My letter to the Private Manning Defense Fund

9/30/2013

Private Manning Defense Fund

c/o Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave  #41
Oakland, CA  94610-2730


Dear Representative of the Private Manning Defense Fund:

I am contributing $20 to the Private Manning’s Defense Fund.

I remember a sign in a bar in Mariposa, California, years ago that said, “We don’t have a town drunk; everyone takes their turn.”

Many of us take our turns to stand up to the menacing greed, injustice and deceptions that those in power often perpetrate. 

Our efforts combined, seem to pale by what Private Manning has done; a tremendous act in support for the truth and the justice that represents the America I believe in. 

I have worked from time to time to assure, as best I could, that my country, the United States of America, is a role model in the world for doing the right thing.  Yet all I have done and all others have done is dwarfed by the magnitude of what Private Manning has accomplished.

Since the death of JFK there has been a decline with respect to standards of behavior in our nation and prior to the courageous act of Private Manning all seemed hopeless.  Yet his one act of exposing our international war crimes that were being covered up has been effective in helping to turn the tide.  The unethical profiteers who orchestrate war for their own riches have suddenly become more isolated as have their small-minded self-serving minions.

I am very truly sorry that Private Manning has been treated so unjustly for doing the right thing.

I find it ironic that as a nation we pardoned the Iran-Contra gang for criminally trafficking in guns and drugs; we turn a blind eye to the systematic dumping of drugs and guns in the ghettos of our inner cities;  the Senate Intelligence Committee only slaps the hands of giant corporations caught laundering drug money yet the media representing itself as the mood and the mind of our nation ignores these issues then gets indignant when the honesty of one person exposes our hypocrisy, our dishonesty and our disregard for human life as a nation.  I for one am indignant at the sponsors of such deception and heresy.

Only 1% of the men who have been reported to have committed sexual assault in the military have been prosecuted while close to 70% of the women who have reported sexual assaults in the military have been retaliated against according to Kirsten Gillebrand.  Whether it is the private sector or the military, the chain of command seems much more concerned these days with covering up serious problems and crimes rather than addressing them directly and honestly.  We would expect more remorse of a criminal in a courtroom than we do of powerful people in the chain of command covering up massive crimes against humanity.  Management, whether in the military or the private sector,  engaging in coercion and retaliation against underlings for not supporting a criminal cover-up is no less than racketeering.  This injustice is pandemic and needs to be addressed.

I for one understand that Private Manning was given no choice.  He was forced to break the law or be culpable in the cover up of heinous crimes against humanity.  The chain of command in the military is culpable for silencing critics and covering up misdeeds as is the chain of command in much of the private sector.  That adage to ‘cheat but don’t get caught’ seems to have gained prominence in our nation while basic human virtues of honesty, integrity and character seem to have been trampled in the way. 

Private Manning had no path other than to see the menacing injustice concealed or to break the law.  In the ‘lose-lose’ predicament thrust upon Private Manning, the choice of an honest person possessing honesty, integrity and character was the one chosen.

My support and best wishes go to your efforts to defend and assure Private Manning’s safety and early release.  Clearly, Private Manning is one of my hero’s and one of our nation’s greatest heroes and one of the world’s greatest heroes.

By the way, the stamp on the letter I received says “Bradley Manning Defense Fund” and I was immediately concerned that his new chosen name was not in the title. 

Yet what matters is not the heading on the letter, but the work that is being done to free and reward Private Manning for the truly great service done for our nation and the world.

Sincerely,

 

Neal C. Chambers

 

Letter to my Senator regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership

In your recent letter to me response to my opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership you say that ‘when enacted with thoughtful safeguards promote cooperative relationships between nations, ensure America’s competitiveness, promote faster growth, poverty reduction, increased democratization and higher labor and environmental standards.

Congress always legislates with thoughtful safeguards.  Yet the last 40 years Trade Agreements have reduced cooperative relationships.  In the 1960’s, other nations loved and looked up to America.  Today, they abide by our dictates out of fear for economic and military reprisals, awaiting the moment when we are down to stab us in the back and get even.

