TRICK OR TREAT

From Murph

TODAYS HORROR STORY;

or, what’s the new crap this week.,

Or, Scotty, beam me up and hurry,

Or WTF?

I simply cannot believe what every new week brings up in new revelations about what our government is doing. Every damned week it’s something new. Which doesn’t beat out the daily revelations, but … all I want to do is curse today.

Over the weekend, we learn that the government wants a bunch of these “Big Dog” robots, equipped with munitions capability and discernments to be able to restrain “uncooperative humans”. They want packs of these things. Geez, wonder when the hot heads will start laying traps for them. You know, land mines, big bore rifles and such to knock them over. Hey Hank, see that critter over there? Let’ use it for target practice for the 50 cal. Geez Bob, that’s over a mile away. That’s ok Hank, give it a shot. Meanwhile Pete is laying land mines around his place and making plans to lure them in. he he he.

The pentagon also ordered a bunch of the “pain rays” for crowd control. You know, the ones that operate on microwave bands and can cook a person from the inside out. I guess that gives a new meaning to ‘block parties’? Oh ymmmy, please pass the thigh of that homeless person that they cooked up for us. The pecks were too thin from not eating enough and got over cooked. Or, please pass the… oh hell, I digress.

The last bit of news is that FEMA wants a 100 mile band on 100% of our boarders that is ‘constitution free zones’ where you can be stopped for any reason, or no reason at all, searched, detained on suspicion, or god knows what. Of course that band contains a little over 2/3 of our population. YouTube has some interesting short films by people that encountered homeland security road blocks and check points 60 miles or so from the Mexican boarder. Hey Hank, got your pistol ready? There’s gonna be a bunch of em at the next check point. Better hope they didn’t bring tanks. And no Hank, they aren’t for taking home as trophies. Watch the dogs though, don’t want them getting a stray shot in em, it’ll spoil the coon hunt.

I don’t believe this shit.

Remember the movie “Signs”? A friend of ours that came from Detroit saw it after we told him it was a neat movie. We asked him what he thought of it. He said he didn’t like it. We were a bit taken back until he explained. He said not one person in the movie was armed, first off, and he also opined that if they had landed in Detroit the street gangs would have the ship stripped out in half an hour and be selling ray guns on the street the next day. He thought it was very unrealistic. Sigh. Fantasy meets up with reality.

So where is the resistance to the alien takeover right now? I just gotta classify these people working for FEMA and Homeland security as aliens. Not sure of the scales, never seen one nakid yet. But ya never know. Maybe we should be searching the ground for shed scales or skins wherever they have been. At least we could confirm it then.

Oh my god, what have I just said. Oh man, of course it is for our own good. Got to keep all them terrorists on edge and marginalized you know. Plus, if all them good quality folks doing the enforcement of the rules out there weren’t working, we’d then have another 30 million people out of work, can’t have that. The government and its agencies employ over 50% of working people today. By god,we are gonna beat this economic downturn by hiring more security people, for our own good now, let’s not forget that part. Got a feeling there is going to be a hiring surge in prison guards pretty soon. Although in “Cool Hand Luke” they seemed to live pretty good. But I digress again.

Considering that the human slave trade has been growing lately, and the predominance of it is for sexual slavery, I guess we all can plan on not having to worry about worn out clothes after a while.

We just got through watching the old movie “The Hustler”. Haven’t seen it for a very long time. Made me think that is what has been happening to us as citizens of the country, we’ve been hustled. When will we all learn that there is more to life than making money.

I have been seeing more articles lately talking about class warfare. The two I have seen lately that are well done is on Cyernals Journal and Thomas Pains corner. On Pains site the article (Spreading the Wealth: The politics of class warfare. http://www.bestcyrano.org/thomaspaine/

On Cyerno’s Journal, http://www.bestcyrano.org/ the lead article on the Bourgeoisie is worth reading.

Yup, we are and have ever been, in a class warfare with some bunch at the top of the social and economic ladder. We have revolutions that attempt to equalize things a bit for the working class. The great American experiment was intended to make things a bit more spread out, but the adulteration we are experiencing today is the greatest concentrating of wealth to the elites and bourgeoisie the world has ever seen. Those that do the actual producing of wealth benefit the least. I wonder if that will ever change.

I just don’t know folks. Tonight I am slightly speechless. So, a short post. Murph

This addendum is from Freeacre on the subject.

Just to throw in my two cents here, I want to add a few other aspects that are leading to nosebleed level stress moments right now.

The marathon election process is coming to a head in a week. Good God, what an exercise that showed just about everything that is sick and wrong about our political arena. Billions of dollars spent on it, for openers. The divisiveness in our culture is just so depressing. Can’t seem to get any groups to agree on much of anything. Petty, mean-spirited control freaks running most of the campaigns. Ron Paul and other alternative thinkers shut out altogether by the media. Important subjects totally taboo. It just makes me sick. And, now we have to worry whether the neocons are going to try something outrageous to suspend the elections altogether between now and election day. Or, if the election will be stolen again by Diebold election machines that flip the vote or by the voter purges that have been engineered by the suspiciously silent Carl Rove over the past year or so.

