Montana wackiness

During my tenure in Montana, two groups drew national deadlines – the Church Universal Triumphant, which to this day owns substantial acreage in Paradise Valley near the Gardiner entrance to Yellowstone National Park, and the Freemen.

CUT I written off to human susceptibility to religious indoctrination. They were end-timers, and built shelters to protect them as the final war raged on outside. When it didn’t happen, some came to their senses.

CUT activities are far less harmful than those of television preachers who scam people out of billions annually, and legally. The bomb shelters still exist, some converted to homes. The valley is still largely intact, just as when I spent so many days driving through there with my Dad as he installed the Cecil’s Cafe sign in Gardiner. Overall, from a standpoint of effects on the landscape, I would give CUT an A-minus. The people of CUT, one-on-one, are nice, just as are Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah’s and others with weird belief systems.

An article in the Billings Gazette today recounts the 1996 Freeman standoff. At the time of their trial, I lived with my kids in a fifth floor apartment nearby. We had a laser pointer we used to amuse the cat, and my son went out on the balcony one night and shined it below. We very shortly had a knock on the door. A friendly policeman confiscated the toy. The trial was going on in a barricaded Federal Building, and the red dot from a high building was rather frightening to the officers below.

Oops.

I expected to find something in the Gazette story I’ve become accustomed to – and was not disappointed.

What propelled this cadre of rural extremists into world headlines began March 25, 1996, when undercover FBI agents lured [Leroy] Schweitzer, Daniel E. Peterson Jr. and Lavon T. Hanson from the compound and arrested them.

The compound was surrounded by 100 FBI agents. That’s strange, just like over fifty FBI agents being immediately on the scene of Dorothy Hunt’s plane crash in Chicago in 1972.  They must have flown them in for the occasion. There aren’t that many agents in the whole state.

A nationally publicized siege ensued. The standoff lasted until June 13, 1996, when the men in the compound surrendered.

How do such small-minded and low-information men as the Freemen manage to create such a kerfuffle? The answer might lie in the word “undercover” FBI agents. We know now that the 1993 World Trade Center bombing was shepherded to its conclusion by FBI agents. They claim a screw-up in that real explosives where used, but that is barely plausible. It was a provocation, just as with Operation Gladio, which saw bombings and killings of hundreds of civilian in Europe during the 1970’s – done by CIA and NATO agents.

The purpose: A strategy of tension. Fascists are never voted into power. They are always a small and unpopular minority, but when people are frightened, they invite them in. I doubt we’ll ever see an investigation, but I have a hunch that the “Freeman”, a loose-knit group of low-IQ losers carrying around copies of None Dare Call It Conspiracy and Atlas Shrugged, were spurred on by undercover agents.

So common is this type of underground FBI and CIA activity that I presume that all of the major scary events of our times originate in those agencies. (It’s also documented – sometime look up at a non-Wikipedia source “Cointelpro” and “Operation Chaos”) It is done to keep us in constant tension so that we seek protection and allow government to take away liberties and start wars. Other events of that time, “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski and Ruby Ridge, are equally suspicious.

The Gazette story by Lorna Thackeray is a standard journalistic treatment of the events of that time, recounting the known, and never probing underneath. It is the job of American journalists not to know things, not to ask the right questions. They are very good at their jobs.

A primer on environmental lawsuits

Years ago I was granted an interview with a prominent Republican state senator in Montana for my little public access TV show. I won’t mention his name because I was surprised at his lack of depth. I expected a clever and perhaps even thoughtful man, and instead was confronted with a non-thinking reactionary.

One of his attitudes that surprised me was a belief that environmentalists conspire and plan lawsuits for the sole purpose of thwarting logging sales.  The objective, in his mind, was merely to be obstructionist. He viewed them as a scheming group of malcontents with nothing better to do than throw lawsuits at the wall, hoping some might stick.

I ran into this attitude again yesterday in the comments at another website where Big Swede offered the following in response to a satiric piece on the attitudes of Montana’s congressional delegation, Zinke, Tester and Daines, towards the timber industry and Wall Street*:

In related news Senator Tester introduced legislation for environment groups to post bonds when protesting timber sales over environment concerns. [/satire]

Anyone with understanding of the court system knows that frivolous activities are not tolerated, are in fact punished. Anyone familiar with environmental groups knows that they lack the one thing that their opponents have in glorious abundance: Cash.

Consequently, environmentalists have to be selective in challenging industry, limiting their efforts to low-hanging fruit. That would be cases where laws are flagrantly violated by the agencies and timber companies. They often win in those cases, which the logging companies and captive agencies find infuriating.

