I can't help but wonder, once again, if we are dangerously close having to our own versions of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Maybe not this year, but we're on that path.
Tiananmen Square Massacre, 1989, Photos
Depending on whether you believe the Chinese government or the students, intellectuals, medical professionals and other protesters there, hundreds to thousands were killed by police. Why? They were for protesting for democracy.
Our current President's father, George H. Bush who was then President, said he deeply deplored the use of force.
A couple hours ago, I listened to an impeccably groomed and serious looking newswoman mention, not explore, the protests in Minnesota. This silly bitch asked, "Who are these people?"
RNC anti-war demonstrators, Sept 1, 2008
She's a regular anchor and not with Fox News. She was speaking of the anti-war protesters outside of the Republican National Convention.
Judging by the empty seats inside of the convention, I'd venture a guess that there are more folks outside of it.
Also judging by the snooty, indignant way she asked the question, one would think she and the multitude of like-minded news propagandists are completely unaware that our President suckered the nation into the Iraq War, or that this cost our country 4300+ soldiers, almost that many from suicide, thousands of soldiers who are permanently disabled, over one million of Iraqi lives, trillions of dollars, ruined our international reputation particularly after the Abu Ghraib torture stories and photos hit the international news circuit, and left our economy comatose and near death.
As of this morning, about five thousand citizens are expressing their discontent at the RNC. Nearly 300 have been arrested. Ouch. And today is only Tuesday.
You remember how we did a pre-emptive strike on Baghdad?
Well now our
[Edit 9/3 - Ask her husband Todd, who has had a long membership with the Alaska Independence Party that pushed for a statewide vote for Alaska to break away from the US. See LA Times article and others.]
Salon.com has this great story of the federal - not local - government being involved with this, and how raids have been conducted on groups before they even make it to the protest party. No warrants, no rights, just busted. Cellphones, personal papers, confiscated. People and their children held at gun point.
Even the fantastic Amy Goodman of Democracy Now was manhandled and arrested, and no one watching the video could accuse her of breaking the law at the RNC scene. The headlines got it wrong when they described Goodman's arrest and that of others as unlawful. It's no longer against the law to bust someone identified as a possible anarchist or terrorist.
I also urge you to watch her September 1 podcast discussion and interviews re: the RNC protests; she also gives a great review of how Hurricane Katrina victims were treated - and how it all ties in together.
We can thank or curse the Patriot Act and the brand new snoop FISA law for being able to mislabel ordinary, law-abiding Americans as suspected terrorists, bust into your house or car, and snoop through your belongings and confiscate whatever they want to without a warrant.
What an amazing abuse of raw, clawed and fanged power. It has an undeniable chilling effect on the American public and the real journalists and photographers who want the real story.
It also dupes the couch potatoes who rarely read or listen beyond the headlines that none of this is their problem because they mind their own business and believe that political repression will never coming knocking down their door.
How wrong they are.
Our new laws and militaristic police approach are designed to scare the shit out of people from exercising their Constitutional right to peacefully protest, and in absence of protest, the media can fully perpetuate the lie that Americans are perfectly happy with the way business has been and will continue to be conducted.
The Chinese government must be laughing.
I wish more people would have protested at these conventions. Its the perfect opportunity to be heard.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the mainstream media outlets are not providing coverage on this stuff. Thank God for Amy Goodman, Democracy Now, Salon.com, and all the independent news networks.
“You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.” Abbie Hoffman
ReplyDeleteRippa, it's strange b/c I think the media would make more money if simply reported the news w/o slanting it. There'd be far less public suspicion and more government accountability.
ReplyDeleteContrlfreq, great quote. Allowing dissent would be helluva lot cheaper too, than hiring hundreds of federal cops or mercenaries than paying for a few broken windows by a handful of the more aggressive protesters.
The peaceful ones would feel they got to make their point instead of going home even more pissed at the 'system'.
It's not rocket science, ya know? And I don't know why those in charge can't figure this out.
Someone recently asked me what I had to hide when I verbally protested the "patriot act" and "FISA."
ReplyDeleteI said, "I have nothing to hide, but everything to protect. . . it's called the Constitution of the United States."