Thoughtful Preparations: Media Spin Blog

It has become clear to me that as war and deaths rise in the Middle East and the Congo that the world needs a new dream. Humanity is living a nightmare of its own making by clinging to old agreements.

An inciteful book, the kind I find myslelf recommending to friends and relations is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. This inspiring book will help you find freedom from old beliefs and judgements that you may have about yourself and others. It is a pathway to a new dream.

Another fellow human agent of change, is Dream Change founder John Perkins. His ideas involve using your personal power to shape shift your internal and external worlds into a better reality.

Surely by now you must know that you cannot rely on government leaders, priests, politicians or pharmaceutical drugs to make these changes. Too many rely on old ideas, invested in vendettas, based on fear and revenge. We must dream a new dream.

If you are wondering how the USA got itself fixated and entangled in the adventure, attack and occupation of Iraq you need not look further than the Project for the New American Century. Not a conspiracy, this is an “educational organization” on a mission to “make the case and rally support for American global leadership.”

Letters to President Clinton, Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott were written in 1998 and signed by engineers of the Iraq war to come: Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, William Kristol, and John Bolton. In the letters it is stated: “U.S. policy should have as its explicit goal removing Saddam Hussein’s regime from power and establishing a peaceful and democratic Iraq in its place.”

The Chairman of PNAC is William Kristol, who was big enough to take the jabbing on The Colbert Report (see video).

So, PNAC got what they wanted and they proudly report Iraq is “the right war for the right reasons.” If you need rationalizations and justifications, this is the place for you.

If you seek a different point of view, there is The Project for the Old American Century, who “believe the only imperial stance this great nation should take is that of peacefully encouraging freedom, equality, and civil liberty here at home and around the globe.” POAC also covers current events and produces a searingly sarcastic series of retro antiwar posters.

Originally uploaded by Miss_Alabama_713

It is said, in war the first casualty is truth.

The world is sick with war, and world leaders need to take their medicine now. No one seems to like Carter’s Little Liver Pills, but give Jimmy Carter credit for serving up a cure in his recent Washington Post column: We Need Policies for a Real, Lasting Middle East Peace.

Now stop fighting and crying, and take your medicine, and grow up you big bad war babies!

Peace.

A recent newspaper article, Evangelicals militant when it comes to Israel, End of Days, in the local Sunday Contra Costa Times caught my attention. The author is a strange bird who seems to be pro Israel, but concludes his article warning of a coming religious apocalypse by putting down a Jew, and praising a televangelist:

‘The truth is, in this war, I’d rather be in a bomb shelter — or a foxhole — with Jerry Falwell than with Jerry Seinfeld.’

Maybe this is supposed to be funny, but who wouldn’t prefer to be holed up in a bomb shelter with Seinfeld, instead of a Bible thumping Rev. Falwell or the “ookie spongiform” author, Zev Chafets?

Much of the article gives credence to yet another religious genius from Texas, Rev. John Hagee and his Ministries of San Antonio. Hagee’s schtick is the fire and brimstone 10 Signs Of The Coming Apocalypse style of religious horror show. The truly scary part is that he raises lots of money, and has the attention of politicians such as Senator Brownback of Kansas, God’s Senator, the ever pious Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (this guy’s really got to go into that pit with Falwell), and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.

Jerry, where are you when we need you?

See also: Anxious For Armageddon, Challenging Christian Zionism, Theocracy Watch, Seinfeld Shows, Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism by Max Blumenthal.

Everyone in Tinseltown is buzzing about the war Israel is waging against Hamas, Hezbollah, Syrians, Iranians, Moslems, and perhaps Scottish Highlanders. Hollywood news sources report that a single malted Mel “Braveheart” Gibson declared, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world, and Jews have just invaded Scotland! That’s it! I’ve had it!”

Could Braveheart 2 be far behind?

More blog news on malty Mel: Huffington, Markoe.

Caught Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Concord Pavilion on the last night of the 9 day heat wave in California. They held up well for a bunch old time troopers, playing two great sets and an encore of Woodstock. Neil Young is a force of Nature, balanced by the rest of the band. I especially enjoyed David Crosby's acoustic playing on Helplessly Hoping and Guinnevere, and it's not too often you hear a song like Let's Impeach The President at a concert, complete with sing-along lyrics on a video screen. Protest karaoke! The U.S. politicians have done a great job of pissing a lot of people off! Meanwhile CSNY are doing a great carrying on their music and message on this 2006 tour. Keep On Rockin' In The Free World!

For more info check out the CSNY web site. They are scheduled to perform at the former Woodstock Music Festival site later this summer. More Woodstock.

Neil Young's web site Living With War Today has his entire album Living With War online.

Newspaper Reviews: San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times

CSNY: Deja Vu, Neil Young: Living With War

Children of all ages, now it's fun time! Monkey Vortex is avant-garde Internet Radio Theater. Above is a Flash animation recently completed to provide visual shine to the Monkey Vortex chant. Need a new perspective? You'll find one in the Monkey Vortex.

Imagine you are writing a screenplay, let’s say for an animated feature film, such as Madagascar 2, or the next Pirates of the Caribbean sequel. What are the chances the creative writer would guide their sailing ships to land upon the shores of Israel or Lebanon? Or here’s another far out script idea, how about a Palestinian enters Jerusalem and many Jews worship him as a prophet and savior of humankind? What’s wrong with those pictures?

Crazy ideas, about as insane as the current wars and skirmishes going on in the fantasy Holy Land within the Middle East between vengeful factions, tribes, and sects. But what do I know? There are far better journalists and scholars following the new blockuster release, “ Operation Summer Rains .” Here are some of the top stories:

Ted Koppel Analyzes US Already at War with Iran

James Zogby: Willful Fantasies and Reality in Today’s Mideast Conflict

Robert Fisk in Beruit: Mass Punishment

Taking Newt Seriously – Newt Gingrich Pushes for World War 3

Ralph Nader: U.S. Carries “Inescapable Responsibility” for “Israeli Government’s Escalating War Crimes”

Tom Hayden: Things Come ‘Round in Mideast

Israel Set Up Current War Plan Over One Year Ago – S.F. Chronicle

Stop This Shit – Music Video quoting President Bush at G8

Link TV – Mosaic: World News Video Footage from the Middle East

A sane mind would think that this would be enough for now, but as we see… many of us standing by in shock similar to witnessing a train wreck… the pain and suffering of warfare continues.