The potential stock market crash and the trillions of dollars the bailout has added to our national debt is like watching a horror movie in slow motion. Trillions of dollars are evaporating out of the budgets of states, cities and counties, 401Ks and now pensions. I expect the dollar to die just about the time I am to collect my first social security check in February. So it goes…

On All Hallows Eve, I think I may be found self-medicating with the Halloween candy. I may just be sitting there with the porch light off and eating Snickers bars and peanut butter cups from the bowl in my lap. This year “Trick or Treat” has taken on a whole new meaning…

I must remember to leave the mental door open for the “treat” part. Maybe something good will happen out of all this mess.

Heart Songs from the Campfire

freeacre

Today is the official anniversary of the Troutclan Campfire blog site. Note that we just passed the 25,000 hit mark as well. It also happens that the stock market is tanking, once again. If you listen closely, I think you will be able to hear Dude's oft repeated lament, "We're doomed!" in the background... lol. There is an astounding array of bad news out there today - from LATOC, Survival Acres, Prison Planet, What Really Happened ...you name it. My worst so far is the "Big Dog" scenario where the Pentagon has commissioned robots to round up "uncooperative" humans... Personally, my weird-shit-o-meter is pegged. All my Sarah Connor, Terminator, fantasies seem to be manifesting. Good grief.

Time for some soul food.

For a treat, we are posting a collection of the poems that Rockpicker has written and posted on our site through the year. We are, of course, grateful and appreciative of the poetic contributions that others have submitted as well. But this collection affords the opportunity for people to cut and paste them so that if you want to, you could create your own collection to keep through time. We are so fortunate to have such a poet in our midsts, and it's good to pause and let his perspectives strengthen and enrich us.

Waiting For The Signal

These pages that bring us together
are the fire in the cave above the stream,
no dream we move in and out of, faceless,
expendable, waiting for a burst of wings
to spill our pooled bones like coins
over the chilled and silent ground
we fell in love with so long ago,
singing the green hills homeward
under that shovel-shouldered sun.

Fatigue works grim the stone of souls.
No talk is needed to believe the bleeding
will be ours all too soon. Needled dust,
that settled itself in naive lungs, cuts
with each rasp, yet the bleeding
won't be stemmed. Quick, black tongues
flicked from windows, floors below dustified
slabs, while the Street slumped with peanuts
beside its beer, locked on the game.

In our rush of voices a stream curses
the murmur of pines. In our names,
what we begged for never to be done,
is done with no shame. And the day
drags its blindered self to toil. Night trades
whiskey pete for oil, while down slope,
death-drummer birds with blazing eyes
ascend the holy crags to kill dissent
before we waking innocent arise.

-12/10/05


Conundrum

When a bunker buster
falls in the desert
and no one
shows you photos
of the shadows
of little bodies
etched on concrete walls,
is the wailing
of mothers
drowned out
by the whirr
of rotors?

-for FP


An Act of Extraordinary Courage Observed While Planting Tomatoes

Angry Raven
banked in black
over legumes
and lit behind
the chokecherry,
at the back shed's eave.
He paced the peak
and garbled
a throaty protest.
I ignored his peave.
Shadows stretched
like cats across beds.
Welcomed shade turned chill.
There was squash, still.
Raven crowed brave
from safe spruce,
gawked quizzical from crab.
Nerve enough or calculated ire
worked him into swoop
and grab. A defining clack
of black claws scraping plastic
told the truth. Mute owl,
on his guarding post,
perched moot.



Grieving For Falluja, Election Day, 2005

I'm waiting empty in a cold house,
with shamrocks, the dog and favored books,
listening for the old tread of new boots,
gunning to kick in this loose-hinged heart.

The angry hands of those with much
to lose, I imagine, close on me.
They drag me, incendiary,
into their unmooned dark.

An unfinished whiskey on the table
is how my neighbors find me gone.
No bloated stench. No skeletal sneer.
Only that storm door banging mad in wind.


Jets vs Pittsburgh,
Coldest Day of the Year

In America,
on Saturday afternoons,
in the little box
over the backbar,
a pointless struggle,
(waged repeatedly
by aging boys
who too soon
will find themselves
ungainly
in a gainful world,
sipping micro brews
in glass- blocked bars,
Saturdays, applauding
new boys who run
old plays,)
somehow leads one
through translucence,
to dead -weighted air
hung dull
as a final nell
and somewhere, far away,
to dusty sunlight,
(a sweetly putrid moon,
perhaps,) under which
adrenalized boys,
old beyond years,
strain senses
to keep alive.


