April 27, 2024

A Chief

Shortly after 9/11, I conducted the last in a series of four interviews with Chief Paul Waterman of the Onondaga Nation, the Fire Keepers of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy). Below are two questions and answers:


Q: What do you think about the backlash against Arab Americans and against Islam?
CPW: Look at what they did to my family, the Susquehannas? Sullivan went down the river to find Onondagas and Mohawks. He couldn't find any, so he killed people who looked and talked like the people he was after.
What do I think? I don't think that anyone who kills innocent people because of their language or religion is a hero. .......

Q: President Bush has referred to the "evil doers." What do you think about this?
CPW: Well, he's the same way. Those people in Afghanistan are poor and miserable. They suffer when bombs kill their parents, and hurt when bullets kill their children. So, even if Bush believes what he is doing is right, he has to commit evil acts to achieve his goals.
But he can't stop. The other guy won't. And when they do kill bin Laden, someone else will take his place. .......

Q: Speaking of land, what do you think of a homeland for the Palestinians?
CPW: They own land. They always have. There is nough land for them and the Jews. This conflict isn't just about land. It's about who controls the land that produces money. It's not about religion. The Creator isn't taking sides in a conflict over money.

April 24, 2024

Strawberry Statements vs Zombies

I watch the news, I read the internet, I needed a break. So I look at two choices -- either James Simon Kunen's 1969 "The Strawberry Statement" or some of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s later essays -- before walking out on my lawn. I sit in my late father's outdoor rocking chair, and read King describe his reaction to the violence abroad and in the streets of America.

My attempt to avoid the news is as feeble as an addict trying to not get a fix, I realize as I come back inside. I have a television and computer. "It was the first day of the defendant's criminal trial," I say to the dog. "Just a quick peak can't hurt." Sure. Just a hit of Stephen Colbert. But that leads to more coverage of war and the protests on campuses.

As much as I do not like war, I am in favor of helping the Ukraine defeat the Russian invasion into their territory. I consider Putin to be a cruel man, promoting death and the destruction of human lives. Likewise, I understood the need for Israel to respond to the October 7 terrorist attack. I remember hearing several Israeli officials saying it was their 9/11.

After 9/11, I understood why the US would bomb Tora Bora in an attempt to kill those responsible for planning the attack on the US. But I did not favor occupying Afghanistan. Or Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11. Or kissing the asses of those in Saudi Arabia that financed it, or pretending that Pakistan didn't play a role. Still, bombing Tora Bora seemed logical.

I am pro-Israel. But I am anti-Netanyahu. I consider him a cruel man, promoting death and the destruction of human lives. Being opposed to him is, in my opinion, like being against the last guy who was president of the US before Joe Biden. Indeed, I think he is damaging Israel as a member of the global community, and that he is attempting to help the defendant's campaign by hurting President Biden.

Many good people I know are aghast while watching the news coverage of what is going on in Gaza. This coverage is not coming from Russia, Iran, or Hamas. It's from the major American news sources. When I see apologists explaining that it is fine if thousands of Palestinian children are killed, and thousands more being starved, they've not only lost people like me, they have lost a big part of their humanity.

I am troubled by the tone of campus protests that include jackasses spouting anti-Semitism. I'm angry when I see that Jewish students are being threatened. Should there be a protest at one of the colleges/ universities near me, I will go to try to protect Jewish students and faculty in the non-violent manner taught and practiced by Gandhi and King. I know the potential consequences, but am not afraid to confront hatred.

I turn off the television, and again look to a book shelf. I see Nicholas Schaffner's 1978 book, "The Beatles Forever." It includes documentation of right-wing nonsense about Soviet think tanks behind the group, writing songs for Lennon and McCartney in science labs that found the secret to "mind control" -- it wasn't the LSD that our military had thought had potential, it was the Beatles. Especially Ringo, gosh darn him.

I remember that LBJ and Nixon were convinced that it was the Soviet Union behind the protests for Civil Rights and the anti-war movement. They ordered the FBI to investigate and find proof. After all, Arlo Guthrie even spoke of the "last guy" wanting to invite Chairman Mao and Uncle Ho to dinner. In Congressional hearings post-Watergate, we learned that more than the FBI were following people like Malcolm X and Dr. King. I'd wager more than a few of us from my generation could tell stories.

Today, I see where otherwise intelligent people are saying that Russia, Iran, and Hamas are behind the college protests. As proof, they note that not all participants are students. I will speculate that they haven't read "The Strawberry Statement," James Michener's 1971 book, "Kent State: What Happened and Why," or my 2008 interview for DU with Mark Rudd. There are almost always "outside agitators" at protests on campuses. There are enough people in the United States who engage in these activities that there is no need to turn to paranoid conspiracy theories for answers.

