Pridger's Index of
Politically Incorrect Studies
Misc. Quotes, Pridger Short -Takes
One-Liners, and Cyber Sound-Bites
NOTE: This section of Pridger's Pages is being replaced by
Blog - Pridger vs. The New World Order
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF "ONE NATION UNDER GOD"
If there is an Almighty God, it is imperative that men and their governments acknowledge subservience to Him. On the other hand, if there is no god, it's even more imperative to keep government fettered and constrained by an official fiction that there is. Else tyranny has a broad and unimpeded path to follow. Pridger
An interesting email rattled Pridger's inbox today. It's one of those things that circulate around the Internet. It is entitled "Can Fifty States be Wrong?" author unknown and lists the sentences and phrases from the constitutions of all fifty states which reference God as benefactor in the establishment of state governments. Most are found in the very first sentences of the constitutional preambles. Only a very few states hedged their words, or merely guaranteed the right to freedom of religion as their only religious reference. Pridger hasn't verified the accuracy of the information, but it's probably accurate. All are apparently from original constitutions. It would be interesting to know how many states, if any, have since revised God out of their constitutions. Pridger
11 February 2004
CHICKENS OF FREE TRADE AND GLOBALISM
Are Coming Home to Roost
The chickens of free trade and globalism have been coming home to roost for some time. But the government and media have made sure the public have always viewed the home-coming through rose colored glasses. The benefits are pushed to the fore and the downside is always said to be nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. The public will wake up sooner or later to some very harsh realities. Pridger
The threat of the potential outsourcing of as many as 14 million "knowledge worker" jobs has a lot of Americans in a tizzy. American workers were supposed to have a monopoly on knowledge work while the rest of the world would do the dirty work of production for us. Pridger
Simple common sense should have told us that putting American industrial workers into direct, head to head, competition with third world labor was the epitome of economic folly. The wholesale export of industrial jobs, factories, and whole industries, was not a good idea. Pridger
American labor was told that it didn't need those "dirty" and "undesirable" jobs that in any case American labor was so productive that it would ultimately be competitive in the international market place. In the mean time, American labor could be retrained for jobs in emerging high tech industries. Nothing to worry about. Pridger
But there were two very big things to worry about. (1) America has been suffering an "educational crises" for four decades. (2) Not only does Asia and other third world areas have plenty of potential industrial laborers, it also has an over-abundance of well educated people perfectly qualified to do the world's "knowledge work" for a tenth of the price of American labor. Pridger
The very nature of "knowledge worker" jobs those that rely on computer and communications technology make them much more easily exportable than traditional production jobs. This should have been obvious. But we were assured that Americans would hold the high paying high tech sectors of the global economy. Americans believed it. Pridger
Americans have been schooled in human "equality" throughout the decades of their educational crises years. While Americans were being socially indoctrinated into the ideals of egalitarian globalism, and the wonders of global free market economics, the rest of the world has been learning the skills necessary to do displace American workers in both industrial and high technology fields. Now we are about to awaken to just how equal we are going to have to be in order to compete successfully in the new free international marketplace. Pridger
The laws of free market economics are very simple to understand. The rule for labor is that the cheapest labor is the best and most competitive labor. While there are Chinese who will work ten hours for ten dollars, doing exactly the same thing as American does for ten or twenty dollars an hour, the job will go to the Chinaman every time. In a global economy, the physical location where a job is done is hardly relevant. It doesn't matter whether it's a factory drill press operator, telemarketer, or computer programmer. Pridger
"Good jobs" are naturally doomed under globalist doctrine. Capital's definition of a good job is one where the worker is paid more than he is worth. America became the world's most prosperous nation, with the world's largest and most prosperous working class, because "good jobs" had become an industrial American birthright. What an industrial worker is actually worth in a globalized economy is determined in places like China and Bangladesh. Pridger
Globalism has one goal the hegemony of corporate capital. Americans and Bangladeshis are one in the same to international capital. Bangladesh will be "used" for production and America will be "used" for consumption. When Bangladesh and America labor approach economic parity, the wage differential game is over. Then American apparel makers can be started up to supply Bangladeshi market as Bangladeshis continue to supply the American market. Pridger
There is a cure for the ongoing suicidal perversities of free trade and globalism. It's called national protectionism (i.e., the government protecting the national marketplace on behalf of the owner-operators). The cure won't be forthcoming, however at least not until international economic chaos has intervened. Until this has happened, all remedies will continue to be larger does of the same poisonous economic medicine. Pridger
Perhaps we are already beyond rational remedies. Chaos will almost certainly be followed by further government imposed error. That's the nature of government. Remedies will probably be in the form of more warfare. Pridger
IMMIGRATION
Bush proposes giving millions of illegal alien workers "temporary legal status." This will not solve the problem, of course. It will only exacerbate it, as did the former "amnesty" program. As is clear to everybody, every legalized illegal immigrant is both an invitation and a ticket for several others to follow. The problem is so out of hand, and has been for so long, that there is no solution. There is no solution because the Hispanic minority has become so large that it is no longer politically feasible to seriously address the problem. Pridger
Illegal immigration across our southern border has always been a problem, but it has increased exponentially since the sixties. Two things happened in the early sixties (1) The change in immigration laws themselves to encourage third world immigrants, and (2) President Johnson's domestic "War on Poverty." The war on poverty effectively put much of the American underclass onto permanent paid vacation status. No longer would the American poor feel the economic necessity to take just any job. Menial labor such as domestic servants or field hand dipped beneath the dignity of much of the American underclass. This, of course, necessitated an ever larger influx of guest workers to do the jobs that the American welfare class no longer needed. Pridger
Then came the new international economic order and the NAFTA pilot project in the form of Reagan's Maquiadora program. This encouraged many American factories to relocate in Mexican border towns, drawing thousands of job seekers to the border areas. Thousands take the next step across the border. Pridger
NAFTA, of course, continues to draw more U.S. factories south of the border, and more would-be Mexican immigrants to the border region. NAFTA is also disrupting local agriculture and economics south of the border, resulting in more Mexicans being displaced from there traditional employment. Pridger
As the numbers of Mexicans and other Hispanics have increased in the United States, opportunities for illegal immigrants have mushroomed and spread over the entire nation. Now there are Mexican communities throughout the nation in some of the most unlikely places. Once a fairly fixed and limited number of migrant farm worker employers were the primary goal of illegal immigrant workers. Their range of employment was largely confined to the border areas and the fields of certain labor intensive crops at harvest time in northern states such as Michigan's sugar beet industry. But now construction companies and other contractors throughout the nation are taking advantage of the swelling numbers of immigrant workers, and they are taking the place of formerly well paid American construction labor. Pridger
Corporate Mexican restaurant chains are now providing another wide-spread draw and protective cover for illegal Mexican immigrants. Ditto for Chinese restaurants and illegal Chinese immigrants. The bigger the foreign population becomes, and more wide-spread, the more intractable the illegal immigrant problem becomes. Pridger
9 January 2004
WORLD GOVERNMENT
The trouble with a world government is that it would have to be even bigger much bigger than the United States government is now (and this would hold true no matter how small the world becomes). And, of course, exponentially more inept, corrupt, and tyrannical. Pridger
The United Nations (including its myriads of affiliated agencies) is probably almost as big as the United States government (including is myriads of affiliated agencies). It would be nice to see some comparisons. Pridger
While we know that the UN serves a worthy purpose, we also know that it is the largest, most corrupt, most inept, political body on earth with the possible exception of the United States government itself. It's hard to imagine anything surpassing the US government in anything. Pridger
Almost everybody knows that the rationale behind the forming of the United Nations, as flawed as its charter may have been, was about perpetual peace on earth through eventual world government. This anti-nationalistic goal was only made palatable to Americans because of Americans' believed (and some still believe), that, having been "made in the U.S.A.," the UN was merely the tail by which America, with its Western European allies in subservient roles, would wag the rest of the world. Pridger
Nationalism has been branded as the root cause of all international warfare and strife, thus the eradication of nationalism remains one of the ideological cornerstones of One World ideologues. The United Nations, because it required the acquiescence and membership of existing and forming national governments, is failing to eradicate nationalism. For all of the post colonial nations only coming into existence after World War Two, the UN necessarily had to seem to champion the cause of "national self-determination." Thus, the One World Government that so many have dreamed of cannot materialize under the present UN Charter. This, of course, is good. Pridger
The creation of the United Nations has inspired some One World ideologues to come up with their own versions of World Government. Two have been around for a while, and are still trying to get the world (humanity), to adopt their systems. There's the World Constitution and Parliament Association at, http://www.worldparliamentgov.net, and the World Service Authority, at: http://www.worldservice.org. (Actually, these are the only two Pridger is aware of, though there are probably others), These are separate World Governments "set up" by two different individuals or groups. Both have apparently met with enough critical acclaim to have an ongoing international following, and both issue world passports which have been honored for travel by many governments. Both are idealizations of the United Nations concept, without the "Nations," though Gary Davis, of the World Service Authority, says his organization is the "antithesis of the UN." Nonetheless, both put a lot of stock in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and other UN conventions and declarations. Both have some pretty good ideas (certainly well worth examining), but Utopian ideas never succeed on a very large scale. Seldom do they succeed for very long even on a small scale. Pridger
The rationale for the necessity of world government among idealists is basically three-fold: (1) It would be the only way to preserve earth's environment. (2) Nuclear weapons, and all other weapons of mass destruction, must be forcibly banned by a single global governing authority. (3) The only way to end strife everywhere in the world would be for everybody to have and enjoy all the same things, and the same high living standards. These things can only happen if there is only one big government over everybody in the world. Pridger
The Marxist-Leninist communist model for world government has already collapsed and succumbed to the western capitalist model, which the remaining communist states have had to adopt. If any world government comes into being, it will be under the present western capitalist model. This model, however (which has no ideology beyond the worship of Mammon), is certain to collapse in its turn in large part, for the very reasons that Marx and Engels said it would. Much of what Marx wrote about capitalism was right, of course, but his own proposed system was nonetheless much more fundamentally flawed. But Marx, like many of our One Worlders today, was a Utopian. Pridger
The rationale for the necessity of world government from the viewpoint of the strictly pragmatic, has to do with the security of international capital (and its ability to continue to expand and exploit global resources), a controlled uniform global monetary and credit system, and the safety of politicians and the super-rich. Pridger
World Government that is, government in any traditional sense is necessarily a Utopian dream. Not that world government, or some facsimile thereof, cannot come about. In fact, we're already well on our way with our present New World Order (a.k.a. New International Economic Order, corporate globalism, global marketplace, Global Village, etc.). But their will never be the necessary consensus for a real single One World Government in which all former nation states, including the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Japan and China, etc., welcome the diminished status of "provinces." Pridger
If we get our World Government, it won't be a Utopian affair. It won't be democratic. It will be imposed on humanity, either by force and by deception and deceit. It will be a form of a Global military dictatorship (even if there is never a single acknowledged global dictator, king, or potentate), and a form of reversed Fascism, wherein private capital becomes the de facto ruling power, supported and protected by the "police powers" of nation states or "provinces" (charged with the role of producing good corporate citizens). In other words, what we are moving toward today with what we call globalism. Or, it could be both, since there would ultimately have to be one supreme political and military power over all the "vassal" states of the world. It would be necessary to permanently disarm and de-fang all former nation states. Pridger
If we get our World Government, any "democratic" or "parliamentary" machinery will be a mere facade, as is always the case in dictatorships. The principle of "the consent of the governed" will have become totally meaningless for security reasons, of course. Pridger
We the People have not yet cast a vote for the New World Order, but we're getting it anyway. Our mis-representatives have simply signed us up after giving the executive branch "fast track." Pridger
