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Saturday, January 3, 2009

Robots, Overpopulation, War and Eejits like me


"You don't need a
weather vane to know

which way the wind blows."
-Bob Dylan



Reading and collating information on various subjects is what I do: like pieces of the jigsaw, they fall into place and at a certain point, an essential element of the bigger picture can be seen. The process is deductive in nature - that is, prying without trying to prove a pre-established proposition. All the issues mentioned here are documented and published in this blog.

For some time I have been gathering current information on
  • starvation (food resources),
  • war crimes (exactly how many people do die globally in one day from the actions of warmongers?),
  • the progressive acceleration of technological advance (soon, technology will be able to double its capabilities in under a month as opposed to 900 years),
  • the projected population in 21 years vis-a-vis the earth's ability to support so many people,
  • advances in robotic technology for industrial and military use (by 2020, 30% of the US military will be robots),
  • stem cell research (with the ability to repair bodies indefinitely),
  • Big Brother (currently racing ahead with plans to monitor human units through DNA databases, implants and constant surveillance),
  • strategies to divide the resources of Africa among the Big Dogs
  • the nuclear arms race
  • the identities of the Masters of the Universe and their plans for the rest of us
  • and the emergence of the One World economic system.
But what does it all mean? The reading is tedious and depressing to say the least, and if I allow myself to get lost in the tragedy of it all (which sometimes happens), it would seem the best thing that could happen to earth would be a meteor that destroys the planet; or alternately, a shifting of the poles. Perhaps my idea of 'good' would not survive; but, neither would the 'evil' I see.

I wish to comment on the problem of overpopulation as it relates to the above subject matter.

Several questions occur to me:
  • If I had enormous power in the form of money, military resources, and international influence, would I allow the population of earth to grow at such a rate as to deplete the resources so none would survive? Wouldn't it be a good idea to reduce the population of the planet?
  • If the military (of the US in this case) is to be 30% robotic in eleven years, doesn't this mean that fewer people will be necessary?
  • If robotics are to become the future of manufacturing, won't there be fewer jobs for people globally? Won't fewer people be necessary?
  • If stem cell research can regenerate tissue and extend lifespans indefinitely, who should receive this treatment and how many will be sustainable? And how many will not?
  • Why are we creating more weapons of mass destruction (including biological warfare) than we are investing in methods of sustainable survival? Who has decided this?
  • Why is it necessary for the USA federal government to legally demand DNA samples from all newborns?
  • Why do the Rothschild's (and other Big Dog families) insist on genetic engineering for the superiority of their offspring over the rest of humanity?
My answer to all these questions would require a detailed paper on each issue and still would not scratch the surface. Not to worry. "You don't need a weather vane to know which way the wind blows." The proposition which occurs to me is both simple and easily explained without volumes of didactic sludge - the population of earth must be culled.

Is this harsh? In nature, how does an imbalance of one species correct itself? Either reproductive cycles are altered to match existing resources (See Jared Diamond, 'Why sex is fun.'), or the species becomes extinct eventually from starvation or disease. This explanation is given regularly by hunters who claim they are doing nature a favor in keeping the predator/food ratio in check; the reader has probably heard this rationale many times. Shooting a deer is much kinder than letting it starve to death.

With less jobs, less income and less food, many people will fall into the category of the righteously hunted (and culled) for the benefit of the balance of 'nature'. I suggest that this is the direction in which the political objectives of the major powers are leading us. One way or the other, the population growth of earth will need not only to be stabilised for the technological advances in our future, but perhaps reduced.

Already in China, there is a 2 child maximum, a comprehensive population control program based on demographic predictions, which rewards those alive with housing, education, employment and medical care by preventing an excessive birth rate which would deprive all through causing unsolvable problems of social infrastructure and resource allocation.

Let us take the issue of my cats: if I were to allow them to breed indiscriminately and produce up to 24 kittens per year, I would soon be overrun with cats and unable to feed them. Most likely, without my protection and help, the kittens would be eaten by foxes, minks and various animals with a taste for small prey. Well, in a sense, this is letting nature take its course. But is not nature cruel? I prefer to have my cats fixed: that eliminates the 24 kittens who may be eaten alive so that nature can balance itself out. This is the option China has implemented and which seems quite reasonable and humane to me.

On the other hand, if my cats were not pets, but a food source as in some countries, I would want to breed as many as I need to satisfy my needs for consumption. This is in fact what we do with pigs, cows, chickens and other animals humans we find tasty and useful. Thinking of sentient pets as a food commodity may be disorienting but a habit we are well inured with through the ages.

The problem is....ratio of humans to required resources: traditionally dealt with through commodity breeding and selective genetic improvements of an animal. I suggest this is the solution that is most logical and the one that has occurred, long ago, to the Masters of the Universe, for humans as well. This is not rocket science - just plain common sense. Try these facts: Three Earth Day Doozies

Considering the topics of reading mentioned here already, and the questions such readings have suggested, a cull of human beings will of necessity occur within the next 15 years, if not through starvation and lack of employment, then perhaps from warfare and disease: scarcity has a way of naturally eliminating those who are not able to outperform others. It is in the best interest of the survivors to carefully control the genetic pool of the remaining population, as well as establishing 'functions' which serve the survival of the genetically superior.

It's not a pretty picture; but, it is inevitable that population control (and perhaps culling) are of major significance in the political and economic strategies of major world powers today. In the West, however, such ideas are heresy of the highest order to those who still think they live in a democracy and have rights. Russia is the exception - with a declining birth rate.

So one last question: If what I say here has any semblance of reason, how do you think you and your family will fare in the cull of the next decade?

Related
Fatal Flaw

Friday, January 2, 2009

Things I read - January 2, 2009

Images of the day - Sets the 2009 ambiance


















Two out of every three US companies paid no federal income taxes from 1998 through 2005; Among foreign corporations 68% did not pay taxes during the period
Why in the world should American Corporations pay tax when they don't have to?

United States has a quarter of the world’s prisoners; Less than 100 murders in New York City in 2007 where victims were strangers to their assailants
At least it provides employment for the private sector incarceration corporations. That can't be bad, can it?

Irish Economy: US will remain very important to Ireland's economic progress but a new approach is badly needed
Now Ireland learns: when you risk your future with FDI from crooks and criminals, you go down when they go down.

Irish Economy: ESRI presents grim outlook; Job losses of up to 117,000 in 2009 - more than 4 times worst year of 1980's
No shite Sherlock.

Sound Waves For Brain Waves
Don't worry. Surely this technology will only be used against 'terrorists'.

















The US Army Document That Proves the US is the World's Number One Sponsor of World Terrorism
I have followed the 'irregular warfare' strategy here on my blog.

The Technocracy and the Genetic Engineering of Humanity
Sounds like a fun story? It's probably the most lethal one I have read. Chock full of good references. See my blogs on Robots for more.

LBJ's 'Treason' Tapes
Video. Lies for forty years. I wonder what lies will be discovered forty years from now.

John Bolton: Gaza Crisis Means We Should Attack Iran Now
What I don't understand is why the USA didn't attack Iran after the 'shoeing'.

Former Army Employee Pleads Guilty to Acting as Israeli Agent
What a surprise! Israelis spys in the USA? Oh but this was 1985: I am sure they have stopped by now.

Chinese state media hails ties with Washington
Oh good. China and the USA are working together now."The two sides should promote their bilateral ties onto a new level, further strengthen high-level exchanges, step up cooperation in various fields, and enhance coordination in macro-economic and financial policies."











A torch-wielding crowd forces Icelandic TV program featuring PM off air
A sign of the times and probably just getting started.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Singularity: The Matrix, 1984 and AI



Remember back in the 70s when Captain Kirk had that neat 'communicator'? Now we all have them. How about in 80s,when Pac-man thrilled us all? Compare the poor little gobbling screen blip of then to the realistic cyber games of today.

Then there was '1984' by George Orwell; I never suspected we would come close to that scenario yet here we are in the new age of surveillance. But the scariest movie I have seen in some time is The Matrix where a robot race takes over its creators, the human race. After doing a bit of research on this plot, it looks as though we are definitely headed that way. Even Stephen Hawking predicts we will come to a bad end in our quest for Artificial Intelligence.

Another quite interesting film which falls now into Sci-Fi category, but is quickly approaching reality is AI, Stanley Kubrick's brilliant film finished by Stephen Speilberg.

With this in mind, I have assembled below a selection of relevant readings on the subject. As with many subjects of fascination, the related urls are endless in these articles and can lead to who knows where. My only comment is this: Be afraid, be very afraid (unless you would just rather not think about it). And if you believe the Mayan calendar prediction, you need not worry about it at all - because we won't be here.