Magnetic Ribbons and the Yellowcake of Faith

When we wake puking shame
at last, and know the dream
for sham, embraced en masse...
When bells that rang victorious
hang mute, their tarnished claims
ignored in disrepute, and
bitter sons, having been all they
could be, can't wish back innocence
or the leg below the knee...

(This brash regime's trimmed reason
from its ranks, its black guard
in the street, protecting flanks.)

...then will we heed the schemers'
gloating leer? "There's no future
for dissidents here."
Row on row, with hand
in trembling hand, it's come to this.
We dreamers need to stand.


Montana, July

It's the wet 'yes'
of a girl’s kiss
in grass, with
shooting stars
at elbow
and foot,
her rapt eyes
unwrapping
your plain length
in kinickinick,
in beargrass air.
The pungent
urges
of earth
and salty hair
twining
like tongues.


Planting Garlic On A Cool October Sunday,
While Waiting for News Of The Collecting Armada

The tick of hooves on concrete trumps
my digging. Across Mill Street
an anxious doe changes course
on noticing my form. It's nearly dark.
This light of a weekday's usually safe, she's
come to know. But elbows and knees
that should not be here flailing put her off.

I straighten in fading daylight with my spade,
take account of the small pile of carrots
I have made and think of ships massing
in the Gulf. Apples stoop barren
at the end of this plot. They bloomed
to beat Memorial bands, then bore
almost nothing. Cowbirds worked Labor Day

to pick their poor limbs bare.
And so I'm here, bent on a spade
in failing light, wondering, will our press
speak of camps built to incinerate
dissenters' bones? And will my neighbors,
who think it impolite to talk politics,
see her white flag brandished in alarm?


Stopping For Pelicans On A Summer Evening

Driving the Road to the Buffalo home,
Oldensoul, over my shoulder, spots
a helix of featherworks bursting
the cloudless blue near where
roads and waters merge. We pull off.
Low over yellowing grass, black wings
work the yellowing grass for what
it's worth, unaware, or perhaps,
unimpressed, by the grace overhead.

Flashes of winged bodies appear
out of nowhere unencumbered in air.
They flare white, a hundred points
of light, a flock of blossoms,
each banked turn when sun hits right.
Up and up they climb, uninstructed,
free, repeating explosions of ecstasy.
It takes our breath. They bloom,
fade and bloom again, delirious

anarchy on zazen wind.
This whirling is a public mirth, a stirring
of rapture, loosed of earth. And isn't
this coming together of a green day
with affirming moon and the scent
of new-mown hay a way to sing
our love song back to a black-winged world?


Prayer For MF's Quick Recovery

I have walked the Camas side
of Schmidtz, in bitterroot moons,
beheld the dew-jeweled hills
in succulent June and I have slept
entwined by the lapping shore,
soundly, with a late-found love.
I want no more.

A bright half-moon over Dunkelburg Ridge,
northwest flank of the Flint Creek Range,
and we snuggle under fiberfil and wool
in a long- shadows meadow
at the nape of the hill.
The great bear circles above,
pointing the way for moss on firs.

My love concurs. Days exposed
and drooping, with tape and pills, are still
willow-wandering days. Let detractors
go to hell. Beyond the tops of cedar posts
and faceted glass, hills ripple green
with cheated grasses. They open wild,
accepting faces in riotous prayer. Aho.


After An Ice Storm On The Allegheny Plateau

Beyond the sumac tangle, where a thinning father saws,
a grandmother shagbark hickory sags with loss.
Split limbs scrape like clay shards tied in wind. Wind
the sawyer knows and ice conspire some bad years
to open crowns and let a good sun in. He revs
his Stihl. Green pulp sprays from kerfs and sticks
to boots, consecrating snow like scattered ash.

You stand a distance off and dream the taut trunk limber.
Remember a girl, smart, green as whip? You loved her.
This ancient snag, lithe in youth, was left by men
long dead for shade. You like to think she chose her ground,
bolted free of gloom so deep a bright moon hurt, and ran,
breaching walls to reach this mid-field stance. You're
confused. The figure you remember kept running.

Some bad years snap the stoutest dreams like twigs.
Cures fail. Stunned villagers inter a shining son.
A wife says 'leave.' Once each life thin fathers
flesh-out plans to restack stones, slash brush
and honour the old delineations. Buck the shattered way
life doesn't go. Toss rounds to boys who still trust dreams
and cart your grief like cordwood home in snow.


Contemplating the Artist Caught Red-Handed

We arrived home flushed with the day
to find him hooting up a mouser's moon,
two poles away, hunched against a final smudge
of light. He perched so still, I wondered, plastic?
You whispered, 'so skilled a rendition of terror
one must heed.' I hooted, too, in yellow gloom.
And off he came, low over lilacs, in a whoosh
of wings. We thrilled in his twilight blessing.

Days later, I collected his broken fluff
under spruce boughs in the children's park.
I sat in a swing, dragging lines in sand,
and pressed the tips of his talons into my thumbs.

