Milton Friedman - The Corporation - Review

This is an extraordinary film about the creation of the American corporation, its legal organisational model, its global economic dominance and its psychopathic tendencies, and its incredible ambition to influence every aspect of culture in its unrelenting pursuit of profit.

The Corporation was spawned from Joel Balkan's in depth book, "The Corporation: A Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power". The film and book begins in the 18th century, in the establishment of the 14th Amendment. Initially the 14th Amendment was designed after the Civil War to give ex slaves' legal rights, like any other citizen of the United States, but through a maze of legal precedents, the business corporation organisation model was now deemed a "legal person" with all the civil rights accorded to a citizen.

This highly absurd precedent has paved the way for corporations to literately get away with murder, because a "corporation" is not an individual that you can put in jail. In effect, a corporation has no moral or social obligations; their only obligation is the pursuit of profit. This film offers numerous examples of unethical practices resulting in death for many people, and because of their status under the 14th Amendment, and endless legal loopholes, have gotten away with terrible crimes against humanity and the environment with no more than a fine, a mere slap on the wrist.

As the law treats corporations as "persons", Balkan thought it appropriate to put the various behaviours of these companies under psychological examination. What this psychological study illustrated is that corporations, as "persons" behave and display the symptoms of the clinical psychopath. A psychopath typically does not have a social conscience, is guilt free after committing heinous acts, and will destroy anything or anybody that prevents them from attaining the object of their particular obsession - in this case, the relentless pursuit of profit.

This documentary took several years to produce with over 650 hours of footage, director(s), Jennifer Abbot and Mark Achbar, had to chisel down this amazing amount of material into a comprehensible film. What is most astounding is the range of people interviewed for this film, that argue from all sides of the "corporation issue": Ira Jackson, Ray Anderson - CEO of Interface, the world's largest carpet manufacturer; Noam Chomsky, Richard Grossman, Howard Zinn, Michael Moore, Milton Friedman - Noble Prize winning economist; Jeremy Rifkin - President, Foundation of Economic Trends; Dr. Robert Hare - Consultant to the FBI on psychopaths, and many more individuals from all sides of the debate.

After viewing this film, it becomes all too evident that these large corporations have too much power, whose mandate is not the common good of the people, and who will go to any lengths, legally and otherwise, in the pursuit of profit and the bottom line.

I believe this is one of the best and most important documentary films to be made in many years.

MSM Propaganda – Part 2.

The main stream media is an extension to the Military Industrial Complex. When one examines each part of this complex, the Pentagon, the branches of the military, and the bureaucratic organisations, that is, DOD, NSA and the CIA, and all are supplied by the major weapon manufactures, Rathyon, Boeing, who advertise in all the MSM outlets, these connections become clear. The combination of media, weapons and the military., including the “alphabet” organisations, we have the perfect storm for perpetual war. And unfortunately, since the end of WWII, that's exactly what the United States has become – an Empire with an unbeatable war machine.

How does a country that depends on war for the existence of its affluent economy, manage the consent of its population over so many years. The short answer is propaganda combined with out right lies. The war in Vietnam was forged on blatant propaganda. During the cold war, communism was the Wests greatest enemy. If they were not stopped at the north and south border, like a ominous black claw casting its shadow, communism would take away our freedoms. A fake incident known as The Gulf of Token, where North Vietnamese sank a US ship, was pure fabrication, and pushed heavily by the main stream press.

The first Gulf War was also based on lies, when the Bush administration required the US people's agreement, told a lie, that Hussein had invaded Kuwait violently, entering hospitals and throwing live babies out of incubators. Of course this fuelled a nation to stop such atrocities, only to discover that these stories had been intentionally manufactured by a PR agency. It never happened. The US had been allies with Iraq for years, supplying weapons to them during the Iran/Iraq war. Hussein gassed part of the Kurdish population during this close alliance and not a negative word was said. Once Iraq broke their agreements with the US, and invaded Kuwait, believing it was a part of Iraq, that the propaganda came out that he was a brutal dictator. Iraq War 2, most now realise, was based on the assumption that Hussein had WMD's. another blatant lie to get us back into war. My point is the entire MSM, including all the major networks, the Washington Post and the New York Times did not even question the veracity of the assertion of WMD's, but pushed the story hard, creating a fearful population into a war-like frenzy.