All three movies, The Matrix, 1984 and AI are multi-dimensional stories allowing metaphors on many levels. The level explained in the following articles is purely one of literal possibility.

Dawn of the robots

Joy warns of tech Armageddon

Hawking warns of AI world takeover

Quotes from the Singularity Summit 2007
It's haughty of us to think we're the end product of evolution. All of us are a part of producing whatever is coming next. We're at an exciting time. We're close to the singularity. Go back to that litany of chemistry leading to single–celled organisms, leading to intelligence. The first step took a billion years, the next step took a hundred million, and so on. We're at a stage where things change on the order of decades, and it seems to be speeding up. Technology has the autocatalytic effect of fast computers, which let us design better and faster computers faster. We're heading toward something which is going to happen very soon – in our lifetimes – and which is fundamentally different from anything that's happened in human history before.
-Dr W Daniel Hillis

Economics Of The Singularity

Technological singularity
The technological singularity is a theoretical future point of unprecedented technological progress, caused in part by the ability of machines to improve themselves using artificial intelligence. Much information here as well as links.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Articles - December 8, 2008

The God That Failed: The 30-Year Lie of the Market Cult
It has always been all marketing. Friedman ought to be dug up and hanged by his Nobel Medal.


Angry Laid-Off Workers Occupy Factory in Chicago
And wouldn't you know it, they aren't even 'real' Americans.

OPEC: Get set for oil shock and awe

The Trojan Horses of Our Demise: Reconnecting to the Moral Sense
Married to arrogance, ignorance can kill.


US media giant considers bankruptcy
Too bad they didn't go bankrupt before they spread their poison lies to support the evil system that ate their ethics.

Chinese property hunters to raid US
Welcome to America's new landlord.

€125m of pork to be destroyed in biggest food scare since BSE
We poisoned the pigs; and now they are poisoning people - seems fair to me.

Man ordered to comply with EU rules when selling vegetable leftovers from his garden stall
Better throw away extra food;or the government will charge you.


Pakistani Security Consultant Calls Mumbai Attacks A “Botched” False Flag

Drone lands in ND in preparation for border patrol

Bush reported to be drinking heavily


General Ivashov: “International terrorism does not exist”
"...shows that terrorism contributes to a world dominance and the submissiveness of states to a global oligarchy. This means that terrorism is not something independent of world politics but simply an instrument, a means to install a unipolar world..." Good article exposing the terrorism hype and foreshadows the 'irregular war'.

Genocide in Educational Policy - For the future of Indigenous Peoples

Hopping robots display pack instinct
Stephen Hawking said this is how the human race would end; shades of the Matrix.


Tech commission suggests new cybersecurity post
Yep...O man is going to protect us from cyberspace.

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Earth: 2014? Vision of the NWO

"For more than a century, ideological extremists at either end of the political spectrum have seized upon well-publicized incidents such as my encounter with Castro to attack the Rockefeller family for the inordinate influence they claim we wield over American political and economic institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as 'internationalists' and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - one world, if you will. If that is the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it." - David Rockefeller, "Memoirs", (p.405).

Of all the blogs I visit and read, one stands head and shoulders above the rest: Old-Thinker News. The author selects articles and organises information such that one can read or watch videos for hours on a particular subject without leaving the blog.

I like the mountain-top panorama of today's world. It's very scary; but, I would rather look and see then to be hustled hurriedly up the ramp to the abattoir. I often wonder; What will the headlines be one year from now? Or in two years? While no one can see around a corner (usually), we can still predict much if we are paying attention to other sensory data and processing the bits together to form the bigger picture.

That is what Old-thinker news does. This one article on Trends to a New World Order, reprinted below, has a breath taking clarity in focusing attention to the context in which we are travelling together on earth, politically, socially, technologically and ecomonically. Hope you will enjoy it and visit the blog, where many other subjects of great interest are presented.


Trends to a New World Order: Part 1
Transnational Elites and Pernicious Globalisation
Countless people... will hate the new world order... and will die protesting against it... When we attempt to evaluate its promise, we have to bear in mind the distress of a generation or so of malcontents..." - H.G. Wells, The New World Order (1939)

By Daniel Taylor
Source

As we enter the new year of 2008, themes of a "global community" and a "unified global approach" are becoming more prevalent.

When keeping an eye on current events and reading various think tank projections regarding the future of the world, a sobering picture begins to emerge. Forecasts are being made of a world in which a sharp divide exists between the elite and the rest of humanity. Advanced technology offers those who can afford it a means of personalized "auto-evolution". "Pernicious globalization" takes its toll on the world and global elites thrive, leaving the rest of us in the dust. Increasingly open borders, unchecked immigration and trends to world governance cause communal conflict between various groups. The middle class becomes revolutionary as economic hardship hits hard on millions of Americans. Dictators utilize life extension technologies to prolong their reign of terror. A computer simulation offers government agencies and corporations a system to test marketing strategy and psychological operations on a virtual mirror of the real world in real time. "Gen-rich" and "Gen-poor" classes emerge to form a new "biological caste system".

All of this would make for a thrilling Sci-Fi novel, but these trends come not from science fiction - though science fiction has proven to be a prophetic precursor to these developments -, but from present day realities seen by the U.K. Ministry of Defense, the CIA and other prominent individuals in the fields of technology, science and government.

This short two part report will attempt to answer these questions: What impact has globalization had on us and how will it effect us in the future? How do present day trends in technology, globalization, politics and government relate to the prospect of a New World Order?

The New World Order

A "New World Order" has been heralded by global elites for many years. We are told by these elites that trends to a system of world governance are only natural, that national sovereignty must be eliminated. James Paul Warburg, speaking before the US Senate in 1950, stated that, "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."

Globalization and advances in technology have undoubtedly impacted our lifestyles, world-views, and lives dramatically. A "global outlook" has planted itself in our society, but more so among elites. Zbigniew Brzezinski writes of this global outlook in his 1970 book, Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era,

"A global human consciousness is for the first time beginning to manifest itself... we are witnessing the emergence of transnational elites... composed of international businessmen, scholars, professional men and public officials. The ties of these new elites cut across national boundaries, their perspectives are not confined by national traditions..." [1]

The dissemination and injection of globalist ideology into the collective vocabulary and consciousness of society has been a leading goal of such transnational elites. Regional governance in conjunction with regional economic systems inside a world government has also been a long term goal of globalist organizations. In order for these regional systems to operate smoothly and to be generally accepted, think tanks have undertaken projects of social engineering on a massive scale to rid the population of "outdated" ideas of national sovereignty. [2]

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a conference in 2002 which was dedicated to the development of strategies to overcome such "outdated" ideas. The political, social and economic integration of the United States, Canada, and Mexico into a union similar to the European Union was discussed. America was acknowledged by the conference panelists as being one of the largest obstacles to globalist planning. Expanding the definition of "we", framing integration in a non threatening manner and a "winner at the polls" were some of the suggested social engineering strategies. A summary of the conference states,
"Further economic, political, and social integration will depend on how citizens of the three countries define their national identities and the degree to which they are willing to cede some of their countries’ sovereignty to a larger entity." [3]

"Foreign policy... provides three things for a nation’s citizens: sovereignty, security, and identity. Sovereignty dictates that the state’s citizens and government (“we”) decide policy, identity defines “who we are” as a nation, and security protects a nation’s sovereignty and identity. Governments must convince citizens that the regional project is consistent with these three values by expanding the definition of the “we.” [4]

As we enter the new year of 2008, themes of a "global community" and a "unified global approach" are becoming more prevalent. The United Nations has recently begun an initiative to bring more into agreement with the "global consciousness" with a comic book geared towards children. Marvel Comics has teamed up with the UN to create a comic book that will teach children "...the value of international cooperation." [5] Another example comes from the London based think tank mi2g, which released a statement in late December of 2007 that stated in part,
"One world: The global community of nations is realizing that regardless of the complex global risk we wish to address, we all have to come together. The mantra of a "unified global approach" is becoming essential whether it is countering climate chaos and environmental degradation... advanced technologies -- bio, info, nano, robo & AI -- ... financial systems and systemic risk; or transhumanism and ethics..." [6]

Combating climate change with a "global unified approach" is a concept that Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, is quite familiar with. In an article carried in the Taipei times, Haass writes that sovereignty must become weaker in a globalized world faced with climate change,
"Some governments are prepared to give up elements of sovereignty to address the threat of global climate change..."