We seem to be moving in the direction of a global military dictatorship, and it appears that the United States is making an overt superpower play for global military hegemony. But the world isn't ready, won't get ready, and won't go along. In fact, we may have already blew our chances of either becoming the global dictator or acknowledged "leading power." Unless, of course, we have some sort of super-secret weaponry with which we can totally cow Russia and China at some point in the not too distant future. More likely, we'll have to rethink our strategy pretty soon. Pridger
If we had a Divinely Ordained national purpose, vis-ΰ-vis the world, it was to be, and provide, an international role model of just and effective government, based on national independence and true national righteousness. We seem to have missed such an opportunity. Pridger
Pridger does see world government on the horizon. Hopefully, it'll stay there, and eventually recede once we've had a few sobering experiences due to its near approach. Its handwriting has been on the wall, of course, at least since the League of Nations was formed after World War One. But it's a lot like that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel that our leaders like to take heart in. Even if it isn't an oncoming train, Pridger still thinks it would be wise to get out of the tunnel. Pridger
Using the light at the end of the end of the tunnel as our bellwether of hope for a bright future merely proves that we have acquired tunnel vision. Pridger
Pridger is a jingoistic nationalist who believes in the continued value and viability of the nation state system and the right to defend one's own. But patriotism among Christians is not an "our country, right or wrong" proposition. The first duty of independence and self-government is self-improvement. This cannot be effectively accomplished if there is confusion as to what is "ours" and what is "theirs." We have a universally acknowledged right to defend and protect all that is our own, but we cannot do that if we do not know what our own is. National boundaries are what defines that. Pridger
Obliterate national boundaries and only tyranny imposed by a globe-straddling supranational military power can insure any sort of order and stability. Pridger
World government could only mean that there would be one central global authority which would use the threat of force to rule. This threat of force, of course, could take none other than various forms of economic and military blackmail. All weapons of mass destruction would be in the hands of one global authority. The global citizen would unavoidably be but a global serf and slave. All Utopian dreams would ultimately apply only to the rulers. Pridger
The old un-American definition of government, i.e., "government is force" (a monopoly on violent means of control), would naturally evolve under any form of world government, regardless of any collective abundance of good intentions and Utopian dreams. Pridger
Pridger still believes in the archaic notion that "the least government is the best government." But this requires manageable systems defined by limited borders and universal consensus as to what is right or wrong within the confines of a definable social structure. Pridger
Regardless of the abundance of perversity and hypocrisy within all religious societies, religion alone has provided the necessary ingredients for freedom and justice in society. Every major religion has been a force for good (at least within a limited society), though often enough perverted by both priesthood and politician. Reason alone cannot replace religion, for evil men can reason as well as saints. Wisdom and common sense are always in short supply. Education itself will always be inadequate, for it is often perverted, subverted, or selectively denied for political ends. Pridger
Reason (that is, reason properly applied), is contingent upon good minds polished through good and comprehensive education. But education has become a function of the state, and the state (as all states are wont to do), has matured into tyranny. Tyranny does not educate, it indoctrinates and subverts. Pridger
Look at the state run educational system in the United States. As the federal government increased its role, educational standards have plummeted to the extent that we now have a widely acknowledged "educational crises" on our hands. In a period of forty years we went from being one of the world's most literate nations to one of the world's most functionally illiterate nations. This, in spite of the fact that our youth has become markedly "smarter" and cosmopolitan. Pridger
TV and public entertainment (99% of which is, in the words of Steve Allen, "Junk food for the mind"), provide our youth with their "smarts" while the state run educational system still tries to take credit. Pridger
I'm really surprised, and delighted, that my kids learned to read in public school. But getting them to read a book is like expecting them to support me in my old age. Pridger
"Head Start" has not resulted in educational leadership. We have fallen increasingly behind in educational excellence. And now we would rule the world? Pridger
Traditionally, immigration was needed to fulfill the need for labor in an expanding industrialized nation. Today we find ourselves needing to import "knowledge workers" because our educational system has failed to develop our own abundant raw material. This is resulting in the de-Americanization of America. It is not the racial and ethnic transformation of the nation that is most troubling, its the political transformation. Our new immigrants are not steeped in the American notions of individual sovereignty and limited government. They come from oppressed societies seeking freedom and economic gain, but they bring with them their ingrained subservience to governing authority. Pridger
Ironically, some of our greatest champions of true Americanism today were foreign born. But the ratio of such individuals in the immigrant mix is so small that it is negligible. What is frightening is that our own educational system has ceased producing true American patriots. Those who become true patriots must get their own education, without even the least foundation of it provided during their most formative years in the public schools. Pridger
The goal of both Utopian and non-Utopian globalists is to convince "humanity" that manageable national systems are impossible in the modern world. In the end, the will of the non-Utopians will dominate, and the world will become one large tyranny. Pridger
The very notion that nationalism is bad and globalism is good would indicate that a global government would be less corrupt and oppressive than national governments. The truth of the matter is that such a government would be exponentially larger in every way including corruption and the potential for oppression. At the same time, all local administrations would have to be preserved in some form if for no other reason than collecting intelligence and handing out goodies and policing. Pridger
Under limited and just government, of the uniquely American variety, the political power pyramid was inverted. "We the People" are (or should be), the sovereigns, and our political leaders and capitalist enterprise our servants. As sovereigns, we acknowledge only One Supreme Power above the very "Nature's God" that provided the rationale for our national existence and sovereign status among the global community of nations in the first place. Pridger
We cannot forcibly bend the rest of the world to our will. To attempt to do so merely weakens our international moral standing and subverts our ability to lead by example. Pridger
A person or nation that leads by example, should never be blind to the worthy example of others, and learn from those examples. Pridger
Pridger believes that good fences make for good neighbors. National fences are known as borders. To be a good or great nation, those national fences should be kept in good repair. Pridger
The first principle of international free trade doctrine is to wreck all national fences. Pridger
Having torn down our own fences, we wonder why we are being undulated with foreign imports and unacceptable numbers of immigrants. We wonder why we are losing our own stock, in the form of our national wealth and productive industries, through the breach. Pridger
If I allow my stock to ravage the neighbor's corn field, my neighbor has a right to be displeased. If my neighbor's stock ravage my vegetable garden, I have a right to be displeased. Pridger
National defense is not only a military affair, but also an economic affair. A global economy allows national fences to deteriorate and my stock to co-mingle with my neighbor's stock. They thus alternately ravage his corn field and my vegetable garden. Pridger
The individual is the very basis of self-government. We, as individuals, when exposed to proper education, are uniquely capable of self-government and self improvement. This, of course, is true not only in America, but everywhere. Pridger
The nuclear family is the primary social unit, and thus the first government organization. If the head of the household is a tyrant, the family "government" is a tyranny. This can only be corrected by the larger community, provided that community has been provided with a set of rules of conduct upon which there is broad consensus. This is where the value of religion is most important setting the community standards of ethics, morality, and justice. Bereft of religion, only authoritarian government on a larger scale can impose the rule of law. Pridger
We are still in nominal possession of the landed territories our forefathers fought for and conquered, and Pridger believes they ought to be protected never mortgaged (as is now the case). Pridger
We (meaning our government) have begun to get things totally turned around. Government has taken on the mantle of god or "Government Omnipotent, and Deified" (G.O.D.). Pridger
Not only is our government supposed to be "under God," it's supposed to be under us (We the People), also though there are few enough left who take this seriously. Our federal government (and state governments as well), has strayed so far from its founding principles that it is allowing foreign minorities to remove evidence of those principles from our midst, and sell our national birthright out to the highest bidder. Pridger
By "foreign minorities" I refer to those (of whatever race, creed, or nationality, including American-born white Anglo-Saxon Protestants), who would sacrifice our American national birthright on the altar of Mammon or any other false god. In other words, alleged Americans who don't know what their birth-right is are foreign to free and just government. Pridger
3 January 2004
OSWALD'S THREE PERFECT SHOTS
A satellite company recently re-aired the ABC
documentary, The Kennedy AssassinationBeyond Conspiracy,
narrated by Peter Jennings. In this documentary, ABC news continues the great
JFK conspiracy cover up. Among other things, it "proves," beyond a
shadow of a doubt, by means of computer animations, two things: (1) that a
single shot from the Texas Schoolbook Depository could have hit both Kennedy and
governor John Connolly, and (2), that three shots fired from a bolt action rifle
could have been accomplished within the established time-frame of the shooting.
Obviously, these two things "could" have been accomplished and
those are the only things the animations prove.
The animation showing how three shots could have been got off
is particularly, and obviously, flawed. Of course, the shots could have been got
off in the allotted time but what the animation doesn't show, or allow, was
that the rifle would have had to be carefully re-aimed each time. In the
computer animation, so convincing to the non-shooter, the cross hairs remained
miraculously, and precisely, fixed on the target as only a computer animation
could keep them fixed. Sound effects were used to make it clear to the viewer
that the bolt could be meticulously worked between each shot, ejecting the first
and second cartridges and shoving new rounds into the chamber, smoothly
almost slowly giving the impression that such shots would be almost child's
play. The animation showed absolutely no rifle recoil, and thus no time
requirement for retraining the weapon.
Anybody who has practiced firing at moving target with a
scope would know that getting three perfect shots off so quickly would be an
impossibility. Just to train on a moving target, and get one perfect shot off
would have be difficult enough. But three shots? Because of the scope's small
field of vision, retraining on a moving target takes time. A high powered rifle
recoils so violently, that in a real shooting situation the target would have
lost to the scope's view after each shot, requiring the shooter to actually
re-find the target in the scope's tiny field of vision after each shot, and
carefully re-aim. It isn't nearly as easy as the typical non-shooter might
imagine.
Otherwise, the ABC documentary is pretty convincing to those
who haven't read much about the assassination, and still tend to "trust the
government" and major media. It makes a point of refuting the Oliver
Stone's JFK movie, and its depiction of the Jim Garrison and his
Clay Shaw conspiracy investigation. That Oliver Stone admittedly engaged in
considerable "literary license" is ABC's most damning contention. No
mention is made in the ABC documentary, however, of the considerable license the
ABC filmmakers took with the truth through innumerable selective omissions
and outright distortions.
For those really interested in the real Jim Garrison, and his
JFK assassination conspiracy investigation, Pridger recommends reading
Garrison's own book, On the Trail of the Assassin. Gregory Douglas
has come out with a book called Regicide, the Official Assassination of
John F. Kennedy. If the documents reproduced in this book (allegedly
from the files of the late Robert T. Crowley, former Assistant Deputy Director
for the Clandestine Operations of the CIA), are authentic, the conspiracy was
even larger, and much more shocking, than even the most conspiracy-minded had
imagined. Pridger
29 December 2003
FEMINISM
Feminists are having a problem with terminology. Though they are doing their best to neuter the language, and thus end sexism for all time (so they can be the men), they have strangely not yet insisted on removing "man" from the word "woman", "men" from the word "women", nor "son" from the word "person." This is most peculiar, but it's all part of the same silly game that the ACLU is playing with the American people. The game is called undermining western culture in general, and what has passed for American culture in particular. Another name for it is "cultural communism." Pridger
Actually, if it were known, what many feminists would rather do is switch places with men. Thankfully, it's still beyond their reach, but they'd have themselves called men, and us men called women. Of course, they'd still want to wield the power and advantages women have always had over men, while gaining the power men have otherwise had over women. Pridger
Fortunately, not all women are feminists. Otherwise we men (nay, civilization itself!), would be sunk for women make up a natural majority within our society. But for the time being, women are the majority. They are a majority that will get stronger at time goes by, since they are already the only majority that enjoy legal minority status and privilege. This, by the way, was the ultimate "divide and conquer" coup of the "cultural communists." Pridger
If we ever manage to make warriors out of enough of women (an idea feminists covet), man may become the majority, and thus there may yet be hope. Pridger
CULTURAL COMMUNISM
Pridger doesn't like the term "cultural
communism." It has sort of a hateful sound to it that rings of
"McCarthyism." Eventually, it'll probably be voted a hate crime to
refer to someone as a cultural communist.
