Saturday, September 01, 2007

i am not crazy

just wanted to have a stock reply handy like the 'i am not gay' crowd. i am highly suspicious once my trust is broken- and bushco has certainly done nothing- absolutely nothing- to win my trust. by now, we are all familiar with the secrecy, signing statements, recess appointments, bullying, bribery, sheer corruption, etc., etc. it is mostly what any of us talk about on any given day. i am not big into telling folks what to think. i prefer to put information out there and let you come to your own conclusions. i say that and also make a disclaimer that the information set up is coming from a progressive slant. i make no apologies for that. we need to move beyond regressive, backwards thinking. i pretty much have hammered that topic home ad nauseum.

i have noticed that many lefty bloggers are shutting down their blogs, and while this makes me sad for purely selfish reasons, i understand. the common refrain is that we have sounded the alarm- now we need to actually act. i can't argue with that logic. how to do that differs from person to person. of course, i will share my thoughts here :)

as i have said before, i am a cynic at best and lean towards outright pessimism at what is happening in this country. my thoughts are that we are headed for some heavy shit in the near future and we need to get ourselves together to ride it out. now, i don't know if it means martial law, internment camps, mercenary armies, or what- but i think we have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. i think we have to start thinking about underground resistance movements too. why? well, i keep running into little gems all over the internet- from fellow bloggers, msm, alternative news sources- and putting together the big picture- kind of depresses me. not because of the government- i expect that from them. but from my fellow americans going along. from the blackwater et.al mercenaries; to the jesus camp promoters; to the police roughing up dissenters- on their own property; to the imminent domain stealing of thousands of homes; to the atrocious and abysmal way fellow americans are being treated in the gulf simply because they are poor.

there are folks in this country who welcome the nation going backwards in time rather than meeting the future's challenges head on. they feel that going back to a 'simpler' time is the way to go- back when women were in the home full time caring for children while the men were working and having sole authority and responsibility; back to a time when the races were segregated and those 'colored folks' "knew their place" and stayed in it; back to a time when america was a world superpower and we were building our infrastructure and there was still an 'american dream' to be had. wouldn't that be nice? well, except for the women and non white folks i mean.

so- here we are with a government who is bent on global, corporate takeover through economics and fear- who thinks that the geneva convention and the constitution are 'quaint relics' and who believe that america should have a monarchy of its very own. a country where there are only haves and have nots and the have nots get to serve the masters. my fellow americans want a country where the upper crust live behind gated communities and drink evian- while the rest of us go without on a planet that is hurtling towards the destruction of the human race- through our own making and greed.

what should we be focusing on? looking at the bigger picture and what it will mean for us. think about it for a moment- we, as a nation, depend on centralized everything. food, water, utilities, etc.- the basics of life. think of a worst possible scenario- and go from there. i never thought i would ever hear 'warrantless wiretapping,' 'torture,' 'secret prisons,' etc in connection with my country. america was supposed to be the seat of democracy. but- the grim reality is that we have the aforementioned things as well as fema camps allegedly for emergency purposes, we have a battle hardened military and national guard, we have police departments with special units to break up large groups of people- you get the picture. you could argue rightly- that we have always had these things to one extent or another- and you'd be correct. but i don't think we have ever had the alignment of events and people in our history that has made all of this so ominous. we have never had our constitution shredded with signing statements and acts made into law that allows the suspension of habeas corpus, etc.

what continues to sadden me and make it a daily struggle for me to continue blogging and working to change this country- is that americans are taking sides in what can only have one outcome. these folks are willing to see their fellow americans rounded up as dissenters and protesters and tortured and placed in camps. indeed, to be a part of it. ideology has gotten in the way of democracy. so, when i see news stories about the government seeking a new place to put a research facility for infectious diseases in conjunction with stories telling of people being trained to force vaccines and other meds- it makes me nervous. when i see that the government is putting into place an infrastructure designed for hauling 'goods' over long distances- allegedly for trade- complete with upgrades to rails and highways- i get understandably nervous.

anyway, my thought is this- we all need to realize that it is not just our government we need to be careful of. not to sound paranoid- but it gives me pause that after 9/11 the feds called for service people to spy on their clients and customers. now, using the clergy and pulpits. puts a whole new spin on the word trust for me. become more self sufficient. stash some food and water away just in case. have an emergency bag packed- if you are a lefty. think about an underground resistance movement because i have a feeling we will be on our own.

14 comments:

Larry said...