In the destruction of Libya by NATO forces and weapons backing of the US, constant disinformation was given to the public, how Qaddafi was a brutal dictator, starving his own people, and more so a threat to National Security. In the beginning, Libya had the weapons to protect itself, however was coned to hand them over. Once this was done, regime change operations began, ending Qaddafi being sodomised by a bayonet. Western allies garnered the natural resources, and where once Libya was one of the richest and free nations in all of the African continent, is now a haven for real terrorists, and currently has open slave markets. So much for American freedom and democracy.

This could not have happened if it were not for main stream media, pushing the lies to gain popular consent to invade Libya.

The civil war in Syria has had and continues to have unrelenting propaganda from the main stream press. I believe the majority of our Western population, because they have been fed so many lies, hasn't a clue as to the real story. To be sure, I've written a few BLOGS on Syria, attempting to explain my understanding of the conflict. The US, having created ISIS, claims it is in Syria fighting this terrorist organisation. However, these so-called “freedom rebels”, battling the evil of Assad, are terrorist groups such as Al Quida, fighting beside ISIS, and trained and given weapons by our own CIA! In fact Russia and Syria have been warring against ISIS and Al Quida. And more so than the US forces, have freed many terrorist strongholds. But the MSM will never tell us these inconvenient truths. The deal, is the US must topple Assad and put in a puppet government, similar to Iran in the 70's, to gain control of the pipeline. The US has deliberately caused chaos in the area, simply for control of the resources. This is a simplistic summery of the situation, but a true one.

And the propaganda continues, re-stating over and over, that Assad gassed his own people, that he is a brutal dictator and must be toppled. Taking a step back, why in the hell are we bombing a sovereign nation that presents zero threat to us? We hear about a chemical attack, presumably instigated by Assad, and the US, UK and French forces bomb the crap out of Syria with no evidence. Currently, through Wikileaks and great reporting by the Grayzone, whistle-blowers have revealed that the final OPCW report was a lie, revealing there was no evidence that a chemical attack occurred at all ! That said, the MSM, put false videos on a continual loop of babies being saved from a chemical attack. Again the NYT's and the Washington Post and all the cable networks pushed for some kind of response. The WH gave in and began bombing. Anchors from CNN said Trump was now “presidential, and MSNBC likened the bombs to poetry! Unadulterated propaganda, indeed.

Lastly, the Russia-gate affair that remains alive and well despite evidence to the contrary. Front running left wing presidential runners, like Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders, protesting war, are labeld by the MSM as Assad apologists or Putin puppets. These are smears without evidence or even logical context. I find this constant referral to Russia as a existential threat ridiculous, and at least, an exercise in intellectual sloth. That said, the MSM has power and too much reach.

My advice is to approach the MSM with a potent grain of salt. Through history, as I have attempted to illustrate, the media is an arm of the Military Industrial Complex. It is in their best interests to push for war, acquiring consent of the people for death, because it is profitable.

MSM Propaganda – and it's becoming more and more Absurd.

Who controls the narrative, controls the world. Well, it seems the main stream media, is losing its monopoly on public opinion, because their argument of lies and transparent bias on the side of the 1%, the elite class, in the last year, particularly, is becoming more apparent. When president Trump made the meme, “fake news', the clown was not too far off the mark. Corporate media messages their owners' political views and smears against their opposition, making up stories, and telling blatant lies, and it's getting more absurd everyday.

It could not be more evident than in last nights presidential debates.

For example Tulsi Gabbard, the only anti-war, anti-regime-change, foreign policy candidate, was smeared by the likes of the NYT and MSNBC. Because the woman wore a all white pants suit, the NYT's some how equated this with misogyny. When their darling warmonger 2016 candidate, Hillary Clinton, often wore white pant suits throughout her campaign. Ridiculous. Joy Reid, a darling of the main stream, equated Gabbard's foreign policy with that of Russia's, I went to bed feeling slightly emotional thinking, do people really fall for this nonsense? Unfortunately people do, having been bombarded with red baiting and Russia-fear-mongering over the last 3 years by the MSM.

That said, after the debate, interest in Tulsi Gabbard rose significantly with the number of google searches on line.