Across brown grass, past the aqua crater
of the wading pool, a wooden seesaw
weather-checks in sun. Lives lept from
seldom are remounted, or redone.
In this time of fallen heroes,

the kids have painted an American flag
on the concrete block outhouse beside the library.
Hands dipped in paint and pressed suggest
an aggressive future foreign policy.
I count sixty-seven stars. One flares fire-engine red.

-for Marjorie

Still, I'm setting stone
on a rich man's house.
In the space overhead,
between the sofit
and scaffold planks,
two jets, tail- to- nose,
fly west the walk-plank
slice of sky each day
around one. In an hour,
they return, dead on,
their contrail straight
as a shovel handle,
propped inside a grave.

Roots

Night falls like a woven throw
over the shoulders of the apples.
I lean on the fork handle stuck deep in sod and let the evening
chords of redwings thrill me.
Still, day dies sad.
The tangled skeins of rhizomes,
shaken free of worms,
heap behind me like regrets
I pile and never burn.

-rockpicker

TWELVE MOONS HAVE PASSED.

By Murph and Freeacre.

Folks, the anniversary I am referring to is us. The Trout Clan Campfire is now 1 year old and I thought I would talk a bit about its history and development.

Over a year ago, I had archived Cyclone’s site because I thought it had value into the future. However, for some reason, the media I had stored it on, (a CD) was adulterated and couldn’t be pulled up, it was right after the last computer crash and mother board going belly up and my attempts to salvage the secondary hard drive. So, I have re-archived both Cyclones and Trout Clan blog site. In the process I started to look at what was said on Cy’s site three years ago up until a year ago when Cy stopped posting. It is very interesting reading. The site is still active and you can go back way to the beginning and see what we were all talking about then. For new people that site is at: http://cyclone696.blogspot.com/

Stoney, you take the honor of being one of the absolutely original readers and commentators on Cy’s site, Rockpicker taking a very close second place by one day in the comments anyway. Over the two years of the site being active, many people showed up, made comments for a time and then disappeared. The original paradigm at the site was political investigation, extrapolation and commentary concerning the political situation from Nov 2005 to Oct. 2007, at which point Trout Clan was moved to our current site.

During the life of Cy’s site, there were a lot of projections concerning what expectations we had about future events in this country and the world. A few of them actually came true. Many of them were too immediate, happening a year or two later, and some haven’t happened, and since the ones that didn’t happen had to do mostly with legal action of entities in our government, we were disappointed.

We have much to thank Cyclone for. His exposé’s on the political happenings of the day were always insightful and drew much interest. It was what appealed to Freeacre and myself and got us involved in the site. Another attribute of the site was the people taking part in the comments. We became enthralled by the interaction and the personalities involved resulting in Freeacre and myself in the summer of 2006 making a trip to Montana and meeting Montana Freeman and Rockpicker and family. What a beautiful time that was.

After a time, about 8 months actually, Cy posted less and less and Freeacre and myself, as well as some other contributors, began to post more and more as Cy had personal problems and he simply couldn’t contribute as much. There was a brief period for a while in late 2006 where Cy rejoined the post before dropping out completely and turned the site over to Freeacre and myself. After the formation of the Trout Clan off shoot, Cy came in and made comments for a few months and then disappeared altogether. We are so glad Cy has made an appearance again just lately. We missed you dude.

Because Cy was unique to the site in that he had contacts for inside information on events, he was able to contribute a lot of data and information the rest of us did not have. When he began to withdraw from the site, the contributions to the posts changed the tone of the site since we all did not have contacts like that, changing from political information and bashing to something else; I am not sure what to call it. In a sense, we become more abstract in our posts and comments. Belgium, Stoney, Carl in Pa, Reality, Freeacre and myself kept the blog alive, making contributions in the form of posts. Thank you all for doing so and providing different perspectives and information.

Which pretty much brings us up to the present. What we have ended up with is quite literally a cyber tribe, passing the talking stick around; with a greatly expanded subject interest that sometimes take a bizarre twist from the posted subject. All of which lends a uniqueness to the site. Freeacre and myself spend a lot of computer time looking at a huge assortment of sites, many of them blog sites. I can unequivocally say this site is quite unique. We have not found another blog site that has the amount of comfort zone in it that we experience. Some do come close. Over the last three years we have watched ourselves and the regulars contributing to posts and comments develop a trust and sharing that we do not find elsewhere. I guess that should qualify us all as a community, even if it is in cyberspace and we are all separated by thousands of physical miles.

Without being presumptuous and steering away from being maudlin, all of you who have stayed with the site, contributed posts, made comments and shared yourselves and thoughts have enriched my life and knowledge base. We also welcome the newcomers to the site. Hope you stick around. I bow in gracious acknowledgment to all your efforts and thoughts. Murph.

