Who are the real extremists?

Steve Leigh looks at what's described as "extremism" by the mainstream--and why it turns out that those ideas are often threatening to the status quo.

January 20, 2011

I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist for love--"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you"...Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist--"This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist--"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice--or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?
-- Martin Luther King, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

IN THE wake of the tragedy in Tucson, Ariz., the media and the politicians have all been calling for a new "civility" in political debate. They have all denounced "extremism," which they connect with violence. But what is "extremism"? Is it really the cause of the problems that plague U.S. politics?

At its simplest, political extremism is just a set of ideas that is extremely different than the status quo. It is any political vision at considerable variance from the way the world is today.

Calling a solution or set of ideas "extremist" is considered the ultimate slam in politics in almost any age. To call something extremist is to take it off the table of rational political debate. As with other forms of name-calling, it replaces rational consideration of ideas with dismissive labeling. But if we look at it logically, calling something "extremist" should not be a value judgment.

Any idea, either extremist or moderate, can be good or bad.

What is extremist or moderate varies from age to age and place to place. Before the Revolutionary War, in 1770, anyone who called for independence from Great Britain, was a raging extremist, rebel and dangerous person. Yet by 1781, anyone wanting to go back under British rule would have been considered a traitor. In 1855, abolitionists were seen as crazy extremists. Yet by 1865, anyone wanting to restore slavery would have been called a hopeless reactionary.

In 1965, demanding immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam was beyond the pale of standard political debate. Yet by 1968, most people were for full withdrawal and, in 1975, the U.S. was out of Vietnam. In 1968, the issue of abortion was laughed at when raised in the presidential campaign. Yet by 1973, abortion rights had been legalized in the U.S.

Even the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.--who every politician now claims to venerate--was called a "trouble maker" and extremist, and was constantly harassed by the FBI. Examples like these could fill volumes.

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Rural American Progressive
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The Palin-ette is Un-invited to speak at Washinton University

The most amazing and refreshing thing happened in St. Louis, MO this past week. First, someone at Washington University decided that it would be a wonderful idea to invite Bristol Palin, daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, to speak during Washington University's Sexual Responsibility Week.

But, apparently, the student body, who's student generated funds were to be used to sponsor the event, thought that inviting a person who is the embodiment of the exact opposite of the topic to be discussed–on their dime–was less than ideal.

In fact, they hated it! Within 24 hours of the announcement of the invitation being extended to the Palin-ette, a Facebook page with a petition to prevent The junior Teabagger Princess from speaking had collected hundreds of signatures.

The day after the announcement, Saint Louis Today posted the following update:

Washington University in St. Louis says Bristol Palin won't be speaking there next month after all.

The decision comes after some students expressed outrage over Palin being paid with student-generated funds.

The daughter of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin had been invited by the university's Student Health Advisory Committee to be part of a panel discussion on abstinence on Feb. 7. Bristol Palin became pregnant at 17 and is a single mom to a 2-year-old son.

It's not clear exactly how much she was to receive, but student leaders had approved spending $20,000 for the panel.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the university issued a statement Thursday night saying the advisory committee and Palin decided "the message that they intended on sharing would be overshadowed by controversy."

The Associated Press added:

"People are getting so angry because of the opposition to Palin's lack of expertise and the high cost she is charging," especially in light of budget cuts that have adversely affected other student activities, said Philip Thomas, the Washington University student who initiated the petition.

I often lament the fact that much of my home state of Missouri is too conservative for its collective well being. But it is refreshing and promising to note that, at least with the urban youth, they cannot be sold such a blatent lie as that which the Palin's pedal–that somehow, with their "common sense", "momma grizly", "soccer mom" mentality, they qualify as individuals that we should look to for cues on developing our own set of family and community values.

For my part, if I want to know what NOT to think or do, I should look to the Palin's for those cues. But I'll not support paying them for that information. They manage to insert themselves in our public discourse enough on their own for me to glean that information from them.

Generally, I try to ignore them. But I also try to ignore mesquitoes in the Mississippi River Delta summer evenings. That doesn't always work out, either.

• Posted by avelvet at 09:46:57 in General, News, U.S., State, Opinion
• http://ruralamericanprogressive.org/avelvet/
  

Rural American Progressive
In Unity is Strength

“God is a Fascist!”