The industry response has been predictable: To use their sock puppets in congress to pass laws that bypass citizen challenges in the courts, and to use public relations to demonize environmentalists in the public mind.
__________________
* Quoting JC: “Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Tester held listening sessions with forestry corporate CEOs on Wall Street last summer…” hilarious!

The meaning of Obama’s Keystone decision

“President Obama’s decision to deny approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline is wrong and bad for Montana. The jobs*, economic benefit, and energy security the pipeline would afford Montana — especially eastern Montana — are now lost due to the dysfunction that has come to define Washington D.C.” (Montana Governor Steve Bullock reacting to the decision not to build the Keystone Pipeline.)

Since we do not have representative government, the decision to suspend the Keystone Pipeline was not Obama’s to make. Other factors must have forced his hand. What might those factors be?

Oil prices are likely to remain low over the next five years because of plentiful supply and falling demand in developed countries, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday in its annual forecast.

The Paris-based body, which advises developed countries on energy policy, says it expects oil prices to return to $80 per barrel in 2020, with further increases after that.

Oil prices are down more than 50 percent since the middle of last year. On Tuesday, the U.S. crude oil contract was trading at $43.95 a barrel. (ABC News: Oil Prices Forecast to Stay Low Until 2020.)

There isn’t much more to think about, in my view. When oil prices return to higher levels, the pipeline will be built.
_________________
*In politician-speak, “jobs” means “profits.” If Bullock were speaking in private to his financial backers, he would use the word profits. In public he speaks in code, as he must.

The problem of bison

I read one source years ago suggesting that the primary control mechanism of bison was the human population on this continent, as many as eighteen million at the arrival of the Europeans. Thus followed a human die-off, and the bison population exploded. Migrating settlers were confronted with millions upon millions of the beasts. The slaughter of that era had two purposes – to open range for cattle, and deprive natives of their primary food source. Both succeeded.

BisonIn the real power structure, the Montana Stockgrowers Association is the group that makes and enforces policy regarding bison in Montana. The Montana Department of Livestock holds titular authority, and underneath that is the governor, charged with grabbing a baton and leading the parade after it is moving.

In the early 1990’s, the Governor or Montana was Stan Stephens, and during his administration Montana became a nationwide laughing stock. The Yellowstone bison herd had overgrown and had to be culled. To do so, Stockgrowers invited a public harvest. The nation was shown images of “hunters” dressed in hunting garb standing fifty feet away from their trucks and prey and dropping them. It was disgusting to watch.

The next governor, Marc Racicot, had better advice. He built a wall, and did the slaughter away from cameras. No images, no outcry, no problem.

I was a writer for Writers in the West at that time, and reacting to the buffoons masquerading as hunters, wrote a column describing the cat-and-mouse game played by Racicot. I was ego-boosted when a friend of my daughter’s, in school in Wisconsin, said my WITW piece was a subject of discussion in one of her classes.

At issue are brucellosis, wolves, the real power structure, and the real effect of absence of apex predator on the landscape. Once it was humans. Now we rely on wolves and grizzly bears.

Brucellosis is a disease that causes abortion in elk and bison, and undulant fever in humans. It is under control in our cattle population, but the mere threat of species transmigration is enough to affect markets and cause quarantine. So the Stockgrowers watch it closely. Even the perception of threat to cattle will cause them to bring out the big guns. I get this, and given the unbridled power of the MSA, not much can be done to stop them.

There is not enough predation in Yellowstone national park to keep the bison herd down to a reasonable number. Wolves are great hunters, grizzlies less so, but in bison they both meet their match. Wolves prefer elk, and bears the carrion created by wolves. As a result, the bison population in Yellowstone regularly gets out of hand. Three methods of control are die-offs, migration, and culling.

Culling by humans is not allowed in the park. When food supply wanes, bison migrate into the greater ecosystem, and the Stockgrowers spring into action. These days, the killing is done out of sight, and the meat carted off to Native American reservations.

I do not know of a better solution. The effects of bison overpopulation on the landscape are devastating. Perhaps we could invite our Native American friends in each year to enjoy a harvest, as their ancestors did.

But culling is essential. There is no way around it. Nature is out of balance. Human management is essential. In my view. I invite others to set me straight.

Deep politics

imagePlease understand, before you read this, that all of us can be fooled, are fooled, and are wont to admit it. I am not disparaging the ordinary busy distracted voter. I am one of that group, except for the “voter” part.
_______________

The operating principle “look here, not there” is widely used in politics to keep both casual and interested observers off a scent trail. Distraction is the essence of American politics.