"Globalization thus implies that sovereignty is not only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker. States would be wise to weaken sovereignty in order to protect themselves..." [7]

Climate change "the issue" of 2008

Writing in the Business Spectator, economist Craig James states that climate change is "...expected to be the big issue for 2008, dominating public consciousness..." [8] 2007 saw large amounts of attention on this issue as well, when U.K. Prime minister Gordon Brown called for a "New World Order" to combat climate change. [9]

Impact of globalization and possible future scenarios

Globalization, immigration and integration of countries into larger entities brings with it social and political consequences. The Ministry of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency have produced reports forecasting possible outcomes of globalization and integration. The reports carry a familiar tone between them; advancing technology and globalization causing deep divides between elites and the majority of humanity. The CIA report, "Global Trends 2015", outlines possible scenarios for pernicious globalization. The report states,
"Scenario Two: Pernicious Globalization Global elites thrive, but the majority of the world’s population fails to benefit from globalization... migration becomes a major source of interstate tension... Internal conflicts increase, fueled by frustrated expectations, inequities, and heightened communal tensions..." [1]

The Futurist magazine discussed this CIA report in depth in the May-June 2001 edition. Summarizing trends regarding national and international governance, the magazine states,
"Established governments are likely to lose some control over their borders as migrants, technology, disease, weapons, financial transactions, and information of all kinds move about the world. Corporations and nonprofit organizations will exert more influence on state affairs. Winners and losers in globalization will emerge..." [2]

The European Union has seen many of the forecasts cited above come to pass. Massive immigration throughout the porous EU borders has caused tension and loss of entry level jobs for native citizens of the United Kingdom. The signing of the EU treaty in Britain by Foreign Secretary David Miliband has heightened these tensions. [3]

In a an article released by the UK Daily Mail, it is reported that, "Half a million fewer Britons are in work following the unprecedented influx of migrants from Eastern Europe..." The Daily Mail report cites the independent House of Commons Library for the statistics. The report also states that, "The British Chamber of Com-merce has already warned that a generation of British children is at risk of going 'from school straight to welfare' while migrants fill skills shortages in the economy." [4]

The United States open borders between Mexico and Canada have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flow in and out of the country. Violent gangs such as the Latino group MS13 - identified by the FBI as the single most dangerous gang in America - are becoming more prevalent.

Perhaps one of the most concerning forecasts comes from the U.K. Ministry of Defense in a report released in early 2007. The report, "DCDC Global Strategic Trends Programme 2007-2036", foresees the middle classes facing increased economic hardship. In response,
"The middle classes could become a revolutionary class, taking the role envisaged for the proletariat by Marx. The globalization of labour markets and reducing levels of national welfare provision and employment could reduce peoples’ attachment to particular states. The growing gap between themselves and a small number of highly visible super-rich individuals might fuel disillusion with meritocracy, while the growing urban under-classes are likely to pose an increasing threat to social order and stability, as the burden of acquired debt and the failure of pension provision begins to bite." [5]
The report also states,
"Economic globalization and indiscriminate migration may lead to levels of international integration that effectively bring interstate warfare to an end; however, it will also result in communities of interest at every level of society that transcend national boundaries and could resort to the use of violence." [6]
As economic crises hit home for millions in America and abroad in 2008 and beyond, feelings of anger and resentment are undoubtedly going to spread. Trends expert Gerald Celente predicts that in 2008,
"Failing banks, busted brokerages, toppled corporate giants, bankrupt cities, states in default, foreign creditors cashing out of US securities … whatever the spark, the stage is set for panic in the streets. When the giant firms fall, they'll crush the man on the street." [7]
Will the "revolutionary middle class" that poses a threat to social order - bitten by burdens of debt, globalization, and economic hardship - become a reality?

Anti-globalists labeled as terrorists

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano have both suggested - both vaguely and unmistakably - that anti-globalists are terrorists. While speaking at a conference hosted by AKbank in Istanbul Turkey on May 31, 2007, just prior to the scheduled Bilderberg meeting, Henry Kissinger gave a speech in which he stated,

"What we in America call terrorists are really groups of people that reject the international system..." [1]

In June of 2007, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano stated during a press conference that it is, "...psychological terrorism to suggest the spectre of a European superstate." [2]

H.G. Wells' words echo eerily across time; "Countless people... will hate the new world order... and will die protesting against it..."

Citation:

The New World Order

[1] Brzezinski, Zbigniew. Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era. Penguin books, 1976

[2] "The "North American Consciousness" and "European Identity". Old-thinker news. December 22, 2007.


[3] Heard, Emily, Ed. Toward a North American Community? Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. 2002. page 7. Available online at


[4] Ibid. page 10.

[5] Brewster, Deborah. "U.N. joining forces with Spider-Man". Financial Times. December 27, 2007. Available at


[6] DK Matai. 2008: The Inflexion Year with Positive Outcomes!. December 21, 2007. Available at


[7] Haass, Richard. "State Sovereignty must be altered in globalized era" Taipei Times. February 26, 2007. Available at


[8] James, Craig. "Economic outlook 2008: climate change will dominate". Business Spectator. December 31, 2007. Available at


[9] "Brown wants a 'new world order'". BBC News. January 19, 2007. Available at


Impact of globalization and possible future scenarios

[1] National Intelligence Council/Central Intelligence Agency. "Global Trends 2015: A Dialogue About the Future With Nongovernment Experts". page 83. Available at


[2] "The world in 2015". The Futurist. May-June 2001. Volume 35, No. 3. page 7.

[3] "Miliband signs Britain away". The Sun. December 13, 2007. Available at


[4] Slack, James. "500,000 fewer Britons in work following influx of Eastern Europeans". UK Daily Mail. December 28, 2007.

[5] Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre/Ministry of Defense. "The DCDC Global Strategic Trends Programme 2007-2036". January 2007. page 81.

[6] Ibid. page 84.

[7] "Top Trends 2008" Vol. XV, No. 1. The Trends Research Journal. Available at


Anti-globalists labeled as terrorists

[1] A video of this speech can be seen at 16:00 into this video

[2] Hartley-Brewer, Julia. "Opponents of EU treaty accused of being 'terrorists'". UK Daily Express. June 17, 2007. Available at




Trends to a New World Order: Part 2
The New Age of the Technocratic Elite

Techno-biological tyranny seems to be the best descriptor for what is emerging.

As the world moves toward world governance in a new globalized era, technologies that enable extended life spans, and technologically augmented abilities are being developed. These upgrades for the human body come at a high cost, and are unattainable for a large number of people, causing additional societal conflict and the rise of new aristocratic classes defined by their level of "enhancement". Diseases are mostly eradicated among elites, while a large percentage of the population is left still vulnerable. A high tech overlay of sensors and monitoring devices tracks workers activities. Their heart rates, facial expressions, and overall state are monitored to maintain maximum efficiency. Supercomputers run Sentient World Simulation software designed to enable testing of efficient social management and psychological operations against the population in a virtual world. Artificial Intelligence makes health, political and educational decisions that were once made by human beings. Advancing technology offers miraculous cures, while opening doorways to new forms of tyranny and manipulation unimaginable in the past.

In the hands of a hubris filled, power hungry elite who exercise control over world affairs, advancing technology presents disturbing possibilities. When examining these developments in technology, human nature, and the nature of power are vitally important aspects that must be considered. Utopian ideas are one of the ideologies fueling both trends to world governance and advancing technology. Will these trends benefit the average man, woman and child as we are told they will? Or, will a New World Order be constructed solely for the benefit of a tiny elite? History tells us that the latter is most likely.

Societal control through technology

The perfection and fine tuning of social management utilizing high technology is a theme that permeates science fiction literature. Today, this theme is moving into reality. Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote of "pre-crisis management" in his book Between Two ages,

“Power will gravitate into the hands of those who control information. Our existing institutions will be supplanted by pre-crisis management institutions, the task of which will be to identify in advance likely social crises and to develop programs to cope with them." [1]

The Futurist magazine, in its Outlook 2008 forecast lists an intriguing and disturbing trend for 2008. Educational, health, and financial decisions will be increasingly made by artificial intelligence.