From freeacre

As I look back at the evolution of this site, I see three stages. The first was when we were all outraged and fuming about George Bush and his miscreant cabal. Much gnashing of teeth concerning politics, power plays, the inside scoops on the economy, a lot of the information provided by Cyclone at his site, Cyclone’s Real Deal. This, of course, continues to this day with the outrages at every turn.

Then, as the Murphinator and I began to contribute, the content began to include more information on resource depletion, Peak Oil, changes in the economy, our relationship with the earth and serious changes in lifestyle. My history of eight years in a women’s spiritual drumming circle and honoring Native American traditions began to influence the format. Our Cherokee elder, Montana Freeman, greatly enriched our world view with his bold stories, great humor, and intuitive wisdom. His spirit guide, Langusta ( a cricket) became one of the tribe as well, and is a valued member of the tribe even today. This probably would not have been possible if we had not begun to have the value that none of us has The Answer. Rather, each of us shares what is true for us, and together, we gain a much larger perspective. Stoney, as well, is part Cherokee, and his warrior (ex Navy Seal and ferocious father protection energy) essence contributes that fire that warms us all.

The fire is fanned brighter by the incredible poetic breath of Rockpicker, a stone mason in Montana and natural born Irish muse. He paints us pictures that inspire and enlighten and once in awhile bring us to tears. I have asked Rockpicker to send us a collection of poems that he has written on the blogsite. Posting them would be a way to celebrate and acknowledge the heart essence of the Clan, as well as the eye that sees beyond the visible.

Ah, and our far-flung, but invaluable brothers, Belgium (Spirit Across the Sea), an Englishman living in Belgium; Ely from Columbia, and Singapore Guy – who contribute excellent thoughts and practical applications of their vast knowledge, as well as sharing their feelings and poignant experiences. Our perspective is so enhanced by the gift of sharing the view from differing parts of the globe. It’s good to be humbled by how much more they know about what is going on here than we in America know about there. Eventually, the tribal element began to take form, and the campfire was struck and moved to this site next to a river in our collective imaginations.

We are so lucky that just the right people keep coming along and throwing another log on the fire. Our brilliant youngest sister, ras, from Alabama, struggling to invent a new paradigm to live her life by. Our dear Palooka’s Revenge, a wonderful blend of strong masculine as well as feminine philosophies and insightful wisdom. Mrs.p, and Dude, and Dave – all eloquent contributors who give us glimpses into their lives and how they walk their talk.

Some have sat with us awhile and then moved on. But, I believe they know that they are always welcome if they pass this way again. And, some sit in silence with us. We can feel them, and we are happy to have them here as well.

These are challenging times. Most people can’t get their minds around just how significant are the changes required in response to resource depletion, the collapse of capitalism that requires ruthless growth, and the resulting political and social turmoil as it all transforms into something else. These tidal wave like forces re-shape us and take their toll. Navigating these waters requires all the intelligence and wisdom and energy and good humor and love we can muster. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we follow, rant, stumble, heal, and oftentimes we laugh.

In the process of kicking around our ideas of community, freedom, how to build a better world, and how to survive in this one, we have somehow created a cyber tribe of folks joined at the heart and open to each other’s minds. We welcome our new acquaintances, Moonraven, Jacque, Kesher, L.C. and want to hear more from you. With almost 25,000 hits in a year, I know there are many more of us in this circle.

I think it has all been good and very good. I think it is appropriate to celebrate and acknowledge the first full year of the Trout Clan Campfire and all that we have come to mean to each other. October 24, 2007 was the birth of this blog. We’ll keep the conversation going as long as we can. We are looking ahead to some seriously bumpy road. The lights may go out, and we may need to hold each others hand, just to get by. I am so grateful that we have each other.

Yea!! Now how about those trout tattoos!

aho

SOME PERSPECTIVES

by Murph

Ok, Ok, the subject is not what we intended with this next post. Freeacre and I are still stumbling around trying to decide on how to present the anniversary post of the Trout Clan Camp Fire. Besides, our anniversary isn’t until the 24^th, (thus saith freeacre on the subject).

If you are reading all the stuff that is on the internet about the current economic meltdown, you know that we are in serious trouble. Principally the credit markets are drying up, completely. Because of how we have structured our economic system, everything, and I mean everything runs on credit. Without credit, no trucks run, no business buys inventory, nothing works. I had been anticipating the same thing happening but not from credit drying up. I was figuring on it happening because of the high price or oil. The effect is going to be the same. There won’t be anything for sale when the inventories are gone. The difference is how sudden this situation comes on. With high oil prices, I think it would be slower in that there would be a gradual decrease in the availability of consumer goods. However, in my case, I got a surprise, and since I like to say that we are in for surprises, I guess this is one of them for me.

I suspect that the next weeks are going to indicate whether this credit freeze will be backed up some or not. So far, everything the government has done hasn’t helped at all, just made things even worse. The principle reason this appears to be so is that the fixes are by trying to operate within the economic system. Instead of hanging the crooks and liars out to dry, we are supporting them. I don’t recall any example where a problem is fixed by continuing the problem, but then again, maybe I’m just an old curmudgeon.