Russia did play a role in the 2016 election. Note that the FBI and other intelligence agencies, as well as the DOJ, documented this. I'm sure it happened in 2020, and will in 2024. But that is distinct from an anti-war protest. There is a dangerous rise in the tide of anti-Semitism in this country.

April 16, 2024

The Meaning of Words

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean ——neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master ——that's all."
-- Lewis Carroll; Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There/Chapter VI


A young person asked me why the defendant's legal team does not attempt an "insanity defense" in his criminal trials? I said because any qualified person evaluating him would conclude that he is not mentally ill -- rather, he is a sociopath who knows right from wrong, and delights in breaking social norms and laws.

As I handed her the money to pay for my new Rx, she asked me how they determine if a person is insane? I explained there was a ruling in England in the mid-1800s about a hit before her great grandmother was born, though she was born a long, long time ago. A man named M'Naghten believed that catholic priests and tories were a threat to his safety. To protect himself, he decided to kill the Prime Minister, but mistakenly killed another man. His attorney convinced the jury M'Naghten did not know right from wrong, so he was found "not guilty." But he was held in a mental institution for the rest of his days.

A federal court decision in the mid-1950s known as the Durham Rule held that there were inadequate tests -- including M'Naghten -- that could determine if a defendant was "criminally insane." Because Durham was ill-defined, and left the door open to using addiction as a form of insanity, it was put to sleep after about twenty years. In modern times, the Model Penal Code test has been largely used, which reduces the number of successful insanity defenses.

The only option the defendant's legal team might have gone with is the Irresistible Impulse Test, which holds that though a mental illness does not keep the accused from knowing right from wrong, they just can't help themselves. But since the defendant in this case is using his legal woes as his presidential campaign and fund-raiser, I asked, would such an attempted defense not reduce his support in both areas?

"No," she said with knitted brow. "They are like 'sovereign citizens.' You can't reason with them. They will support him no matter what." She shook her head as she handed me the Rx and my change. Then she smiled and said, "I hope you feel better." Being old, I lifted the bag of medicine, and said, "With this, it's sure to get better. Can't get much worse than now."

On the drive home, I was thinking about a case where a judge was concerned about a sovereign citizen's ability to help his lawyer in his defense. During a pre-trial hearing, the judge quoted from chapter six of "Through the Looking Glass." Maybe, I thought, we are entering a time where new definitions are to be made. Then, suddenly, I understood that I needed to keep my eyes on the road and my hands upon the wheel.

April 14, 2024

Here Comes the Sun

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." -- Anne Bradstreer


I read some people's thoughts on how many maga people might be outside of the courtroom on Monday. They will be tiny orange buttons on a large paisley shirt that will pop off as the criminal trial of the former president gets underway once the jury is seated.There will be, of course, media coverage of the crowds that gather.

More important will be who is inside the courtroom. Obviously, the defendant, the lawyers on both sides, and Stormy Daniels. But there is more. Several people who the defendant despises will be seated in the audience, smiling at the defendant. A psychological profile of the defendant, focusing largely on his behaviors in court, suggest this will increase the chances of his acting out.

At first, this may be limited to when he leaves court, as well as his late night posts on the internet. But eventually he will have difficulty staying quiet when two of the witnesses take the stand to testify against him. We know his legal team will attack Cohen on cross-examination, but that will be more difficult with Ms. Hicks.

With both witnesses, the defendant will think they have betraued him, which increases the chances of his acting out. Add to that his fear of their testimony that supports the D.A.'s other evidence.

As always, the defendant has said he will testify. While the chances of this are remote, one can hope that he actually does. But the chances of his taking the witness stand are near zero. Thus, he will try to make a statement without ever taking the stand. The judge will deny this, until he has the right to speak at sentencing.

Now, I know some people are wondering if the documents case will be heard before the preliminary fights end and the main event (WW3) officially begins. Since the Las Vegas oddsmakers haven't addressed that question yet, I'll limit my comments to the document case.

I know that many good people question if Mr. Smith should try to have Judge Cannon removed. Her most recent response to Mr. Smith's filing concerning the "PRA defense" is viewed as evidence of her favoring the defendant -- who is not charged with violating the PRA. An associate told me that it is important to recognize that Cannon is "not the sharpest knife in her drawers." She suggested people think about the glaring error she made in her infamous jury questionaire.

Mr. Smith and his team, she said, always have charted every possible motion by the defendant's legal team, and every ruling that Cannon may make. More, they prepare an outline of their response options for every possibility. In order to be assured of a positive ruling from the 11th Circuit, they need more than her potentially giving the defendant a "PRA defense" once the trial is underway.

Hence, Mr. Smith will submit a motion in limine, requesting that Cannon not allow the defense to introduce evidence about the PRA. Cannon will deny the motion by late May. Then Mr. Smith goes to the 11th Circuit, which will overrule her, and may replace her on the case.

