Why is acting much more marvelous than one may have first imagined? A desire to better understand human existence is basic to the nature of art and propels the desire of artistic minds to create. Acting and motion picture making are ways to search for that understanding and seek deeper awareness of the human condition.

Human healing and transformation through the Arts

Acting is one of the most essential elements of this art of human healing and transformation. Storytelling, theater, and motion pictures are critical to the stability and progress of our society. These arts give the community the opportunity to examine old and new ideas and to develop the ability of reflecting, learning, and of discovery as central reasons for the existence of the human community. Fellini’s films reflect this in a very special way because they are free from conventional constraints.

The Fellini Way

Anyone wishing to undertake the intense task of studying acting needs as much encouragement and guidance as possible. The Fellini Way strives to encourage student actors and actresses to express their inner reality and perception of human states in a manner that best harmonizes with their individual interests, aspirations, and abilities. The wonderful thing about teaching acting as Fellini did is the individualized attention which makes it easier and more stimulating to personal growth than any methodological, academic theatrical style. The focus is on nurturing the creative energy of students and fostering enthusiasm on their part for personal discovery through the acting process. Perfecting one’s acting ability is different for each aspirant.

There are basic skills actors and actresses need to understand regarding speech, movement, and character which must be developed. Refining each performance according to what works best under the circumstances is the greatest way to accomplish rapid progress.

Becoming an actor or actress in our society depends upon being strongly committed not only to the art from a personal standpoint of growth and career, but also by a commitment to the larger effect of Art as an essential power to lift our society in many rewarding ways.

Acting as science

Acting is not only art, it is also a science. For example, it should be clear that if you “act” an emotion, it will appear false. Acting must be honest in the sense that you act the emotion you really feel. That is where the very subtle science of managing self-imposed emotions comes into play.

The first aspect of it is imagination. For instance when your acting makes emotions rise in the audience, you have tapped in them one of the triggers you must learn to activate in yourself.

Clearly this requires two steps. The first is to understand the actual flavor, so to speak, of the emotion you are trying to act and evoke in the audience. For example: fear. You feel a coldness inside, a tension, a faster heartbeat, a trembling, a near expressionless face with drawn lines, dry mouth, speech difficulty…and so on. Remember that in motion picture acting you may be asked to express fear suddenly and then be asked to do it again a dozen times between takes.

Language and movement are the tools and essence of acting for they are what this art is about — communication. Communication between actor and audience, director and actor as well as actor and actor. Acting is doing. Scene work helps actors to understand that acting is a collaborative art. An actor’s responsibility is not only to his lines and the camera but also to other actors in the scene.

No correct way to act

Acting methods often get in the way of realism. There is no single correct way to act. In fact, one has to discover one’s own way through the process of work/study and trial and error. Too often actors are taught that there is one way to act instead of realizing that different styles of drama will require different approaches to acting and performance. That is why Fellini often preferred untrained people for his films to highly stylized stars.

The importance of professionalism

Film people, whether in Hollywood, Rome, New York, London or Paris, have one thing in common: they admire professionalism. Given a choice between two actors, professionalism will often be the deciding factor. Competence and reliability are crucial to the forming of a reputation far more treasured than erratic brilliance.

The student seeking to become a professional actor must develop and refine understanding of the extra disciplines that filming demands.

For example: you’ve got to know how to help the camera. In a close up, the camera magnifies your actions, so you have to know how to scale down the action of your performance without losing intensity as the shot gets tighter. The professional will reduce performance physically in a close up, but not mentally. In fact, the mind should work even more intensely in a close-up because in a close-up the performance is all in your eyes and facial expression, and you cannot use the rest of your body to express yourself.

The synesthetic medium

Fellini often remarked that movies are a synesthetic medium. The effects on the senses from peripheral images and sounds other than the central elements in any scene. The collateral effects, such as seeing good food in a scene and having one’s appetite stimulated. A song meant for the ears but which brings visualization or evokes memories or historical periods. All these effects are referred to as synestesia.

Fellini was deeply aware of synestesia and encouraged actors to use this second layer of awareness which impacts an audience almost subliminally.

The power of imagination that is the foundation of great acting is implicit if we are to achieve wholehearted harmonious collaboration especially from those who have digested the immense possibility that opens into our lives when we have decided to fully embrace the profession of movie acting.

Alertness and relaxation

The importance of alertness and the wisdom of relaxation in movie acting.