I am ever amused by the seemingly oblivious! All one need do is read history to see what is happening in the world today. What I don't understand is the apparent predisposition of the "mob mentality" that is nationalism toward fascism. And I suppose that I never will. But it amazes me when people that I know personally who are generally well intentioned and "good" people are inclined toward fascist ideals and social interaction, including their exclusivity in their governmental affairs. In most cases these people espouse fascist ideals without even realizing it. And without exception they tend to accuse anyone who does not agree with their fascist tendencies to be fascists themselves!

The following story, taking history from the mid-19th Century forward, is a virtual blueprint of what is happening today in the U.S. and other parts of the world. The simple fact is, as history shows us, any time that capitalist business concerns have a hand in molding public policy the social structure that you end up with is authoritarian fascism and human rights crimes against the very people who help boost these concerns into power.

Talk about cutting your nose off in spite of your face...

"God is a Fascist!": The Ideology of Romanian Fascism

25th January 2011

Before the Christian Coalition: " … Romanian fascist ideology is, in many ways, similar to Western European fascism. … The [fundamentalist Christian] religious element of Romanian fascism was utilized by the Iron Guard to gain the support of the rural population of Romania where religious beliefs were the strongest. The Iron Guard used religious themes for most of their propaganda. … "

By Corinne Quinones | Claremont McKenna College

Economic, Socio-Political, and Intellectual Roots

Like most European fascist movements, Romanian fascism emerged out of the political, economic, and ideological crisises that followed World War I. However, the development of Romanian fascism is distinct from the development of fascism in Western Europe because of the unique political history of the Romanian state. Although Romania was granted independence in 1877, attempts to denationalize and politically and economically dominate Romania by the Turks, the Greeks, the Russians, and Western Europe contributed to the formation of a fascist ideology that was uniquely Romanian.

Economic Crisis

The economic crisises that followed World War I had a significant impact on the development of Romanian fascist ideology. The gradual transition of the Romanian economy during the 19th and 20th centuries from an agricultural base to a more capitalist structure resulted in high unemployment and the worsening of conditions for the peasantry, the working class, and the petty bourgeoisie. For example, illiteracy and infant mortality for the rural population of Romanian was among the highest in Europe. The centralization of capital in the hands of a few resulted in sharply defined social differentiation between the urban and rural populations. For example, the Romanian countryside, which contained a large proportion of the population, consumed only ten percent of all industrial products between 1936 and 1937, while the urban population consumed ninety percent. These economic conditions contributed to political unrest and dissatisfaction among the petty bourgeoisie (the main political base of the Iron Guard) and among conservative intellectuals, who questioned the efficacy of the capitalist model for Romania. The significant amount of foreign investment by Western European nations, particularly France and Britain, in Romania (foreign investment represented over thirty percent of the Romanian economy) and the tendency of Romanian economics and politics to be governed by foreign investment concerns contributed to a sense of hyper-nationalism and xenophobia in Romania. In addition, the failures of capitalist model were linked to Romanian Jews. The petty bourgeoisie, who were hit hard by the economic difficulties of the interwar period, blamed their predicament on the "capitalist" Jews and nurtured the virulent anti-Semitism that was to later characterize Romanian fascism.

The Crisis of Liberalism: "Government By Rotation"

The ineffective political organization of the Romanian state during the interwar period contributed to the development of fascism in Romania. The failure of Romanian parliamentary democracy was the result of inefficient and ineffective political institutions and fluctuating electoral laws. Romania's poorly structured electoral system and the habitual crushing of oppositional forces by violent and illegal means promoted a "government by rotation," in which no one party ever maintained an extended or strong hold in government. Consequently, Romania never fully experienced authentic parliamentary democracy despite the liberal democratic structure of its political system. The crisis of liberalism in Romanian politics contributed to the development of fascist and dictatorial tendencies. Foreign intervention in Romanian politics by the Western powers further cultivated hyper-nationalism and xenophobia. In particular, the intervention of Britain, Germany, and France in 1878 in order to enforce the abolition of religious discrimination against Romanian Jews linked the sentiments of nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism in Romania.

