The Government Controls the Media

I never felt that phrase was so true until two weeks ago. I participated in a very large antiwar protest, protesting the preemptive strikes on Iraq. There were anywhere from 80,000 to 200,000 by some estimates. The most poignant speaker was actress Susan Sarandon, well of course she is one of the highest contributing tax payers. Her speech consisted of a series of questions that she would ask the President if given a chance.

Honestly I can’t understand the logic behind preemptive strikes on Iraq. What I believe the US government is saying that we have to strike first and take out any threats. They are doing it in the name of security and protection. I cannot see how that will provide any protection to American citizens. Sadaam Hussein is no angel but I believe he wants to protect his monetary interest in oil. We also have a big stake in the procurement of petroleum because it is a major energy source for the United States. If we lose our oil the entire area of Orange County, CA will cease to exist. So the big bank hanks in Orange County are the type of people who are invested monetarily for oil, whether they are conscious of it or not.

Nothing good came come of a war with Iraq. I feel very vulnerable right now. I know that there are many people who wish to cause harm to citizens of the US so that we know what it feels to live in a war zone. Terrorism is not born of people who play for sport. It is what happens when people feel desperate because they have been betrayed. If we attack Iraq the terrorist cells here and elsewhere will attack again. I feel like my government is betraying me because they fail to think further than their own interest. Most Americans want to feel protected and a preemptive strike is a way to make people feel that way. I am just not sure that I see the benefits.

I see another Vietnam coming on because we do not have support from our allies. Saudi Arabia said today that we could not use their military bases for strikes against Iraq. We want to be the world police but we have a corrupt police force. There is so much documented throughout history about how our government lies to us and who knows how many covert missions take place so that we can remain an economic powerhouse. It is weird for me to say this while outright enjoying life at the expense of others.

The way to solve these problems is the same way we can solve racism in this country. Those who benefit from the corrupt systems have to give up our privileges to make life better from others. When this will happen, the world may never know. Although Dr. Harry Edwards says that change only comes from catastrophe. I wonder how big of a catastrophic event it would take for real change to happen? Are you prepared to give something up? Of course this is over simplified because I am not writing a book right now, maybe later.

So I marched that day and listened to great speakers. I came home thinking that it would be on the news and that everyone who had not been there would see that people weren’t just blinding following Bush but, it was minimally covered. I felt I participated in something great and hopefully at least one person was touched to think critically about the situation.

History Fact that I learned this week:
President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara told the public that the North Vietnamese attacked a US ship in international waters with out being provoked. As a result the Congress gave the President power to declare war on Vietnam. However this was all a lie, they invented this attack in order to go to war. The ship was not in international waters and it was on a spy mission. No torpedos were launched at American targets. This info will forever make me a skeptic and cynical.

This weeks music tidbit: Goapele is a very talented singer from Oakland, CA. I had the pleasure of hearing her sing at a political rally over two years ago. Her vocal skills are superb, she has great sense of style, y es muy guapa . Unfortunately, I moved to the east coast and lost track of her because she was not yet on a label. In April I found out that she released an album but I was spelling her name wrong (Guapale, guapa means pretty in Spainish and I thought it seemed to fit her) all this time but alas I found her on the front page of Groovenation. So everyone enjoy the sounds of Goapele. Buy an album and a t-shirt even, I did.

6 degrees of TV seperation:

On the Real World New York season 10 there was a guy who was in the cast and his name was Malik. Ironically he went to UC Berkeley and his appearance is very striking and I always noticed him. In one episode his friend Namane comes to visit him. Namane is also a DJ in Oakland and I thought he was the most handsome thing I had ever seen. I once saw him DJ for this girl name Guapale. Namane is Guapale’s brother. They should have pimped Malik’s TV moment and put Guapale on Arista. This is TV seperation because I don’t know any of these people.