Twilight of the Psychopaths - by Dr. Kevin Barrett (remember him? the guy the repubs tried to fire)

“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.” – John Lennon

When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote, is misleading, assuming as it does that civilization is an unmitigated blessing.

Civilized people, we are told, live peacefully and cooperatively with their fellows, sharing the necessary labour in order to obtain the leisure to develop arts and sciences. And while that would be a good idea, it is not a good description of what has been going on in the so-called advanced cultures during the past 8,000 years.

Civilization, as we know it, is largely the creation of psychopaths. All civilizations, our own included, have been based on slavery and “warfare.” Incidentally, the latter term is a euphemism for mass murder.

The prevailing recipe for civilization is simple:

http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Frontpage/2008/01/02/02073.html

"The true “Revolution in Military Affairs” was not Donald Rumsfeld’s move to high-tech in 2001, but Brigadier Gen. S.L.A. Marshall’s discovery in the 1940s that only 15-20% of World War II soldiers along the line of fire would use their weapons: “Those (80-85%) who did not fire did not run or hide (in many cases they were willing to risk great danger to rescue comrades, get ammunition, or run messages), but they simply would not fire their weapons at the enemy, even when faced with repeated waves of banzai charges”

the draft would prevent wars of aggressions by the ruling class,the chance that some rich kid would get his buns placed in harms way or killed would deter some of the disregard for the life of the poor that make up the majority of our troops.

That's why our corporate funded leaders love mercenaries (Blackwater aka Xe Services) so much. They can use our money to pay for wars that enrich their billionaire friends and donors while impoverishing what's left of the middle class. Then, once the treasury is bankrupt, they can use it as an excuse to cut social security, medicare, education, etc., further enriching the wealthy and impoverishing everyone else.

It's a brilliant scheme, a loooooong time in the making. The Koch brothers didn't plan for the internet thirty years ago, though. They can't defeat a society that can communicate. Sooner or later we have to wake up.

of "him or me".

It just so happens that I've ordered 2 books on psychopathy and its role in our screwed-up world. I hope that Political Ponerology and Snakes in Suits aren't too far over my head.

This film is based on the true stories of the World War I Christmas Truce along the Western Front.

The story centers mainly upon six main characters: Gordon (a Lieutenant of the Royal Scots Fusiliers); Audebert (a French Lieutenant in the 26th Infantry and reluctant son of a general); Horstmayer (a Jewish German Lieutenant of the 93rd Infantry); Palmer (a Scottish priest working as a stretcher-bearer); and German tenor Nikolaus Sprink and his Danish lover, soprano Anna Sørensen (two famous opera stars).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyeux_No%C3%ABl

checking out. One thing Jones has done is save news footage that would otherwise end up down the memory hole, similar in some ways to what Michael Moore does. The Oklahoma City bombing left a number of un-answered questions, as indicated by some of the local news reports. Still, Jones theories get way out there and he has kept company with some really unsavory characters.

Therefore, it's no surprise that governments would reflect that.