Romanian Conservative Thought: Eminescu and Cuza

The intellectual roots of Romanian fascist ideology can be traced back to late 19th and early 20th century conservative thinkers such as Mihai Eminescu and A.C. Cuza. Romanian conservative thought developed out of the social, political, and economic tensions in the 19th century. The failures of capitalism and liberal democracy in Romanian contributed to the development of proto fascist ideas that greatly influenced Romanian fascist ideology. The writings of the 19th century Romanian poet Eminescu inspired the development of Romanian fascist hyper-nationalism. Eminescu protested that 19th century Romania was governed by "French institutions, Jewish business, [and] Austrian industry." Eminescu expressed the socio-economic frustrations of the petty bourgeoisie by blaming the Romanian Jewish population for the problems of the Romanian nation. Eminescu asserted the classic fascist "Third Way" reasoning that rejected socialism as a "plaything made of foreign abstraction" and liberalism that had "transformed Romania into a quagmire into which the social sewage of the West and East is discharged." Eminescu expressed a nostalgic longing for the days of Romanian feudalism which, according to him, was a system of "the greatest freedom, of decentralization, of communal autonomy, of the independence of classes. Men were not equal and for that very reason they were free." In the 20th century, the ideas of A.C. Cuza, the intellectual vanguard of the Iron Guard, represented the conservatism that arose from the social tensions of the interwar period. Cuza's ideas inspired much of the anti-communism and anti-Semitism that was an integral part of Romanian fascist ideology. Cuza divided Romanian society into three classes, the rural class, the middle class, and the ruling class. He argued that this hierarchical system unified the nation, "the classes are stages in the development of the same nation . . . consequently, there could never be enmity between the classes." His critique of communism was based on the idea that "when class struggle enters into a society, it is a dangerous disease which leads the nation toward destruction." Cuza was also the intellectual architect of modern Romanian anti-Semitism. Cuza's anti-Semitism was based on the racist theories of Chamberlain and Drumont. To Cuza, Jews were a "foreign body" and the main source of Romania's socio-economic difficulties.

Characteristics of Romanian Fascist Ideology

Romanian fascist ideology is, in many ways, similar to Western European fascism. The essential components of fascist ideology – anti-communism, anti-Semitism, nationalism, mysticism, etc. – are all present in the ideology of the Iron Guard. However, there are many ways in which Romanian fascism is distinct, even unique, from fascist ideology in Europe. Romanian political history and the influence of Orthodox Christianity make Romanian fascist ideology relatively unusual. Here are several of the important and unique characteristics of Romanian fascism.

Anti-Communism and Anti-Semitism

The two central aspects of Romanian fascist ideology are anti-communism and anti-Semitism. Like most other fascist ideologies, the struggle against communism was the primary concern of Romanian fascists. Romanian fascists argued that communism was inherently incompatible with the "psychic structure of the Romanian people" and Romanian national interests. The vehement anti-communist of Romanian fascism can be traced to the persistent interference of Russia in the political affairs of Romania. To a certain extent, anti-communism and anti-Semitism were interrelated in Romanian fascist ideology. Communism was considered by many fascists a Jewish conspiracy. Fascist anti-Semitism in Romania was utilized by the Iron Guard to divert the attention of the petty bourgeoisie away from the social, economic, and political problems of the nation. Anti-Semitism in Romanian fascist ideology was particularly violent, racist, and a uniquely mass phenomenon. Jews were considered an "inferior and degenerate race" and were often blamed for the "alteration" of Romanian culture and the socio-economic problems of the nation. Romanian fascist ideology demanded a "plan for the total elimination of Jews" in Romania.

Nationalism

Nationalism was another important and unique component of Romanian fascist ideology. Romanian nationalism is characterized by its chauvinism, romanticism, and racism. Nationalism in Romanian fascist ideology was similar to the German concept of nation. Romanian fascists conceived the Romanian nation as having a "soul, a consciousness, an existential center." Nationality was embodied by the blood of the Romanian people and the soil of the Romanian nation. The cult of the Dacians, the proclaimed ancestors of the Romanian people, was similar to the Italian fascist cult of the Romans in that it supported the declarations of racial and cultural superiority by Romanian fascists. Imperialism was another component of Romanian nationalism and represented one of the solutions to the social, economic, and political difficulties of the Romanian nation. However, Romanian imperialism mainly constituted the expulsion or rejection of foreigners and foreign influences rather than the acquisition of additional territory.

