Am I a terrorist?

In response to the suggestion that because I support Occupy Wall Street movements and some of those members are communists, anarchists, antisemites, and various other violence inspired nutballs... am I one of those too by association?  Am I advocating violence which has or would kill Americans?

I'm saying that degree of awful bloodshed is going to happen whether we choose to accept it or not. I'm not advocating. I do not think it is necessary. But it is *inevitable* if the small fraction of wealth holders do not recognize their obligation to police themselves in such a way as to allow the vast majority to have basic human rights which really boil down to reasonable freedom from pain, safety of your person and your family, food, shelter, and education.

I, personally, do not advocate anarchy, bloodshed, antisemitism, or any of the rest of that. I do recognize that some portion of OWS movement is made up of some of these nutballs, but that still does not change the fact that international financial agencies with no elected authority control my life, your life, and the lives of billions of people so that a handful can play dice and enjoy ridiculous indulgence. Not just gross indulgence, but ridiculous indulgence. And not "Americans can no longer afford 3 cars" hardship, but 700,000 people in a single tech factory in China are kept in a compound to slavishly produce iPads 16 hours a day kind of hardship. Wall Street has reach far outside of America--by design!

So spare me your tears for dead Americans. We've killed millions with our exploitation and ravenous demand more and more Wal-Mart crap. We've driven whole nations in to poverty. We sparked wars for profit and oil. We've bombed the fuck out of people who live in stone huts. We've backed banana republics, put dictators in to power, and face stomped on the human rights of dozens of nations. We are the god damned terrorists. And it all comes back to the unbridled greed most aptly represented by Wall Street. I wish to god it wasn't true. 

That degree of greed and exploitation will come to end... willingly or unwillingly... without bloodshed if we are smart and with unholy bloodshed if we are blind. Not because I wish it or think it is the only way. But because I know parents will not watch their children starve and die of treatable illness while blocks away other children are fed to obesity and the stores are stacked full of medicine. That parent isn't going to care if what they are doing is right or wrong. When there are thousands of grieving hate-filled parents and we've given them no other option because we find every excuse in the book to ignore them, then blind rage takes over. It is a historical lesson taught for thousands of years. This situation is dire. If *only* a few Americans die we will be lucky.

That is why I support OWS... to avoid the violence that will come.  If the message gets through and the greed is tempered with wisdom and compassion--just a little--then we have a chance to adjust and avoid any violence at all.  Make no mistake OWS *should* be 100% non-violent.  We don't require it and it actually won't solve the problems, only set us up for another round of bloodshed later.  But if we learn this time to take rational stock and step back from the edge, then there is hope that we are learning.  Hope that we can be compassionate even in the face of lesser economics.  That is what I hope for.

The Lakota

A long while ago I wrote this blog about Maori history.  I touch on the feeling that, for me, Maori history was so miraculous to read about because of the history in my own country.  I think most Americans know what has happened to our own indigenous population, but we don't dwell on it.  You couldn't... it is too much.  But I found this video last night and I thought I would re-post it.  It is not a happy TED video.  But I think it shows in stark contrast how the Lakota are treated compared to how the Maori have been treated.

They died for your right to vote

This is going around a lot today... and it's bugging me.  First things first... Vote.  Vote today and every day you're allowed.  Celebrate your right to vote and remember that indeed perhaps the best thing our Armed Forces can collectively point to as a reason to sacrifice is this all important right to vote.  But...

Let's be honest here.  US Soldier's haven't been dying for our right to vote since perhaps WWI.  They have been dying on the various missions of our Government which have been decided upon by our politicians.  Our politicians have largely been elected by their ability to secure massive campaign funding.  That funding comes from corporate contributions and wealthy donation.  Corporations and the wealthy donate that money in their own self-interest.  It is not much of a leap to say our Armed Forces go out to die for those self-interests.  Now I can't speak for how the world worked in WWI or WWII, but that's how it's working today.

I don't say this to belittle the contribution our more contemporary service men and women make today.  They are amazing, heroic, and nobel in the real definitions of each word.  But the Armed Forces are extentions of Political Will.  The Political Will of Bush to invade Iraq did not further the interests of Americans.  It did not make our right to vote more secure.  It did not foster a spirit of global unity which resulted in an improved view of the American Way of life.  I hate to characterize why those soldiers died.  I am afraid if I really understood why they died I'd be so disgusted I couldn't write about it and I'd be ashamed to call myself an American. 

So, to me, saying our soldiers (today) have died to protect my right to vote feels like an insult to soldiers.  A lie.  A convenient justification to the price of freedom.  I just can't stomach it.  Certainly (hopefully) some of what soldiers do and die for is the protection of freedom and Americans.  But sooo much is not.  It still boils down to political interest and corporate agenda.  Your right to buy cheap socks from Wal-mart might also be something our soldiers are dying for.  The right of ridiculously wealthy oil barons to remain ridiculously wealthy.  Perhaps even worse rights.

None of this is the fault of the soldiers.  None of this reduces the value of your right to vote.  Just be careful what you attribute to a soldier's sacrifice.  Be honest about what we ask them to die for.  Do not allow a politician to convince you that they are dying for your right vote, for your freedom.  Or at least realize there are other reasons far less nobel that they may also be dying for... and Vote.

NZ in WWII

A member of an expatriat list sent this out yesterday.  I have known some of the amazing NZ story in WWII, but this brief summary demonstrates the pride and power of the Kiwi's much better than I could tell...