Here’s an example: have you ever heard of the Koch brothers? Of course you have. I imagine sometimes that they giggle and laugh (and click their champagne glasses) as they send the progressive beehive into a tizzy by a mere press release or public statement. They are a focal point in politics.

Why do we even know their names? Real power does not show itself or tip its hand. The name “Koch” is easily pronounced “cock” among self-professed clever people. They are out in the open, easily reviled and ridiculed. Meanwhile, real power, always at work, is busy in other ways.

Here’s another example: The “Tea Party,” less and less emphasized as the Obama reign winds down, served a far different purpose than people imagine. It appeared out of nowhere and (by power of suggestion) became a force in Republican politics. It served both as a distraction and for perception management purposes.

The beneficiary: President Barack Obama. The guy is anything but the liberal, community organizer, and legal scholar sold to us in 2008. (I am not disparaging his real abilities, which are impressive.)

The Tea Party is comprised of right-wing stooges who were followed around by Fox News.  They held up stupid signs and yelled from the galleries. In the meantime, Obama moved forward with the what is referred to as the “Bush” Agenda, as if.

The result: Opposition from the far right solidified the notion that Obama was a liberal, progressive, even a socialist. The enemy of our enemy must be our friend. (I listen to Rush Limbaugh on occasion. He still hits hard on the notion that Obama is a leftist. This is the same principle.)

Obama has had a “successful” presidency, fooling both his own and the Republican Party followers alike.

Members of the Tea Party, at least the rank and file, are no more aware of this manipulation than the pwoggies who go ga-ga at mention of the Koch brothers.**

I first became aware of the real scent trail behind Obama when a Columbia University professor, Henry Graff, said that neither he nor any of his fellow professors were aware of any “Barack Obama” at Columbia at any time when he supposedly attended. I began to understand why his college records are sealed from view, why ghost-written best-selling autobiographical books magically appear to wide acclaim, and why a so-so speech in 2004 alerts the public that The One is on the horizon.

Obama is smart, cagey, secretive, and has a mysterious past. I don’t care about his place of birth – that too is distraction. The question is, where was he when he was not where he said he was?

The Tea Party forgot to ask that question. It’s too late now, of course, but an answer is emerging: Obama is an intelligence asset. He would be the fourth in my lifetime to serve as president.

Trust me, two of those four are not named Ronald or Dubya.
_________
*Obama was suggested to us in 2004 as having presidential timbre after a so-so speech at the Democratic convention. It is interesting that both Obama and the Tea Party took off due to the suggestibility of the electorate.
**I maintain that ISIS is an American invention, CIA all the way. Members of that group, disaffected Arabs bombed into seething reactionary posture by the American wars of their youth, are also unwitting pawns. True believers make the best possible pawns.

Some good reporting

Some Jungian archetypes simply don’t stand up under scrutiny. The Muslim terrorist, brought to center stage life on 9/11 and used ever since to frighten the Ameircan public, does not.

ISIS does not. But we are fortunate to live in a land possessed of a mainstream media that does not do scrutiny.

This link, supplied by SK in a post below, is well worth anyone’s time. ISIS melts before our eyes, like an ice cube in the sun.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article43085.htm

Putin to the rescue

The Obama administration is, for now, giving up on official “regime change” training ops in Syria and is unlikely to go for more intense fighting against the Islamic State. But that is only the official position. Unofficially, we can safely assume, the CIA and various shady Pentagon entities will continue their mischief in Syria and in Iraq.

But thanks to the Russians, it is now for all to see that the U.S. was never serious about fighting the Islamic State or about reigning in al-Qaeda and other Jihadis in Syria. While the U.S. has flown a total of 137 air attacks in Syria in some thirteen month[s] the Russians delivered 148 airstrikes within just one week.

(From Moon of Alabama.)

The intrigue surrounding Syria is complex, with the U.S. aiding and abetting the terrorist forces trying to unseat the regime and at the same time portraying that regime as the real terrorists. The propaganda and disinformation coming out of Washington prompted Joseph Goebbels to say “Guys, sometimes you gotta mix in a little truth!” Seeing all of the violence visited on that land by Western-backed forces, Josef Stalin was heard to mutter “My god, what horrible monsters these people are … these Americans.”

The Russians have attacked forcefully and effectively and set the terrorists and Washington back on their heels. They are acting as a civilizing force.

But it ain’t over. If there are two words to describe the current reign of terrorists and desk murderers that hold power in DC, they would be “fucking relentless.”

Colbert using television to uplift?