Increasing transparency has continued to decline in the U.S.

 

Government corruption has increased, not decreased.

Our competitiveness has been destroyed as a nation as our intellectual and material skills are transferred to people in other countries for lower costs to corporations that cheat on taxes.

Faster growth is not necessarily a good thing.  A cancer that grows faster is deadly and our trade agreements have paralyzed our nation like a cancer.

Poverty reduction???  We have not seen poverty reduction in the U.S., we have seen the middle class moved into poverty.  We have seen the value of wages in America drop to near slave wages by inflation; we have seen jobs reduced in an increasingly modern society where people have no alternative to low paid jobs.  We have seen an increase in the rift between the rich and the poor with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer and being wrongfully criminalized.  Clearly the trade agreements have not helped in poverty reduction especially as the House of Representatives goes full force to dismantle what petty safety net for the poor already exists leaving the poor with no alternative.

 

The U.S. is not a central player in the global market.  Rich multinational corporations that evade taxes hiding their money overseas have become the central player.  Yes, a very few people in the U.S. benefit while 99% of Americans suffer.

Being a principle consumer has only contributed to increased waste and energy consumption.  When I worked at Seagate, we guaranteed our disc drives to OEM’s with a five year return warranty for the most complex electronic device that pushes the leading edge of mechanical and electronic capabilities.  Simple headsets sold in the U.S. have about a 3 month lifespan after which they go into a landfill.  The manufacture of this 3 month device is hardly any different from a device that would work 5 years, but the energy waste and resource waste is 20 fold.  Is this the consumer base you are touting as good for our nation and the world?

As you know, trade agreements, according to the Constitution, can take priority over domestic laws.  This means that consumer protections in place in our nation must lower their standards to meet global standards.

As far as higher labor and environmental standards, in the U.S. labor standards have diminished.  EEOC and OSHA are underfunded and simply act as an obstacle to anyone going to court over an issue.  Corporate management literally engages in racketeering, promoting those who lie and cheat to make them look good and penalizing those who operate in good faith, report the facts and observe inconsistencies that diminish or endanger quality and safety.  Perhaps disasters overseas in the huge sweat shops may do something to increase safety and environmental concerns overseas, but if the United States is any indication, even steps improving safety and environmental concerns will be undone as quickly as possible.

These trade agreements, in conclusion, are creating a moment of wealth for the wealthiest in the world and destroying our nation.  Since they are all enacted with thoughtful consideration, perhaps it is time that we begin to become more isolationists and more independent of the junk and waste that comes of consuming throw-away products made overseas.  That or our trade agreements need to consider the quality of trade and not just the quantity.

I urge you to reconsider not only the TPP, but the general course upon which our nation is being guided:  a course that is destroying our nation and our future for all except a few wealthy people who are getting richer.

War, secrecy and vague 'implausible' possibilities in the news

 

 

WAR is the only option our media will consider

 

 

 

 

8/5/2013

Listening to a news program today a little after 2:30pm PST, continued developments in the discussions surrounding the Syrian Crisis elevate concerns that the U.S. is not interested in a humanitarian solution in Syria insisting on military action or nothing.

Diane Feinstein laments the lack of support from her constituency and says to this, "They don't know what I know"?  What do you know, Diane, and why doesn't the American Public know what you know?  Surely our ignorance is not because we aren't paying attention.

A spokesperson for the Administration said that regarding Military Intervention, "We will not entertain implausible arguments". 

That is tell-tale.  The speaker would not speak the unspeakable, that our assumption that President Assad would effectively commit suicide by using chemical weapons is plausible but that some private or secret interest, currently supplying the very poor rebels with expensive weaponry to orchestrate a a takeover of Syria and of the oil pipeline through Syria is implausible.

If it is so is so implausible, why is it not mentioned in the news?  The reason it is not mentioned is to prevent people from coming to the conclusion that the rest of the world already has concluded:  the chemical weapons are more likely to have been released by interests that wish to use the U.S. military to serve their economic gain.  That is what is called 'implausible.