Religion: "God is fascist!"

One of the unique characteristics of Romanian fascism is the incorporation of Orthodox Christianity into the political doctrine and structure of the Iron Guard. The religious element of Romanian fascism was utilized by the Iron Guard to gain the support of the rural population of Romania where religious beliefs were the strongest. The Iron Guard used religious themes for most of their propaganda. The widespread occurrence of "miracles" in Romania during the rise of the Iron Guard represented the utilization of religious propaganda to appeal to the superstitious rural population. In addition, Romanian fascists made use of collective prayers, religious chants, and processions in order to sway and influence the Romanian people. Orthodox Christianity was an essential component of Romanian fascist ideology because it was considered one of the most important elements of the "historical continuity" of the Romanian people. The Iron Guard was initially called the "Legion of the Archangel Michael" because it characterized the predestined character of the legionnaire movement.

Sources:

Hitchins, Keith. Rumania: 1866-1947. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994.

Ioanid, Radu. The Sword and the Archangel: Fascist Ideology in Romania. Translated by Peter Heinegg. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990.

Ronnett, Alexander E. Romanian Nationalism: The Legionary Movement. Translated by Vasile C. Barsan. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1995.

Seton-Watson, Hugh. Eastern Europe Between the Wars: 1918-1941. New York: Harper & Row, 1962.

Vago, Bela. The Shadow of the Swastika: The Rise of Fascism and Anti-Semitism in the Danube Basin, 1936-1939. London: Saxon House, 1975.

Volovici, Leon. Nationalist Ideology and Anti-Semitism: The Case of Romanian Intellectuals in the 1930s. Translated by Charles Koromos. New York: Pergamon Press, 1991.

Weber, Eugen. "Romania." The European Right: A Historical Profile, ed. Hans Rogger and Eugen Weber. London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1965.

http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/hist/jpetropoulos/ironguard/ideology.htm

via: http://www.antifascistencyclopedia.com/allposts/god-is-a-fascist-the-ideology-of-romanian-fascism

Murder in Uganda -- Stop U.S. pastors from exporting bigotry

U.S. pastors are exporting bigotry to Uganda, with brutal results.

This is an issue close to my heart, because I've spent over a decade working for equality as a lay leader in my own church, and now, as acting director of HRC's Religion and Faith program – which helps religious leaders of all stripes speak out for equality and fight back when hatred is promoted in the name of religion.

On Thursday, that perversion of faith cost Ugandan gay rights advocate David Kato his life. He was bludgeoned to death in his home after his name was among those listed in an anti-gay magazine, under the headline "Hang them!"

Since at least 2009, radical U.S. Christian missionaries have added anti-gay conferences and workshops in Uganda to their anti-gay efforts in the U.S. – and now they're beginning to ordain ministers and build churches across East Africa focused almost entirely on preaching against homosexuality.

These American extremists didn't call for David's death. But they created a climate of hate that breeds violence – and they must stop and acknowledge they were wrong.

"Stop Exporting Hate." Sign our petition to Carl Ellis Jenkins, Lou Engle, and Scott Lively.

We'll deliver your signature to three men who have gone out of their way to promote hatred:

• Scott Lively of Massachusetts held an anti-gay conference in Uganda with two other U.S. pastors. A few months later, a bill was introduced in Uganda that would make homosexuality punishable by death.
• Lou Engle, a Missouri preacher whose rallies draw tens of thousands in the U.S., spoke at a rally in Uganda this year that focused on praying for the bill's passage. (Engle claims not to support some parts of the bill, but internal documents show he came to speak about "the threat of homosexuality," and defend the Ugandan government's efforts to "curb the growth of the vice using the law.")
• And Carl Ellis Jenkins of Georgia is presiding over a group that's opening 50 new churches in Uganda to "help clean up bad morals, including homosexuality" according to his staff.

They have been stirring up hostility in a country where homosexuality is already illegal, violent attacks are common, rape is used to 'cure' people of their sexual orientation – and a shocking law has been proposed that would make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment or even death.

