From: ant.mcwatt@ntlworld.com
Date: Sat Aug 14 2004 - 02:45:16 BST
On August 12th, Scott Roberts asked Ham Priday:
Do you consider the Patriot Act to be a help or a
hindrance to freedom?
On August 12th, Ham Priday replied:
The answer depends on whether you believe (as I do) that our nation is under attack and that we are currently at war with the terrorist factions.
Ant McWatt comments:
That’s not exactly accurate or (to put it in MOQ terms) not the highest quality interpretation of recent events in the States and Europe i.c.w. terrorist action.
The only factions under real threat in the United States and Europe are the ruling elites due to their actions abroad (by proxy) in attempting to control foreign resources and particularly oil. And even that threat to them is minimal and grossly exaggerated.
The Bush’s and their close business associates since the mid-1970s, the Bin Laden’s (who presently control Saudi Arabia) were probably shocked as anybody else that a black sheep of the latter’s family instigated those disgusting acts of violence on 9-11 though (after they recovered their composure) it did give the Bush-Bin Ladens an excuse to invade Iraq, introduce laws such as the Patriot Act to limit the freedoms of the general U.S. population and instil an irrational fear in the majority of the populace through a continuing and largely fictional war. Very cynical but remember they make billions of dollars from oil (and associated industries) and any other spin offs that reduces the power of anyone else is an additional bonus.
To use a quote of Pirsig’s from LILA, the recent “War on Terror” is “just the usual cover-up for the rich in their age-old exploitation of the poor.” The primary exploitation being through taxes and the use of man power. As an American taxpayer I’d certainly want a refund of the 70 billion that has already been spent sending working and lower-middle class kids to secure Iraqi oil for the Bush-Bin Ladens. I’d also want to know, amongst other questions, why the children of only one US senator are currently on military service in Iraq and why thirty planes flew out of the States on September 13th 2001 to transport various members of the Bin Laden family (without any questioning) back to Saudi Arabia.
Ham Priday stated August 12th:
It seems to me that, considering the circumstances, the American community must be willing to give up certain civil liberties (including the right of foreigners to enter our borders) in the interest of preserving Freedom for all, just as a child must be deprived of certain liberties in order to learn how to exercise personal Freedom responsibly in a free society.
Ant McWatt comments:
It’s depressing to read this as once I would have believed the sentiments regarding civil liberties as sincerely as Ham (and no doubt Platt) does. It is also certainly a pity that Bush Junior hasn’t taken on board the pertinent sentiment about exercising personal Freedom responsibly. From the MOQ perspective, the most damaging effect by the “War on Terror” is on Dynamic Quality. If, for instance, the free flow of people, ideas and trade is restricted within the States (on tenuous grounds) the Dynamism of its social and intellectual systems is correspondingly reduced. The potential for Dynamic development in all fields in the States is tremendous and it is matter of concern to see this potential being held back. It’s one thing to be personally greedy (as no doubt the Bush-Bin Ladens are) but to compromise the free trade of industry and culture outside the oil industry is extremely selfish and short-sighted.
It’s very difficult to think what action a free thinking individual can do to help matters. Ensuing oneself is educated (not necessarily in the formal sense) through reading and analysing as many non-corporate/independent information sources as possible is certainly one worthwhile pursuit. Power elites depend on the mass populace to be ignorant in order to help them keep power. I’m not too sure that it would radically improve matters - that much - to vote Democrat in the forthcoming election but the removal of the Bush element from political power in the States would at least be a step in the right direction. (BTW, it’s pretty clear now that Bush Junior lost the last presidential election – as revealed by the shocking events in Florida during the 2000 election – definitely worth finding out about).
Ham Priday stated August 12th:
Cynics like yourself no longer believe what Government tells them, hence convince themselves that it's all a ploy by the politicians to win votes. Unfortunately, the cynicism that prevents our seeing objective reality as it
is won't make the terrorist threat go away.
Ant McWatt finally comments:
Unfortunately, the gullibility that prevents our seeing “objective” reality as it is, won't make the ruling elites or their static orientated behaviour go away either. Moreover, it’s rarely a good idea to believe any politician (of whatever political persuasion) on face value.
Best wishes,
Ant.
(P.S. No quotes from the Murdoch corporate media please, Platt!)
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