We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, March 5, 2011

DOD Passes the Buck Rather than Let Kucinich Visit Bradley Manning

by emptywheel blog on FDL

Apparently our US Representatives can't even visit Manning to find out about his abusive treatment. 

Then read this piece by Glenn Greenwald for the latest reports of mistreatment that Manning is receiving from the US military establishment.

Also check out Ray McGovern's piece entitled, "Army’s Mafia Abuse of Pvt. Bradley Manning".

This illustrates that a police state apparatus already exists in the US, it just hasn't been used very much against its own citizens. They are just not ready yet to remove completely the elaborate facade of "democratic" institutions (elections, courts, Congress, Constitution, etc) that have distracted and fooled people for a long time. But it is there and will be increasingly used as the ruling class becomes more desperate to crush dissent. So, will we be intimidated, or will we fight back like the brave people in Egypt did? Stay tuned.