But not too soon. After all, the older generation cut their
teeth and grew to adulthood cultivated in officially promoted "hate those
communists" rhetoric. All communists were the enemy of both God and our
country. Most of those "communists" we were trained to hate, of
course, were nothing but simple-minded people like us.
Most of the real culprits stayed well below the radar sweep.
Many were elected to high public office. Others got the Nobel Prize. Many got
rich, if they weren't born to it. Only a few of the small fry got caught. By the
time Senator Joseph McCarthy got around to his famous Anti-American Activities
investigation and hearings, Washington was crawling with communist sleepers. The
hapless, but patriotic and well intentioned, McCarthy, managed to draw a noose
around his own neck, and "they" pinched it off for him. The legacy for
his trouble was to leave the language with the word "McCarthyism"
meaning a "lowly, vile, mean, witch hunter." Pridger
26 December 2003
MORAL HIGH GROUND
A Christian Nation?
"U.S. leadership in the 20th century was
based on the U.S. claim to the moral high ground. By their own brutal actions,
the Japanese, German National Socialists and communists ceded the moral high
ground to America.
"With the exception of propagandized Americans, the
entire world recognizes that the invasion of Iraq was based on fabrication akin
to those used by Hitler to justify his invasion of Poland..." Paul
Craig Roberts, syndicated columnist (Creators Syndicate, Inc.)
"Fabrications" is another word for lies, or "false witness." Pridger
When "the end justifies the means" and "false witness" are adopted as justification for "doing good" in the world, is there any wonder that the "Ten Commandments" are being forcibly removed from our public properties? Pridger
The court mandated removal of the "Ten Commandments" from public buildings could never have happened while the specter of the USSR's brand of international communism stalked the earth. When the USSR existed as our ideological enemy it remained politically correct to acknowledge America as a nation "Under God." All that has apparently changed now. Pridger
One of the greatest threats of Soviet Russia and international communism was that they were "Godless" entities, and deadly enemies, intent upon imposing their atheism upon the rest of the world. Their ideology and plan for world conquest was couched in "the end justifies the means" rhetoric. Our leaders now seem to have forgotten that. Pridger
One of the problems is that the moral high ground is an uncomfortably small place surrounded by steep, and very slippery, slopes. Pridger
Even during the twentieth century, when the United States became the undisputed world leader, occupying the moral high ground, things were never exactly as they seemed. The roots of the very evils we fought and vanquished during two world wars, and innumerable lesser conflicts, had been the the supposedly unintended consequences of previous policies decisions which, when traced to their sources, fertilized and nurtured those evil root-stocks. Pridger
To paraphrase what Franklin D. Roosevelt once significantly observed: "Nothing in politics ever happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet that it was planned." This applies to all events of global magnitude as well as domestic policy. The inexplicable happens only because the stage has been carefully set for it. Pridger
We vanquished both Japan and German in World War Two. While we "helped" the mother country completely out of its vast Empire, we rewarded the greatest evil empire of all by awarding them half of Europe. We literally handed the "Godless" USSR superpower status. Then we spent almost half a century in a deadly international contest with our former ally. Was this, perhaps, part of the great plan? Pridger
Since the demise of the USSR, we have gone on to adopt much of their political cultural as our own. Officially striking God and Christianity from our national identity is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem. Pridger
God came in very handy as a tool in our fight against Soviet communism. Now court justices and the ACLU are emboldened enough to insist that we don't need Him any more. Pridger
God didn't win the great contest between America and the Soviet Union Capitalism did. Any American can tell you that. The forces of Mammon have swept all before it, and we have gone the extra mile to sacrifice the moral high ground on its altar. Pridger
When Mammon has triumphed, human greed and avarice have triumphed and the Ten Commandments must come down! Pridger
Nature alone provides the unknown and unplanned occurrences that sometimes alter the course of human events. But, at least in the modern era, Nature has never significantly altered the political agendas of the movers and shakers behind great power politics. So could theirs actually be part of God's plan? It's an interesting hypothesis in what many believe to be the "End Times." Pridger
America, as a Christian nation, had the potential of both occupying and holding the moral high ground. Had it remained true to its own national charter, there is little doubt that America would have continued to perfect itself. Trouble is, nations ruled by hypocrites and pretenders, are incapable of navigating the high road. Pridger
It remains to be seen whether any nation, once favored by Divine Providence, can regain the moral high ground once it finds itself on the slippery slopes it should have avoided at all costs. Pridger
It appears that we actually believe we still hold the moral high ground even as our courts, aided and abetted by the ACLU, admonish us that not only are we not a Christian nation, but we are not a nation "Under God." Pridger
The scary thing is that our secular humanist court justices and the ACLU may be right! Only time will tell what the consequences of the official and moral abandonment of our national character and charter will be. Pridger
For many years already, we have been evangelizing the world, not by meaningfully enlightened national example and unselfish charity, but by distributing a rather peculiar brand of saving grace far and wide with bombs, missiles, armies, economic blackmail, and the implied threat of our weapons of mass destruction capabilities. These are hardly the appropriate missionary tools and methods of a Christian nation. Pridger
26 December, 2003
MEDIA INFLUENCE
One of the few "truths" that Pridger has managed to pick up during his life-time is that we cannot believe anything our government tells us. Nothing is ever exactly as it is made to seems. Political motives are seldom the ones used to sell the public on any course of action. Pridger
The mass establishment media is a vast propaganda machine capable of forming and manipulating public. Public opinion, thus established, is then often used to justify just about anything the government plans to do. Pridger
Public opinion polls, and "conventional wisdom," are measures, not of public awareness of issues, but the degree of success of media influence over the public mind. Public opinion polls are useful to gauge just how successful any propaganda campaign has been. Then, the media uses them to further influence the public. Yes, the media is very often critical of the government, certain political parties, or politicians, but only those which do not match the "larger political agenda" for which the media is an invaluable tool. Pridger
Sometimes it seems a major TV news personality breaks the mold. CNN's Lou Dobbs appears to be such a person. For some as yet unknown reason (at least unknown to Pridger), Lou Dobbs is being allowed, and apparently encouraged, to ask some very relevant and tough questions with regard to immigration and trade policy. This could be an opening gambit foreshadowing a planned change in the direction Washington has been taking us. Pridger sees it as a positive development, but only time will tell what it really means. Pridger
THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN
Saturday 13 December, 2003
Congratulations to our military and the Bush Administration on the capture of global Public Enemy No. 2. Apparently Saddam will never ride victorious into Baghdad, no matter the fate of his nation. We wish the Iraqis and our own administration well. Most of all we hope for the safe return (the sooner the better), of all American military personnel now stationed in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. Unfortunately, this will probably not happen. The so-called "Butcher of Baghdad" was only a very small part of what we consider to be "our national interests" in that troubled region. Perhaps we should say, "our international interests." Pridger
President Bush says that Saddam will now get the kind of justice he had denied the Iraqi people. I wonder what kind of justice that was or wasn't? Pridger
I wonder if Saddam is to be considered a prisoner of war, or a captured enemy combatant? There seems to be a world of difference. Enemy combatants don't seem to rate what we, until relatively recent times, considered ordinary justice proceedings no "protections under the law" at all, either civil or military. Pridger
Saddam Hussein's never attacked, nor really even ever threatened, the United States. His only threats were what he'd do if we invaded his country which he, and just about all the rest of the world, figured we didn't have the right to do. Pridger
We, of course, believe that we had the right to preemptively attack, occupy, and totally reinvent Iraq. We mainly believed that, well... Basically because we could do it without too much fuss. That sort of "Can do!" adventurism, of course, was the reason Thomas Jefferson warned of the dangers of a standing army. Pridger
Of Saddam, we can finally say we "got'em," and we're busily reinventing his country, apparently, because his Iraq simply didn't fit our leaders' vision of how the New World Order should look in the Middle East. Pridger
Ironically, the one hostile action against the United States that Saddam was responsible for is seldom, if ever, mentioned as one of his "many crimes." That was when his fighter jets attacked and disabled our USS Stark, with the loss of the lives of several sailors. We let that pass as an "unfortunate mistake." He was our "friend" then, of course. Pridger
Not that Pridger is particularly soft on Saddam. He's probably a pretty bad guy but we have backed so many other bad heads of state, including many who were probably much worse. One wonders what is so different about this one? Why was he so special that the administration had to blatantly lie to the whole world lies to which he apparently admits to with, "What's the difference?" (between "having" and "wanting" WMD) in an attempt to sell the idea of invading Iraq? Pridger
There's a world of difference between having weapons of mass destruction, and wanting to have weapons of mass destruction. Our best friend, Isreal (which, incidentally, was also very similarly responsible for an "unfortunate accident" involving one of our naval ships, the USS Liberty), was at one time guilty of wanting weapons of mass destruction. Though president Kennedy didn't like the idea, Israel went ahead and acquired WMD and continues to possess them. Because of our "special relationship" with Israel, that was okay. Pridger
The Kennedy administration made covert attempts on Fidel Castro's life. Reagan made a much more blatant abortive attempt on Libya's Muammar al-Qaddafi's life. The CIA has probably clandestinely knocked quite a few off. But as a matter of national policy, openly bringing heads of state to "justice" has not been considered a legitimate pass time for our military forces. With the exception of Manuel Noriega, of Panama (who we can only assume must have somehow threatened or offended President Bush No. 1), we have never sought to bring any other bad head of state to justice by force of arms. Kill them, yes, but not bring them to justice. We didn't even arrest the Emperor of Japan after WWII. Nor did we kill him. Pridger
We certainly never went after Stalin (our great ally), who was arguably the most blood-soaked head of state of them all. We never went after Idi Amin, or any other blood-stained African tyrant. We must have thought Mao Tse Tung was pretty bad but we didn't go after him. In fact, we went out of our way to make friends with him while he was still helping Ho Chi Minh against our own forces in Vietnam. We had our great rapprochement with both China and the late, great, USSR, while our own troops were still locked in deadly battle with their proxies. Pridger
Simply put, Saddam was perceived as, and undoubtedly was, a serious threat to the state of Israel not the U.S. of A.! Iraq's oil wealth, of course, was a secondary, though a very important, consideration. Freedom and democracy for the Iraqi people? That was merely propaganda the sales hook. Pridger
Now that we have conquered Iraq. It is hoped that we actually do leave the majority of the Iraqi people happier and wealthier than we "found" them. While this would not be justification for our invasion, it would at least be a positive result. The thousands we have killed, however, can never be atoned for, and the hate capital that we must certainly have built among much of the Iraqis and the Arab world in general, will linger for decades, perhaps centuries, to come. Pridger
Why don't our leaders simply level with the American people? It would be pretty simple for us to understand. If both Israel and Iraq possessed nuclear capabilities along with other WMDs, the balance of power in the Middle East would change drastically, in a manner not in the least to our liking. Israel's WMD would be stale-mated by Iraq's WMD. Since Israel is surrounded by numerically superior enemies, their security would be totally compromised. Our "special relationship" with Israel dictates American policy in the Middle East. The American people would understand why we felt it necessary to invade Iraq and install a friendly regime. Pridger
The American people are basically very sympathetic to Israel, and very unsympathetic to the various Arab States. So why aren't our leaders willing to be honest with us, since our official policy is obviously also very sympathetic to Israel? All of the Arab States, as well as the rest of the world, are fully aware of this indisputable fact, so what is the point in actively trying to deceive the American people? Pridger
Our special relationship with Israel, though it is very peculiar in many respects, is very easy to for most Americans to understand. First, being largely fundamentalist, American Christians tend to place a very special value and significance on Israel (i.e., Palestine the Christian Holy Land), and the Jews (God's chosen People). Many fundamentalist Christians see the establishment of the State of Israel as part of the unfolding of Biblical prophecy, and are thus eager to support Israel, right or wrong, against its enemies. Secondly, Jews are a small, but extraordinarily politically powerful, minority in the United States. Their influence is so great, that American politicians that are openly hostile to Israeli interests, are all but unelectable. And if they "out" while in office, or in any way transgress against Israeli interests, they will be hounded and defeated in the next election. It's that simple, and the majority of the American people are on Israel's side anyway. So were is the point of employing blatant lies and deception (aimed at Americans), when it comes to neutralizing the primary growing military threat to Israel in the Middle East? Pridger
