Liberty
Liberty, Freedom, what's the difference? Democracy, pure democracy as was
practiced for centuries, provides freedom. This meant, that each person, group
was "free" to do as they liked. This resulted in law, which tried to
limit freedom. The results were not good. The law stifled freedom, until there
was none. The law also spoke to groups of individuals, rather than the whole
governed body. This was because "Factions" ruled. This is my concern
as people push for "Direct Democracy". I believe Constitutional
government is necessary. Certainly the administration of any government must be
defined. Unless the people have control of the administration, it would become
a despotical government in short order. Thus elected persons must administrate.
Also, to elect proportionately, a republican form of government is necessary.
Meaning each area, town, county etc is sovereign, but subservient to the
central government. My knowledge to parliament is limited, however I believe it
also follows a "Constitution, is a" republic" in that each town
or city or county has it's own 'government', yet is united in action with the
main government.
Factions are groups of industrialists, the elite, religions, various groups,
a majority which influence government for their own benefit, not the whole of
the governed. To even consider minority people, races, age, sex, affluence,
etc. a Constitution defining how these minorities would be delt with was
necessary.
Liberty, on the other hand, was defined by Constitutions, and was a
fiduciary agreement between the governed and the government. This is what
citizenship is all about. As Citizens, we agree to utilize government courts to
settle disputes, rather than "freely" settle disputes by violence,
coercion etc. We also agree to behave according to the virtues and principles
defined by the Constitution. These principles are the core of government, and
indeed, any law, which conflicts with the Constitution, is void. Thus, by
practicing these principles and virtues of the Constitution, the individuals
subscribing to this government will violate no "law". It would be
impossible to know all the "laws", as they are numerous. Law is the
method, to enforce the principles of the constitution.
Some governments have an "unwritten" Constitution. Their
"Constitution" is the human values of the people. These values are
often referred to as "Truth's" which have been the virtues practiced
by humankind since the beginning of time, as they worked in partnership to
co-exist.
Propaganda Anyone?
August 9, 1999 Courtesy Ken @ Brasscheclk ( you might want to sign up for
his news letter, Brass Check - http:// www.brasscheck.com .)
New propaganda arm for US Apparently not satisfied by its ability to delay
the reporting of obvious events and circumstances for MONTHS, the Clinton
administration is commissioning a brand new propaganda department to better
coordinate its "message" for the next war.
**This is why you cannot believe "the news" as it is lies lies
lies...
Q: Why does the US government need an even firmer control over war reporting
than it already enjoys.
A: To counter those wiley Serbs! (and US,,,, on other covert operations,,,)
Quote from 8/8/99 AP story:
"President (Slobodan) Milosevic has an extensive propaganda
machine," (David) Leavy said. "We've worked very hard to try to
counteract that propaganda machine, and make sure the people in Serbia and in
Kosovo have access to their own news..."
David Leavy is spokesman for the White House's National Security Council
ha --- as we read below, who is prop-ing who?
Govt Unit to Control Flow of US News
By Anne Gearan Associated Press Writer
Sunday, August 8, 1999; 12:17 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Clinton administration, dismayed by the success of
anti-American propaganda worldwide, is striking back with an information
offensive of its own: a State Department unit that will control the flow of
government news overseas, especially during crises.
The new International Public Information group, or IPI, will coordinate the
dissemination of news from the State Department, Pentagon and other U.S.
agencies.
"What this is intended to do is organize the instruments of the federal
government to be able to support the public diplomacy, military engagements and
economic initiatives that we have overseas," said David Leavy, spokesman
for the White House's National Security Council.
In the recent Kosovo war, the Pentagon, State Department and White House
poured out information each day but no single agency tried to assemble it so
that the United States spoke with a coordinated message overseas.*
· And foreign journalists had the temerity to do their own research and draw
their own conclusions. Outrageous!
The group came about partly in response to the spread of unflattering or
erroneous information about the United States received abroad via electronic
mail, the Internet, cellular telephones and other communications advances.*
· Say what?
In many respects, the new information group is a smaller, less structured
successor to the independent U.S. Information Agency, which the State
Department will absorb in October.*
· Right, just an informal bull session among just plain folks.
A new office of undersecretary of state for public diplomacy will run the
IPI. The current USIA director, Evelyn Lieberman, has been nominated for the
job.
President Clinton signed a directive April 30, in the thick of the Kosovo
war, that set out plans for IPI, although the White House did not formally
announce the group's existence or role.
An unclassified mission statement obtained by The Associated Press described
IPI's role:
"Effective use of our nation's highly developed communications and
information capabilities to address misinformation and incitement, mitigate
inter-ethnic conflict, promote independent media organizations and the free
flow of information, and support democratic participation will advance our
interests and is a critical foreign policy objective," the document said.
Joan Mower, director of Latin American and African programs for the Freedom
Forum, said she worries the coordinated effort may filter information that
should be broadly available to foreign reporters.
"My feeling is that the more information is out there, the
better," she said.
The IPI will hold its first formal meeting this fall, said a government
official involved in the process. Clinton's directive orders officials at the
Pentagon, FBI, CIA and the departments of State, Commerce and Treasury to
organize the group.
Regular members will be senior diplomats and others in foreign policy or
national security jobs in Washington, according to the official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.
The rationale for IPI dates at least to the confusion and bad press
surrounding U.S. intervention in Haiti in 1994-1995, but Kosovo is the best
recent example of how the United States needs to fight a propaganda war in
concert with military strikes, officials said.
"President (Slobodan) Milosevic has an extensive propaganda
machine," Leavy said. "We've worked very hard to try to counteract
that propaganda machine, and make sure the people in Serbia and in Kosovo have
access to their own news-that they can make their own independent
judgments."
Anti-American sentiment ran high during the 78-day air war, even among
Yugoslavs* who did not support the Yugoslav president. Many Europeans also were
leery of the airstrikes, seen as a U.S. enterprise, and reluctant to level hefty
military power against a modern European capital.
· Can you imagine that? The US was bombing their country and Yugoslavs
developed "Anti-American sentiment." What's wrong with those people?
The air war that ended in June also produced one of the worst diplomatic and
public relations disasters in recent memory when a U.S. plane mistakenly bombed
the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade on May 7, killing three Chinese journalists.
Outraged mobs rushed the American Embassy in Beijing, trapping
then-Ambassador James Sasser inside for a time. It was days before the United
States could get its official apology before the Chinese people at large, and
the U.S. explanation was greeted with disdain by both the Chinese government
and the rock-throwing street mobs.
The Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the People's Daily, called the war
and the embassy bombing "a great step in the United States' strategy to
dominate the world."
Brass Check - http://www.brasscheck.com
"...if only the press were to do its duty, or but a tenth of its duty,
this hellish system could not go on." · William Cobbett, Rural Rides, 1830