"More decisions will be made by nonhuman entities. Electronically enabled teams in networks, robots with artificial intelligence, and other noncarbon life-forms will make financial, health, educational, and even political decisions for us. Reason: Technologies are increasing the complexity of our lives and human workers' competency is not keeping pace well enough to avoid disasters due to human error." [2]

The Sentient World Simulation, developed by researchers at Perdue University - with the help of DOD funding - can be utilized to do just what The Futurist is projecting, and much more. The SWS program allows for behavior modification and anticipation on a scale unknown at any time prior to its existence. By integrating "nodes" representing every man, woman, and child on earth into a virtual world, propaganda, terrorist attacks and other variables can be launched at the unsuspecting virtual population. SWS was originally designed for fortune 500 companies to aid with strategy. The Department of Defense saw the technology as an opportunity too good to pass up. SWS technology has been "...incorporated into the U.S. Army's recruiting efforts by modeling the population of the U.S. that is eligible for military service, thus allowing recruiting commanders to strategize ways to improve recruiting potential soldiers." [3]

The SWS concept paper describes the program's capabilities in depth. Some of the abilities include military planning, and corporate strategy development.
Planning:

"SWS provides tools to develop, reuse, and compose action plans into playbooks. A playbook database enables planners to recall playbooks."

"Planning tools enable plans to be developed for temporally and spatially fine-grained actions as well as long-term actions and to place combined plans into a single playbook."

Operations:

"Augmenting real-time information with near real-time and faster than real-time simulations allows RCC to develop and test multiple courses of action to anticipate and shape behaviors of adversaries, neutrals, and partners."

Testing:

"SWS provides an environment for testing Psychological Operations (PSYOP) and Civil Affairs activities, capable of illustrating the impact of these activities on populations."

"Commercial users can construct experiments to use proprietary data in a controlled environment." [4]

Simulex inc. provides the SEAS (Synthetic Environments for Analysis and Simulation) technology - which the Sentient World Simulation is based on - to multiple government and private clients. [5]

The list includes:
Government Clients

-United States Department of Defense
-United States Department of Justice
-United States Army Recruiting Command
-United States Joint Forces Command
-Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center
Private Sector Clients

-Eli Lilly
-Lockheed Martin
-Other Fortune 500 companies
Using the SWS system, pharmaceutical companies can test marketing campaigns for new drugs in the virtual world. Military strategists can plan PSYOPS and carry them out against virtual adversaries. As reported by the Register, "...the US Department of Defense (DOD) may already be creating a copy of you in an alternate reality to see how long you can go without food or water, or how you will respond to televised propaganda." [6]

Homeland Security is currently using the technology for a variety of purposes. In a slideshow shown to Homeland Security - presented by the co-author of the SWS concept paper cited previously, Alok Chaturvedi - graphics are shown that describe the uses for the technology. Experimentations with Engineering, Economics, Public policy, Law, Management and Psychology are listed as possible inputs for the virtual population. A graph that displays the emotions for the population reads "Sad," "Content," "Aroused," and "Happy". The "impact of globalization" is also listed as a variable in "modeling an adversaries viewpoint". [7]

Microsoft "monitoring group activities"

The workplace will soon be infiltrated by a technology developed by Microsoft that will, as the Register reports, act as "...some sort of "activity monitoring system" that keeps an eye on worker productivity using various "physiological or environmental sensors." These sensors would track everything from heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature, facial expressions, and blood pressure to brain signals and galvanic skin response."

The purpose of this technology, according to the patent, is to enable assistance to be sent to those workers who need it, or assign the task to someone else who is able to complete it. The Register also points out that the information will be stored away in a database for future reference. This enables "...user performance [that] can be readily compared..." [8]

The Microsoft patent states,
"For example, the system can infer through physiological and activity sensing that a user is becoming more frustrated with his current activity and thus could benefit from assistance from another user who has experience with the same or similar activity. This can be accomplished via parameter and/or threshold settings whereby the detection of parameter violations or satisfied thresholds can indicate a particular frustration level or at the very least that the user has become "frustrated" or "stressed"." [9]
Surveillance and anticipatory conformity

In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, surveillance has expanded exponentially. A phenomenon called "anticipatory conformity" is becoming more prevalent as the surveillance society grows. The term, coined in 1988 by Harvard psychologist Shoshana Zuboff, describes a process of self censorship as a result of constant surveillance. Philosopher Jeremy Bentham designed the Panopticon style prison in 1785 which put this principle to use. The prison included a central tower constantly manned by guards that stands in the center of a circular building in which inmates are unsure whether they are being watched. Bentham saw the Panopticon system being used in "...punishing the incorrigible, guarding the insane, reforming the vicious, confining the suspected, employing the idle, maintaining the helpless, curing the sick, instructing the willing in any branch of industry, or training the rising race in the path of education: in a word, whether it be applied to the purposes of perpetual prisons in the room of death, or prisons for confinement before trial, or penitentiary-houses, or houses of correction, or work-houses, or manufactories, or mad-houses, or hospitals, or schools." [emphasis added] [10]

Lynn Duke quotes Soshana Zuboff, coiner of the term anticipatory conformity, in his Washington Post article, Uniqueness lost in surveillance society,
“I think the first level of that is we anticipate surveillance and we conform, and we do that with awareness,” she says. “We know, for example, when we’re going through the security line at the airport not to make jokes about terrorists or we’ll get nailed, and nobody wants to get nailed for cracking a joke. It’s within our awareness to self-censor. And that self-censorship represents a diminution of our freedom." [11]

As surveillance becomes more prevalent, Zuboff says that anticipatory conformity will "become more intense". Zbigniew Brzezinski, again writing in Between two Ages, sees a dictatorship eventually forming in a new technocratic era of electronic surveillance and control,
"This [surveillance and data mining] will encourage tendencies through the next several decades toward a technocratic era, a dictatorship leaving even less room for political procedures as we know them." [12]

Future Eugenics and life extension

The Human Genome Project has given rise to promising developments in the realm of medicine, allowing personalized treatments for disease. The project has also opened a doorway into genetic tinkering with the unborn. Selecting embryos that are disease free has been made possible by genetic screening. Genetic manipulation, unlike screening, may allow in the future a selection of specific traits for an unborn child. Professor Michio Kaku, writing in his 1997 book Visions, warns that there is a danger of a new eugenics emerging from genetic enhancement technology. Kaku states,
"One long-term danger for the far future is that those who are the wealthiest will be able to afford to improve their germ line, while others will not, leaving the rest of society behind, eventually creating a new biological caste system. Gregory Kavka, a philosopher at the University of California at Irvine, says, "Any such move toward genetic enhancement has the potential of reestablishing social inequality, though along new lines. Old aristocracies of birth, color, or gender may dissipate, only to be replaced by a new genetic aristocracy, or 'genotocracy.'"

"The deep fracture lines of society could become chasms if only the wealthy have access to choosing their germ line..." [1]

This scenario of a society divided by advanced genetics was also seen by the U.K. Ministry of Defense strategic trends 2007-2036 report. The report stated,
"The application of advanced genetics could challenge current assumptions about human nature and existence. Initially employed for medical purposes, breakthroughs in these areas could be put to ethically questionable uses, such as the super-enhancement of human attributes, including physical strength and sensory perception. Extreme variation in attributes could arise between individuals, or where enhancement becomes a matter of fashion, between societies, creating additional reasons for conflict." [2]

Many scientists and proponents of genetic enhancement realize that the cost of this technology will be immense. Some of them see the exorbitant cost as a eugenic policy in and of itself, as it would only allow for the "most successful generative lines" to have access to the enhancement. John Campbell of the University of California writes in his paper The Moral Imperative of Our Future Evolution,
"The costs [of genetic enhancement] will be enormous, far beyond what most people could afford. This has kept our democratic society from appreciating that these possibilities will be used and will be important. However, their feasibility cannot be judged from what the average person will be willing to pay to procreate. What matters are the resources that the most successful generative lines will be able to apply to their goals. A million dollars per conception seems a great underestimate to me for the beings who hold evolution's frontier."

"We should not imagine that people will just dabble in their evolution. Another generation will fan autoevolution into the all-consuming endeavor of the intellectuals, scientists and economists. The resources of the world probably will suddenly be shifted to this enterprise. Remaining "humans" will realize that they have been displaced from their former privileged status as the masters of destiny." [3]

Advanced genetics also offers a tool for the creation of subservient workers, though an intent to do so is met with denial. The Times Online reports that, "Aldous Huxley may have got it right. In Brave New World, his classic futuristic novel, the author envisaged a society divided into castes from Alpha at the top to Epsilon at the bottom."

The Times Online reports,
"...experiments conducted on rhesus monkeys have shown for the first time that animal behaviour can be permanently altered, turning the subjects from aggressive to “compliant” creatures."
The scientists did so by blocking the effects of a gene in the brain called D2, which cut off the link between the monkeys’ motivation and perceived reward. Humans have an identical gene. [4]

A doctor working for the project denied any attempt to modify humans into becoming slaves, saying, "Genetically manipulating people to become slaves is not in their interests, but other changes might be."