Interestingly, Iraq itself is pretty significant to the Christian religion and Biblical History, though most American Christians are unfamiliar with the numerous connections at this time. Much will probably be made of this, however, in the months and years ahead, and used by fundamentalist Christians to rationalize our strategic and cultural interests in Iraq. Pridger
STANDING ARMIES AND GLOBALISM
The large Standing Armies of great nations need wars for their basic nourishment. Without periodic war, armies would languish and grow soft at great public expense. They would have no reason for being, and eventually the public would perceive this and refuse to support them. Pridger
Capitalists need wars to destroy, consume, and encourage more, and ever-growing, capacity for "over-production." Pridger
Our capitalist system, as it has been allowed and encouraged to developed, literally feeds on over-doing and over-consuming everything it touches. Inherent vast waste, disposable consumer goods, planned obsolescence, and the sale of gross materialism and an over-indulgence culture, is endemic to its growth and survival. Our brand of capitalism is incapable of balance, stability, and moderation. It's based on perpetual expansion, whether or not the magnitude of that expansion is sustainable in the long term which it isn't. Pridger
Capital's primary problem is it's very success. By successfully harnessing both the very best and the very worst of human nature and the broad range of man's innovative abilities, it works so well well that it has taken on a life of its own and, for lack of enlightened regulatory control, is effectively on auto-pilot. Globalized capital is both in charge of globalism and global economics, and, for better or worse, totally out of control. It has also effectively been given political control. This is a new and very powerfully destructive kind of fascism, which all to few have yet recognized. Pridger
Both balance and moderation are required for sustainability in a world of finite resources. Unfortunately, our brand of capitalism is incapable of both requirements. Capitalism has proven how wonderful it can be, but only enlightened regulatory control, only feasible on a national basis, can dampen its ravenously and rapaciously destructive appetite. Pridger
We have helped create a world in which general, unlimited, warfare between large industrial nations is unthinkably dangerous even to the politicians at home. Thus, for the first time in the history of large civilizations, at least an uneasy perpetual international peace (enforced through fear of "mutual assured destruction" [MAD]) became an uncomfortable, but real, possibility. Pridger
But perpetual peace can never satisfy the ravenous appetites of both large standing armies and big international capital. Pridger
WMD, and MAD potential (with the assistance of our friends, the enemy), were some of our gifts to the world. Pridger
The appetite of capital must, by mere necessity, expand in perpetuity. And that appetite must be satisfied, or the system will collapse. Ordinary commerce simply cannot satisfy it. Pridger
The appetite of capital is expressed in terms of the ever-growing need to expand markets. But the production of industrial capital, force-fed on continuous debt expansion, always exceeds market potentials. Thus destruction of production through warfare is as necessary to capital as ordinary trade and consumption. Pridger
"Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace" is the military industrial complex's idea of heaven. The trick is to continue to have war without seriously threatening Wal Mart, or unduly endangering or inconveniencing our trusty leaders. Pridger
Our wars are not really directed at tyrants, but those regimes that resist the spirit of globalism and free trade. Pridger
Nations, and national leaders, that resist the globalist agenda, and seek to maintain national political, economic, and cultural independence, are, by the very definition of globalism, tyrannies "holding their people back." Pridger
In the thinking of global-minded capitalists, it is an unpardonable sin for developing nations to withhold their natural resources, or labor pools, from exploitation by the capital interests of the great developed nations. To conserve and ration their wealth for the long term benefit of their own people, and their future generations, is considered selfish and tyrannical. Pridger
Today, any nation that insists on living strictly within its means, as an independent nation, is officially considered to be reactionary and dangerous. Such nations are automatically labeled rogue states. Pridger
In spite of our continuing potential and capacity to be a truly independent nation, we have willingly, and supposedly unselfishly, sacrificed our independence on the altar of capitalist globalism. Having done so, we insist that everybody else do likewise, whether they want to or not. And, as the world's only superpower, we insist with a great deal of persuasive clout. Pridger
To be more precise, Pridger would say that we have sacrificed our national soul on the altar of Mammon. Pridger
We no longer "speak softly and carry a big stick." Our voice literally booms out to the world, and our big stick is being employed to insure that our message is the only one heeded. Those who refuse to listen are rogue or terrorist states, and are slatted for a caning if they continue to fail to listen and measure up. Pridger
Little wonder that "under God" is being purged from our national Pledge of Allegiance, and God and Christianity from the national identity. We've become so arrogant that we no longer consider ourselves constrained under any rule but our own. We have become so powerful that we no longer feel the need to claim God's protection, or guidance. Pridger
We are usurping His (the Creator's) prerogatives in this world. Some of our national leaders actually believe we are doing God's work, while others believe our government has rightfully replaced God (the very concept of God being nothing more than a remnant of ancient superstition). Pridger
Blasphemy! You say? Yes indeed, but not Pridger's. Pridger merely writes on what he sees and thinks. He's neither a prophet nor religious guru nor even a political science major. Pridger doesn't claim to know what God's plan is. Maybe president Bush does, and is working God's will. But if Pridger is anything, it's a skeptic. Pridger
The term "skeptic" is usually applied to those who doubt the existence of God. What Pridger doubts is the Divine authority of a government that no longer acknowledges that it is a government "Under God." Pridger
Apparently the ACLU and our more progressive national leaders, want a government "over God." But they would never use the word "God" that's the only four letter word that they would banish from the dictionary. Pridger
In most intellectual circles it is considered quaintly anachronistic to claim a believe in God. At best, intellectuals in leadership roles have considered all religion as merely a convenient and useful opiate to help them control the people. But, in spite of all their presumed wisdom and knowledge, they totally miss the point. Pridger
There are few things that Pridger claims to know. Such concrete things that he knows would rattle in a thimble like a cotton ball in a box car. But one thing he feels fairly certain of is that God's will IS, and, of course, will continue to be, done. Pridger
What many of us fail to realize, is just how insignificant we are in the overall scheme of things. We have a great deal of power and ability to choose right from wrong within our fraction of a microsecond of time. Within the minuscule bounds of time and space allotted to us, we have a God-given moment of opportunity to improve our own lives and shape our own destiny. Still, just how we manage this instant is the biggest and most important thing in the universe to us. Pridger
AMERICAN JINGO
Pridger's position on the current state of our international warfare probably seems downright unpatriotic to many. But Pridger is an anachronistic sort of patriot. Quite frankly, his kind is long out of fashion. He's a true American jingo, who would have his government look after this country and mind its own business. He'd leave the rest of the world alone as long as all other nations stayed on their side of the ponds. But his America no longer exists. We are no longer a unified and independent Nation Under God. Thanks to decades of mis-representation in Washington, we have been swallowed up into a Global Village, and will hence forth war until that village is pacified to the satisfaction of the international capital interests that presently pull the strings in our nation's capital. Pridger
Teddy Roosevelt, though somewhat of an imperialist, said we ought to "speak softly and carry a big stick." Pridger feels the same way. We ought to have clung to Teddy's Canal Zone and sent the south half of Panama packing back to Colombia from whence it came. The northern part should have either been absorbed into the Canal Zone or transferred to Costa Rica. The Canal Zone was our most strategically important piece of detached real estate, and the only one, with the possible exception of Alaska, worth fighting for. Hawaii ought to be a friendly kingdom in the middle of the Pacific under our military and naval protection, hosting our naval outpost at Pearl Harbor. Yes, we'd be justified in fighting to keep Japan and England out of Hawaii, just as Monroe said we ought to prevent further European conquest and colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. But we had no right to take over the island kingdom lock, stock, and barrel, as we did any more than we have the right to take over Bolivia or Ecuador. Our incursion into the isthmus of Panama, however, made an abundance of good strategic sense. Pridger
We had no business fighting in Southeast Asia to prevent what we ourselves allowed to happen next door in Cuba. Pridger
Had we let Germany whip the mother country in World War One, that would have been fair payback to England for the looting and burning of Washington during the War of 1812. Chances are that neither World War Two, nor the Holocaust, would have ever happened. World War One would not have been a world war, but just another bloody European war. And if another big war in Europe had come about (for they were always doing that, you know), we should have let England and her Empire slug it out with Germany again. Pridger
Pridger admires the British. After all, but for the British, the United States would never have come into being. No telling what language we'd be speaking had it not been for the British Empire, which made English the global lingua franca of global commerce. But Pridger isn't an English patriot, nor a New World Order Patriot. He's an American patriot. And if any nation jumps the ocean and tries to burn Washington again, or any other American asset, he'll be on the front lines as an "enemy combatant" against the invaders. Pridger
Al Qaeda jumped the pond and scored a tragic success, but Al Qaeda was not, and is not, an enemy nation. It's a small band of international religious fanatics who determined to wake us up in a manner calculated to get our attention. Why they wanted to get our attention ought to have been obvious to everybody (and thus avoided), but unfortunately wasn't. Though our Washington policy makers knew very well why they wanted to get our attention (and were, in fact, expecting it), most Americans were blind-sided, and rightly shocked and outraged. This outrage gave our leadership and military planners the excuse they wanted to do what had already long been planned. Pridger
Had England succeeded in putting down the American rebellion, our Revolutionary war would have gone down in history under another name. The rebellious Americans would have been referred to (as we say today, rebels, terrorists, and enemy combatants). But American patriots yanked America away from the British Empire, and established a nation that would surpass the mother country by every contemporary measure of national strength and greatness. Pridger
I do have an uneasy feeling, that in spite of England's loss of Empire and global influence, it will outlast the United States, for we have betrayed our own national purpose. That purpose was not to conquer the world and make it, and ourselves, into a Global Village. Pridger
The international communist threat, that we spent the Cold War defeating all around the world, was actually a travesty. But for our help, Soviet communism would have been still-borne back in 1917. It floundered to life in the wake of World War One, and was given a great injection of vigor in 1933, courtesy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who went on to propel the USSR to even greater heights in WWII. But it did become a serious threat in post WWI Europe and that was one of the things that spurred Hitler onward and upward. The rest, as they say, is history. The USSR gained half of Europe and became a global superpower, thanks, in great part, to our failing to mind our own business. Pridger
Organized global communism never threatened the world with military conquest, as we were taught. It had its eye on planting Trojan Horses, and they succeeded. Those Trojan Horses were not filled with armed troops, however. Senator Joseph McCarthy saw it when it was already too late. Our own home-grown agents (witting and unwitting), crushed him, and the Trojan Horse is still with us even though the USSR itself has collapsed. Pridger
While thousands of communist cadres, and their witting and unwitting fellow travelers, were busy eating at our heart and innards right here at home, we were busy sending American boys abroad to fight foreign communist idealists, rebels, and terrorists abroad. While we fought "freedom fighters" and "nationalists" all around the world, the communist Trojan Horses were disgorging themselves in our midst, and working diligently almost unnoticed except by the likes of Senator McCarthy. Pridger
Senator McCarthy was, of course, led into a snare with which he managed to "hang himself." He should have been a hero, but he was taken in. The rest of us are still tangled in the same snare, though few stick their necks out far enough to get hung. It has remade the nation, and will eventually bring us down. Any possible "awakening" will not save us, for we have already passed the critical turning point. Pridger
The unfortunate McCarthy saw something big. It was even bigger than he thought. While he went diligently on his far-flung witch hunts, the witches were all around him closing the noose around his neck. They outwitted him. The rest of us were prompted to focus abroad for distant threats, to take our mind off of the home front and possibly perceiving the Trojan Horses at home. Pridger
Still, communist was, and is, a failed system which never would have had a chance in the United States without a lot of help and protection from unlikely people in high places. It is still bankrupt and impotent, though it is winning an ongoing cultural war aimed at the destruction of Western culture, religion, and republican government. Pridger
THE JFK ASSASSINATION AND
WHAT A DIFFERENCE FORTY YEARS MAKE
"...(I)t was not one fiction film (Oliver Stone's JFK) that taught us that our government cannot be trusted... the government stumbles across the truth only when it is involved in a seek and destroy mission to eliminate it." Mark Lane, author of Plausible Denial and Rush to Judgment (1966), in the December 15, 2003 issue of the American Free Press.