Even the darling of the 1%, “empty-suit-mayor Pete”, attacked Tulsi with a standard criticism for her meeting with the Syrian president Assad, only to be trounced upon with facts about passed presidents, like JFK and Khrushchev; FDR with Stalin, and Ronald Reagan with Gorbachev, all deliberate actions towards diplomacy and peace. Why do the MSM attack someone like Tulsi Gabbard and Bernie Sanders?

The mainstream media is owned by billionaires, the corporate overlords of communication. Tulsi Gabbard is directly going against the Military Industrial Complex, which includes the corporate media. War is big business and makes trillions for the 1%. Bernie Sanders has been called everything under the sun, from a Russian asset to a socialist stooge. But mainly, however, is simply ignored. He is attacked because he opposes corporations directly, is pro union, and wants medicare for all in the US. This, of course, frightens the elite, as they have so much invested in themselves.

What is becoming more evident, is the arguments from the tools of the corporate elite, are running out of reality-based points of debate, falling to ad hominem attacks and fear-mongering smears. Calling someone who protests against war as unpatriotic or a Russian asset in simply intellectual laziness. When one doesn't have a logical argument, name-calling and smears is the last result.

The mainstream media will resort to any tactic to discredit any candidate, individual or group that fights against them. Meaning on the side of the majority; the majority of people on the planet that are sick and tired of neoliberal economical tactics that only benefit the few, the wealthy, the elite.

So the next time you see or hear the MSM promoting “facts” on, let's say war, never believe them. Because war is in the corporate interest. When they tell you that Medicare 4 all is impossible, understand that it is in their best interests to oppose it because the pharmaceutical industry gives them heaps of money:in advertising and in hefty campaign contributions.

I hope that more people see through the corporate media and their billionaire masters. Because from my perspective their running out of substantial arguments, and more importantly...time.

Bolivia Coup - and MSM Lie... Again

Once again, a South American country, Bolivia, experienced a US backed coup against a democratically elected government. The military backed self-appointed government, is a right wing, Nazi/Christian fundamentalist, racist group, that since the coup, have been committing murder on the majority of indigenous population in the country. Headed by Jeanne Anez, a bible thumping radical, declared herself “president”, despite only receiving 4% of the vote, entering the presidential palace, waving a ten pound bible. Main stream media portrayed this takeover as a “return to democracy”. That Evo Morales, the elected president of Bolivia, simply resigned - all propaganda, all a lie.

The history of Latin American countries with democratically elected governments, violently usurped by right wing regimes has a long history: by the way, all of which had US backing. The worst that comes to mind was the Pinochet regime in Chile in the early 70's. This Chilean coup d'etat was launched against the elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, with the military and strategic backing of the CIA. At the time, President Nixon ordered the military take over, granted during the height of the Cold War, which over time resulted in the Pinochet regime engaging in over 80,000 assassinations, imprisonment of political agitators, and a near genocide of the indigenous population of the country. Also, not to mention, the forced “disappearances” of the Chilean people rank as high as 3500. Later in 1998, Pinochet, once arriving in London airport, was arrested for crimes against humanity. He was also found to have illegally amassed $24,000,000 through his various corrupt activities throughout his reign. The dictator died on December 2006 without having to face trial.

The US government since the Nixon administration, and the Reagan administration particularly, has engaged in regime change in various Latin American countries at an alarming rate. Without going into too much detail, these countries include: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, and the recent failed coup attempt in Venezuela. The US government has not denied these brutal regime changes because as a result of the Truman Doctrine, and during the Cold War, they were “justified” in combating communism. However, the Cold War has been over since 1991. This is not about stopping the evils of the Soviet Union anymore, but a corporate grab for the various countries natural resources.

In a few words, Venezuela has the richest oil reserves on the planet, exceeding those of Saudi Arabia. Bolivia is rich lithium, a mineral used to power our cell phones, and in the future, power our electric automobiles. One would need to be living in a cave not to see the true intentions of the American Corporate empire. (See review: Confessions of a Economic Hit man).

If your average citizen doesn't realise it by now, our MSM is owned by massive corporations, and our government is bought by these corporations. That's the reason they want to feed us the same old right wing talking points, that these brutal regime change actions are democratically motivated. For example, Evo Morales, the elected president of Bolivia, is a dictator, harming the population with socialism. In fact, Morales has done more for the indigenous population in terms of lowering poverty, enhancing education, and stimulating the country's economy, more than any other president before him. The new self-appointed president, who only won 4% of the vote in the last election, justifies the coup as an “Act of God”. Now, she has currently pardoned her military for the murder of indigenous protesters that is rising as I write this piece.