April 7, 2024

Jumping DJ

If you start at about 2 minutes in on this, it details the defendant attempting to nicjname himseld "Honest Don." This was approximately three weeks ago. I saw three clips on the news where he described himself as such. Each time, his facial expression had the satisfaction common among sociopaths when they think they have gotten over.

I had hoped that Seth Meyers would have researched this a bit more, until I recognized that he wasn't old enough to be familiar with the reference. I'm not only old enough to recognize it, but have invested the three minutes it took me to get these links. Add to that my understanding of the sociopathic mind, and I have a brief OP that I think is factual.

As a boy, the defendant's favorite cartoon was "Beany and Cecil." This featured a character called "Dishonest John," an imitation of Dudley Do-Right's enemy Snidely Whiplash on "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." The defendant reportedly loved Dishonest John, because the character reminded him of his father.



When the Mattel games "Jumping DJ" came out in 1962, the defendant would play it for hours. Since he had few friends and always cheated, he ended up playing it by himself.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/348043877450563091/

There is a rumor that the defendant wanted one of the Bobbleheads he is peddling to reflect his love of, and identification with, Dishonest John.

April 5, 2024

Light & Darkness

“A coward afraid of light is more coward than a coward afraid of darkness!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan


There are certain people that I listen closely to, including the gentleman quoted above. I first became aware of him from his biography of Gandhi. Generally speaking, when this happens, my friends and associates put up with my insisting, "You need to read this."

Over the past two decades, this has come to include pointing out the writings of certain community members to my friends and associates who "lurk" here from time to time. One example is Botany, who has added value to DU as long as I can remember. Here is an imporant example:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18830454

There are, of course, different levels of cowardice. The defendant is at the lowest level, because he fears light being shined on his criminal behaviors. He attempts to delay this in court, and to distract the public with his rants. Including in these rants, of course, are the dog whistles meant to either intimdate his targets of abuse, or to signal to his unhinged followers to harm the target ...... exactly what we see in Botany's article.

We know the defendant self-identifies as the "don" of his organized crime family. Until 2020, his daughter Ivanka served as the underboss, or deputy director of white collar crime. Michael Cohen had served as consigliere for about a decade before the defendant took the White House. Next in line are the caporegimes, who are in charge of about 15 to 20 soldiers. Since 2021, the son known as defendant, junior has attempted to replace Ivanka, including by greasing his hair in an attempt to ape his fantasy version of a mobser.

It is important to recognize that pre=presidency, only three of these characters had actual dealings with the mob: the defendant, Ivanka, and Cohen. Junior and Eric certainly encountered the real deal, but did not have authority to make any important business dealings. Becausethe defendant, Ivanka, and Cohen were limited to domestic mobsters, in 2016 they brought in Paul Manafort.

Thus, when Russian "lawyer" Natalia Veselnitskaya sought the June 16, 2016 meeting at Defendant Tower, Junior was not capable of making deals on his own. He brought in Ivanka's shadow Jared, and Paul Manafort -- since Paul had more international criminal contacts than the sum total of the defendant's family organization.

It would be Manafort's connections to Russian organized crime/ military intelligence that put the defendant in the White House. In the jungle, Malcolm X taught, there are hunters, and those who hunt the hunters. We witnessed the hunters of hunters when Robert Mueller indicted thirty four individuals and three companies, including five of the defendant's associates and campaign officials.

Mr. Mueller disrupted the defendant's "indirect" ties to Russian crime/intelligence. Cohen, when he realized that loyalty was a one-way street leading to the defendant, would help disrupt some of the domestic ties. It's not that Russia did not attempt to assist the defendant in 2020, just as they are in 2024. Putin still seeks the defendant to be a caporegime, in charge of white collar crime, the end of support for Ukraine, and the destruction of the rule of law in the United States. But he recognizes that the defendant is unlikely to win an election.

After his crushing defeat in the 2020 election, the defendant was in a hurry to have 60+ court cases heard. This did not result in success on his part, and so the planning for January 6 began to take shape. The quality of the defendant's operation was rather low when compared to actual intelligence operations, as it depended on "has beens" and "never was" individuals prone to having oil leak down their faces. The actual insurrection depended upon milia groups, and while destructive, it was a failure.

More than 1,230 of the maga troops have been indicted on federal charges. Around 859 cases have been adjudicated, with about 500 resulting in prison sentences. Thus, try as he might, the defendant will find the militia members will "stand down and stand by" in November. This leaves him with a loud, nasty mouth that spouts threats, hoping that the unhinged "lone wolf pups" will protect him.

The coward does not want his crimes to be subjected to light. Our job is to shine light upon them.