I was an admirer of Dave Letterman. The guy would send me into fits of laughter with his diabolical smiling antics – dropping watermelons off buildings, doing interviews that slowly sent people into a boil. He once flat-out told Bill O’Reilly he was full of it,  which he is and which needs to be said now and then but isn’t.

Ah well, moving forward. Stephen Colbert is finding his way. He works without a sidekick, which I like. But when I see the usual Hollywood stars waddle on out, I suspect his show is going to be Jimmy Fallon without the intellectual rigor.

But there’s hope! He has had politicians on, and challenged them in their boots, something not done even by professional “news” people. But that’s old Colbert Report shtick – Colbert does have a little more depth than the average TV personality. Not much more – like Jon Stewart, he’s a lightweight and doesn’t know it. (I could not sit through his long interview with the reptile John Kerry. It tested my limits.)

Last night I watched his show (on DVR to avoid commercials) on which he did a long bit on Whole Foods, laying some richly deserved ridicule on that phony enterprise. He said that Whole Foods has screwed up now and then, and has the decency to apologize … when caught, and will continue to do so … if caught. That’s ballsy, taking on a rich corporation. No doubt the network gave him a pass after checking the list of current sponsors, but still, it’s something.

But then there is this: He had Yo Yo Ma play while ballerina Misty Copeland danced, a performance that we watched twice. I only dabble in serious music and dance, but found this uplifting. Colbert said he wants to take his show in new directions … leading with style rather than playing to the LCD?

We will see where the network’s advertising department take him. If I turn it on in the future and see that he’s got George Clooney and  Taylor Swift on, I’ll know his influence was sidetracked by the need to please advertisers, and LCD won. Till then …

Enjoy! Sorry if you are forced to watch a fricking ad first. Those philistines know no propriety.

“

Don’t let the bastards wear you down

I closed out the post below with the following regarding the Roseburg, Oregon ‘incident:’

A lot of work, right? [To actually study the Roseburg incident in depth.] However, if you don’t have time, just wait. Others will do the legwork, and you can learn more from them. Then go and get the information. Don’t wait for it to fall into your lap via news sources, as that will not happen.

I should have added, however, that by the time you have your arms around Roseburg, another one will be along to take its place. These events take place at regular intervals, reminding me of Karl Rove’s (or Dick Cheney’s) words to the reporter Ron Suskind:

[Guys like you live] “in what we call the reality-based community,” defined as those who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” … “That’s not the way the world really works anymore. We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

I think that all of these mass shootings are staged events, part of a strategy of tension to keep the American public in a state of fear so that we will continue to support wars abroad and the National Security State at home. It’s people control, thought control and inducement of mass psychosis. I am yet to see one of these events that doesn’t fall apart on closer examination, or at least have some aspects that are highly questionable. But they keep hammering us with them.

My advice: Just ignore them. Don’t let the bastards wear you down.

The culture of fear

I put a residential rental unit on the market earlier this year, and in closing was told that I had to install $1,600 in radon mitigation equipment in the crawl space. I objected, as radon is not a problem for anyone other than coal miners who also smoke cigarettes. But I was told that one of the tenants in the building was afraid her child would get cancer if I did not act.

Shit, I thought. Fear works. It forces me to buy nonsense equipment that serves no purpose other than to line the pockets of greedy businessmen who got into EPA via the revolving door and created our bullshit radon regulations.

So too with all this gun nonsense. Bad things happen, but statistically speaking, we’re as safe as a swaddled baby in a crib. To go out and buy a gun is a personal choice, but for me not an option. I refuse to be part of the problem. And I refuse to let fear rule my life.

I know there was an incident in Roseburg, Oregon. I have not read about it, and won’t. I suggest to readers that if they are curious about that incident, to proceed as follows:

  • Verify by independent means that the victims were real people who really died that day.
  • Verify by independent means that the alleged shooter was a real person.
  • If it is determined that alleged shooter was real, do a deep background check on him, find out his acquaintances and friends, and associations. The object would be to see if he was manipulated by others to be where he was that day, and if he has been used by others, possibly sheepdipped and set up as a patsy.
  • Find out the number of shots fired, their source and direction, and caliber bullet to see if they came from one gun only.
  • Find out if there were any civilian, police or military training drills going on in that area at that time. (Such drills are the lever by which government resources are used – the drills can be “flipped live” to make fake events real.*)

A lot of work, right? However, if you don’t have time, just wait. Others will do the legwork, and you can learn more from them. Then go and get the information. Don’t wait for it to fall into your lap via news sources, as that will not happen.

In the meantime, stop being afraid.

*This is the method by which regular innocent people are recruited to participate in these incidents, unknowingly part of a larger script.