Hi all

Given that the 70th anniversary of the German invasion of Poland to start World War 2 was last week, it might be useful to very quickly recap what New Zealand did in World War 2 for those not so well versed in NZ history.
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3 September 1939: New Zealand Declare War on Germany after ultimatim for Hitler to withdraw from Poland expires. Britain follow suit when the ultimatim expires in London. At this time the British Commonwealth very much functioned as one unit when it came to military issues - Britain was expected to provide security and supply the armaments

September 1939-May 1940: NZ troops arrive in Britain and France.

December 1939: NZ cruiser Achilles participates in Battle of River Plate where the German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee confronts three British cruisers (Achilles was still a British ship but crewed by Kiwis). Graf Spee scuttled a few days later.

10 May 1940: Germans invade France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg. NZ soldiers caught in the trap and are involved in the massive evacuation at Dunkirk.

July-September 1940: NZ fighter pilots join other Commonwealth, French, Czech, Dutch, Belgian, Polish and Norwegian fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain to defeat German Luftwaffe

September- November 1940: Blitz - German bombers bomb London for 57 consecutive nights with as many as 500 planes a time; NZ fighter pilots join the aerial defence of the UK.

November 1940: African campaign begins. British begin rolling back Italian gains in North Africa. 2nd NZ Division deployed there.

January 1941: Fears starting to grow about Japanese militarism in Pacific. NZ Division stays in Middle East.

6 April 1941: In response to Yugoslavia toppling pro-Nazi Prince, Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece. Ferocious fighting on Crete between Commonwealth forces and Germans costs nearly half of German invasion force on first day, but the aerial support is overwhelming and the island falls.

Early April 1941: Rommel counter-attacks in Africa with a German-Italian force, and rolls back all British gains in 3 weeks to the Egyptian border, surrounding Tobruk which is subject to 7 month siege. NZ Division joins in the battle after being evacuated from Crete.

November-December 1941: Commonwealth forces counter-attack in Desert. Fierce fighting all the way back to Benghazi in Libya. Rommel becomes aware of how the Commonwealth fights around this time - impressed by common fighting spirit; Commonwealth troops recognised Rommel as a brilliant commander when other German field commanders in Europe and Russia developing track records that would incriminate them at Nuremberg.

7 December 1941: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor - you all know that. Simultaneous invasion of SE Asia begins. Despite rapidly growing danger, NZ stays in Middle East.

21 January 1942: Rommel counter-attacks to complete horror of all in the Desert - again British gains rolled rapidly. NZ Division being rebuilt after bruising campaign and not involved in this phase.

15 February 1942: Singapore falls. The British fortress island which was supposed to last three months in a siege falls in two days after Japanese come through back door. New Zealand starts preparing for invasion at this point with home guard forming, fortifications being built and requests for American assistance with personnel - Japanese plans actually did exist for an invasion of both Australia and NZ.

27 May 1942: Rommel attacks - again, dismantling incomplete British defensive line. NZ division is recalled from Syria where it was being rebuilt.

4 June 1942: US Navy planes destroy 4 Japanese carriers at Midway - NZ probably would have been invaded if the US had lost this battle.

21 June 1942: Rommel captures Tobruk. Suddenly the whole British position in the Middle East and the security of Middle East oil - yes, it was as important then as it is now - is in jeopardy.

3 July 1942: First Battle of El Alamein starts. About 4 New Zealanders won Victoria Cross's for exceptional bravery during this event, including only the third time a Victoria Cross and Bar has been awarded.

7 August 1942: Americans invade Guadalcanal. The Japanese airstrip there would have put Australia within bombing range if it had been completed. It is now the airport for Honiara.

23 October 1942: General Montgomery launches major offensive against the Germans at El Alamein. After 2 weeks of fierce fighting, Rommel finally retreats - Hitler never reinforced him after Tobruk and eventually paid a huge price for it. New Zealand Division leads one of the major break throughs in Rommel's defensive line.

April 1943: Japanese naval operations try to regain initiative in Solomons. First and only NZ naval involvement in Solomons results in mine sweeper being lost.

February-May 1943: Rommel retreats into Tunisia. One final attack launched at Kasserine but defeated after NZ Division cuts off the advance. African campaign ended with 250,000 prisoners on May 13.

July 1943: British Commonwealth and American forces land in Sicily.

September 1943: British and Commonwealth forces land on mainland Italy. Slow slog up the boot (thats what Italy looks like on the map), instead of a "jolly romp to Rome" begins.

January 1944-May 1944: Cassino. A five month slog through a town of only a few thousand people, but every pile of rubble fought over with incredible tenacity. More than 800 New Zealanders killed in one three assault in March. Single biggest NZ mistake of the war was that a senior officer thought the Germans were fortifying it, so he asked for the place to be bombed. None were there, but now that it had been bombed large numbers of troops did move in.

6 June 1944: Five NZ squadrons of fighter pilots participate in D-Day attack.

December 1944: NZ fighter bomber crews active in Allied air campaign in support of the ground forces fighting off the German Ardennes offensive.

May 1944-January 1945: Slow slog up Italian Peninsula continues. NZ'ers help break German defensive line in August. Progress hindered badly by onset of winter.

29 April 1945: Germans surrender in Italy. Mussolini hanged. New Zealand soldiers reach Trieste which becomes first flash point of Cold War when Yugoslav partisans try to claim the Italian town.

15 August 1945: Emperor Hirohito tells Japan to "endure the unendurable" and announces that it is folly to continue the war.

2 September 1945: Japan surrenders. NZ navy representatives present.
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It needs to be said that for a nation with a population of about 1.5 million, New Zealand sustained very high losses. 10% of the total population mobilised. 12,000 were killed.

Rob