothing. That’s when an ambitious, smart individual like Nixon or Obama (who fits more of the isolated, intellectual personality type of Nixon than any other President I knew)—decides to fill the power vacuum.

And he does for the simple reason that he can.

Obama saw a long time ago the power vacuum in the legislative branch,  instead of trying to “Clintonize” it by spending countless, possibly fruitless hours, days and weeks caressing egos,  he went right of the legislative jugular- inactivity.

Right or wrong,  Obama proceeded to abrogate any powers that may have impeded his continuing rule as the leader of a REPUBLIC where the legislators absolved themselves from any responsibility other than collecting their ill-gotten gains.  The most important factor to remember right now, is that Obama is working within a twisted and contorted series of laws which may or may not be legal.  That is for history to determine.

For now I caution you all that President Obama, like President Nixon was not addressing his constituents at the time of his tenure.  Just as Nixon did,  President Obama is playing to the HISTORY BOOKS…. And that future narrative will decide where he stood in the pantheon of rulers of the American Republic for which we stand.  Remember your pledge of allegiance…. It is to the REPUBLIC!!
“and to the republic for which it stands” Obama is fulfilling his role as the new Imperial Leader! Like it or not!!! At least the pretense of the costly, massive narcissism , called ‘legislators’, has disappeared. 

   

I Have Never Been to Missouri…. but as Former Devotee of Agitation Propaganda [AgitProp],  I Know Ferguson, MO. Very Well!

Just as we saw the possible denouement of the Israel-Gaza conflict as well as the Ukrainian Borsht disaster, we are now privy to a minute-to-minute indepth report on past, present and potential riots in Ferguson,  Missouri.  By now everyone but the local police chief knows what has been happening in Ferguson, MO.  So I will not belabor the details of the ongoing tragedy that consumes every element of the dysfunctional Missouri state government.

I would, however, like to use this propitious occasion to illustrate some of the basic points that we former Agit Prop devotees have utilized in creating overseas havoc in various different unnamed countries:

[1] Make certain that the indigenous population is never adequately represented by the ruling security forces. White domination over blacks works; as does, black on black; or,  black on white.  The key element here is to pick a place where disproportionate representation of the ruling power must be in a minority position.

[2] Make certain that there is always a peaceful demonstration covering a ‘more lethal, nefarious’ force of ‘chaos’.  Be certain to sacrifice the innocent, well-intentioned protesters to the vitriolic needs of the riot-makers.

[3] Escalate the violence against the ruling party as quickly as possible.  Make certain that in a New York minute,  the agitation can escalate to the point of totally tying down the local, county and then state police.  With some perseverance and Molotov cocktails, stones, rocks, even sporadic gunshots—force the National Guard and, if you are really lucky, bring in the FBI and the Homeland Security Folks.

[4] Divide and Conquer the Bouillabaisse of conflicting security jurisdictions,  pitting local police forces against federal representatives.  Then with some tact, force the civilian police to fight with Military representatives and then pit that entire mess against the FBI,

[5] The more chefs brewing the mess called, ‘peace and order’, the greater the chances that there will be a break down of authority, command-and-control and  security.

[6] Last, but not least, always make certain to invite the major media representatives like Anderson Cooper,  Bill O’Reilly,  NY Times, Washington Post, et. al. If possible, try to have one of the media representatives arrested for whatever reason.  Nothing stirs the pot like a self-righteous representative of the media who has nothing more to do than wait around Ferguson,  hoping for more trouble to be precipitated.

[7] Always make certain that whatever messages are transmitted to the protestors are at best confusing if not completely distorted and mixed.  There should be no clarity of purpose or intention by any police officers to either the protestors or the security forces. Nothing beats the spontaneity of incompetence and lack of disciplined experience.

If you are thinking of entering a new profession like Agitation Propaganda,  please study the ten day coverage of the most deleteriously conducted police operation in the recent history of America.  Ferguson will no longer designate the name of a town…. It will mean a new kind of police mess.

When you create a ‘Ferguson’ that will mean that you should no longer be in Law Enforcement.  Please don’t go all-Ferguson on me for telling it like I see it!

Adios Americanos-- Policias!! 

  
 

Here is an interesting interactive map courtesy of NYTimes,  just click on your county to see what your police department has received from the fed gov't paid for by your tax dollars.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/15/us/surplus-military-equipment-map.html

The Incredible Americans:  Candidates Running for the Local County Commissions; Tax Collector’s Offices; State Senate; and School Boards.

Finally my faith in American democracy has been reaffirmed and even strengthened after having attended a local town meeting of prospective candidates running for different offices.  While it may be chic to discuss world events and the plight of the moribund US Congress,  nothing is more exhilarating to me than to watch a new generation of farmers, school teachers, CPAs, and small business men/women run for local offices in my town in northern Florida.

For decades I have held a spoken as well as an unspoken belief in one basic Sam Rayburn principle:

“All American politics is local.”

Last night I went to the city hall which was nothing more than a converted antique church and sat on a hard wooden bench to listen to more than a dozen different candidates---men, women, old, young, Hispanic, African American talk about one thing only:

How each and every one of them wanted to do the heavy lifting and take the risk of trying to represent me and the other hundreds of other citizens in our farming community.  There was no evidence of the well-known braggadocio or narcissism so typical of our national candidates,  instead I heard a very tempered series of presentations which began by explaining who they were; why they were running and what made them qualified for a particular job.  Most of the candidates stated that they were ‘christian’ but did not elaborate on their beliefs, simply stating that they believed in the ‘Christian tradition’ of helping others and being part of a community.  Many explained how they were born in the area and were extremely proud of the fact that their ancestors had been living there,  not one generation but for two to six generations.

Clearly for a refugee like myself that was very much of a pleasant surprise to realize that for the most part, throughout the world’s wars, famines, and troubles, most of the candidates were born in our area;  grew up in the area ; and when they served in the military or even went to graduate school, they came back to their roots. This was America at it’s finest.

The former teachers who wanted to run as a member of the school board did not boast about her/his achievements, but simply enumerated the numbers of years they had been teaching in different levels of the school systems and how they had learned the hard way to understand and deal with the inveterate problems of local public education. For the most part,  each of the candidates reiterated one promising theme—take charge of our local community needs; and don’t let Tallahassee, the state capital,  dictate the outcomes of the community.  The sad part was the fact that the hall was populated by more candidates than citizens of my local unincorporated town. What that said to me was that our candidates at the local level were more interested in building a civil society along the principles of decency,  equity,  progress and efficiency.

  As for the citizens of my town,  they will reap what they sow: indifference and stagnation.  That is AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY [Theodore Dreiser]!  As for me,  I became so exhilarated that I literally could not sleep that evening. But to have insomnia for an American Dream that to me is a great testimony to these INCREDIBLE AMERICANS. 

God Bless them and this local democracy that blossoms at a time when cynicism, selfies, and twitter diminish the commitment to hard working volunteers who have nothing to lose but their time,  effort and dreams.  In the long run,  local democracies will trump Washington DC and community involvement will supersede indifference and ennui.  I urge you all to get involved at the local level: in education/job training,  taxes,  future development and water usage.

I along with lots of others love John Oliver,  watch his take on Ferguson.
http://beforeitsnews.com/protests-demonstrations/2014/08/ferguson-john-oliver-video-report-nails-it-2454466.html?utm_campaign=&utm_content=beforeit39snews-verticalresponse&utm_medium=verticalresponse&utm_source=direct-b4in.info&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.info%2Fecqc

Thank you BIN!