Very quickly the news mentioned requests by Russian Diplomats to meet with American Lawmakers to discuss resolutions to the Syrian Crisis being turned away.  Why would we turn away representatives of a powerful nation expressing concern about human rights abuses.  Perhaps because we fear they will thwart our ONLY goal which is military intervention which will cause more humanitarian crises than already exist.

The perception that the U.S. is concerned only with the financial gains to be achieved through a military strike and NOT with the humanitarian crisis in Syria is reinforced over and over by the lopsided, incomplete information provided to the American public by the news presenting a military strike as the ONLY option and by lawmakers refusing to work with nations that seek an alternative to military action to diffuse the humanitarian crisis.

Diane Feinstein said it all when she said the public doesn't know what she knows.  Lopsided reporting in the news, the reluctance of lawmakers to even attempt a peaceful resolution  as well as the sidestepping the issue that the perpetrator responsible for the release of chemical weapons remains UNKNOWN all point to a hidden agenda with one goal:  military action.  What do you know, Diane Feinstein???

The drums of war is all our media presents and all we seem willing to consider  as our media attempts to frame the situation in terms using military force against the Syrian Government or nothing?  What isn't talked about are diplomatic alternatives that would truly show our government cares at all about the Humanitarian Crisis.  What isn't talked about is our refusal to work with the International Community to develop non-military options.  What isn't talked about is the failure of the media to present these points of view.



The Truth about Homosexuality

In  the light of the current repressive laws against Homosexuality in places like Russia, I think the time is appropriate to publish the truth about Homosexuality.

First, homosexuality is a genetic predisposition.  Either a person is born that way or they are not.  In European and Western societies, the frequency of the homosexual gene has resulted in social pressures toward heterosexuality  to promote the production of workers and mercenaries that might not otherwise be produced.  If a person's natural instinct isn't going to force them to  behave as heterosexuals,  social pressures and laws will!

Not to say that homosexuality cannot be learned, but often it is unlikely due to the social pressure to be heterosexual.  I have known people to learn homosexual behavior and enjoy themselves sexually with either men or women.

Due to the conflict between the genetic nature of people and the social pressure to behave in a manner contrary to their true nature, many people express vehement opposition to homosexuality as a means of convincing themselves and others they are not homosexual.  This not only resolves the problems of their own personal incapacity to deal with the conflicting situation, but the same sex camaraderie (hating homosexuals together) gives them the opportunity to associate with the same sex in a manner that does not indict them.

Societies that engage in massive repression of homosexuality are masking the prevalence of their own homosexual nature.

A natural heterosexual has no need to oppose homosexuality.  A natural heterosexual can easily respect the choices of others about how they live their lives.  Why should any reasonable person concern themselves with the sexual relationships of others they are not involved with sexually???  If a  person believes in the concepts of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that person necessarily extends the respect due to others to make their own choices about living their own lives.

Opposition to homosexual behavior comes from people who are in conflict recognizing their own homosexual nature and are strained resolving the conflict.  Some people can be repressed and just ignore any concerns,  but some people are so afraid they will become outcasts of society they must prove their membership in the heterosexual circles.  These people must do more than simply live a heterosexual life which is not compatible with their nature.  They are compelled to prove they are not homosexual by their opposition to any person who is, especially since that person has the courage and strength that they lack. 

Homophobia therefore proves to society and the world that they are not homosexual which they have been brainwashed into believing is wrong, or unmanly, or unwomanly, or something.

The bottom line is repressed homosexuals are sometimes compelled to oppose homosexuality.  I deduce therefore that those places where homosexuality is the most dogmatically condemned is where the members of the society have the highest number of repressed homosexuals.

Should these societies that strongly oppose homosexual behavior undergo cultural changes, the likelihood of large numbers of people coming out of the closet is very high.

 

Let the People lead!

If the people lead, the leaders will follow.  People must take leadership roles which however cannot simply be the violent usurpation of power.  If a leader leads by force, others will follow but will stab him in the back; if a leader leads by caring, courage, reason and justice, the people will die for him.         