And they're in lockstep with some of the largest and wealthiest right-wing groups in the U.S. When the U.S. Congress considered a resolution denouncing the grotesque Ugandan death-penalty-for-gays bill, the extreme-right Family Research Council – now classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center – spent $25,000 lobbying to stop the resolution from passing.

Religion should never be used to spread hate. These men do not speak for me or the millions of diverse religious people who support equality not in spite of our faith, but because of it

That's what our Religion and Faith program is all about: helping people of faith from all different traditions speak out so we can reclaim the core religious values we hold dear in America.

At the heart of every religious tradition is love of humanity and love of creator – not hatred for our neighbors. Creating a climate of hate runs contrary to the very idea of faith – but that's exactly what the right wing in America is doing.

Tell missionaries and radical hate groups: "Stop exporting hate."

Whether or not we're people of faith, we cannot stay silent or stand idly by while a radical minority pushes a hateful agenda in God's name. Please stand with us and speak out today.

Sincerely,

Sharon Groves
Religion and Faith Program

Glen Beck inciting violence... again!

Glenn Beck's latest conspiracy theory target is a 78-year-old professor who, 45 years ago, published an article with her husband which posited that people overwhelming the welfare rolls could put enough stress on the system that it would force the need for certain reforms to help the poor.

The result? City University of New York professor and longtime advocate for the poor and working class, Frances Fox Piven has been receiving repeated death threats on online message boards and has personally received angry and violent emails.1

Beck has chosen to escalate these attacks even after the sad instance of political violence we recently experienced -- and are still recovering from -- in Arizona. Amidst calls to bring an end to incendiary, violence-causing rhetoric, Beck is doubling down, and if his network and advertisers simply sit back and watch, they must be held accountable for any violence this rhetoric may reap.

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Rural American Progressive
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Chinese police shoot protesting construction workers

By John Chan
25 January 2011

Hong Kong's Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported that last Sunday, riot police in China's Wuzhou City in the southwestern Guangxi province, opened fire on 100 construction workers demonstrating over unpaid wages.

The Information Centre said a local hospital officer had confirmed that about 20 people were sent to hospital, including five who sustained gunshot wounds. No deaths were reported. Chinese web sites circulated photos showing workers confronting the riot police before the shooting.

Workers from a residential construction site in Cangwu County had headed to Wuzhou City and staged a demonstration in front of the municipal government building. According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the construction contractor owed workers one million yuan or $US151,000 in wages, but had fled to the adjacent Guangdong province after the construction was finished.

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Rural American Progressive
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Hold'em Accountable!

If people are going to be investigated for merely "following" Wikileaks on Facebook and Twitter, then perhaps there should be some investigations into Right Wing figures who openly support actual terrorists who are on an actual list of terrorist organizations who are actually declared such by our government.

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You know it's getting bad when...

The bank in my home town, one of the few (think single digits!) remaining businesses, is closing its doors for good. It is no longer "profitable" for them to operate this branch. The nearest branches that will remain is 15 miles east or 20 miles west. You know the economy is in trouble when banks start closing branches.

Ironically, 30 miles north and 40 miles south, there is literally a bank on every corner (and a church just across the street from it).

--
Alan
Missouri, United States of Amerika

Rural American Progressive
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Questioning Authority

I'd just like to state for the record that while I appear to exhibit glee when I point out instances where I believe "the establishment" (to include military, law enforcement, corrections, judicial, etc.) has crossed the line and has shown the evil side of its collective persona, I actually do so with profound sadness. Let me be clear: while I do not necessarily believe that ALL men and women in uniform and positions of authority are bad, there is no doubt that there are bad people in these positions.

I have seen uniformed personnel strike people with batons for no apparent reason with my own eyes simply because they could on more than one occasion. And let's face it, the "war on drugs", particularly the war on pot, is a drain on precious resources and makes "criminals" out of millions every year. Marijuana arrests and prosecutions clog our legal system and crowd our correctional institutions needlessly. "Forty-one percent of the U.S. population" have tried marijuana. That makes nearly half of the U.S. population criminals! (And I have personal knowledge that some of that 41% were the very people who arrest others for the same thing!) "Forty-six percent of respondents … say they support allowing states to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol."