“If you are knocking yourself out, you are doing it wrong,” according to Michael Caine.

Therefore, one of the first things we have to learn is how to overcome nervousness.

We must seek what Socrates asked for in the prayer from the “Phaedrus” when he said:

“May the outward and the inward person be at one.”

It is by this “pulling oneself together” that our greatest powers and talents are helped rise to the surface. Our lives are granted periods of spontaneous grace, when we feel exceptionally well and at ease. Finding the secret for extending these periods of intrinsic happiness until almost everyday of our lives is a fulfilling joy is like finding a magic power.

Reaction vs. action

Acting, by its very nature, is a moving from the world of reactions to the world of self controlled action. In life we are often like boats without direction whose captain is asleep at the wheel as our boat is tossed aimlessly toward dangerous shores. The accomplished actor learns to handle the sails of emotions and stays awake by holding the rudder of reason to take advantage of the pressure of winds and currents, and thereby sets course for safe harbor. Achieving control of your vessel gives you immense self confidence and fills you with joy.

So, as an aspiring actor, if a life storm has pushed you off course do as all good sailors do: head into the wind, reduce sail and then reset course so that by taking advantage of the energy of the storm you make great progress in the good direction where the island of fulfillment awaits you.

Fellini’s style

Fellini had all the appearance and presence of a very simpatico man of the people. He was warmhearted and simple in his daily communications with others and cordial to the constant calls of his admirers. Under his casual and normalizing Romanesque presence Fellini manifested a world of profundity and understanding of the human condition and — least known to most in spite of its appearing in brilliant flashes and in grotesque symbols in many of his films — he had an astounding intellectual intuition of esoteric realities and a vast, refreshing spiritual vision.

His understanding of the magical power to be evoked in the synergy of a cast of actors supported by film technicians all collaborating in the art of making a movie was key to his free directing style and his teaching actors to think and become immersed in the reality of roles. He understood that it was energy and enthusiasm generated by sharing a collective creative process that made motion pictures the principal and most powerful art of the Modern Age.

The chosen art

The artist, whether a poet, singer, dancer, actor, musician, writer, or craftsman, invests first in himself/herself and follows his/her love for his/her chosen art. In many cases more than one art fills the life of the artist. Dedicated artists soon intuitively discover that as they perfect their art, after much work and even pain propelled by love of it, gradually and sometimes suddenly a luminous quality, an inner well being, enters their life and with it a profound understanding of life itself. This understanding becomes the very wine the artist produces and feels compelled to offer others so they may become “inebriated,” even if for a moment only in a theater, while reading a book, by hearing a song, and share the artist’s vision of life’s potential for perfection.

Learning to act frees our power for self expression. By gradually learning to express feelings in the interpretation of a role, a power is developed inside of us that can unleash joyful enthusiasm not only for this great art but for the infinite dimensions of life itself.

Training the will

Part of the actor’s work is to train the will so that the personality can break out of all self imposed limitations born of fear and illusion about the human condition. Only in a fearless state do we become fully empowered to manifest what is best in ourselves. That is when we can fully share and enjoy life with others.

We hear often the question: “What’s new?” and life responds, “I am always new! Haven’t you noticed?”

Acting is the art of conscious renewal. Some of the greatest actors are known to have experienced the sudden “awareness of awareness, ” what in the traditional Japanese “No” and “Kabuki” theater is known as the “Zen of acting.”

The profound transformation called “renewal” is best grasped by those who, facing the shock of imminent death, are suddenly reprieved and literally given a new lease on life. That is when human awareness fully awakes and experiences a rebirth and a full restoration of a sense of proportions: eyes see better, ears hear more sharply, and all sensations become deeply real as they were when we first entered life and had no questions yet.

We tend to forget the cyclic aspects of life, even though we are taught the lesson of cyclical repetition daily with the rise and setting of the sun and with each season, and by the four directions rotating around the axis of high and low.

Imagine for a moment that you’d never heard this story.

Listen in. Would it be believable?

People in North America, Hawaii, and Europe are witnessing crisscrossing streaks of white clouds trailing behind jet aircraft, stretching from horizon to horizon, eventually turning the sky into a murky haze. Intelligence tells us that these are not mere vapor trails from jet engines.

This video narrates the story of a rapidly developing chemical industry called geo-engineering that includes scientists, corporations, and governments. What are they up to?