Life extension

The Ministry of Defense also identified the possible uses of life extension technologies in the aforementioned strategic report. "Dictatorial or despotic rulers" are named as being interested in acquiring such technologies.
"Developments in genetics might allow treatment of the symptoms of ageing and this would result in greatly increased life expectancy for those who could afford it. The divide between those that could afford to ‘buy longevity’ and those that could not, could aggravate perceived global inequality. Dictatorial or despotic rulers could potentially also ‘buy longevity’, prolonging their regimes and international security risks." [5]

The CIA's Global Trends 2015 also discusses life extension, stating, "Biotechnology will drive medical breakthroughs that will enable the
world’s wealthiest people to improve their health and increase their longevity dramatically..." [6]

In summary of parts 1 and 2 of this report, humanity is facing dramatic, challenging, and dire times. Techno-biological tyranny seems to be the best descriptor for what is emerging. As we move full speed ahead into the future, lessons of the past cannot be forgotten. Memories of the slavery and bondage of our ancestors as subjects of royal elites must not fade from our minds.

Citation:

Societal control through technology

[1] ] Brzezinski, Zbigniew. Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era. Penguin books, 1976

[2] "Outlook 2008". The Futurist. Nov-Dec 2007. Available at


[3] Cupp, John. "USJFCOM teams with Purdue University to add the human factor to war game simulations". United States Joint Forces Command. February 4, 2004. Available at


[4] Chaturvedi, Alok Dr. "Sentient World Simulation (SWS): A Continuously Running Model of the Real World". August 22, 2006.

[5] http://www.simulexinc.com/

[6] Baard, Mark. "Sentient world: war games on the grandest scale". The Register. June 23, 2007. Available at


[7] "Towards a Synthetic Environment for Computational Homeland Security". Available at (requires flash player)


[8] Microsoft Patent #20070300174. Available here

[9] Ibid 8.

[10] Clark, Robert. "The Panopticon". The Literary Encyclopedia. Available at


[11] Duke, Lynn. "Uniqueness lost in surveillance society". Washington Post. December 10, 2007. Available at


[12] Ibid 1.

Future Eugenics and life extension

[1] Kaku, Michio. Visions. New York, New York: Doubleday, 1997. page 257.

[2] Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre/Ministry of Defense. "The DCDC Global Strategic Trends Programme 2007-2036". January 2007. page 80.

[3] Campbell, Thomas. "The Moral Imperative of Our Future Evolution". Available at


[4] Rogers, Lois. "Scientists find way to make us slaves". Times Online. October 17, 2004. Available at


[5] Ibid 2.

[6] National Intelligence Council/Central Intelligence Agency. "Global Trends 2015: A Dialogue About the Future With Nongovernment Experts". page 9.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Kill me Kill me

Another proud moment in US history
Omar Kahdr's Interrogation Video From Guantanamo.


Preface

This video is by no means as shocking as the images all have seen of Abu Ghraib. What is particularly interesting is the
Comment section which follows the article, which is what this blog is concerned with. Please feel free to comment on the Comments.

Kahdr held in Concentration Camp for 5 years without charge.
A Canadian citizen born in Toronto, he is the youngest prisoner held in extrajudicial detention by the United States and has been frequently referred to as a child soldier.

The only Western citizen remaining in Guantanamo, Khadr is unique in that Canada has refused to seek extradition or repatriation despite the urgings of Amnesty International, UNICEF, the Canadian Bar Association and other prominent organisations.
Khadr is the only Guantanamo detainee who has faced a judge and who is not boycotting the military tribunals, and has spent six years in the Guantanamo Bay detention camps charged with war crimes and providing support to terrorism after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier.

In February 2008, the Pentagon accidentally released documents that revealed that although Khadr was present during the firefight, there was no other evidence that he had thrown the grenade. In fact, military officials had originally reported that another of the surviving militants had thrown the grenade just before being killed.

Lawyers for a Canadian prisoner at Guantanamo Bay released excerpts of videotaped interrogations Tuesday, providing a first-ever glimpse into the secretive world of questioning enemy combatants at the isolated U.S. prison in Cuba. The 10 minutes of video _ selected by Omar Khadr's Canadian lawyers from more than seven hours of footage recorded by a camera hidden in a vent _ shows a 16-year-old Khadr weeping, his face buried in his hands, during the 2003 interrogation that took place over four days.

The video, created by U.S. government agents and originally marked as secret, provides insight into the effects of prolonged interrogation and detention on the Guantanamo prisoner.
A Canadian Security Intelligence Services agent in the video grills Khadr about events leading up to his capture as an enemy combatant when he was 15. Khadr, a Canadian citizen, is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier during a 2002 firefight in Afghanistan. He was arrested after he was found in the rubble of a bombed-out compound _ badly wounded and near death.

At one point in the interrogation, Khadr pulls off his orange prisoner shirt and shows the wounds he sustained in the firefight. He complains he can't move his arms and says he had requested, but hadn't received, proper medical attention.
"They look like they're healing well to me," the agent says of the injuries. "No, I'm not. You're not here (at Guantanamo)," Khadr says. The agent later accuses Khadr of using his injuries and emotional state to avoid the interrogation.

"No, you don't care about me," Khadr says. Khadr also tells his interrogator that he was tortured while at the U.S. military detention center at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, where he was first detained after his arrest in 2002.

Later on in the tape, a distraught Khadr is seen rocking, his face in his hands.
"Help me," he sobs repeatedly in despair. On the final day, the agent tells Khadr that he was "very disappointed" in how Khadr had behaved, and tries to impress upon him that he should cooperate. Khadr says he wants to go back to Canada.

"There's not anything I can do about that," the agent says. The video is believed to be the first footage shown of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in action during its 24-year history, offering an unprecedented glimpse into its interrogation strategies. The video was made public under Canadian court orders, and released by Alberta-based lawyers Nathan Whitling and Dennis Edney a week after intelligence reports made public last week showed Khadr was abused in detention at the U.S. naval base-turned-prison on the tip of Cuba. A Department of Foreign Affairs report said Canadian official Jim Gould visited Khadr in 2004 and was told by the American military that the detainee was moved every three hours to different cells to deprive him of sleep and familiar cell mates.

The report also says Khadr was placed in isolation for up to three weeks and then interviewed again.
Whitling and Edney released the video with hopes that public reaction to the footage will prompt Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to lobby for his repatriation. "We hope that the Canadian government will finally come to recognize that the so-called legal process that has been put in place to deal with Omar Khadr's situation is grossly unfair and abusive," Whitling said. "It's not appropriate to simply allow this process to run its course.

Video can by viewed by cutting and pasting the following url in your browser.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20286.htm

Comments

The 'Conservative' (neo-con) government of Canada is determined to sacrifice and punish this young Canadian. Just listen to the contempt in the voice of the CSIS agent talking to him, representing Canada. What a bleeding shame. Siusaidh | 07.15.08 - 4:53 pm |

this is what the new world order is all about omran | 07.15.08 - 5:00 pm |

Gravatar If this is not terrorism, neither was 9/11. Al | 07.15.08 - 5:03 pm |

Most Americans and Canadians are so frightened of their own shadow that they'd want this human killed. Show this boy to a WOMAN, whether she be Russian, Japanese, German, American, British, Iraqi, Mexican, Iranian, Israeli, Nigerian or ANYTHING and she would shield this broken boy from the blows. That's what a woman is..a protecter. I bet the cowards who tortured this kid for 6 years actually laughed at his misery. picklehead | 07.15.08 - 5:03 pm |

ok. CSIS, hear my protest. not one more dime of federal income tax will i pay to support this torture. "my" government leaves me with few choices of effective civil disobedience so i'll start with the best. i hereby refuse to feed your dispicable policies. bring it on. to others who live in canada, may we all remember our "nation" is no better than the usa. we would be best served by fighting our own psychopathic elected officials and their policy enforcers before we crap on the usa "sheeple". our own compliance with torture and illegal and immoral wars demands all our attention. evelyn burch | 07.15.08 - 5:10 pm |

He wouldn't be there if he wasn't guilty. Right? Aren't they all guilty? I'm going to have to check with Condi on this one. George Bush | 07.15.08 - 5:22 pm |

A child who is; shot, kidnapped, tortured, and this is the "freedom" that is being fought for? These perverts ought to be put on sex offenders list, and jailed, what the fuck in hades is going on in US/Canada/UK? Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 5:32 pm |

