The Drone Wars are Here

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-conducts-exercise-preparing-for-first-unmanned-surface-fleet

It seems that about every other military and weapons story is related to drone development. As many things in the world are changing, so is the way of waging war.

The 2020 RNC: Obscene, Fictitious and Dangerous (Part 1)

The Democratic National Convention was also obscene and fictitious in its narratives and ideas but the GOP convention had a distinct Christian air about it and it was making an explicit Evangelical appeal – and that's why I'm compelled to be more interested in what was happening there. 

In fact on the final night there were some one hundred Evangelical leaders in attendance at Trump's speech and while Christian media made much of the crowds shouting at them upon their exit, the same Christian media has chosen to largely ignore the Trump-inspired teenage gunman in Kenosha, Wisconsin who after gunning unarmed people down in cold blood walked through the police line – even while voices cried out that he had just shot people. The police stood by and let him pass and return to his home in Illinois. 

UK Politics: Labour Continues Phoney Anti-Semitic Purges and the Results of Beijing's Hong Kong Clampdown

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53183085

Jeremy Corbyn is gone but the Labour Party's 'Anti-Semitism' push to the right agenda continues. It's being used as a means to purge the party of anyone who doesn't toe the Establishment line when it comes to UK foreign policy.

You could almost describe this as the UK's version of a flirtation with McCarthyism.

Christian Spin Doctors

https://pulpitandpen.org/2020/05/27/racism-didnt-kill-george-floyd-leftists-did/

It's a Chinese Communist virus but it's fake. The police are heroes and Christians support a heavy regime of law and order but when there's public outcry – it's the Leftists.

This kind of spin and obfuscation is common enough in Right-wing circles but when it's promoted by professing Christians it's especially offensive.

The Real Economy

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45442596

The economy is booming we're told. It's the best ever, the president assures us. Of course economics is hardly an exact science. Or some would argue it is no science at all. Even many of the markers, statistics and concepts used to illustrate and explain it are in many cases subjective.

I drive around and see a lot of 'Help Wanted' signs and indeed a lot of people seem to be upbeat about the economy. The stock market has certainly climbed to unprecedented levels.

But does this really mean the economy is booming?

Plan Honduras

As I'm just finishing a book on the School of the Americas I stumbled across this Intercept article on Honduras. Since the US backed coup in 2009, the entirety of Latin America has been experiencing an episode of 'Rollback'. Right-wing governments are coming into power and as this Honduras episode demonstrates, it would seem the old playbook has been dusted off and reactivated.

https://theintercept.com/2017/12/03/the-president-of-honduras-is-deploying-u-s-trained-forces-against-election-protesters/

The Dystopian Moment

Newt Gingrich wants to curtail free speech and expand government surveillance. The implications of his statements are staggering. He's advocating religious tests. The government will judge the nuances of your belief system. If the Christian Right and their Right-wing allies every gained absolute power, how long before 'heretics' like me would face their wrath and reading websites like this one would be illegal?

New York Police: Intoxicated by Power

http://gothamist.com/2016/03/01/nypd_home_invasion.php

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has long shown their disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law. Though they fell under some criticism for 'Stop and Frisk' they continue to abuse their authority and believe they are the totalitarian masters of the Five Boroughs.

Mobile Phones and the Embrace of Dystopia

https://theintercept.com/2015/12/17/a-secret-catalogue-of-government-gear-for-spying-on-your-cellphone/

This article provides a helpful update regarding the proliferation of military style surveillance equipment being unleashed on the public.

Jade Helm: Dissenting Commonality and the Response to Coming Unrest

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/09/19/jade-s19.html

This sort of article is interesting to me because it shows the surface-layer overlap on the parts of the Far Right and Far Left. Both are concerned with the growing power of the federal government, but both have entirely different interpretations of why it's happening, where it's going and who's behind it all.

Racist Killings

I believe I've said this before but it bears repeating.

The Internet is awash with examples of society at large and the mainstream media ignoring the deaths of white people at the hands of minorities and in particular blacks. This lack of coverage and attention is decried as an injustice. Why are the deaths of blacks getting covered disproportionately? Why don't white lives matter it is asked?

I must say I find these sorts of comments surprising but I guess I shouldn't.

The Left Labels Obama a Counterfeit

It's pretty sad that when I want to hear some genuine voices from the Left I have to turn to an outfit like RT. You're sure not going to hear this kind of criticism on any of mainstream media outlets within the United States.


Anyone who says our media is Leftist... immediately loses credibility with me. They've fallen for the Right/Left propaganda of the mainstream. The differences are minimal. They mainstream varieties operate from the same assumptions. What they call Left/Right is just establishment.

The Scary State of Law Enforcement and the Judiciary

Many will have already heard of this case but it continues to make the news. The 'West Memphis Three' is another sad tale of out of control investigators and prosecutors who desperate to solve a case end up convicting innocent people. And then when exposed, rather than admit they were irresponsible in their investigation, do all they can to continue to destroy the lives of the innocent people they have incarcerated. In many cases the actual guilty parties end up escaping.

The End of Posse Comitatus

Here's another interesting tale regarding the use of agents provocateurs. In this case it was the US military attempting to infiltrate peace and veteran groups involved in anti-war activities.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/25/exclusive_inside_the_army_spy_ring

Thought-Crime, Entrapment and Blackmail

With the tracking of virtually all data and the synthesis and analysis of everything we're doing, we are reaching a point that is reminiscent of themes out of some of the most frightening dystopian fiction.

Thought-crime is becoming a reality.

http://www.ky3.com/news/local/judge-convicts-man-who-had-thoughts-about-shooting-up-theater-store/-/21048998/24220610/-/9cb76cz/-/index.html

This story is terrifying. I'm not defending the kid. He's more stupid than anything else. But he didn't actually 'do' anything. CBS also covered this a few weeks ago.

Drug Wars- Allies and Enemies in -The Game-

While the United States has long played a controlling and interventionist role in Mexican politics, it seems to have reached new heights with Felipe Calderon's escalation of the Drug War in 2006.

Since then tens of thousands of people have died and as usual the drugs keep coming. However, the Drug War is a massive business in and of itself and it must be asked... do those in power really want it stop?