Good post and good advice because in my mind it is coming quickly.

Many lefty blogs are shutting down, maybe burnout or maybe from disgust.

If we don't continue to spread the message, we will be caught off guard like much of the nation was, with Bush's rhetoric after 9/11.

Anon-Paranoid said...

Yes, it is a good post. Exactly what I've been saying for well over a year now.

God Bless.

Lynn@ZelleBlog said...

Well Betmo, I agree that things will "hit the fan" and many of us are also wondering about the economic stability questions. Many of us are choosing to simplify, even learn skills that might be put to use. People laugh at these ideas, but consider what would happen in this country if things DID hit the fan, if we really face an energy crunch. A food problem. A major depression.

Many are convinced it will happen. I wont bore you with my views on that and the financial apocalypse theory- but I will say that networking in general will have a role to play.

Social AND political networking. We will possibly return to a time when we might have to rely on one another in ways we did not expect.

I think in this way, many of us recognize a need to perhaps reach out somehow in solidarity, for some kind of support.

I dont know what to make of the blogs shutting down. I suspect there are too many, people feel discouraged because the readership is stretched. Some people tell me they dont see value in it. Some say the reciprocal visits are time consuming but necessary to have participation. I see people getting busy, wondering if it is worth the time plus the visits besides.

I dont know, but there are some real opportunitites to use our relationships to be active, to organize.

There are creative ways to express ourselves, too. Our words, our writing, the art that we create. The things we do- all become a part of the dialogue I think.

I think some of us really did not think that things would get this way, we thought more of ourselves. had more faith in our society. We thought that these kinds of things would be met with outrage. We though that somebody would speak out.

Instead we see a joke government that fails us, with little criticism considering.

Anonymous said...

Dear lady, Reconstitution stays. We've been around in one form or another for nearly 4 years now, and we aren't going to leave as long as we're faced with what faces us.

I fear that what we face is a Soviet solution. In my talks with people who are willing to share their perspectives and experiences with me, I have come to believe that unless something changes radically, this country will begin to fragment before this decade is out. People in much better positions to know things than I am are of this view, and as of a couple of years ago I'd heard it enough to become convinced by it. I am also quite certain that California is governed by a man who is going to surprise us all in the next few years. He's an intelligent man, of great ambition, who has a Constitutional problem he can't overcome. I belireve he's already decided on how he'll overcome it.

enigma4ever said...

excellent post..and important..that we all start to wake up and value what matters and build a community..not fighting about petty crap...People say well, Dark Times are coming...well I say where the hell have they been- we are IN DARK TIMES RIGHT NOW...I don;t think anyone should wish to see how bad it can get....really...and I know this sounds quaint , but I really do believe that it is going to come down to US, the "little people"....I have spent alot of time studying the French Resistance- all levels of it...because it was about Fighting back..when Trusted Leaders had already failed...and I have also been reading alot about and by Mandela- because his fight was all about fighting Incredible Rascist Power....all of us in our own ways have to find ways to get this Country back....there is NO ONE solution...keep writing Betmo..it matters...more than you know...you are not just one voice- remember that...

Coffee Messiah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Coffee Messiah said...

Sorry, the Url I left was too long, so here's the story:
======================

Authorities remove 80,000 rounds of ammunition from S. Bend home

By The Associated Press
Friday, August 31, 2007 10:09 PM EDT

SOUTH BEND - Authorities removed almost 80,000 rounds of ammunition from the home of a man they said had been stockpiling supplies in the belief the world was on the brink of economic collapse and violence.

Kevin W. Rieder, 38, who was committed to a mental facility for about two weeks last spring after he was diagnosed as paranoid, was charged with illegal possession of ammunition in violation of an earlier restraining order taken out by an ex-girlfriend, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Schmidt said.

Receipts indicated Rieder had bought large amounts of 9 mm, .22-caliber, .38-caliber 12-gauge and 20-gauge ammunition, according to court documents.

No specific weapons were identified in the documents as being in Rieder's possession, although an affidavit stated that Rieder had told an ammunition dealer and another man that he had at least one AK-47 assault weapon at home.

Rieder will remain in custody until a bail and detention hearing Tuesday, Schmidt said.

South Bend police and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives blocked off streets around Rieder's small two-story home for six hours Wednesday while they executed a search warrant and arrested Rieder.

Authorities removed 79,010 rounds of ammunition during the raid that followed a six-month investigation, Schmidt said.