How I hate the bullies who assume the right to wreck a person's life like this. It is they who should be in jail, not a teen-aged Canadian boy. Horrible, detestable bullies. Bush, Cheney, everyone in the WH, more than 95 senators, more than 400 representatives, most of the SC should all be jailed and made to feel as bad as this poor kid. Damn them all! I extend my disapproval to all 300,000 U.S. soldiers and mercenaries or however many there are - they too are criminals who should be prosecuted. GORBALT | 07.15.08 - 5:43 pm |

ok. CSIS, hear my protest. not one more dime of federal income tax will i pay to support this torture. "my" government leaves me with few choices of effective civil disobedience so i'll start with the best. i hereby refuse to feed your dispicable policies. bring it on. evelyn burch | 07.15.08 - 5:10 pm |

You will do far better to simply reduce your income so that the taxes you owe are legitimately much less than what you must normally yield to war and torture. You can make your actions known to those whom you wish to neutralize, too, and over the mounting years and decades of continuing war and sociocide you will deprive them of far more than you would with your impulsive prescription above. Good luck. GORBALT | 07.15.08 - 5:49 pm |

GORBALT: as my children are adults, i have long ago been able to reduce income and consumption substantially. my "impulsive" response to this particular outrage is my ultimate defiance to the machine. not one dime more, not a dime, is my best protest as i am willing to face their consequences at the cost of my "comfort". i don't expect to start a movement but i will clean myself of the any willing association with their shitty compromised "mission", their "war on terror", which is nothing less than imperialistic abuse of "foreign" countries and their peoples. evelyn burch | 07.15.08 - 6:09 pm |

At first, I was afraid to click on the video.Then, gradually I learned it was a child crying. 'Don't you want to stay here?' 'There is no snow'. The interrogator doesn't have a clue. jeanX | 07.15.08 - 6:24 pm |

What about Bush,the criminal gov of usa,they are guilty,and all the zionist jews,america,canada,uk,germany,france are all control by zionist,next will be the CRISTIAN people. nic | 07.15.08 - 6:25 pm |

Listen Up, NSA<> William Dean: Kelley Sovereign | 07.15.08 - 6:25 pm |

It is very tragic. Child soldiers are simply pawns who are abused/used by adults to fight their wars. Who will speak against the use of torture? Who will speak up for the homeless, hungry, poor, and weak? Canada has lost its conscience and its ability to take the high road in world affairs. Harper and Bush are neocons who have no morality. Shame. Shame. Shame. anonymous | 07.15.08 - 6:34 pm |

i could not watch the entire thing.... THIS is what level of depravity our country has fallen to... today yet another hearing on torture this time with the pompus outraged imoral shithead douglas feith demanding all of this crap was within the legal boundries of geneva.... and there sat old man conyers taking up space gathering up yet more of the illegalities this scum administration has done.... then goes back to his office to stare dazedly a the mold growing papers of impeachment and the now dust collecting ones for the idiot.... i believe that when the war crimes tribunals begin, he [conyers] should be one of the first to be charged for aiding and abetting, allowing all of this crap to go undealt with for YEARS.... perhaps if he spent more time doing his job instead of writing books such as the constitution in crisis, which by the way lays out most of the impeachable offenses, he would actually acomplish something other than growing mold in between his dense ears or collecting dust which is settling into the cobwebs of his mind...... come on people....send him thousands of copies of this video... call his office and put fear into his warped brain..... EACH SEAT IN THE HOUSE IS UP FOR GRABS IN NOVEMBER INCLUDING CONYERS.... make him sweat, make him squirm, but demand he do his fucking job; conyers office rayburn building 202-225-5126 fax 202- 225-0072 detroit office 313-226-2085 trenton michigan office 734-675-4218 he is the major obsticle in impeachment...he alone holds the keys alan stuart | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 6:37 pm |

william dean..... bravo, well said.... alan stuart | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 6:40 pm |

Here is a link to an open letter I wrote to PM Harper: http://www.orato.com/podium/2008...omar-khadr- home john hatch | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 6:40 pm | # Gravatar he is not saying 'Help Me!' he is saying 'Kill Me!' Fuck you American savages! Zipperhead | 07.15.08 - 6:59 pm |

This is sickening! WHY have the Canadian people allowed this to continue for so long? The excuse, that it has happened because Canada currently has a "right wing" Federal Government / Prime Minister, does not absolve individual and collective Canadians from a part in this. Shame on you! When I lived in Canada, for several years, I thought you were more like New Zealanders than you were like your neighbours to the South ... (AotearoaNZ has NOT joined GW Bush's so called "war on terror" ... despite veiled threats!) PLEASE, each and every one of you, get out there and DO SOMETHING to get that poor, naive, VERY young man HOME! eredwen of Aotearoa NZ | 07.15.08 - 7:06 pm |

fuck that smug piece of shit asking the questions. Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 7:06 pm |

Child soldiers are simply pawns who are abused/used by adults to fight their wars. anonymous | 07.15.08 - 6:34 pm |

On what basis do you assert this child was a soldier? After the initial attacks on Afghanistan, the bounty for any "Taliban" was $2500, and for any "foreign Taliban" ranging from $5000, to $25000. This kid most probably was picked up and sold as a "Foreign Taliban". The whole affair stinks, and so far the story has not been given the coverage to clarify the facts, which ave resulted in myths, being peddled as facts. this boy was shot at point blank, in the chest, and post the live autopsy in Bagram, he was sent to Gitmo. Those perverts in the lieu of covering their crimes by finding scapegoats, and parading these poor unfortunate bastards in the usual "two minutes hate" sessions to keep the proletariat in check. This child was not a soldier, we are told he was fighting, but where, how, and when are all Jessica Lynched yet again. In fifty years time the truth will be known, fat lot of good that is going to do the poor bastards whom were mangled while the hysteria was reigning supreme. The war criminals have perverted the law itself, and there seems no end to the nightmare. There are no fucking railway lines to Gitmo, so there is no holocaust then. Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 7:07 pm |

Zipperhead | 07.15.08 - 6:59 pm | #, You are right. The .. What is there to say? ... animals, savages........ Cannot type for tears. Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 7:09 pm |

If I were an American, I would leave. If you are an American visiting or living here (Australia) - and support Bush. You are not welcome - F off. You'll spend your vacation in intensive care. I have no doubt that I speak for over a hundred nations. No Mercy | 07.15.08 - 7:24 pm |

"he is not saying 'Help Me!' he is saying 'Kill Me!' Fuck you American savages!" - Zipperhead. Hey Zed. While I couldn't agree more with you on the "Fuck you" and "savages" remarks, you may well want to remember that in this instance, American savages were ably abetted by some of our very own home-grown Canadian savages. CSIS and the RCMP hold an equal amount of guilt when it comes to what Khader is suffering today. But hell, it is a small price to pay to allow Harper to play in the 'bigs'. Canada earned her nationhood in the horrors of the first world war. Cemented it in the second. And lost it through the offices of Mulrooney, Martin and now Harper. They sold our nation and us, down the Mississippi river. The True North Strong and Free? Hardly. 'True' no longer these days; 'Strong' only because we have abjured our national responsibility in favour of the protective arms of the USSA; And 'Free'? You decide. rgl | 07.15.08 - 7:30 pm |

In spite of the poor choice of words used above, I have to agree with Anonymous 7:06pm. Was this clip made public because the terrorist interrorgators thought it seemed benign? There is nothing benign about an arrogant thug smugly asking questions of a beaten, tortured, maimed, an oppressed young man. Wielding weapons against defenseless civilians does not make the interrogator superior to the victim. On the contrary, the victim is the courageous hero. The interrogator is cowardly vermin. Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 7:32 pm |

"He wouldn't be there if he wasn't guilty. Right? Aren't they all guilty? I'm going to have to check with Condi on this one." - George Bush. May fate grant me one wish: to meet George Bu$h in a dark alley one day. rgl | 07.15.08 - 7:32 pm |

Omar haveing a picnic when you compare him to somali child called Shidane Arone,when canadian soldiers took him to their Barracks early in the evening and started a party and then began to tourtue him and kill him little by little in a very painful way. Any of you Ladies and Gentleman remember? A-T | 07.15.08 - 7:33 pm |

"Any of you Ladies and Gentleman remember?" - A-T Yes. I remember. I also remember that Pte Brown served five whole years for this. MCpl Matchee is still managing to avoid prosecution due to mental infirmary. Yes, I remember that we too, have our 'savages'. rgl | 07.15.08 - 7:37 pm |