The 40th anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination brought a lot of reminiscence to this old conspiracy buff's mind. As tragic as we knew the event was back on November 22nd, 1963, it was a much greater turning point for American history than anybody could easily imagine at the time. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since that fateful day. We live in a different world a different nation remade in four decades. Pridger
Pridger knew nothing of politics, economics, or conspiracy theory back in November of 1963. He was fresh out of a hitch in the navy, and America was a different place than it is today. It was the world's most powerful and prosperous nation. It was the world's most literate nation. It was the world's largest economy and trading nation. It was the world's greatest creditor nation. It had a perpetually favorable balance of trade. It was a nation where the working man had become a great and prosperous middle class. The five hour work day and the three or four day industrial work week seemed just around the corner. It was a nation where industry favored labor with such things as health insurance and good pensions upon retirement. Labor unions were strong, and kept the industrial wage on the rise, and labor prospering along with capital. Literally all of our stores were full of products proudly "Made in America." Most imports were novelties or luxuries. There were still millions of prospering family farmers throughout rural America, providing all of our essential food stuffs. The American dollar was still good as gold abroad, if not in America. Our silver coins were still made of 90% silver. We not only had the world's greatest navy, but the world's greatest merchant fleet. It was a nation of which all Americans were rightfully proud an economically and politically independent nation, which was the envy of the world. Pridger
Forty years ago, common decency in language and behavior was the rule everywhere. Even rowdy redneck joints and seamen's bars had signs that said, "No profanity Please!" and they were usually observed. Vulgarity and profanity in public was often punishable by civil statutes. This was not considered an infringement of free speech by the vast majority of the people. It was considered a natural requisite of an orderly and peaceful society. Pridger
Forty years ago profanity and vulgarity in public entertainment was unheard of. What Hollywood now calls "Adult Language," was almost universally considered abhorrent and juvenile indulged in only by some soldier and sailors, "bad" adolescent boys, and "disrespectful" vulgar adult reprobates. But even the vast majority of those who did use foul language, were careful not to use it in "polite society," in the presence of women, or in the presence of children. Now, young children are not only unavoidably exposed to it, but often even the youngest children use it, thinking it "grown up." Pridger
Forty years ago, what is now called "Adult entertainment" was called "dirty", "blue", or "stag" movies, and only a relative few people had been exposed to it. One really had to seek such things out to see them. They were to be found only in seedy back rooms or at "stag parties" where "dirty old men" or sex-crazed young bucks gathered. There was no such thing as "professionally" produced and widely syndicated pornography. Today, thanks to a "liberated" Hollywood, both adult language and pornography are so wide-spread in America that two generations have grown up thinking that the "f" word, and pornography, have always been central to "American Culture." As a nation, we actively peddle pornography on a global basis, in what we are trying to make into a "liberated" world. Pridger
Forty years ago, the bulk of society still tried to suppress sex as purely a "recreational" activity. It was still accepted as a sacred pro-creational activity only acceptable between married adults, to be practiced in the utmost privacy. Illicit sex was available only to those who actively sought it out in a few carefully limited red light districts, or by those who knowingly flouted morality mores, and knew they were "sinning." Yes, even presidents were guilty of it, but it was not promoted as the societal norm. Today we are a sex-crazed and sex-oriented society, where children are openly taught to become sexually active at an early age. This, in spite of the AIDS generated publicity campaign for "responsible" and "safe" sex. Pridger
Forty years ago, the sanctity of human life, even (or especially), in the womb, was still universally accepted as a self-evident truth. Pridger
Ironically, though we are so sex oriented and universally "liberated" as to even accept sexual "perversion" as "normal" and socially acceptable, we nonetheless seem to have a serious hang up with "sex crimes" and "sex offenders." Convicted sex offenders, no matter how benign and physically harmless their offense, are stigmatized for life and required to "register" as sex offenders even after being released from long prison terms. It's rather peculiar that this stigma only pertains to sex offenders, but not murders, bank robbers, or embezzlers. Pridger
Murderers and bank robbers are deemed to have "paid society for their crimes" once their prison sentence has been completed. But the relatively harmless pedophile (like maybe Michael Jackson if he wasn't rich enough to buy his way out of it), is made an exception. Weird as he is, can anybody imagine Michael Jackson as being considered a threat to society? Jackson is not only a product of our society, but an exceptionally popular icon of it. This says an awful lot about how far we've come down the wrong road in forty years. Pridger
We have men in prison, doing hard time, their lives and careers permanently ruined, for inappropriately "touching" children. Pedophilia, as loathsome as it may be considered, should not be equated with forcible rape or attempted murder. But in spite of our sex-dominated culture, which actually courts it (if not actually encourages it, however indirectly), it is. Pridger
Forty years ago even the thought of a "thought crime" was abhorrent in non-communist societies. But we've become so obsessed with our "liberalization" and political correctness that thought crimes have become institutionalized in America through what we call "hate crime" legislation. This would have been unthinkable forty years ago. Pridger
Hate crime laws make it much worse to murder because of hate than to murder for fun or profit. If you are a white man, and want to kill for fun or profit, just make sure you don't happen to kill an ethnic minority person, a woman, or a homosexual. If you are an ethnic minority, a woman, or a homosexual and want to kill, even out of hate, chances are the courts will treat you differentially. After all, you've got a right to have a deep seeded persecution complex which would mitigate any feelings of hate you might have. Pridger
Don't mutter racial epithets in public if you're a white male. You may be deemed guilty of a prosecutable hate crime even if no crime has been committed. Pridger
"Hate crimes" are only applied selectively, when the victim is black or another racial minority, female, or homosexual, and the perpetrator is a white male. Pridger
Forty years ago, the nation was still largely racially segregated. Now it's still racially segregated. The difference is that forty years ago, despite official discrimination, "colored towns" and "Negro culture" were complete parallel societies, fully as rich in professional, commercial, and cultural activity as white society. Some would say even richer in some respects, even though black society was generally on a lower economic plain. Today blacks, in spite of affirmative action, have lost the rich heritage they once had, and no longer have their own world. Pridger
Racial tensions have increased over forty years, rather than decreased, but the majority is afraid to complain. The black vote is significant enough to keep all white politicians on the side of the black leadership the one committed to the magnification of the legacy of past victimization and discrimination. Though segregation has officially disappeared, we are more segregated than every before in almost every respect. Only a relative few African Americans have benefited from integration or affirmative action. A very significant minority of African American males are either in prison, on their way to prison, or just out of prison, while perhaps of majority of African American women are single mothers. Pridger
Racial stereo-typing has become analogous to a hate crime, but there's no way to do away with mental racial stereotyping. Forty years ago, when we thought about African Americans, we thought of images of Uncle Remus, the happy boy with a big slice of watermelon, Little Black Sambo putting away a stack of scrumptious hot pancakes, the matronly Aunt Jamima, Amos and Andy, the happy black jazzman; or hard-toiling sharecroppers. All lovable characters and pleasing images. Those images and stereotypes are now so politically incorrect as to be considered almost criminal. Pridger
So what do we conjure up in our minds today when we think of generic African Americans? Do we think of Sammy Davis, Jr., Clarence Thomas, Clarence Paige, or affluent black corporate CEOs? Do we think of Red Fox, or Nat King Cole? Are those the new stereotypes? Do we even think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (even though his name is on a major avenue or boulevard in every American city)? No, we don't. Those are the exceptions, not the stereotype. The stereotype is a much more sinister figure. Dark, black figures lurking in the shadows, drug pushers, young black thugs, urban gangs, foul-mouthed rappers, rapists, murderers, muggers, convicts. That, unfortunately, is what comes to mind when most white people think of African-Americans today. Even many black sports stars come across as threatening figures, some with green hair or dreadlocks, often defiant and surly in attitude. These make up the new African-American stereotype. They are politically correct, to boot. The mean and threatening black man is a entertainment fixture in today's Hollywood. White people don't complain much in public, they have to act as if they love it. White racism has been pushed underground, where it simmers. Pridger
Things really began to change in November of
1963. Of course, some of the change had already begun before that time. But it
accelerated thereafter then accelerated much more with the breakup of the
Soviet Union.
The Warren Commission findings on the Kennedy Assassination
left about 75% of Americans with growing doubts about the trustworthiness of
their own government. Today, forty years later, that figure hasn't changed much,
but a lot of other things have. The American dollar is no longer as good as gold
anywhere. It's purchasing power is about a tenth of what it was in 1963. Our
money has been debased, and our "silver" coins are now made of
copper-nickel. New "real silver dollars" can be purchased from the
U.S. Mint, for about $10.00 each (The mint is now trying to make money in a
totally different way).
American capital has been given license to flee the country,
and so many American industries have fled that "Made in America" is
almost as rare now as Made in Mexico, or Made in Korea, were in 1963. "Made
in China" is becoming more common than "Made in Anywhere Else."
We are no longer the world's most literate nation. Not even close! We are
growing crops of high school graduates who are functionally illiterate. Our
balance of trade and balance of payments ledger is so far into negative
territory that we've become the world's biggest debtor nation with no end of
"negative growth" in sight. We are beholden to foreign creditors and
foreign producers for our economic survival. Our merchant marine has gone from
number one to almost non-existent in real terms most of its remnants being
foreign owned. Most of the "prosperous" working middle class,
fortunately, is retired. The rest of us live on either the remnants of American
industry, or some sort of a government entitlement. Either that, or we flip
burgers, dip ice cream, or take in each other's laundry for a living. 14 million
"knowledge" worker jobs are vulnerable to outsourcing to nations like
India, China, Ireland, and Eastern Europe. Our American brands of clothing and
shoes are made in such places as Mexico, Bangladesh, Korea, Indonesia, and
China. Our consumer electronics and most other durable goods come from the same
sources, as "APPA" (American Products Produced Abroad). An increasing
percentage of our food is imported. The American family farmer as become almost
extinct, with a mere 2% of the population engaged in the lion's share of
agricultural commodities production, making the other 98% candidates for future
famine. This, as we encourage the rest of the world how to destroy their own
agricultural and economic bases too. We are no longer economically nor
politically independent. And "freedom, justice, and the American way"
are fading from the national scene.