But enough about pot. That is not the subject of this piece. (Though, in the interest of full disclosure I had two simple possession charges of less than a gram each time when I was a youth, in 1977-78. So, while I feel strongly about this, I use this issue as an example of "law enforcement" gone awry).

I have also had a handful of people with whom I had meaningful friendships who were police officers, deputy sheriffs, and corrections officers. I know there are good people who do these jobs. And, yes these jobs are necessary. But I have seen a lot more "authority figures" abuse their authority than the few with whom I grew to respect and care for. And not coincidentally, my respect for them grew out of their respect for me. (Hint, hint.)

I served in the United States Marine Corps. Though, we jokingly referred to it as "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children" (see: U.S. Marine Major General Smedley Darlington Butler's "War is a Racket" . And KNOW that Smedley Butler was one of Our Nation's foremost war hero's! He was actually invited by Corporate interests to overthrow the Government of the United States! And he said no. That alone makes him a leader to be emulated.) While I served, I observed that not ALL orders were "lawful" orders. And it is each service member's obligation to make the distinction. If you were ordered to shoot and kill unarmed civilians, it fell upon you to determine that this was an unlawful order. The Nuremburg Trials is history's testament that "following orders" is no defense to unlawful actions.

And I feel that a police officer "just enforcing the law" when the law is obviously and clearly flawed is not acting in the interest of the law.

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."

Albert Einstein

We, as Americans, should be ready and willing to disregard, condemn, and prosecute those who while in the service of this country in any capacity violate the Constitution and the tenets which made this society a great nation.

"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.
…

"If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go; perchance it will wear smooth — certainly the machine will wear out. If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn."

Henry David Thoreau

I am a rare bird indeed: a southern former US Marine, and a former Republican (I voted for Ronald Regan… sorry about that), a product of a fundamentalist Christian upbringing, who has converted to Buddhism and have radical left political leanings. I am NOT a revolutionary, though I believe that revolution is the only thing that will wrest our freedom away from the Corporate NON-entities who now hold our freedom in their iron fists and the richest 2% who hold everything ELSE in their iron fists. Though, AS a Buddhist, I can only observe and hope for the least number of casualties and collateral damage… at the hands of both sides of the conflict to come. "What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn."

"One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist" works the other way around: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". I'm quite certain that the King of England viewed George Washington and his band of merry men as "terrorists", though I don't believe that connotation had yet been conceived. And there was a time, not that long ago when a U.S. Representative named Charlie Wilson trained and armed "freedom fighters" called The Taliban.

"History is written by the victors."

Winston Churchill

Our American dilemma is simply that we cannot decide which version of history we wish to be recorded. Therefore, we change it when it suits us. The masses are so dumbed down from "Survivor" and "Dancing with the Stars" (Oh, and my personal favorite: "Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Grader"). So, why not just rewrite recent history? Who'll notice?

In my world, in which I realize that I share with very few people, it is far more expedient to suspect authority, to disbelieve and suspect the rich, to constantly be aware that "they would like to lock me up for life for ANY reason", and to watch for those very few who prove me wrong by proving their humanity than it is to automatically suspect a few "leftists" or "revolutionaries" because those terms are not in vogue and to CHOOSE to give those in the greatest position to infringe upon our basic human rights, and from all appearances the inclination to do so, the benefit of the doubt.

If you want both sides of the story before you decide that "Power" is abusing their power before you decide who is right or wrong you will likely have no opinion on a multitude of injustices. Very few paid any attention to Jews during World War II (and no one else even TALKED about it). Few took up the banner of the Native American or the African American, and "respectable" people just didn't talk about such things.

If you are waiting for Dick Cheney to tell his side of "enhanced interrogations" (otherwise known as torture), you're in for a long wait. Well, actually he already has stated his position: it was "legal, sanctioned, and NOT torture" … regardless of what ANYBODY else thinks!

To request to hear the side of law enforcement before you decide that they went overboard with their "law enforcement" is to close your eyes and follow blindly. You are already a slave. Wear your designation "Slave" proudly. I will always suspect authority of wrong doing unless anyone can prove to me otherwise.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority."

Lord Acton (1834-1902) English historian

When everyone else is right will I be all that is left?
Rural American Progressive 
In Unity is Strength