I read on LATOC this morning that Paulson literally told the 9 largest bankers on Monday that they ARE going to sell interests in their banks to the government. Read about it here. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/business/economy/15bailout.html?em

Notice this quote; “No one expected him to present his plan as an ultimatum. Mr. Paulson, according to his own account, presented his case in blunt terms. The nation’s largest banks needed to begin lending to each other for the good of the financial system, he said in a telephone interview, recalling his remarks. To do that, they needed to be better capitalized”.

And this: “Mr. Kovacevich [if Wells Fargo] is also said to have expressed concern about restrictions on executive compensation at banks that receive capital injections. If he steps down from Wells Fargo after completing a planned takeover of Wachovia, he would be entitled to retirement benefits worth about $43 million, and $140 million in accumulated stock and options, according to James F. Reda & Associates, a executive pay consulting firm. Pay experts say the new Treasury limits would probably not affect his exit package”. Well Fargo had stated at the meeting that they were not undercapitalized and didn’t need the money.

Whatever leverage Paulson used to get this signed agreement, it worked to the tune of $1.2 trillion. Now, what this means is that all the private banks will be owned, at least in part, by the government. That, my friends, is socialistic fascism. I also read on several sites about the economic war between the American financial elite and the European elite, principally through the banks. All of this appears to be a contest of who is going to control the liquidity flowing around the world, that is, who has the money to loan. It should be obvious by now that this global ponzi scheme is completely based on debt, ie, the ability to loan money, collect interest on it and sell the debt off to some other fool. It appears to me that this is the final bid for global economic domination. Whoever gets hurt by this is just collateral damage, figured into the bottom line.

I read an article on Carolyn Baker’s site that says we should be in mass protest to our government officials over this issue. Here is the article; http://carolynbaker.net/site/content/view/784/1/

Well, we can honestly say that mass protests by anything under a 10 million head count doesn’t count for much with the government. Look at the fairly massive protests that took place during the Congressional House debate on the Paulson bail out plan. It was eventually passed anyway with all kinds of pork added. We are flat out not yet going to have the impetuous for anything near a 10 million consensus in this country, about anything. Plus, how many people are sitting around hoping someone will come up with the magic bullet and fix it all anyway.

We rant and rave about the incompetent SOB’s in government. But, I am going to assert that rather than being incompetent, they are following a plan laid out by the real power brokers in this world. I truly find it hard to believe that those in the power positions to make decisions are unable to evaluate the information coming to them and make decisions that would make sense to the rest of us. Rather, I think this trashing of the worlds economies is deliberate and will fulfill a ‘plan’, whatever that ‘plan’ is. This of course opens all kinds of speculation about the nature of the ‘plan’. When I look at the manipulations of the world’s societies, I can’t help but assume that ‘plan’ is going to be malicious and malevolent for the rest of us and benefit only a tiny minority of the population. Wouldn’t it be something to find out in the end that the top power brokers in the world actually had the best intentions toward the populations that they controlled? Bwaaa haaaa haaaa. Let’s just completely negate all of history while we are at it.

Watch the rest of this week carefully to see if something comes up to relieve the stresses on the economy, even if temporarily. At least that would give people a bit more time to get ready for the really big hit that will come no matter what. All in all, it appears that this crash is going to be a fast one. Comrade Simba has a pretty neat post up about his preparations. Several other sites talk about their efforts to get as self sustaining as possible, survival acres and George Ure are examples. The question will now be: are any of these preparations going to be successful? Are we all going to get sucked into the extreme poverty bin put out for us by the elite? I am reading all kinds of personal testimony of the casualties of this economic mess. I sure as hell know it will be a very cold day in hell before I use a cardboard box under a viaduct for a home, besides I’m getting too old to climb into dumpsters for my daily sustenance. If you haven’t already, get stocked up to ride out a financial hurricane coming at you. It sure enough appears that all the problems we have been predicting for the last 4 years are happening right now. It’s gonna be a cold winter folks.

REMEMBERING ALICE'S RESTAURANT

by freeacre

Two or three times this week I have received e-mails from family and friends that exhort us to participate in a general strike to express our objections to the bailout and other inadequate or criminal plans to “rescue” the economy. Karl Denninger writes, in his “Potential Economic Seizure Dead Ahead,”

“…Key: Sovereign debt (that is, Treasuries from various nations) has become infected with trash - unfortunately including ours now that Fannie and Freddie were nationalized and TARP has been passed - and may fail in a cascade-style fashion across the world. If this occurs our ability to fund our government will be cut off as well, leading to a need to reduce government spending by $800 billion a year immediately. This means huge and immediate cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Military budgets - by as much as half.

Over a year ago I warned in my writings that this could happen if we did not take action. If we did not force accountability through Congress and onto our financial system. If we did not force the thieves, liars and thugs on Wall Street to take their medicine.