Today our leaders strive to make the world into what we once
were, so we can be a part of it. All in 40 years of mis-rule. Pridge
Making the world into what we once were, so we can be a part of a great, peaceful, and prosperous global family, is what national mis-management and mis-representation is all about. In fact, it's the very epitome of those things, and the very opposite of what the mis-managers and mis-representatives where hired or elected to do. Pridger
A great, peaceful, and prosperous world is a worthy thing to strive for. But we aren't about to pull it off the way we're going. The only hope we really had was to set an example the rest of the world would wish to follow or emulate. But we aren't what we once were, and we're not convincing anybody else that we are, our military power notwithstanding. What nation would like to be us, or like us, today? (And don't kid yourself there!) We were once broadly admired around the world, even by our enemies and former enemies, but today even our friends are beginning to suspect that we've been actively leading them astray. Pridger
Our Iraqi war and subsequent nation-building there, will be what we are judged by in the near term. Until Iraq (if not the Middle East in general) is a model of peace, freedom, prosperity, stability, and "American style democracy and capitalism," we may as well put our "Global Village Building" erector set back in the box and hide it somewhere. Pridger
If we don't succeed, and quickly, in our totally unnecessary war and nation building demonstration in Iraq, nations will start piling off of "our" New World Order, like rats fleeing a sinking ship. Pridger
Failure in Iraq, of course, would be disastrous for the United States, and maybe for the rest of the world. If we fail there, we have two main choices. (1) Tuck our tail between our legs and repair to fortress America in humbled humiliation, or (2) Continue to get madder and badder, and take on the rest of the world, starting with Iran, Syria, and North Korea, etc., etc... Pridger
TRADING WITH OUR FRIENDS, THE ENEMY
At some point, we're going to have to face down China, or be faced down by China, over the status of Taiwan. China's national and international stature and military power are all on the rise. Unless we have some super-secret weaponry the government has not yet told us of, and that China hasn't managed to get from us on the sly (or purchase it from former President Clinton), China will eventually be the military master of Asia. Pridger
Forty years ago it was against American law to make innocent purchases in Red Chinese department stores in Hong Kong and elsewhere. I did it anyway, of course, purchasing an abacus and a copy of Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book" of quotations. Man! I felt wicked, and a little guilty, when I did that dastardly deal! Now this big, wicked, enemy enjoys a multi-billion dollar trade surplus with the United States. All we have to do is go to Wal Mart to get any number of things from the same Red China. If Communism is still the enemy, then we're trading with the enemy in a big way and shopping at Wal Mart is the way that most of us trade with the enemy. Pridger
The Peoples' Republic of China, though it has moderated its rhetoric considerably (i.e., having become receptive to American capital), and all modesty aside, is still the biggest, baddest, "Evil Empire" in the world (meaning it is very big, has the largest military establishment on the planet, and is still officially communist). China has a long memory, lots of patience, and plenty of time. Pridger
Thanks to the transfer of our military hardware, secrets, and militarily useful electronics and rocket technology to China (both directly and by "friendly" proxies), China has both "the bomb" and the rocketry to deliver. In other words, nuclear blackmail is no longer the sole prerogative of the United States and Russia. Pridger
It's okay to trade with China now because the profit and market potential for American corporations is so tremendous. Pridger
Ninety short miles from the Florida keys is big, bad, Fidel Castro's communist Cuba. A little over forty years ago, we helped Castro come to power in Cuba, stabbing our old dictator friend, Bautista (who had happily permitted American multi-national corporations, and the Mafia dominate the Cuban economy for decades), in the back. Castro was whooped up as a great popular liberator, and several flashy pro-Castro magazines appeared on American news stands. Then (surprise!), our brilliant "intelligence" services, and astute politicians, found out Castro was an evil Marxist-Leninist! Pridger
In our official posturing, we apparently consider Castro much, much, badder than Mao and the Peoples' Republic of China, though Castro is probably a saint compared to Mao-Tse-Tung. Here it is 2003, and we still can't even legally purchase Cuban Havana Cigars the ones that are reputed to be the best in the world. Americans can't even legally travel to Cuba. But we can get all the Chinese goods we want. Finally, I could safely dig up my abacus and of Mao's Little Red Book of quotations. This is a most peculiar circumstance. Pridger
We became "friends" with China long before Chairman Mao died while he was still supporting Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong in their struggle against the evil imperialists (us), in Vietnam. We decided to trade with Mao because of China's vast market potential. Cuba wasn't so lucky. We can forgo its puny market for some time yet. Pridger
I just dug up my Little Red Book of Mao's quotations. Here are a few samples which make appropriate reading, and provide a warning, for today's world:
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"WORKER OF ALL
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Quotes from Mao Tse Tung's "Little Red Book"
"...U.S. imperialism has not yet been overthrown and it has the atom bomb. I believe it also will be overthrown. It, too, is a paper tiger... The United States has set up hundreds of bases in many countries all over the world. China's territory of Taiwan, Lebanon and all military bases of the United States on foreign soil are so many nooses round the neck of U.S. imperialism. The nooses have been fashioned by the Americans themselves and by nobody else, and it is they themselves who have put these nooses round their own necks, handing the ends of the ropes to the Chinese people, the peoples of the Arab countries and all the peoples of the world who love peace and oppose aggression. The longer the U.S. addressors remain in those places, the tighter the nooses round their necks will become.
"Riding roughshod everywhere, U.S. imperialism has made itself the enemy of the people of the world and has increasingly isolated itself. Those who refuse to be enslaved will never be cowed by the atom bombs and hydrogen bombs in the hands of the U.S. imperialists. The raging tide of the people of the world against the U.S. aggressors is irresistible. Their struggle will assuredly win still greater victories.
"If the U.S. monopoly capitalist groups persist in pushing their policies of aggression and war, the day is bound to come when they will be hanged by the people of the whole world. The same fate awaits the accomplices of the United States.
"...There is a Chinese saying, 'Either the East Wind prevails over the West Wind or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind..."...It is the spirit of internationalism, the spirit of communism, from which every Chinese Communist must learn. ...We must unite with the proletariat of Japan, Britain, the United States, Germany, Italy and all other capitalist countries, before it is possible to overthrow imperialism, to liberate our nation and people and to liberate the other nations and peoples of the world. This is our internationalism, the internationalism with which we oppose both narrow nationalism and narrow patriotism.
...In another forty-five years, that is, in the year 2001, or the beginning of the 21st century, China will have undergone an even greater change. (than in the previous forty-five years) She will have become a powerful socialist industrial country. And that is as it should be. China is a land with and area of 9,600,000 square kilometres and a population of 600 million people, and she ought to have made a greater contribution to humanity. Her contribution over a long period has been far too small. For this we are regretful.
"But we must be modest not only now, but forty-five years hence as well. We should always be modest. In our international relations, we Chinese people should get rid of great-power chauvinism resolutely, thoroughly, wholly and completely." Chairman Mao Tse Tung's Little Red Book of Quotations (1967 edition, Foreign Language Press, Peking).
China has never threatened to invade nor conquer the United States through force of arms. Nor did the former Soviet Union ever make such a threat. While the Soviet Union failed and collapsed, Red China learned, and thrives. Just what it has learned, and what it's long-term goals are, remains to be seen. Naturally, China has awakened to a new reality that it didn't foresee forty years ago. But it has adapted to it and will allow that new reality to fashion the future they plan for themselves. Unless Pridger is sorely mistaken, one thing is fairly certain. That is that China has Chinese interests at heart, not ours, nor the "Global Village" of international capital. It will use our own capitalists, with our eager and active assistance, to make us so economically dependent and strategically vulnerable that, by slow degrees, we will awaken to a new global reality, not in the least of our planning. Pridger
China will continue to be modest as it builds itself, with our help, into the world's largest superpower. We will continue to trade with the enemy until that enemy decides it is strong enough to bring Taiwan to heel. Then, we'll either have to knuckle to a new reality, or allow Wal Mart and many other American multi-national corporations to suffer a breakdown in their trade life-line and probable bankruptcy. The latter would cause a stock market crash, the likes of which we have never before seen. Pridger
China has already built a world class merchant marine that will become the world's largest in only a few short years. They are working at building a world class navy, capable of challenging our own. They have established strategic "commercial" outposts which encircle the United States. Their military intelligence network permeates our nation, invisibly imbedded among the millions of Chinese immigrants in our nation. While we fret (and correctly worry) about Mexican illegal immigration, Chinese illegal immigrants are arriving by the boat and container-loads. Chinese-Americans are among our most valuable citizens, but their increasing numbers provide cover for a large and growing Red Chinese intelligence presence. Pridger
Is China really the enemy? No, of course not. The real enemy is much closer to home. Perhaps the real enemy could be defined as a deadly combination of stupidity and avarice in high places not in Beijing, but in New York, Washington, etc. Pridger
China was the paper tiger forty years ago, in international terms. It was also a sleeping giant, only beginning to awaken. We have gone out of our way, not only to wake it up more fully, but to turn it into a real tiger. Pridger
In the mean time we're spending our national capital (as if we'll never have to pay the piper), using the world's greatest military machine, to spar with a few scattered rabid Islamic Fundamentalists. Pridger
13 December, 2003
FREE TRADE AND GLOBALISM
"It's dangerous to be right when the people in power are wrong." Jim Hightower
The United States of America was once the world's most successful free trade zone. That success is being thrown away in an ill conceived and very perverse effort to make the world a carbon copy of what the United States once was. This national short-sightedness on the part of our national "leaders," is sold as being an extraordinarily long-sighted "world view." Pridger
Can the world become what our founders once envisioned for the United States of America? Not in a thousand years! Not even close. But try telling that to One Worlders. Pridger
Limited government, by (the informed) consent of the governed, has become meaningless to our politicians. Pridger
One of the primary problems we face is the fact that our leaders are not leaders at all, but followers, and they follow the advise of enemies of the republic. Pridger
Our mis-representatives in Washington don't think for themselves. They rely on corporate executives, college professors, and think tanks to do their thinking for them. Pridger
"We cannot safely leave politics to politicians, or political economy to college professors." Henry George
A California university professor has recently released a study that says that some 14 million "knowledge worker" jobs are at risk for "outsourcing." Ironically (and fortunately), the professor is apparently of Asian ethnicity. I'm glad we've got as many Asians in America as we do have. Had he been an Anglo-American professor trying to sound such an alarm, his study would probably have been ignored or ridiculed by the media. He'd be accused of racial bias perhaps wanting to favor Americans over Asians. Pridger
The potential outsourcing of all nature of white collar jobs (computer programming, telecommuting, telecomputing, communications, telemarketing, accounting, and other back office jobs), is pretty frightening to America's growing cadres of "knowledge workers." After all, these were categories of employment which were supposed to save American Labor from the ravages of the wholesale export of heavy industries, factories, and all nature of production jobs. "Downsized" labor was supposed to be retrained for such jobs after getting their pink slips. Additionally, these were the jobs that ex-welfare recipients were supposed to be trained for. Pridger
Thanks to the outsourcing revolution, our increasing numbers of newly trained "knowledge workers" are going to have to be satisfied with minimum wage burger flipping, and ice cream dipping, jobs. Pridger
Too bad that the President, Supreme Court, and Congress are not yet threatened with the outsourcing of their jobs. Maybe they'd start having second thoughts about the direction they are taking the nation. Pridger
It's discriminatory to require that American presidents be native born. In fact, citizenship requirements are discriminatory also, if not downright xenophobic (and heaven forbid nationalistic!). It's also contrary to the spirit of free trade and international interdependence. It would make economic sense to recruit all our politicians from Latin America, Asia, Ireland, and Eastern European nations. Bring them to Washington on a term contract basis, so they'd be forced to return to their native lands after their term in office. What better way to spread American "democracy" far and wide? Pridger