Evidence demonstrates that straying has been underway since 1990 with devastating effects to crops, wildlife, and human health. Soil and water tests show that Mt. Shasta, for example, now has 60,000 times the safe level of aluminum, a neuro-toxin. We are being sprayed with toxic substances without our consent!

Learn more about Project Cloverleaf.

Let’s impose a change of course. How? By voting all warmongers out of office and supporting all pro peace and justice candidates.

The Imperial Titanic is about to collide with the iceberg of nuclear war, environmental destruction, and total fascist oppression.

Time for citizens to stand up and act.

Time for consumers to boycott corporate greed.

Time for workers to sit down in general strike.

Time for soldiers to refuse killing innocent people.

Time for Americans to crush corporate tyranny.

Time to restore real democracy or die.

Investigative journalist Greg Palast and Eva Golinger, Editor of the English language Venezuelan newspaper, “Correo del Orinoco,” expose the persistent lies of the U.S. State Department and corporate media about Hugo Chavez.

As a preamble to future aggression, they falsely claim Chavez is supporting terrorists in Columbia. However, what they actually fear is Chavez using the oil money of Venezuela to liberate South America from U.S. hegemony.

View the video (right) to know more.

By Shamus Cooke

01 July, 2009 “Information Clearing House” — There should be no doubts about the U.S.’ decisive role behind the now-crumbling military coup in Honduras. As commander and chief of the U.S. armed forces, the blame for this intervention lies solely on President Obama.

The White House, however, would like you to believe that they “attempted to convince the Honduran military not to intervene.”

Rubbish.

When it comes to the Honduran military, the U.S. government needn’t ask permission for anything. The decades long relationship between the two institutions is one of dependence — Honduras’ military has long been financed and trained by the U.S. The New York Times explains:

“The two nations have long had a close military relationship, with an American military task force stationed at a Honduran air base about 50 miles northwest of Tegucigalpa. The unit focuses on training Honduran military forces, counternarcotics operations, search and rescue, and disaster relief missions throughout Central America.” (June 28, 2009)

And from Latin American expert Eva Gollinger:

“The US Military Group in Honduras trains around 300 Honduran soldiers every year, provides more than $500,000 annually to the Honduran Armed Forces and additionally provides $1.4 million for a military education and exchange program for around 300 more Honduran soldiers every year.”

This year U.S. aide to Honduras was $43 million.

It is utterly unimaginable that the Honduran military would act against the wishes of the hemisphere’s military and economic superpower.

In fact, the chief military leader of the Honduran coup — Joint Chief of Staff Romeo Orlando Vasquez Velasquez — lived and was trained at the notorious School of Americas (SOA), a U.S. military base that trains Latin American military officers to act in the best interests of United State’s corporations. It is no coincidence that another coup leader — Air Force head Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo — is also an SOA graduate.

When Honduran President Manuel Zelaya realized that Vasquez was acting against him, he was fired — the rest of the military chiefs resigned in protest; and the coup was on.

The highly conservative Honduran Supreme Court then gave the military the “legal” cover it needed to pursue the coup, a fact the U.S. media uses to justify the events.

The reason for the coup lies in President Zelaya’s recent foreign policy shift — away from the United States towards Venezuela and the rest of Latin America. This turn was the result of the United States largely ignoring Honduras, after a long lasting, villainous relationship had ended: the U.S. had, for years, funneled large amounts of cash and arms to the Honduran government to kill the regions political leftists, the high point being the regions turbulent 1980’s.

After Zelaya was elected in 2006 (he still has one year left in his term), he promised to shift Honduras’ politics toward helping the poorer layers. He realized that he could not achieve any of his promises with the scant amount of aide from the U.S. and looked instead to the Latin American trade association, ALBA. Zelaya explained:

“I have been looking for projects from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, Europe and I have received very moderate offers … that forces us to find other forms of financing like ALBA.” ( Reuters, April 26,2008 )

The U.S. government did not like this move, since it prefers U.S. banks to dominate the economies of Latin American countries. The New York Times confirms:

“…[Washington’s] relations with Mr. Zelaya…had recently turned colder because of the inclusion of Honduras in the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA, a leftist political alliance led by Venezuela.” (June 28, 2009)

Nearly all of the U.S. media’s writing about the Honduran coup is littered with negative references to Hugo Chavez, the “socialist project,” and other buzzwords meant to influence the reader toward acceptance of the coup.