Sadly, Canada is supposed to fall for the msm spin around this abysmal situation. torture is wrong--BUT, I noticed that Khadr stated he could not move his arms--but later in the video he was raising them over his head etc. If this man(he is not a child--he was 15 at the time of his alleged murder of a medic) is Canadian why was he over in Afghanistan? He was there for no good. He was there with his father and brother. As a Canadian I don't want this man back in Canada. If you are Canadian, Canada is your country, not the one you or your parents left to come here. Remember Air India? Well, over 300 people were blown out of the air by a bomb on board. Why? Because the idiots that we let into our country carried on their war against their 'homeland', and they blew up the plane to make a point. Either you are Canadian or you are not. I for one do not want to be a country of convenience for killers--no matter their age. We have too many killers walking the streets already. We have thousands of missing refugees and immigrants who were ordered deported but they ran. Why import another one--even if he says he is Canadian(he was born here) he obviously would rather fight for his 'homeland, not Canada. We ar enot a haven for this behaviour. We don't want him back. I am amazed how many of you have fallen for the propaganda of the msm and the Liberals. Remember, the Liberals did not hep Bill Sampson when he was tortured and sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia--and he was innocent! It took the Brits to free him. George | 07.15.08 - 7:39 pm |

George ... You are a fool. And a dangerous one at that. Did you miss the part where it was mentioned that there is NO EVIDENCE that Khader threw the grenade for which he is now paying the price of lost youth, and a mental trauma that may or may not ever heal. You were there then, to see this (then) child do the things he is accused of doing? You can state categorically that Khader went to Afghanistan to kill Americans? Seems even his accusers are changing their story. You have the same sense of twisted justice that exists south of the border. Why bother with truth when we can just hang him and be done with it? What if someone were to say you should have YOUR citizenship revoked for being an idiot? Your answer would be ... ? You are every bit as xenophobic, moronic, and utterly brain-dead as the authors of this mess. And btw, you do NOT speak for me. So shut the fuck up with that 'we' crap. I want this man HOME. And I hope he successfully sues the American AND Canadian governments for all he can get. It still would not make up for the things he endured. rgl | 07.15.08 - 7:53 pm |

How many of the commentators on this site are willing to take up arms to neutralize the fucking Zionists and right-wing bastards in the USA, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and Israel ? Writing is nothing but an exercise in futility. The only language these bastards understand is force - force directed against them and their loved ones. The Zionists and right-wing bastards should be eliminated from the face of this Earth. moshe dyan | 07.15.08 - 7:56 pm |

The tragedy of this story is that this young man, because of his parent's association with a violent and barbaric religion, never had a chance to live a normal life. He is obviously broken and beyond repair, and while his situation is horrific and cruel it is a consequence of the murderous ideals he was brainwashed by. That his father is dead and will have no other children to throw into the empty pit of religion is something we all ought to be thankful for. Omar himself would probably be better off dead at this point; he'll always be a danger to himself and everyone around him. It's heart-wrenchingly sad to see him suffer, but it is time we started looking at situations like this and ask ourselves, "Why is this happening?" Is it because Americans are harsh and cruel? Is it because Muslims are all barking-mad terrorists? NO. It is because religion preys upon the weak and the malleable among us, and gives rise to the worst aspects of our human nature, and turns young men like Omar into warriors for a non-existent god, willing to take life, and to offer his own, in praise of a lie. Jon | 07.15.08 - 7:58 pm |

Jon: Have you ever read the Quran? It is abundantly clear from your drivel that you have never read the Quran, visited a Muslim country, nor associated with Muslims. Islam is a religion of peace. It's the fastest growing religion in the USA, and there are more Muslims in the world than Jews and Christians combined. Despite your warped ideas about Islam, Islam teaches tolerance and respect for all peoples and faiths. You are a nitwit. moshe dyan | 07.15.08 - 8:09 pm |

All Blood money changers and war mongers along with polititions that sell their country out and harm their people as well as the people in other countrys they attack and occupy all of them should be hunted like the rodents they are and shot on sight. Somday soon the people of the world will have had enough and then let the turkey shoot begin. another old US vet | 07.15.08 - 8:13 pm |

Question: Where is "home". I seem to have lost it. My home was so beautiful - good people - nice cops who gave a damn how the neighborhood kids were -Boy Scouts. Girl Scouts, CAP, Church on Sundays if you were Christian and how interesting you were were you not. Dogs playing in the sandlots while their masters played baseball or were down on their knees playing marbles. The big guys tinkering with their hotrods, girls with curlers in their hair trying on new nail polish. Open air concerts, the Salvation Army band, the VFW parade, the Feast of St. Anthony, jitterbugging, the lindy...yes, even the Mafia with their handouts to poor kids on the fourth of July and other Saints holidays. What black hole swallowed up all of this which made us proud to be American and proud to be living here? You tell me, my goombas, where did the happy and free go? It sure aint here now. We are slaves. Marion | 07.15.08 - 8:13 pm |

WOW Marion you just said exactly what I feel and miss when growing up in coney island Brooklyn... another old US vet | 07.15.08 - 8:15 pm | # Gravatar "How many of the commentators on this site are willing to take up arms to neutralize the fucking Zionists and right-wing bastards in the USA, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and Israel ?" - moshe dyan. Moshe, I spent almost 12 years of my adult life as a bullet-dispenser (soldier, Canadian Army). From Europe to the Middle East, from the North Pole to damned near the South I have been, and may I impart to you the one single lesson I learned over that entire period? You can't solve anything with violence. The only way we as a species are going to survive on any level greater than that of a cockroach is through education. It is impossible to beat, kick, torture, or shoot the bigotry, racism, and hate out of anybody. Including the zio-religious-fuckwits. The only time I will use a weapon on anybody, is to prevent harm befalling my kids (or me, for that matter). The root problem here is not that these rightwing nutcases exist, but that far too many people do not believe that they exist. I disagree entirely with your premise that "Writing is nothing but an exercise in futility". Just look at how much (harm) is accomplished through the one book most published and read the world over ... the bible. No, my friend, only when we learn that everybody's blood is the same colour will we be able to look at each other as equals. None inferior, or superior to others. Put down your weapon. Pick up your pen, or keyboard, and tell people what you know. If you speak the truth, people WILL listen. And learn. rgl | 07.15.08 - 8:21 pm |

Moshe--have you ever read the Talmud??? If you think the Koran is deadly, try reading that some time. I wrote that Khadr should not be returned to Canada. His actions are the direct result of the collusion of the West with israel. But he is destroyed and he must be kept away from citizens no matter where he is kept. I do not care for the US/Israel/Canada actions but we have to be realistic. If he is brought back to Canada he will be loosed against the population. That is what we do in Canada. Criminals have rights here, victims and the innocent do not. When does one become responsible for their own actios? PM Chretien was instrumental in having Khadr's father released from prison in, I think, Egypt, and we see the end results. The father was killed in Afghanistan and the sons were imprisoned. Sad, but it is done, and the innocent of Canada should not have to pay for this. Actually, his loud-mouthed mother should be locked up too. She is as vicious as the father was. George | 07.15.08 - 8:22 pm | # Gravatar This poor dumb boy. If his parents only had the sense to stay home. Good people stay home you know. Indiana John | 07.15.08 - 8:25 pm |

To another old US Vet; Try Port Chester, New York Marion (a US old vet's wife). Marion | 07.15.08 - 8:32 pm |

Hi Marions husband... WW2 japan occuoation and Korea... YOU? another old US vet | 07.15.08 - 8:39 pm |

@ Mary; Not slaves. Slaves have feelings for one another. More like Flesh and blood robots bred to believe anything is OK if your your boss says so and your paid a wage to carry out orders. From mass destruction, bloody genocide to maiming innocents and imprisonment of children and otherwise harmless people. For any real justice, the tables need to be turned on those guilty of such inhuman activity. Particularly the Capitalists who sponser such or officials who refuse to act appropriately. Such as Canada's complicit scum. Go to; http://www.worldsocialism.org for a real world solution. . Bill Johnson | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 8:40 pm |

This boy has been held since he was 16 years ago. From what we know, he was not involved in any act of violence. And even if he was one who resisted our violence and cruelty, he should be treated as a boy soldier. As a growing body of Americans are realizing, we Americans are making the Nazis look like boy scouts. Our business community is funding and sponsoring murder and robbery throughout the world. Like General Smedley Butler said in 1934, we are gangsters. Every American is guilty of these crimes against the nations of the world. As we sit quietly in our homes, watching a sitcom or reality television, 500,000 Iraqi children died. Economic hit men are working around the world to enslave whole nations. The World Bank is knowingly involved in economic crimes, The CIA is undermining true democracy worldwide. Assassins (jackals) on order from our greedy corporate community orchestrates the murders of those foreign leaders who refuse to cooperate with them. We are the scourge of the earth. james sherman | 07.15.08 - 8:41 pm |