Of course, there's no reason why American presidents and Congresspersons should even be required to live or meet in the United States. The same revolution that brings cyber outsourcing makes it possible for politicians to live and work anywhere on the planet. For example, a Filipino "American" Congressman could live very well in Manila on a quarter of what we now pay our mis-representatives in Washington and the mis-representation couldn't be any worse. In fact, it might even improve. Pridger
Why are we just playing around at globalism? Why don't we go whole hog? The White House should be rebuilt on a mountainside near Mexico City. The American Congress (made up of Filipinos), should reside and meet annually in Manila (and let Filipinos elect them too!), and the Supreme Court (composed of Brazilians), should meet in Rio. The Pentagon and the Joint Chief of Staff should relocate to Baghdad. Washington D.C., itself, (along with New York City), should be granted statehood, and ceded to South Africa. This should advance the goals of globalism considerably, while at the same time possibly relieve the American people of much of their current tax burden. Pridger
And what of the national debt? No problem. Convert it into "Cyber Bonds" marked "Payable on Return" then shoot them out into a distant galaxy. This should be done every seven years. If any of them are ever returned for payment, we'll then have proof that there really is "something out there." Pridger
President Bush did a rather courageous thing when he decided to protect the American steel industry especially since he's a bona fide New World Order, free trade, Republican. The WTO will make us pay through the nose if he insists on protecting the American steel industry. Thanks to our several recent free trade administrations (including the present one), and free trade Congresses (it matters not which party is in control), it's against international law for us to protect our own critical industries, our workers, or our own best economic interests. Pridger
To Bush's credit, he has begun using the qualifying term "fair trade" in his free trade rhetoric. But, never fear (he doesn't mean it), there can be no "fair trade" in an economically unequal world. Only protective regulation can level the international trade playing field. Favoring trade "protection" before Congress these days, of course, would be like getting up before an ACLU convention and suggesting to bless it with a Christian prayer. Pridger
The World Trade Organization doesn't permit us to protect our own industries, our workers, or any national interest that impinge on trade issues. Our own mis-representatives in Washington signed us up to this economically suicidal, sovereignty-robbing, free trade travesty! Only national security concerns are considered sufficient cause for protecting one's own and even many of our national security assets are foreign made, foreign owned, vulnerable to outsourcing, or subject to foreign sources for fuel and strategic materials. Pridger
Almost every manufacturing industry (autos, electronics, communications, textiles, etc.), has a national security potential. For example, it would be embarrassing if we go to war with, say, North Korea, only to find that our military procurement apparatus cannot function because Asian trade links have been disrupted and we can't get uniforms, underwear, or computer components for the troops. Pridger
Free trade with China (and the rest of the developing world)? Unbound folly! The Chinese "industrial" wage is less than a quarter of the American Industrial wage, and her work force outnumber ours more than 4 to 1. That means China has more than a four to one advantage over the United States in every important respect. In terms of producers, consumers, and soldiers! Pridger
Economists continue to assure us that global free trade will be great for everybody once a level global playing field is attained. They admit that getting to that level playing field is going to be a bit painful for Americans. What they never tell us is just how long and how acutely painful the process will be. Pridger
The problem with the economy is that economic policy is unduly influenced by professional economists. These economists are schooled in myriads of complicated esoteric mathematic intricacies which defy the understanding of ordinary mortals. They work diligently, at better than a traditional American industrial wage, to arrive at pre-programmed conclusions non-initiates are totally incapable of comprehending, much less refuting. Everything nonetheless appears to be so logical. The only problem is that their irrefutable conclusions are based on totally false root premises. Pridger
Almost nobody ever thinks to check to see if their enormously impressive economic tower of Babel is sitting on bedrock or sand. "The New World Order" is firmly grounded on sand, of course. But, never fear! It can be mathematically proven, in the schools of economics, that the tremendous downward vertical pressure exerted by the the grand edifice above renders the sand as firm as bedrock. It can further be calculated that an earthquake of sufficient magnitude to cause the sand to become fluid-like hasn't happened yet. It can also be determined mathematically that a hurricane of sufficient velocity to throw the tower out of kilter, and thus disturb underlying sand, also has not yet occurred. Pridger
Needless to say, our economists are schooled in institutions funded by the Rockefeller group of foundations, et. al., and various multi-national corporations, who set both the agenda and the pre-conceived and "necessary" conclusions to be worked out. Pridger
The great economic proposition is to start with a false premise (which has previously been established and installed as an unshakable truth, which the economists have been trained not to question), and arrive at an irrefutable Truth. Pridger
A grounding in physics, and the physical sciences, is obviously not required of professional economists. If it were, we probably wouldn't be in the mess we're in today. Pridger
The rebuttal economists and politicians have for my line of reasoning is simple and straight forth. "What mess? We've never had it so good." And they're right. They've never had it so good. Few whose wages flow from the public purse have had been victimized by down-sizing or obliged to take pay and benefit cuts. Only producers in private industry have been downsized. Few in the various parasite classes have yet unduly suffered. Pridger
"Come on Pridger, admit it. You've never had it so good. You're just another of a long string of 'nattering nabobs of negativism'." That's what they'd say to me, and I'll have to admit that they are almost right. I've seen better times, but I've still got it pretty good at least compared to most Ethiopians. I'm rather poor, but still rather well fed. And if I can make it to retirement age and get a pension and Social Security, I'll almost (but not quite), feel relatively secure. I've got it better than many Americans who have already been downsized. They've got it a lot better than I do. Yet, I still believe we are very unnecessarily crowding the edge of disaster. I know that politicians and economists have proven very adept at pulling rabbits out of hats. But I can't help thinking that it's all an illusion. Pridger
The only reason I haven't already been downsized is that I'm a senior union member in a job market that has been shrinking about me thanks to free trade and globalism. (Actually, the industry itself has been expanding exponentially on a global basis, but our government has relegated all the growth to foreign ownership and foreign labor), I'm one of the select few who can still work in my field at an American industrial wage. There are only about 5,000 of us left in the whole country. Only a few short decades ago there were 50,000 of us. Yes, Pridger is a member of an endangered species. Pridger
In the mean time, all we have to do is to become more competitive in the international marketplace. That has one meaning for business, and another for labor. A business becomes more competitive by lowing the prices of its products or services. That's done in one of several ways, such as through automation, cutting workers (downsizing), cutting worker wages and benefits, hiring illegal aliens, by sending production plants abroad, or through "outsourcing" to cheap labor nations. Workers are a bit more restricted in their options. They can only become more competitive by accepting lower wages and benefits, working faster, or working more for less. Pridger
They tell us we're well on our way to that "wonderful new world" known as the Global Village, and if things have been a little painful for Americans, things will be better in the long run. One thing we definitely can't do is to go back to what used to work rather well in the past. The only cure, is more poison, in increased doses. Translation: in the short term, things are going to get a lot worse, but the end justifies the means. Pridger
That was one of the rallying cries of the former USSR and international communism the end justifies the means. In the end, the USSR collapsed. Pridger
The means employed in the USSR, among other things, was mass murder. It didn't get them to their version of the "wonderful new world." But our "wonderful new world" is different. The means is free trade and a completely free international marketplace a Global Village in which everybody is equal, happy, and prosperous. Yip! That's what we have to look forward to. Pridger
A level global marketplace playing field would be one in which all workers around the world are equally compensated for their labor. That, shake-out process, of course, is going to take a long time and chances are, war and miscellaneous economic calamities, if not outright revolution, will disrupt the time table. Pridger
It's pretty complicated to explain, just what that level playing field might level out at. But if we consider only China and America, an adjusted median industrial wage level of about $17,500.00 per year can be shown to be mathematically likely. In other works, the price of Chinese industrial labor will rise to that level, and the price of American industrial labor will have to fall to that level. Speaking in very rough figures, at that point, Chinese labor will no longer have a competitive advantage over American labor. Pridger
When the American industrial wage has declined by about $22,500.00, to $17,500.00 per year (assuming a present level of $40,000.00 per year) and the Chinese industrial wage has risen to about $17,500.00 (from less than $10,000.00 today) we will have gained our coveted level playing field. Then American labor will be competitive with Chinese labor in the international marketplace. Pridger
If this appears to be a formula for economic disaster, and possible revolution, we can thank the steering committee of the New World Order and our trusty mis-representatives in Washington, who let professional economists and various think-tanks do all of their thinking for them. Pridger
Let's take a look at our competitive position vis-ΰ-vis China alone, and see what level the playing field would likely be, provided chaos doesn't intervene. The American industrial wage is about $40,000.00 per year. To make my point we'll assume the Chinese industrial wage is about $10,000.00. (Actually, it is considerably less than that, but for ease and clarity we'll assume that it is 25% of the American wage.) Chinese wages can be expected to rise to a certain "adjusted" median income level, and the American wage can be expected to fall to the same "adjusted" median level, resulting in a level playing field. That level will not be $25,000.00, as painful as that would be for Americans. ((40,000-10,000)/2 = 15,000 + 10,000 [or 40,000 - 15,000] = 25,000). This would apply only if there were equal numbers of American and Chinese workers. But this is not the case. There are more than four Chinese workers for each American worker. In other words the adjustment we have to look at is a ratio of 4:1 (weighted three to one downward) to be applied to the apparent median wage. The difference between the U.S. and Chinese wage level, i.e., $30,000 must thus be divided by four rather than two. The adjusted median wage then becomes $17,500 rather than $25,000.00. ((40,000-10,000)/4 = 7,500 + 10,000 = 17,500 [or 7,500 X 3 = 22,500, and 40,000 - 22,500 = 17,500]).
If any mathematical wizard finds fault with Pridger's math, please send corrections to: pridger@heritech.com. Pridger
If any economists agree with me, please send email to pridger@heritech.com.
Of course, China is only one country in the global labor mix. India is another, with even lower wage levels, and several large Eastern European nations have even lower levels yet so $17,500.00 as a likely potential global median wage is probably rather optimistic. Pridger
When we get to the level playing field, Americans will grow rice and make cars for China, and China will grow rice and make cars for America Chinese and American producers and consumers having reached a par in terms of wages, living standards, and habits of consumption. This, of course, to be played out in every nation of the world (so this is merely a very simplistic, superficial, and rough example). This would be the ultimate in international interdependence, which appears to be the goal and ideal of our present rulers. Pridger
The level playing field that free market economists envision, is a long way off, and we will probably never get there. The profits for multi-national trading companies, who are the primary ones pushing for free trade, depend on their ability to play the international "wage differential game." Once wages are globally leveled, that game would be over. Pridger
Once there is a level playing field in international trade markets, the rules of trade will have to be changed again to protect multi-national profits. Perhaps it will become necessary to make it illegal to sell products in the nation in which they are produced. This would prevent the Chinese, for example, from being able to purchase Chinese made goods, and Americans from being able to purchase American made goods thus trade would have to go on, and the exchanges and international trading cartels would continue to profit. Not on the goods themselves (which would be equally priced at the factory door), but at least on every transaction in the trade routes from factory to consumer shelves. Pridger
28 November, 2003
WAR
For a peace-loving nation, we have a rather peculiar track record. Pridger is hard pressed to keep track of all the wars and military actions we've engaged in just since the end of the Cold War when peace really did seem to threaten the world momentarily. Pridger
"Debt is like a hungry behemoth. It seeks to devour ever more, and this calls for war. It is no accident that between Pearl Harbor and the present, American troops have struck the first blow not once but over a hundred times." Charles Walters, Acres U.S.A.