Instead of taking action we have sat on our collective asses and allowed Congress to pass bailout after bailout - now our stock market is down close to 40% from the top with 20% of that loss coming in just over one week!

We are facing a global DEPRESSION and the cut-off of essential goods and services in this nation if we do not stop this lunacy immediately.

Please understand - the TRUCKER who has a full load of food headed for your grocer REQUIRES commercial credit in order to fill his truck with diesel.

The local GAS STATION owner REQUIRES commercial credit to fill his underground storage tank.

The local CAR DEALER REQUIRES commercial credit to have cars - and parts - in his dealership. No credit, no car - and no car repairs.

The manufacturer over in China REQUIRES commercial credit (letters of credit from the buyer's bank) to be able to ship those goods to America, where you can buy them. If the bank over there won't take the LOC from the bank over here, suddenly you have no tires, DVDs and other similar products to buy.

IF THESE MARKETS DO NOT IMMEDIATELY UNFREEZE THE CONSEQUENCE WILL BE THAT FOOD AND FUEL, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER MANNER OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS, MAY NOT FLOW TO YOUR GROCERY STORE AND GAS STATION.

Think about that very carefully and then consider whether YOU can afford to sit on your ass for one more second, or whether you have an absolute NEED to get on the phone, fax, and whatever else RIGHT NOW to your elected and appointed representatives and, if you do not get in response that they will IMMEDIATELY resolve this matter whether you will vow to band together with every one of your associates and friends, form a group consisting of everyone in your local city or town, and call a GENERAL STRIKE, refusing to both work and permit commerce to be conducted UNTIL THE LIARS ARE FORCED INTO THE OPEN, DEALT WITH, AND THE SYSTEM IS ABLE TO CLEAR….”

In comments to our previous post, Ely (in Columbia) laments the fact that Americans seem to have shit for brains (I am paraphrasing), as we seem to be slack-jawed, mall-walking droolers who seem to be completely divorced from reality. (That was the general drift, wasn’t it, Ely? lol)

I agree that we must do something. I have written enough letters of protest to my congressmen, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama that I am wondering if I’m already on the rendition list. But, the tried and true tactic of a general strike? No. I can’t go for it. I’ll tell you why:

Unless you are a trucker or a longshoreman or someone who handles or delivers essential goods or services, a work stoppage won’t even ripple the waters. Refusing to cut someone’s hair, fill their coffee cup, fix their furnace, flip their burgers, answer their phones, fill out their forms or file their reports will only generate disgust and disapproval and probably get you fired. Let’s not forget the words of George Carlin, “THEY DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU.” You, the American Worker – you don’t count. You haven’t counted for years. So, strike all you want to. You have no support base. There are plenty more of you that can be hired in your place. The tactic would not even make the news.

But there is one collective of us that they do pay attention to. The overlords define us not as workers or citizens anymore, but as CONSUMERS. Consumers. That is what we are to them. This is a consumer society, a consumer economy. They tell us that every day on the lamestream news. Seventy percent of the domestic product is based on consumer spending. That’s what they count.

So, you want to strike? Stop buying stuff. I mean, aggressively, militantly stop buying stuff. Food and utilities, fine. Gas to get to work, OK. But everything else, just say, “NO.” And, then tell them why.

“Dear Proctor and Gamble,

I am not buying your toothpaste today. I think I will begin to brush my teeth with baking soda that I have in my cupboard. Why? Because I have had it with you big, fucked up corporations, your stock swindles, your self-serving bloated lifestyles, your complicity in the war and the collapse of the economy. And, your toothpaste is full of chemicals, also, by the way, that shouldn’t even be in my mouth. So, fuck you….” Something like that.

Why has Arlo Guthrie suddenly appeared in my mind? He’s singing “Alice’s Restaurant…” He’s saying, “Ya want to end the war and stuff, ya got to sing LOUD. Just walk in and sing “You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant. And Walk out.”

Well times have changed somewhat, but the point is still the same. Blow their minds. Disrupt the expectations. Don’t play their game. Have fun with it.

Fun? Am I nuts? This is serious shit! The frigging banks and corporations and governments are on the verge of chaos and melt-down. It’s time to panic! If we do, we can be bamboozled into fascism and martial law style repression. That may be the plan.

So, let’s try a different approach. Stop buying stuff – no cosmetics, no clothing, no office supplies, no electronics. Nothing on a credit card. When you get advertisement offers in the mail, return them with a note, “Sorry, but to buy this I’d need A BAILOUT. Go fuck yourself.” How about street demonstrations where the participants all dress like babies? “WAAAA!” the thumb-sucking crowd whines, “ I need a BAIL OUT!!” The cops would look like real assholes clubbing a bunch of babies.