"Islam is a religion of peace. It's the fastest growing religion in the USA, and there are more Muslims in the world than Jews and Christians combined. Despite your warped ideas about Islam, Islam teaches tolerance and respect for all peoples and faiths. You are a nitwit." - moshe dyan. It matters not that we are talking about Islam, Christianity, Judaism (spelling?). Jon's point is, I think, the damage caused when a large portion of the world ascribe to the fairy-tale that is religion. Regardless of how tolerant or eloquent a particular religion may, or may not be. It is still a fairy tale. All religion, with the possible exception of Buddism, is about control. And in the case of Xianity, wealth amassment. There are some, I repeat some, good ideas in these writings, but regardless of how good peter pan makes you feel, is this cartoon character deserving of worship?? Well, neither are the rest of these made-up, pretend people. Whose god is real? Islam will say Mohammed, (ok, a Prophet), for the xtians it is the holy trinity. A fictional arrangement, btw, instigated by the Roman Emperor Justinian through the five councils of Nicea. Only one can be right. Right? So. Who is right? Can you sing 'My god is better than your god, my god is better than yours ... my god is better ... ... because I said so, said the priest. rgl | 07.15.08 - 8:44 pm |

"...the innocent of Canada should not have to pay for this." Absolutely right. And as I mentioned before, it is becoming clearer and clearer that Khader IS INNOCENT!! Can you get that through the brick you call a head?? Yet you would punish him further. If we are going to arbitrarily revoke citizenship here, my vote is to revoke yours. You'd make an ideal yank. rgl | 07.15.08 - 8:49 pm |

i am sixty-five years old and a first generation american. my father came to the united states as a little baby in 1903. my grandfather and great grandfather deserted the russian army in 1903 during the russo-japanese war. they packed up the entire family and moved to america. they came to this country for the same three reasons that most other immigrants did. they were opposed to war, religious persecution and low economic opportunites. the most prosperous decade of the twentieth century was the first. there was no federal income tax, no centralized banking system, no war against drugs, and almost anyone who emmigrated here was allowed to enter. the united states averaged a seven percent growth rate, one percent inflation rate and two percent unemployment rate per annum during the decade. during the second decade the united states government entered into the first world war, started the income and created the federal reserve banking system. in the third decade the united states and most of the rest of the world was plunged into an economic depression. it seems to me that purpose for creating this country was being thrown out. throughout history the united states was the only nation that had a successful revolution that was based on the principle of liberty. our forefathers sacrificed their fortunes in order to finance this grand experiment. they created a place where people could live peacably without force as long as they did not advocate force or violence against others, in order to obtain their goals. somewhere and somehow the principle of individual liberty has been tossed out in favor of democratically elected thuggery. i believe that what has happened to this man is deplorable. it is absurd. i believe that the crux of the problem is that the government is ruled by elitist who's undertones give the image of compassion, but in reality these meglamaniacs want to dominate and control people. real change will come about when individuals take responsibilty for their own actions. it will take a long-term effort in order to combat the brainwashing that the elitist have used in order to control the masses. i am a long-term optomist. these types of heinous deeds will eventually end. expecting the politicians to do the right thing is like asking a wild hungry wolf to guard the hen house. we can all envision the consequences of that scenario. teach a man to fish and you can help him to alleviate his hunger. teach a man to be responsible for himself and he will succeed beyond his wildest dreams. wars, slavery, taxes and government controls always lead to disaster. whether a person is elected, appointed or annointed will always end in the same type of situation we are in now. most of us have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. if we truly want to spread peace and prosperity, then we have to start living it ourselves. gary marcus | 07.15.08 - 8:52 pm |

@ rgl | 07.15.08 - 8:21 pm I fully concur with your position on violence. The working-class can bring the world to order by refusing to act against their own class interests to bring about a money-less production for USE economy to democratically satisfy the needs of all humanity. Not the class divided society and conflicts Capitalism generates at present as in the past. . Bill Johnson | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 8:57 pm |

@ james sherman ... "You'd make an ideal yank." - me. James, I owe you a wee apology. In a previous post I suggested that an idiot move to the states because he would "...make an ideal yank". I should have inserted the word rabid, because I realize that not all Americans are ... anti-civilization. My slur was, and is, intended for those yanks who still believe in, would vote for, and adore Bu$h. Still far too many of those ... rgl | 07.15.08 - 8:59 pm |

rgl: "...It is impossible to beat, kick, torture, or shoot the bigotry, racism, and hate out of anybody..." Your non-violent approach to conflict resolution is understandable and admirable, but mass murderers are not dissuaded by love and respect. In light of the fact that the war in Iraq was instigated and promoted by about 10 rabid Zionists at AIPAC and The American Enterprise Institute, neutralization of those mass murderers would have averted the war against Iraq and saved the lives of over 1 million innocent Iraqis. Suffice it to say, the same mass murderers are attempting to inflict the same horrific fate on Iran. moshe dyan | 07.15.08 - 9:01 pm |

Who committed these crimes against this boy? I suspect that "Americans" and Israelis did. Canadians! Don't turn into chickenshits like we did. Demand the safe and immediate return of your countryman. Michael Emmons | 07.15.08 - 9:10 pm |

"In light of the fact that the war in Iraq was instigated and promoted by about 10 rabid Zionists at AIPAC and The American Enterprise Institute, neutralization of those mass murderers would have averted the war against Iraq and saved the lives of over 1 million innocent Iraqis." - Moshe Dyan. I would counter you with the statement that 'if more people were aware of the evil that is possible in any government, indeed were aware of the evils that have already been committed in their name, perhaps enough people would have been motivated to stand up then, and say enough is enough.' My point is that if the knowledge base was big enough at the time, perhaps the environment for the US/Israeli/whoever attack on the towers may never have come off. The only entity that should be authorized to use deadly force should be the (completely revamped) United Nations. Moshe, I do not for a minute believe that there will never be 'demons to slay' to use an Adamism. But unilaterism can only result in the deadly messes we presently have in Iraq and Afghanistan. No nation should be permitted to make unilateral war. rgl | 07.15.08 - 9:13 pm |

Moshe .. addendum to my last "No nation should be permitted to make unilateral war." That goes for the individual as well. rgl | 07.15.08 - 9:16 pm |

rgl: God is one and mankind is a single nation. Our diversity is a manifestation of the greatness of the creator. We must neutralize the handful of mass murderers among us, for the greater good of humanity. moshe dyan | 07.15.08 - 9:20 pm |

"...it seems to me that purpose for creating this country was being thrown out. throughout history the united states was the only nation that had a successful revolution that was based on the principle of liberty." - gary marcus. Gary, first off, I think those Frenchmen what stormed the Bastille just may have a problem with your assertation that the US was the only successful revolution in history. Second, as a First Nations/Indigenous/Native, or whatever the politically correct term-du-jour is, I have a problem with your assertation that you had a revolution 'based on the principle of liberty'. Never mind that that 'liberty' came at the cost of the eradication of approximately 10 million of my forebears. Can ethnic-cleansing and liberty be used in the same sentence? I think not. It always cracks me up to hear a revisionist state the Europeans discovered America. We already knew it was here. You simply had to ask. rgl | 07.15.08 - 9:25 pm |

Moshe ... I will not take part in a conversation about fairy tales. They serve no purpose. rgl | 07.15.08 - 9:28 pm |

Not all Americans support what our government has done. George Bush is not normal - he is a greedy and heartless thing - not an animal because they don't do things like this. What really scares me is that there are so many people that feel like he does. I'm ashamed of what we have let our government do for oil and religion. Who would Jesus torture? Chris | 07.15.08 - 9:37 pm |

"...mankind is a single nation." - Moshe Dyan This, however, I have no problem agreeing with. rgl | 07.15.08 - 9:40 pm |

I saw this vid a few hours ago and my anger and disgust still haven't abated. Yes I too remember Shidane Arone. I remember the atrocities committed by Canadians, Italians, and Belgians. I remember the corpses and the trophy parts Canadians collected. I never could forget the photograph of the two smiling Belgian soldiers holding a young girl over an open fire. I remember the measures adopted by the Gvt of Canada in the wake of these events: http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdp-h...cs/cat/ fd_e.cfm How hollow they seem! What meaningless Canadian bacon bullshit! Oh, and lest I forget. What's your commitment to these worth Canada and fellow Canadians? http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdp-h...ait/ human_e.cfm Disgusting! T. Anonymous | 07.15.08 - 9:48 pm |

The above was mine. T. Turtle | 07.15.08 - 9:50 pm |

USA, Canada, Nazi Germany, what is the difference? None that I know of... Ompapa | Homepage | 07.15.08 - 9:54 pm |

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