For example:

“…[Zelaya] has the support of labor unions and the poor. But the middle class and the wealthy business community fear he wants to introduce Mr. Chávez’s brand of socialist populism into the country, one of Latin America’s poorest.” (New York Times, June 28, 2009)

Obama himself does nothing to condemn the coup. Yes, he is “deeply concerned” about the events in Honduras, but his vague comments about “dialogue” and respecting “legal procedures” is full of loopholes — big enough for a coup to squeeze through.

If Obama immediately refused to recognize the newly installed coup government in Honduras, while threatening to withdraw U.S. military and financial aide — along with the U.S. ambassador — the coup would dissolve in seconds. Strong actions like these, however, were completely absent.

Eva Gollinger comments:

“I think a clear coup d’etat against a democratic government that also happens to be a major dependent on U.S. economic and political aid should provoke a more firm and concise statement by the US Government.”

Such a statement did come not only from the General Assembly of the United Nations, but from the formerly U.S.-dominated Organization of American States (OAS). Both organizations are refusing to recognize the new coup government in Honduras and are demanding the return of Zelaya. This is a big blow to Washington, who in better times could rely on the OAS and U.N. to turn a blind eye to a U.S.-sponsored coup, such as the one in Haiti in 2004.

Now, however, the OAS has largely broken from the U.S. stranglehold, emboldened by the independent path taken by numerous Latin American countries, though especially Venezuela.

And this is the broader motive for the coup. The U.S. banks and other corporations that once dominated Latin America are being quickly pushed aside, so that governments may use their country’s wealth for social services and real economic development — not foreign for-profit plunder.

The U.S. coup attempt in Honduras is thus a sign of desperation. It was also a huge gamble. Obama had hoped that the U.N. and OAS would let this one slide. It was also hoped that the Honduran people would be intimidated by martial law and a communications blackout. Neither was the case.

Huge protests have defied the military-ordered curfew. Latin American countries have united in defiance of a tyrannical U.S. policy. It is reported that these happenings are causing splits in the Honduran military, while also a general strike was being prepared by the nation’s trade unions.

In consequence, the coup is likely to crumble, and Obama’s first attempt to re-tame Latin America will have failed. The actions of the U.N. and OAS are striking examples of the shrinking international influence of the U.S., meaning that future interventions — both military and economic — are likely to be more direct to restore U.S. hegemony. Obama’s more-subtle attempts to uphold U.S. “influence” in the world will ultimately require blunter, Bush-like tactics.

If the Honduran coup fails, Obama will eloquently discuss how pleased he is that “democracy was restored” — while refusing to admit that he tried to kill it.

______________
Shamus Cooke is a social service worker, trade unionist, and writer for Workers Action (www.workerscompass.org). He can be reached at shamuscook@yahoo.com.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Luminous Compass has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Luminous Compass endorsed or sponsored by the originator.

]]> http://aldovidali.com/general/washingtons-coup-attempt-in-honduras/feed 0 http://aldovidali.com/general/healthcare-pigs-terrorist-show http://aldovidali.com/general/healthcare-pigs-terrorist-show#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:06:14 +0000 admin http://aldovidali.com/?p=1639

Insurance lizards slobbering poisonous saliva and feeding money to rotten prostitutes in Congress (except a noble few) dare debate with disgusting aplomb whether insurance-pig-snakes’ bank accounts are more important than the lives of thousands of men, women, and children dying every year for lack of healthcare.

Our Congress bordello of lunatics – made up mostly of fat Christianoids (aka: humanoids masquerading as Christians) with other cults fanatics (invoking different brands of divinities) – are at it again! Merry Christmas congressional bastards! Happy Hanukkah, torture aficionados! May the fleas of a thousand camels invade your armpits!

Here is a partial list of bribes paid to our representative whores and Senaturds.

SENATE
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) $150,999
Thomas R. Carper (D-Del) $125,000
Tom Coburn (R-Okla) $15,000
Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho) $16,879
Judd Gregg (R-N.H) $575,000
Kay Hagan (D-N.C) $875,000
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) $60,000
Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) $15,000
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) $467,002
John F. Kerry (D-Mass) $9.8 million
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz) $121,000
Jack Reed (D-R.I) $15,000

HOUSE
Dave Camp (R-Mich) $490,000
Eric Cantor (R-Va) $92,000
Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex) $265,000
Jim McDermott (D-Was) $41,961
Allyson Y Schwartz (D-Pa) $15,000
John Tanner** (D-Tex) $15,000
Mike Thompson** (D-Calif) $95,000
John Yarmuth (D-KY) $5 million (Stock held in brother’s HC company)
Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif) $180,000
John D. Dingell (D-Mich) $80,000
Jane Harman** (D-Calif) $7.7 million (owns stock in 30 HC companies)
Charlie Melancon** (D-La) $17,000
Fred Upton (R-Mich) $525,000
Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y) $30,000
Peter Welch (D-VT) $15,000
Edward Whitfield (R-KY) $80,000
(“Financial Disclosures,” LegiStorm, WaPo, 06/13/2009)

Their PACs also get huge campaign financial contributions from the industry.

America’s useless, poisonous, and vicious insurance gangsters are financing mobs of brainless but armed neo-brown-shirts to threaten citizens engaged in discussing why America – (not for long anymore) the richest country on earth – has millions of human souls without healthcare, without shelter, and without enough healthy food.

The rabid and greedy right wing cockroach mobsters scream in terror of socialist tyranny control of medicine, when for years the best kept medical programs have been government programs: Medicare and Medicaid. There is no hope for a fake democracy on the brink of catastrophe when it has 50% of its voters dumbed down and kept ignorant by the deliberate lowering of education to serve a capitalist regime armed with the lies of its corporate main sewer media bordellos.

Fidel Castro could not resist slamming the ridiculous corporate-owned government of fat capitalist America for abandoning its poor and dispossessed when Cuba, a country that has been blockaded for 50 years, has the best medicine in all the Americas and exports thousands of excellent doctors to countries in need.

Let’s see now if Obama has the cojones to at last deliver some of his famous “Change we can MAKE BELIEVE in” and if Americans have the guts to kick out the oppressors.

Wake up, land of the cowards and home of the slaves!

Below, for the benefit of sleeping beauties, an excerpt from Tolstoy, proving that our Planet of Assholes has not changed since his times.

_____________________________________________________

From: The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy

It is easy to understand that the landowner prefers to believe that the existing order is inevitable and immutable, because this existing order secures him an income from his hundreds and thousands of acres, by means of which he can lead his habitual indolent and luxurious life.

It is easy to understand that the judge readily believes in the necessity of an order of things through which he receives a wage fifty times as great as the most industrious laborer can earn, and the same applies to all the higher officials. It is only under the existing regime that as governor, prosecutor, senator, members of the various councils, they can receive their several thousands of rubles a year, without which they and their families would at once sink into ruin, since if it were not for the position they occupy they would never by their own abilities, industry, or acquirements get a thousandth part of their salaries.

The minister, the Tzar, and all the higher authorities are in the same position. The only distinction is that the higher and the more exceptional their position, the more necessary it is for them to believe that the existing order is the only possible order of things.

For without it they would not only be unable to gain an equal position, but would be found to fall lower than all other people. A man who has of his own free will entered the police force at a wage of ten rubles, which he could easily earn in any other position, is hardly dependent on the preservation of the existing regime, and so he may not believe in its immutability. But a king or an emperor, who receives millions for his post, and knows that there are thousands of people round him who would like to dethrone him and take his place, who knows that he will never receive such a revenue or so much honor in any other position, who knows, in most cases through his more or less despotic rule, that if he were dethroned he would have to answer for all his abuse of power – he cannot but believe in the necessity and even sacredness of the existing order.

The higher and the more profitable a man’s position, the more unstable it becomes, and the more terrible and dangerous a fall from it for him, the more firmly the man believes in the existing order, and therefore with the more ease of conscience can such a man perpetrate cruel and wicked acts, as though they were not in his own interest, but for the maintenance of that order.

This is the case with all men in authority, who occupy positions more profitable than they could occupy except for the present regime, from the lowest police officer to the Tzar. All of them are more or less convinced that the existing order is immutable, because – the chief consideration – it is to their advantage. But the peasants, the soldiers, who are at the bottom of the social scale, who have no kind of advantage from the existing order, who are in the very lowest position of subjection and humiliation, what forces them to believe that the existing order in which they are in their humble and disadvantageous position is the order which ought to exist, and which they ought to support even at the cost of evil actions contrary to their conscience?

What forces these men to the false reasoning that the existing order is unchanging, and that therefore they ought to support it, when it is so obvious, on the contrary, that it is only unchanging because they themselves support it?

What forces these peasants, taken only yesterday from the plow and dressed in ugly and unseemly costumes with blue collars and gilt buttons, to go with guns and sabers and murder their famishing fathers and brothers?

They gain no kind of advantage and can be in no fear of losing the position they occupy, because it is worse than that from which they have been taken.

The persons in authority of the higher orders – land owners, merchants, judges, senators, governors, ministers, tzars, and officers – take part in such doings because the existing order is to their advantage. In other respects they are often good and kind-hearted men, and they are more able to take part in such doings because their share in them is limited to suggestions, decisions, and orders. These persons in authority never do themselves what they suggest, decide, or command to be done. For the most part they do not even see how all the atrocious deeds they have suggested and authorized are carried out. But the unfortunate men of the lower orders, who gain no kind of advantage from the existing regime, but, on the contrary, are treated with the utmost contempt, support it even by dragging people with their own hands from their families, handcuffing them, throwing them in prison, guarding them, shooting them.

Why do they do it? What forces them to believe that the existing order is unchanging and they must support it?

All violence rests, we know, on those who do the beating, the handcuffing, the imprisoning, and the killing with their own hands. If there were no soldiers or armed policemen, ready to kill or outrage anyone as they are ordered, not one of those people who sign sentences of death, imprisonment, or galley-slavery for life would make up his mind to hang, imprison, or torture a thousandth part of those whom, quietly sitting in his study, he now orders to be tortured in all kinds of ways, simply because he does not see it nor do it himself, but only gets it done at a distance by these servile tools.

All the acts of injustice and cruelty which are committed in the ordinary course of daily life have only become habitual because there are these men always ready to carry out such acts of injustice and cruelty. If it were not for them, far from anyone using violence against the immense masses who are now ill-treated, those who now command their punishment would not venture to sentence them, would not even dare to dream of the sentences they decree with such easy confidence at present.

And if it were not for these men, ready to kill or torture anyone at their commander’s will, no one would dare to claim, as all the idle landowners claim with such assurance, that a piece of land, surrounded by peasants, who are in wretchedness from want of land, is the property of a man who does not cultivate it, or that stores of corn taken by swindling from the peasants ought to remain untouched in the midst of a population dying of hunger because the merchants must make their profit. If it were not for these servile instruments at the disposal of the authorities, it could never have entered the head of the landowner to rob the peasants of the forest they had tended, nor of the officials to think they are entitled to their salaries, taken from the famishing people, the price of their oppression; least of all could anyone dream of killing or exiling men for exposing falsehood and telling the truth.

All this can only be done because the authorities are confidently assured that they have always these servile tools at hand, ready to carry all their demands into effect by means of torture and murder.

All the deeds of violence of tyrants from Napoleon to the lowest commander of a company who fires upon a crowd, can only be explained by the intoxicating effect of their absolute power over these slaves. All force, therefore, rests on these men, who carry out the deeds of violence with their own hands, the men who serve in the police or the army, especially the army, for the police only venture to do their work because the army is at their back.

What, then, has brought these masses of honest men, on whom the whole thing depends, who gain nothing by it, and who have to do these atrocious deeds with their own hands, what has brought them to accept the amazing delusion that the existing order, unprofitable, ruinous, and fatal as it is for them, is the order which ought to exist?

Who has led them into this amazing delusion?

They can never have persuaded themselves that they ought to do what is against their conscience, and also the source of misery and ruin for themselves, and all their class, who make up nine-tenths of the population.

“How can you kill people, when it is written in God’s commandment: ‘Thou shalt not kill’?” I have often inquired of different soldiers. And I always drove them to embarrassment and confusion by reminding them of what they did not want to think about.

They knew they were bound by the law of God, “Thou shalt not kill,” and knew too that they were bound by their duty as soldiers, but had never reflected on the contradiction between these duties.

The drift of the timid answers I received to this question was always approximately this: that killing in war and executing criminals by command of the government are not included in the general prohibition of murder. But when I said this distinction was not made in the law of God, and reminded them of the Christian duty of fraternity, forgiveness of injuries, and love, which could not be reconciled with murder, the peasants usually agreed, but in their turn began to ask me questions. “How does it happen,” they inquired, “that the government [which according to their ideas cannot do wrong] sends the army to war and orders criminals to be executed.” When I answered that the government does wrong in giving such orders, the peasants fell into still greater confusion, and either broke off the conversation or else got angry with me.

“They must have found a law for it. The archbishops know as much about it as we do, I should hope,” a Russian soldier once observed to me. And in saying his the soldier obviously set his mind at rest, in the full conviction that his spiritual guides had found a law which authorized his ancestors, and the tzars and their descendants, and millions of men, to serve as he was doing himself, and that the question I had put him was a kind of hoax or conundrum on my part.

Everyone in our Christian society knows, either by tradition or by revelation or by the voice of conscience, that murder is one of the most fearful crimes a man can commit, as the Gospel tells us, and that the sin of murder cannot be limited to certain persons, that is, murder cannot be a sin for some and not a sin for others.

Everyone knows that if murder is a sin, it is always a sin, whoever are the victims murdered, just like the sin of adultery, theft, or any other. At the same time from their childhood up men see that murder is not only permitted, but even sanctioned by the blessing of those whom they are accustomed to regard as their divinely appointed spiritual guides, and see their secular leaders with calm assurance organizing murder, proud to wear murderous arms, and demanding of others in the name of the laws of the country, and even of God, that they should take part in murder. Men see that there is some inconsistency here, but not being able to analyze it, involuntarily assume that this apparent inconsistency is only the result of their ignorance. The very grossness and obviousness of the inconsistency confirms them in this conviction.

They cannot imagine that the leaders of civilization, the educated classes, could so confidently preach two such opposed principles as the law of Christ and murder.

A simple uncorrupted youth cannot imagine that those who stand so high in his opinion, whom he regards as holy or learned men, could for any object whatever mislead him so shamefully. But this is just what has always been and always is done to him.

It is done (1) by instilling, by example and direct instruction, from childhood up, into the working people, who have not time to study moral and religious questions for themselves, the idea that torture and murder are compatible with Christianity, and that for certain objects of state, torture and murder are not only admissible, but ought to be employed; and (2) by instilling into certain of the people, who have either voluntarily enlisted or been taken by compulsion into the army, the idea that the perpetration of murder and torture with their own hands is a sacred duty, and even a glorious exploit, worthy of praise and reward.

The general delusion is diffused among all people by means of the catechisms or books, which nowadays replace them, in use for the compulsory education of children. In them it is stated that violence, that is, imprisonment and execution, as well as murder in civil or foreign war in the defense and maintenance of the existing state organization (whatever that may be, absolute or limited monarchy, convention, consulate, empire of this or that Napoleon or Boulanger, constitutional monarchy, commune or republic) is absolutely lawful and not opposed to morality and Christianity.

This is stated in all catechisms or books used in schools. And men are so thoroughly persuaded of it that they grow up, live and die in that conviction without once entertaining a doubt about it.

This is one form of deception, the general deception instilled into everyone, but there is another special deception practiced upon the soldiers or police who are picked out by one means or another to do the torturing and murdering necessary to defend and maintain the existing regime.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s most tragic and long-lasting conflicts and a major source of world’s instability. Knowing the facts may save us all from catastrophe.

The U.S. government is directly involved in this conflict. The American People are increasingly imperiled by its actions and corporate  media’s misinformation sponsored by special interests.

Here at last are the facts in a powerful, irrefutable documentary further supported by extensive data and research assembled for easy access: http://www.ifamericansknew.org/

Change we can believe in?
Yes, we can!
Look forward!
Not behind?

Forget war crimes!
Look forward!
There will be new crimes aplenty?
Yes, we can!
A truckload of women and children’s …
Assorted body parts! They are the empire’s
Mother’s Day gift to Afghanistan.

WWI mothers started Mother’s Day
To tell the world:
“Let no son be forced to kill another mother’s son, ever again!”
Yes, we can!
Look forward!
Not backwards?
Can’t you see?
Change we can believe in?
New war criminals forgiving old criminals?
More prisons and slave camps for the poor!
Forgive killers who sent sons to die?
Die for what? For oil, you fools!

Don’t look backward.
Look forward!
There is fresh blood on the streets.
Can’t you see change we can believe in?
Forget Wounded Knee.
Forget Mi Lai.
Forget old blood on forgotten streets.
Look forward!
Yes, we can!

Immunized criminals are ready again
to offer torture and murder expertise
We are a country under law?
We have kangaroo tribunals spitting on obsolete treaties.
God Bless America!
Land of compassion.
One lunatic, deaf, and blind nation under what God?
The old, jealous lord of hosts?
Change we can believe in?
Yes, we can!
Give us a break!
All lunatics can.
Not a single White House press core baboon
raised a grunt of protest
at the Mother’s Day’s dinner
Obama hosted with empty jokes.
Change we can believe in?