Where to protest? Federal Buildings? Post offices? Naw…. boring. I suggest retail malls and Walmart. Signs that say, “I’m not buying anything, and you can’t make me!” Yell, “Consume this!” And grab your crotch. At Walmart: “You sell us this cheap shit and steal our jobs!” Then, moon them. Stuff like that. A consumer revolt, with a dose of adolescent street theater humor thrown in for fun.

That would make the news. It would hit them where they live – in the wallet. And, it would be difficult to arrest people for without looking like total goons.

Let’s do it! Stop buying, send back the ads, lose the credit cards. I'm serious.

IS THIS THE GREAT UNRAVELING- FINALLY?

from Murph

It appears that the predictions of the economic downturn is upon us. This morning, the DOW dropped below 10,000, (a bench mark), gold is beginning to go back up, and from the various news sources the banksters around the world are scurrying around looking for a hidey hole or getting bailed out by various governments.

It is generally not smart to take a single day’s activities and proclaim a general pattern from it. However, we have been looking at a serious unraveling of the gangsters running the banking and government services for some time now. The question is now whether we have actually gone over the cliff. Will something be done to pull the asses of the criminal banksters and grifters of the economic system out of the hole they have dug over the last 10 years? I suspect not, but, as I often state, we can expect surprises.

My best scenario on this is that all this scary stuff remains in the financial sector and doesn’t flow into the society as a whole. But, I have small hope for that. When the significantly large amount of the population suddenly can’t eat at McDonalds any more, or their ATM card won’t get them their week’s groceries any more, when they can’t fill the gas tank to get to work, then all hell will break loose. I sure hope all of you have pulled whatever cash you had in a bank out and put it under the mattress or maybe buried it in a fruit jar in the back yard. I know we have. While that amount in the bank was piddling we took out all but what is needed for paying immediate bills. Just in case you understand that if there develops a general run on the banks, they will close their doors. No checks, no ATMs, no cash withdrawals and probably a complete shutdown of credit card usage. The projections circulating around on the web is when/if this happens, no money will be available for one to two weeks at least. It also means that deliveries to local stores will dry up regardless of how much cash you have around.

For over two years now, Freeacre and I have been warning people that if this occurs, you need to be prepared. At first glance, it appears that we are in the middle of the SHTF scenario. The fact that the Feds are going to begin pumping money into the economy in some form or another that also means that what your dollars will buy is going to go down, it will take more dollars to buy the same items.

What will really be interesting to see are the effects on the retired part of our population, especially those dependent on investments for their retirement incomes, and the social security net. I hope you all realize that the social security “fund” has trillions of dollars of security IOU’s from the government, no cash. Those of us which have that income as sole income are just going to be shit out of luck. It will be interesting to see just how much adjustment for inflation in SS payments will be made this January. So what are people depending on SS to buy groceries going to do? Keep in mind these are mostly older folks from the baby boom times that predominately have the attitude of entitlement. In some respects, they are legitimate, having spent a lifetime putting money into the SS fund and then either not getting anything back or in dollars so valueless that you can’t buy groceries. Most of these older folks depending on largess from the government are older and a whole lot more cranky and have a tendency to be a bunch less forgiving about interrupting their retirement income. Will they finally say “fuck it” and pick up a gun, or just sit around in their easy chairs and point fingers and bitch at whoever they deem as responsible?

What will the younger folks still working and trying to make ends meet do when they can’t get groceries? Go to protests on the streets demanding the government bail them out too? They best not be holding their breath for that one.

I’ve come across all kinds of articles speculating on active rebellion, a shooting war with the government and the PTB. A lot of these articles don’t take into account the modern technology held by the authorities in just that case. No matter what, the civilian population is out gunned by several orders of magnitude. Obviously, at least to me, is that a bulk organized rebellion is not going to make it. A general mass confrontation with the forces the government can put out there against the civilian uprising will fail. There are numerous articles I have been coming across that talk about other than a mass confrontation. In any event, as in most civilian rebellions, the casualties will be large. I am surmising that for a civilian rebellion to be successful at all there is going to have to be a general change in attitude to one that says I would rather be dead than a slave. Considering for how long the western societies have practiced economic slavery that would be quite a shift in attitude.

If this is indeed the tipping point it’s all down hill from now on, I expect access to the internet at it best, to be severely limited, at its worst, shut down for the civilian population. If this is not the tipping point, we can expect a gradual further worsening of the whole economic situation, which eventually will bring on the tipping point and the rebellion in some form begin. If we are not at this tipping point, there will be some ups and downs within the economic and financial areas, accompanied by wild gyrations in money supply, dollar values and stock markets. That this can be ended and be back to business as usual is simply not going to happen. Somewhere, somewhen, this whole mess is going to go over the cliff.

Whenever this tipping point comes, or is here, rebellion is going to occur and martial law in some form and severity will accompany it. I think it is entirely possible that the coming elections will be shut down. In any case, I predict that our situation is going to get worse, much worse. So batten down the hatches and get ready for the ride for our lives.