Indeed, for the sake of truth, find your news outside the MSM corporate-state-bubble of egregious propaganda.

John Perkins – Confessions of an Economic Hit man – Review

Since the end of WWII, American imperialism has been on a steady and successful march, according to John Perkins, not with guns, soldiers and bombs, but through economic manipulation, political subterfuge and enormous intimidation.

What Perkins calls the "corporatocracy", a closely networked collusion of government, powerful banks and corporations, (MAIN, Bechtel Group, Halliburton, World Bank, WTO, NSA, CIA and The U.S. Department of Treasury) have infiltrated numerous key third world countries, (Colombia, Indonesia, Argentina, Panama and Ecuador) especially targeted for their abundance of natural resources (oil) or their particular military geographical strategic advantage, hoodwinked to accept enormous loans under the guise of vastly improving the country's infrastructure, creating massive debt, thus, the country is forever beholden, economically held hostage by the creditor, (U.S.) and bullied, intimidated to the extent where the few wealthy benefit while the majority of the country's population suffer in poverty.

Perkins was hired by MAIN, with one primary objective, which was to justify to a particular country borrowing billions of dollars for engineering and construction projects that would be eventually funnelled back to MAIN, because the country would not be able to pay back the loan.This made the country an easy target for unusual favours, such as military bases, U.N. votes, oil and natural resources. 

Perkins was known secretly in this trade as an EHM, economic hit man, inflating economic forecasts on huge construction and engineering projects, with the single intent of bankrupting the particular country. 

The man was trained specifically for this task, evidently battling with his conscience for over

thirty years until a few major world events, such as 9/11, caused him to break away completely.

This book certainly reads like a good Robert Ludlum novel. Perkins' first training came from a smart and attractive woman known as "Claudine", meeting secretly at her apartment, and learning the strategies of an EHM, skilfully inflating economic forecasts on projects to foreign government officials, ensuring billion dollar investments, knowing full well that the country would be in debt in a matter of a few years. "Claudine" goes on to say:

"We're paid - well paid - to cheat countries around the globe out of billions of dollars. A large part of your job is to encourage world leaders to become part of a vast network that promotes commercial interests...we can draw on them whenever we desire - to satisfy our political, economic, or military needs." (P.17)

Perkins cites many examples throughout the text, including the Saudi Arabian Money Laundering Affair connecting the United States to a country that give terrorists asylum, yet will continue to keep the money and oil flowing, making the wealthy richer and our gas tanks full. Even more disturbing are the examples of Argentina, the illegal invasion of Panama, and lastly, the invasion of Iraq, where now the Halliburton Corporation (Vice President Cheney once was CEO) has the contract to "rebuild" this war torn country.

This is an honest account from a man whom was threatened and bribed not to write this book, but could not stand his raging conscience after recent terrible world events that could lead to further crisis.

My gut impression, after turning the last page, is that Perkins is not out to become famous, make more money or seek political office, but a man whose conscience required him to tell this story.

This book is both enlightening and terribly disturbing, but a necessary read for all those concerned about the world situation, and where it is possibly leading.

The Rise of Fascism in Australia

In the last year, it is evident, that the Australian government has become much more authoritarian than any time in recent memory. More accurately, the government has moved heavily Right-wing, instigating raids on the free press, prosecuting whistle-blowers, and currently threatening to outlaw boycott campaigns, that PM Scott Morison argues, "could hurt the country's mining industry.” Boycotting and protesting, PM Morrison, is a basic human right in a democracy.

In 2018, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) stormed a news corp journalist's home, after an article was published, revealing new powers of the Australian Intelligence Agencies to spy on its citizens without due process. These new laws were ratified in secret, and the Australian people would not have known about this draconian law, if not for a whistle-blower contacting the News Corp. journalist.

A day after the raid on the journalists home, the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) in Sydney, was again stormed by the AFP, over the series of stories covering the unlawful murders by the Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan. These are actual War Crimes committed, that the government wanted to keep from the public and the world.

Early 2017, a Australian Tax Office (ATO) whistle-blower, Richard Boyle, revealed severe malpractice within the powerful institution, and could be sentenced to as much as six life terms; this exceeds the sentence of Australia's most prolific serial killer, Ivan Milat. Certainly a huge red flag for anyone concerned with justice and the truth. The government is sending out a terrifying message to all future whistle-blowers: reveal our crimes, and you'll pay for the rest of your life.