During a search of Rieder's home in April, ATF agents noticed large amounts of ammunition, radios, car parts, batteries, plastic sheeting, flashlights, water and other items. They also found several 25-gallon drums filled with gasoline in his garage.

Rieder, who told authorities ‘‘You just have to protect yourself sometimes,'' was committed for a psychological evaluation at that time and later released after a hearing at which it was determined he was not a danger to himself.

Rieder bought 18,000 rounds of ammunition in three visits to the Midwest Gun Exchange store in Mishawaka, store owner Brad Foster said.

‘‘18,000 rounds is more than the normal purchase, but not out of the line that we do see on a regular basis,'' he said.

Early this month, his former girlfriend filed a complaint that Rieder had violated the protective order, which allowed authorities to seek the warrant for his arrest.
======================
that's south bend, as in indy-anna

Naj said...

I am too depressed to read all of your post ... I want to avoid the information ... it just pains me TOO MUCH ... I think the lefties are closing their blogs because it feels too futile to say anything, nothing changes ... the world is run by the corrupt and they take pride in the power of corruption.

How about your garden?

billie said...

‘‘18,000 rounds is more than the normal purchase, but not out of the line that we do see on a regular basis,'' he said.

huh. good to know :)

Unknown said...

Maybe the lefties are quiting because they see many of their enemies have left the administration.

They no longer have their favorite foes to call Nazis. They think they have done their job, getting rid of these people.

The worst times are yet to come, we will be left with the effects of 8 years of crack boy's administration.

MUCH work has to be done, and name calling won't get the job done. The easy part was to make these people look incompetent.

Maybe these lefties were never really serious about correcting the problems of our country, they just wanted the fun of jumping on the band wagon of attacking the incompetents.

The Democrats are headed for the position of holding power, and haven't proved they can do the job.

In order to protect American jobs, the Democrats are sounding like the isolationists of the early 20th century Republicans - "Buy American."

Is this progressive politics, or just another example of what people have been saying for years, there is no real difference between the two major parties.

The Democrats could still lose in 08'. Now is not the time to quit. If you had your fun blasting the easy target of Bush $ friends, it's time to pay for that fun by working hard for progressive candidates.

Anonymous said...

coffee, just TRY and tell a Chimpleton that the lines are already being drawn. I usually get dismissed as a "nut" by the same people who believed all the bullshit that got us into Iraq, and are now BELIEVING all the bullshit about Iran.

Their stupidity would be hilarious, if the situation wasn't so serious. It's unfortunate for them, too. If the fighting in the streets starts, Chimpletons are in some serious trouble; we know they avoid anything resembling military service and won't have the monkey to cry to for "protection" anymore.

Chuck said...

Perfect commentary Betmo. And the WWW is the perfect medium. We all need to stay right here exposing these criminals every hour of every day. I guarantee you that they don't like the internet. It's been much better than a thorn in their side. They are their own undoing, but we have to keep the information flowing. We have to keep the pressure on them. They don't want an informed public and that's why the WWW is so important. Hitler wouldn't have gotten as far as he did if the Germans had this type of communication. And bush would have gotten as far as Hitler did if we didn't have this technology. With the exception of Hitler's superior intelligence when compared to bush, they are the same person separated by time, is all.

Anonymous said...

Great post.

"become more self sufficient. stash some food and water away just in case. have an emergency bag packed- if you are a lefty. think about an underground resistance movement because i have a feeling we will be on our own."

No, you're not crazy, you're more moderate than I am, so if you are saying this It has got to be true.

The Future Was Yesterday said...

And she sends another one out of the park! Good work!

i have noticed that many lefty bloggers are shutting down their blogs, and while this makes me sad for purely selfish reasons, i understand. the common refrain is that we have sounded the alarm- now we need to actually act.
I've noticed the same, but assuming they haven't given up the fight, shutting down their blogs seems like unplugging the phone during a neighborhood watch alert. Doesn't make sense.

stash some food and water away just in case. have an emergency bag packed- if you are a lefty. think about an underground resistance movement because i have a feeling we will be on our own.
This will get you by short term, but if it ever comes to where we need that, the trouble's not going to be short term. Literally learning to live off the land, in sparsely populated areas, seems a prudent idea.

Our society has always been "primed" for the abuses you mention, that is, anyone could have done it. The fact no one until now has, was a result of respect for human beings, the constitution, and the country as a whole. We now have, as you pointed out, people who want this country to take an entirely different direction.