In view of our present Anglo-American alliance, it is interesting to note that the only nation (other than Japan), to ever attack and invade American soil was Great Britain. Pridger
Other than Great Britain and Japan, we have never warred with a nation that was a serious or credible threat to us. Pridger
Al Qaeda isn't a nation. It's no more than a bunch of international thugs with a serious ax to grind with us, unworthy of war. Pridger
The expected "Peace Dividend" must have really frightened the military-industrial-intelligence services complex. In any event, they really got busy, and finally got what they wanted "perpetual war for perpetual peace." This, of course, has to satisfy everybody. Pridger
Not everybody is satisfied with the peace, tranquility, and democracy that we've brought to Iraq. We're beginning to receive too many inverted peace dividends from that former battle field and if these post-war casualties continue, peace-maker and democracy-builder, Bush, is going to be in trouble, come election time. Pridger
Iraq isn't quite pacified yet, of course, but we've had plenty of experience with pacification, so it shouldn't present too much of a problem. Pridger
The problem is that the last nation to experience the full fury of our pacification programs, would hardly speak to us for twenty years. Finally, only last week (some twenty-eight years after the end of hostilities), one of our naval vessels made a post-war goodwill visit to Ho Chi Minh City. Pridger
We didn't lose the Vietnam War. We just quit. But those thankless Vietnamese have been claiming victory ever since we decided to let them administer their own country. We've vowed never to do that again certainly not in Iraq! Pridger
Finally, after twenty-eight years, we can claim that our endeavors at pacification paid off! Pridger
They say that Iraq is not another Vietnam, and they're right! In Vietnam we had half of the nation on our side, with our own "democratically installed regime." We had a whole, well equipped, army on our side besides our own. What's more, and what is particularly embarrassing, a surprising percentage of the South Vietnamese people not only liked us, but had faith in us. Pridger
It seems a little odd that more American service-people have died in Iraq since the end of the war than during the war. Those Iraqis are certainly a strange lot. They don't seem to know a good thing when they experience it. Pridger
Some Iraqis don't seem to know what the end of hostilities means. We keep telling ourselves that they should be overjoyed to be a conquered nation. Pridger
Of course, we don't refer to our incursion into Iraq as a conquest. It was a liberation. We had to liberate them because, for some odd reason, they lacked the motivation to liberate themselves. Our occupation is necessary to preserve peace and build democracy. Pridger
We deplore the shape Saddam Hussein left his nation's infrastructure in after over a decade of our caring trade embargo, and frequent bombing raids. Pridger
This has never happened before at least not in modern times. The conquered Japanese and Germans, neglected to kill a single American during our post-war occupations. Pridger
Our military commanders in Iraq are beginning to get annoyed. They have a real challenge on their hands. Pacification must work much more quickly in Iraq than it did in Vietnam, or president the Commander-in-Chief is in trouble. Pridger
25 November, 2003
RELIGION
When an avowed born-again Christian president makes it a primary policy goal to hunt down and kill people, is there any wonder that the Ten Commandments are being removed from the public arena, and God removed from the Pledge of Allegiance? Pridger
To be constantly reminded that God has commanded 'Thou shalt not kill', and that God is good, and that He is supposed to be the Supreme Ruler of our actions, would undermine our foreign policy and national security objectives. Pridger
Jesus admonished us to "Love thine enemy," rather than smite him. This is also rather troublesome. Pridger
Forgiveness is also very a troubling doctrine in light of national security concerns. Pridger
In short, Christianity itself, is a deadly threat to the kind of government that we now have. Though the president may claim to be born-again, policy refutes such claims. Pridger
Of course, the Bible itself is very accommodating to vengeance minded and their paths of warbut one must go back to the pre-Christian, "Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth" scriptures to find justification for our present national policies. Pridger
Neither Islam nor Judaism accepted the New Testament teachings of Jesus. Both still cling to "eye for an eye" vengeance and retributionthus the problems in Palestine and the Middle East in general. Pridger
Old Testament ways and means of dealing with enemies don't require any religious faith at all. Thus all non-Christians, including atheists, are comfortable with the the conventional wisdom that peace can only come through warfare and more killing. Pridger
The religious right, at such times as these, focus and listen intently to the "Word of God" in the Old Testament, rather than the words of Jesus, and his path to salvation. They are willing to condone any magnitude of mass slaughter on behalf of the intellectual descendents of the God's Chosen People. Pridger
Pridger is a great admirer of the Jewish people for many valid reasons. But they are not Christians, and apparently suffer because of it, as do the Palestinian Arabs. If they were Christians (that is, True Christians), they would be required by their religion to live together in peace and harmony. Pridger
Establishing the State of Israel in Palestine, surrounded by hostile Arab States, was much more suicidal, in both the short and long term, than establishing a white regime in South Africa. Pridger
Most modern Jews, like most modern Christians, are Jewish in name only, rather than practice. Most are secular humanists yet they cling most tenaciously to their religious identity and are willing to fight tooth and nail for the cause of regaining and holding the land that God promised them in the Old Testament times something almost none of them really believe could have happened. Pridger
Ironically, the Zionists, which successfully engineered the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine, were largely modern secularists, devoid of religious fanaticism and fundamentalism. Yet their well-intended successes are the author of religious eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, warfare that threatens the the world with Armageddon. Pridger
The Ten Commandments are also a great embarrassment to all avowed 'Christians' who believe in 'the right to choose.' Pridger
When an avowed born-again Christian president of the world's only remaining superpower puts the whole world on a war footing because of a commitment to the State of Israel, can Armageddon (or some facsimile thereof), be far behind? Pridger
"If Jesus Christ were to come today people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner, and hear what he had to say, and make fun of it." Thomas Carlyle
The ACLU would have us believe the key to religious tolerance is total intolerance of Christian religious expression in the public arena. Pridger
What does Christianity stand for? Brotherly love. Compassion. Forgiveness. Charity. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Love even thine enemy. We can't have that and war too! Pridger
Too many so-called Christians are still stuck in the Old Testament, 'eye-for and eye' era (at least when it serves their material purposes), embracing Judaic Law and Israel. This is great ammunition for Jews and humanist liberal Gentiles. They cite Nazi Germany as an example of what Christians have wrought. Bigotry, narrowness, intolerance, and hate are their definition of Christianity. Even Christians are confusedand bow to the doctrines and dictates of the ACLU. Pridger
In a very real sense, the present strife in the Middle East, the War on Terrorism, and the War in Iraq, are all manifestations of the battle of secularist materialism vs. religious fundamentalism. By extension they amount to war against all religion. Pridger
The great contest between international communism and American style capitalism has been supplanted by a great contest between religion and international capitalism. Pridger
"Truth, Justice, and the American Way," have already fallen victim to the great global contest of wills between the proponents of government based in religious ideology (i.e. One Nation, under God), and the forces of Mammon. Pridger
"God has a hard time finding virgins for immaculate conceptions these days. The good news was that He found one. The bad news is that Jesus was aborted -- again! Who said 'Third time is a charm' ?" Annie Nimoss
MODERN LIFE
"A little background music in the home or workplace makes life seem so much more like a real movie." Pridger
"The world is becoming so small that I'm beginning to become ashamed of it." Pridger
"A little genetic modification here and a little genetic modification there, and pretty soon you have a lot of genetic modification." Pridger
"Abortions and birth control were instituted to alter demographics. It works! Even president Clinton bragged that the white race will be the minority in another fifty years. The wrong people get abortions and the wrong people practice birth control." Pridger
CONSPIRACY AND POLLY TRICKS
"The organization of the establishment, taken as a whole, indeed constitutes a conspiracy of sorts. It is a vast cooperative whose program is, in part, to subvert the constitution of the United States (and many of its laws, and those of other nations, besides), while scrupulously cultivating public indifference." Daniel Pouzzner, in The Architecture of Modern Political Power.
"It (the conspiracy), is like an international chamber of commerce, looking to its own interests." (Paraphrased) Talk radio host, Chuck Harder
"The first destroyer of the liberties of a people is he who first gave them bounties and largesses." Plutarch
"The most tyrannical governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts." Benedict Spinoza, Theologico-Political Treatise, 1670
"For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery." Jonathan Swift, The Drapier's Letters, 1723
"We shall have World Government whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent." James P. Warburg, On the Senate floor, February 17, 1950.
"Conquest or consent? Why not both? Consent can be defined as 'Whatever the public will stand still for.' Like the frog placed in cool water which is then gradually heated, the public can be made accustomed to World Government and tyranny by slow, imperceptible, degrees." Pridger
"Now we can see a new world coming into view. A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order." George H. W. Bush, March 6, 1991
"It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government." David Rockefeller (expressing gratitude to a compliant media establishment), Baden-Baden, Germany, 1991
"I wonder what Warburg, Bush Sr., and Rockefeller were referring to? Could it be that there has been a global conspiracy moving us toward World Government? Surly not! Somebody in authority would have discovered it and warned us. That's the stuff of 'conspiracy theory' and only paranoid conspiracy theorists would entertain such ridiculous thoughts!" Pridger
"Look! There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Listen! You can hear it too! Let's get the hell out of this tunnel!" Pridger
"The world has become so small that we can't get out of the tunnel without falling off the edge." Pridger
"Wasn't William Jennings Bryan right when he said that a liberal is like an old mule pulling ahead, and that a conservative is like a plow holding back, and that between the two of them they break the soil?" (Texas Iconoclast, Maury Maverick, Jr., edited by Allen O. Kownslar)
"A strange metamorphosis has overtaken such political handles as 'liberal' and 'conservative.' The same has happened to the two major political parties. The Republicans are now the War Party a distinction that used to belong to the Democrats." Pridger
"The effect of the Liberal-Conservative system is to lump together a whole bunch of mistakes... choose one or the other bag of blunders... a reasonable, innovative candidate of integrity cannot now be elected by Americans anywhere at the state (province) or national level." Daniel Pouzzner, in The Architecture of Modern Political Power.
"The establishment is itself an evolved and distributed social and mental disease, a colossal subconscious suicide pact." Daniel Pouzzner
"President Bush II is probably one of the most decent men to ever occupy the White House. But he is more committed to a New World Order than to American freedom and security. His true constituency is global capital rather than American citizens." Pridger
"No telling the results of our second Bushwhacking will be. But Armageddon, isn't totally out of the question." Pridger
"President Bush has declared that he
supports individual gun ownership rights.
Watch out gun ownersyou're probably about to be Illinoised!"
Pridger
"The Illinois State Constitution reiterates the right to keep and bear armssubject only to the police power (the "Police State Clause"). For $5.00 Illinois residents can purchase highly Abridged Second Amendment Rights for a period of five years." Pridger
"Some people think the price of a Fire Arm Owners' Identification card (FOID), should be much higher than a mere five dollars. They say that's too cheap (even poor people can afford it!). Are they missing the point here, or what?" Pridger
"The price of freedom is high, but it cannot be denominated in dollars and cents. Usually its value can be measured in the suffering of the poor who do not have it, and in the blood shed by those who have fought and died attaining and defending it. The rich always, (and always will) enjoy more freedom than the poor, while the poor always pay the highest price for it. This is just one of those inescapable facts of life. Yet there are many who believe that freedom should be licensed and priced too high for the poor to partake of." Pridger
THE FINKELSTEIN BOX
 |
Arthur Finkelstein is a Republican consultant
who set the pattern for Republican triumphs in 1980's. The graphic at left describes two different political countries within the United States. The "box" roughly shows the new Republican strongholds the South and the Mountainsthe "non-cosmopolitan" heartland that encompass the Old Confederacy, the "border areas," the great plains, and mountains which reflect the remnants of the frontier and "cowboy" cultures considered anachronistic by modern liberals, progressives, and neo-conservatives. |
| The Finkelstein Box is rather deceptive. In actuality
it should cover all of rural America where people still live upon the agricultural lands and in small communities, excluding only the greater metropolitan areas. This would more accurately describe the true Heartland of America, and the sparse remnants of a self-governing people. Pridger |
|
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