Again, Australia's totalitarian-reptilian-head raised omnivorously, with the police brutality in Melbourne last week, over the peaceful climate protesters, Extinction Rebellion, beaten with ferocious violence; while a police officer was photographed flipping the white supremacy hand signal, smirking at the camera. When one watches the video of the police beating on peaceful protesters with abandon, anger is the first visceral response, followed by a tinge of fear, over where Australian society is headed: Absolute-totalitarianism.

As I was thinking about what is currently happening to my country, I was reminded of a line from George Orwell's political satire, Animal Farm.

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Australia's prime minister is an admirer and close allies with US president, Donald Trump. Both men are right wing hacks devoted to supporting the rich, denying climate change, draconian on immigration, and funded by fossil fuel ass holes, and denying that the climate crises actually exists. Added to this insanity, Trump is backed by the radical Christian Right. Scott Morrison belongs to the Pentecostals, a right wing christian cult, obsessed with the Apocalypse. These sociopaths are focused on Armageddon, hoping to experience the “rapture”, and taken to heaven.

Australia, under the current government, desires to take us into pure fascism. We will never allow this to happen.

Comment: Max Blumenthal's Arrest.

On a quiet Friday morning around 9:00 am, in a suburb of DC. Max Blumenthal, editor of an alternative news outlet, The Grayzone Project, was awoken to loud pounding on his front door. After threats of breaching the entrance, Max opened the door to a swat-style gang of police, a warrant in hand for his immediate arrest. Still wearing his pyjamas, he requested that he retrieve a coat, and followed to his bedroom. Then shackled like a serial killer, bank robber or a member of Al Qaeda, and thrown into a paddy wagon with only a small rope to hold on to, and remanded in D.C., Central Detention Agency for two days, and refused his constitutional phone call to contact his attorney. He was released without bail, and told to await the “paper work” for his future hearing. The arrest warrant was for a minor assault charge, that happened over five months prior, which Blumenthal says is a complete fabrication.

Back in May, the Venezuelan Embassy was under siege by the government's opposition, a false party created by the US government to over throw the democratically elected Maduro government. The diplomatic corp of the embassy fled back to Venezuela, leaving a small group of protesters within the embassy. This small group was given permission to be there, while outside, anti-Maduro and pro- regime change protesters, stood around the building spitting on any adversaries, and engaging in mafia-style intimidation to anyone who crossed them. The DC police were on the side of the spitting thugs, the US government's support of the illegal Juan Guido regime. It was during this time, while Blumenthal and other pro-Maduro protesters, were attempting to give food to those inside the embassy, that this alleged assault occurred.

The Grayzone and particularly Blumenthal, for years have been critics of the US government's foreign policies in Israel/ Palestine, Syria, and Venezuela. In this case, The Grayzone's reporting challenged the Trump administration main-stream narrative, and the MSM's as well, revealing their blatant lies about Venezuela's economic crises. For some pundits and journalist's this charge of assault against Max, is a direct result of his honest reporting. As we know from the many whistle blowers and journalist that have gone against the establishments' narrative, have paid the price with fines, broken lives and imprisonment. Indeed, Julian Assange comes to mind.

What is mind-boggling, and from another perspective, not at all surprising, is the vast majority of the media, have been silent on this obvious authoritarian action against a journalist. This only confirms the troubling fact, that journalism as we once new it, punching up to power, is now part of corporate/government and the wider Military Industrial Complex. This became more than evident on the MSM's attacks or silence about Julian Assange and Wikileaks. Here in Australia, for example, main stream journalist from leading newspapers parroted the untruth that Assange was not a journalist. Journalism, at least in the mainstream, are either stenographers or beacon's of disinformation at the behest of the National Security State.

It should be extremely troubling and down-right terrifying, that our so-called 4^th Estate has gone the way of totalitarianism. When a voice of truth, speaks out against the lies of the establishment and are severely punished for their reporting, we should be all alarmed.

Max Blumenthal's false arrest, detention and intimidation should be a warning not only to the “free press”, but to anybody concerned about our human rights. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the Press.

Authoritarianism is escalating, and something needs to be done, before it's all too late.