Let us not lead by force, by attacks and by destroying those above.  We must lead by revealing the impeccable and unstoppable power of reason and truth and win hearts.

While perhaps a missile was fired by Syrian Forces that contained chemical weapons, we have no proof that this was the intent of the Syrian Government and that it wasn't the machination of some other interest with an agenda to incite a military action.  We have no proof that the chemical weapons weren't the acts of people who have interests in promoting war against President Assad.

Indeed, President Assad leads a country without oil, a poor country that has been a service industry to the former U.S.S.R. and Russia, housing and entertaining VIP's and diplomats and hosting sports teams for their practice.  It has been suggested that the puny amounts of oil that might be obtained in Syria by slant drilling, etc., although considered worthless to the Oil Barons who have connived for Middle Eastern Oil since 1910 when it was discovered, now 103 years later might be worth pumping.  More likely is that certain interests wish to put pipelines across Syria and control those pipelines.

President Assad knows his country has no strength compared to that of Iraq which has undergone 22 years of constant devastation (another humanitarian effort gone awry).

Indeed, it would be insane to think President Assad voluntarily signed his own death certificate.

On the other hand, we have neo-cons and neo-zionists in the U.S. who have been chomping at the bit to start a war in Iran.  Obstructed, they now see the possibility of starting a war in Syria that will spill over into Iran. This would be an end run around obstacles to the much desired profits of war.  Control of Syria would mean control of any pipelines going through Syria as well.

Is it not possible that the gun and drug runners who have armed the rebels provided the Sarin nerve gas to the rebels with the intent of involving the U.S.; or that some official was bribed and a warhead swapped to start a war?  We have been a part of an international gun and drug running team, formerly Iran-Contra, that was pardoned when caught?  Although an international crime syndicate, it seems people high up in our government protect them.

President Obama said if chemical weapons were used the U.S. military would act?  Might this be the reason the warhead was swapped or the rebels given chemical weapons???

Asides from the profits of selling more guns, more bullets, more bombs, more missiles, more planes, etc, there are other economic reasons that might motivate those politicians who protect international gun and drug running.

Based on President Obama's 2013 Federal Discretionary Budget, education is to receive 6% of the funds; health 5%, energy and the environment 3%, veterans benefits 5.5% and the DOD and weapons programs 57%.  We all know that departments get their budgets cut if the money isn't all spent, so there is a great interest in spending every cent!

The 'Masters of War' have dragged the U.S. into wars for profit through the decades with superficial justification.  In the case of Syria, perhaps their are concerns that should be addressed, diplomatically.  Arms trafficking through Syria poses a threat to Israel.  So how do we protect Israel?

We must start by instilling in and out of our country the arguments that cut through all racial and religious prejudices stating that is in any population is the spectrum of personality types.

In every population there are good people, bad people, truthful people, liars, greedy people, caring people and so on.  There are no good or evil countries, just countries with people and the people in every country fill the spectrum of human behavior types.  Equipped with this argument, we defy any prejudice against Americans, Jews, Arabs, Chinese, Hispanics, etc.  We decree any such arguments are inherently false and deceptive and we begin to work to protect human societies.

Now we are equipped to make this argument to President Putin of Russia and President Jinping of China.  We communicate that in the interest of all people of the world we wish to create a coalition to stop the illegal flow of arms to prevent incidents such as what has happened in Syria.  We get President Putin and President Jinping to work as equal partners in stopping the flow of arms that threatens Israel, Syria and the entire world.  We all work together with transparency. 

If President Obama would ask China, Russia and Saudi Arabia to help in the Palestinian peace process by stopping the flow of illegal weapons to very poor people to instigate violence, we would have the basis for a very positive coalition. 

England and France should go along with a truly humanitarian coaltion and so would the rest of the world.  The growth of the very notion that there are no good-guy - bad-guy lines between societies, only a spectrum of behavior types within every society would be driven by the interest of all people.

Are dropping more bombs, orchestrating more covert actions and destroying more societies while stealing from the mouths of the poor to make criminals rich still a viable alternative?  How long will our spoon fed media keep up the pretense to support genocide for profit???