Guns, Friends, and Oppression

Right on, Vanessa...

At least you and I see it the same, and I do know that we're more than a
minority of two.

The question is, how much more than two are we, and how would we
communicate to and organize that world majority to disable the US War Machine, once and
for all, and for good.

It has not been in the headlines in the Google Commercial Pyramid News, has
not been reported in the local Register (for the) Guard, but occasionally I
do new searches on Hugo Chavez as he seems to be one of the brightest hopes
among recognized world leaders, and the Capitalist Press is reporting a $2
billion (small by USA Standards of Living) "arms" deal (mostly for short
range missiles) with Russia. It seems a shame that Hugo's (as it is a
bigger one in the USA) efforts to help the poor have to run into such "cold war
mentality" opportunity costs.

Think about what we could do with respect to community betterment with that
two billion, and what is the "defense" budget in the USA (approaching a
$trillion a year). It's absurd, but Mr. Frias would be hard to convince to
try another "holy experiment", wouldn't he/they?

But somehow, in this age of communications, why can we not convince all
that the course that we are on is SOOOOOO.....COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE and so
abysmally tragic in the face of the challenges confronting the human legacy?

By the way, did you ever see the irony in the name of the Venezuelan
contactthat you gave me WAL(ter) MART(inez)? Just crossed my mind today, when
someone mentioned K(enyon) MART(in), he's a basketball player, I think.
Anyway, if someone is playing practical jokes on me and you, it is totally
inappropriate, because I am completely committed to peace work. Not that a
far Leftist like me could now say that he represents the potential
trajectory of the USA Government, or even represents a majority view of the
people of the USA, but I think it is important that peace through socialism
become an established mission throughout the world, including the USA.

So, if my letters to Walter are in vain (he has yet to answer one, but he
is not alone) then please get me another ALBA, BancoSur connection. The
Peoples Equity Union initiative is too important to be falling on deaf ears and
blind eyes, and it really does "constitute" a peace plan between the
Capitalist "Private" (would allow them to become Quasi-Public) sector and
the Socialist Public one(s).

I can't guarantee Socialists/Communists protection from persecution. The
police in Eugene, Oregon, USA have been forthright about the differences
between them denying my First Amendment (Free Speech) Claims, being that
in a "public" domain, I am allowed to express whatever opinion that I choose
(though there is some controversy as to whether how loud I can get, which
is somewhat ridiculous in that they allow so much NOISE and other sorts of
pollution (including squandering) go unabated constantly in this land where
the police are afraid to bother the very loud, who are minions of a
legitimized Capitalist Criminal Class (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, junk food
distributors and dealers). but that I am ABSOLUTELY RESTRICTED FROM
EXPRESSING DISSONANCE OF ANY SORT (usually my criticisms have been about
the decadent and inhumane manifestations incorporated in their arm of
Capitalist "trade") in a PRIVATE "Place of Business" (including when the local
merchants take over public space to carry out their ridiculous traditions
of false hipness (They're large scale Capitalists who like to play a phony
hippie game that they're small scale artisans (don't get me wrong, I'm all
for small scale artisans but that isn't who these people are...It is a
relatively rare talent who can make their living with artisanry these
days).

I can't promise Socialists/Communists protection from persecution because I
know our history and I know my history, but the authorities know (and
here's the tricky part, always have known), that I am an unarmed Quaker, who would
prefer to be the leader of the Peoples' Ami rather than the Peoples' Army,
who would not intentionally lead otherwise good folks to take up arms
against the status quo.

Arlo Guthrie, a Great Friend, once queried Richard Nixon, who CLAIMED to be
a Quaker, concerning covert listening devices, "What else don't you know?"

Jokingly, I answer for "Dick": That's impossible, man, how can I tell you
what I DON'T know...;-)

Anyway, the following is the truth. On September 10th, 2001, I called Hugh
Davis, a Great Friend, and left a message on his phone calling him "Hugh
Lockerbe" (for reasons that I will not now take the time to explain), and
not so well, the rest is a rather tragic and ongoing episode in our human
history.

Enough for now.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin