M.P.G.
San Francisco, CA
11th mailing dated 04-12-2005 & 05-08-2005

As usual nothing received, nothing sent. So if you’ve received anything besides these mailings it wasn’t from me.

As you may have noted I’m mailing the complete document, what can I say.  I was advised not to set up a web site, so I’ve sent everything again.

Oh look here’s a quote from a factoid in the May 16th 2005 copy of the Nation.

“Despite the refusal of the Shah to rule out the possibility of Iran's developing nuclear weapons, the Ford Administration in 1975 approved the sale of up to eight nuclear reactors with fuel to Iran and, in 1976, approved the sale of lasers believed to be capable of enriching uranium. The Washington Post reported that an initially hesitant President Ford was assured by his advisors that Iran was interested only in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Ford's Defense Secretary [at the time] was Donald Rumsfeld, his Chief of Staff was Dick Cheney and his man in charge of nonproliferation efforts at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was Paul Wolfowitz.”

Well, well, well, what do you know, I’m really surprised. No, no really I am, it’s the same darn people we keep hearing about, wow what a coincidence, they just keep turning up over, and over, and over again. It’s funny how our mainstream “press” doesn’t report these things.  These are the same guys who helped sell weapons to Iraq and then took the U.S. to war because they claimed Iraq still had them.

Isn’t that like killing both your parents and than throwing yourself on the mercy of the court because you’re an orphan?  

Hey you think they’ll take us to war against Iran too, for the same reasons?  Nah, can’t be, it just has to be one of those “fortuitous” circumstances right?

By the way guess what, in the last couple of weeks the commission charged with investigating 9/11 and finding out who funded the terrorists and facilitated their entry into the U.S. decided not to continue their investigation. Wow, what a surprise.  Just exactly what I said they would do in my 7th mailing dated 08-29-2004.  Geez I’m shocked, really I am.  Who would believe they would ignore the deaths of 3,500 Americans just because the election was over.  I guess they’re just like the U.S. press.  Think of that, all these amazing ‘fortuitous’ circumstances happening all at the same time.

So to make up for the lack of investigative prowess by the American press I decided to write this letter and conduct another interview with Mrs. Middle America.  Enjoy.

 
11TH MAILING 04-12-2005 & 05-08-2005 =======================================================================

A Second Conversation with Mrs. Middle America

Filled with trepidation but with resolute determination I made my decision to return and conduct another interview with Mrs. Middle America.  With great difficulty I forced myself to go back to that nightmarish neighborhood of perfectly manicured lawns, perfectly maintained homes and perfectly dressed people.  Knowing what these people have done, knowing they believed and practiced the awful things Mr. Reficul said were good for this country.  I did it because I just had to know if anything had changed since I last interviewed Mrs. Middle America six months ago.

Not sure of my reception I first gave Mrs. Middle America a call to see how I would be received.  She sounded pleasantly surprised to hear from me again and agreed to another interview.

I arrived late that afternoon. After entering her home we exchanged the usual pleasantries, made ourselves comfortable on her living room chairs while we both sipped some tea and I proceeded to get my notes ready for the interview.

I began genially "Well Mrs. America what do you think about our recent Presidential election. And what's been happening to this nation for the last six months?"

"Oh things are fantastic", she cooed while her eyes sparkled brightly, "everything's going really well, we now have a great and glorious mandate to do all the wonderful things we have to do for this country and the rest of the world."

"Such as get those evil rotten terrorists" I asked?

"What do you mean?" she replied with a blank and vacuous look on her face.

"Well," …. I paused trying to collect my thoughts and said. "In my last interview you stated  'we had to protect ourselves from those evil terrorists, to go get them, all of them'.

"I did?" she replied with another blank look.

"Sure" I said feeling somewhat confused by her lack of recollection, so I showed her my notes.

"Oh no, no, no… of course that isn't what I meant, not at all.  You just misunderstood me," she stated in what she hoped was a reassuring tone of voice.  "What we're going to do is bring 'freedom and democracy' to the world, that's what I really meant."

"I see," I said looking utterly stunned. And stated tonelessly "So our reasons for what we've done, and will do, have changed," I paused for a very long moment, "again?"

"Of course they have my dear, to reflect the new global realities, that's what our wonderful and glorious president said in his inauguration speech." She replied with a radiant smile.

"I see," I repeated again feeling like a fool, "Let us both cover some of our nation's prior historical events so I can get this straight. Back before Bush Jr.'s dad, Bush Sr., served in his term of office, Bush Sr., his corporate pals, and his friends who were later appointed to his cabinet, sold Saddam weapons, including some of those 'awful' weapons of mass destruction'. Later when Bush Sr., actually served his term of office, his ambassador to Iraq in a conversation with Saddam, practically invited Saddam to invade Kuwait. Am I to understand that It's your contention the U.S. government did all of these things to promote 'freedom and democracy', is that right?'

"Yes of course that's the reason" She responded "So Bush Sr. and his cabinet made a little money, I already told you I don't care if they did. As regards to what our ambassador said, I never read anything about her 'inviting' Iraq to invade Kuwait. What does it matter anyway"?

"It matters because it's true" I replied "And you're right, you probably didn't read about it because the story was barely covered by our major newspapers, for some inexplicable reason they only carried it for a couple of weeks. Here's what's on the public record however. When asked about her conversation with Saddam in a congressional hearing she lied under oath and falsely stated the conversation had never occurred. Later when confronted with the secretly recorded tape Saddam had kept of their conversation she finally admitted she had told Saddam, 'the U.S. would have no opinion about the matter' when Saddam informed her of his intentions to invade.  This from the very ambassador who represented Bush Sr. and members of Bush's own cabinet who had 'befriended' Saddam, The very men who had encouraged and facilitated many of the companies who supplied Saddam with his weapons. Saddam trusted her statement, his relationship with Bush Sr. and Bush's corporate pals….. And acted accordingly."

"I really don't see the point of discussing this. If our newspapers didn't cover the story it obviously wasn't very important, now was it?" She replied while looking at me expectantly.

"200,000 people and hundreds of Americans died in Gulf War One," I stated flatly, while staring coldly at her.

"And your point is?" she replied with an impatient look?

"My point is," I said biting off each of my words, "Do you still contend we did this to promote 'freedom and democracy'"

"Of course we did." she replied with a questioning look, "it's obvious you just don't understand what we're trying to do."

Taking a moment to compose myself while looking at my notes I retorted "Bush Sr. also deliberately encouraged the Kurds and Shiites to rise against Saddam, after Gulf War One. Citing your 'freedom and democracy' all the while. He then refused to support them in their efforts to obtain their true freedom and democracy allowing Saddam to slaughter them wholesale. A policy I might add that helped to weaken all three ethnic groups in Iraq both militarily and politically while simultaneously exacerbating internal divisions and ethnic tensions. Such an outcome would of course 'fortuitously' support a strategy of 'divide and conquer' if the U.S. should 'coincidently' decide to occupy Iraq at some future date. Did we also do this to promote 'freedom and democracy'?"

"And again I tell you of course we did, you're simply not getting the point, besides its all just ancient history anyway, why are you asking me questions about Bush Sr. and his policies. I thought we were going to discuss our current president, his son" She replied with some irritation.

"Well" I responded "I thought these historical events might have some baring on our current situation, that they might actually be related to each other, especially considering the fact that many of the same people who served in Bush Sr.'s cabinet, are now the very same people who are serving in Bush Jr.'s cabinet. Did you ever consider that Mrs. America, that these events might actually be connected in some way?"

"But all these things you're talking about happened years ago." she said with a look of utter and profound perplexity, how could they possibly be connected?

Looking at her incredulously I queried, "So anything that happened" I paused "'years ago' I paused again, "has no relation to what happens now. Is that right?

"Exactly", now you're getting it" she replied, "It's never a good idea to look into the past, especially if it's unpleasant.  Why dig up all that old stuff anyway? All you do is cause unhappiness."

I responded "So when this current administration stated that Saddam was connected to 9/11 and it turned out that statement wasn't true at all, it didn't matter because it happened years ago, is that right?"

"Exactly" she replied enthusiastically.

"And when they said Iraq and Saddam were connected to Al Quada and it turned out that statement wasn't true either, it didn't matter because it happened years ago. That's also correct?" I asked.

"Exactly, …..right again, now you're getting it" she replied appearing to be very excited.

I responded. "And when they said Iraq was sponsoring terrorism and it turned out that wasn't true also, it was OK because it happened years ago right?"

"Perfectly correct, I think you're finally understanding me now" She replied.

"And when they said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that also turned out not to be true, it was just fine because they said it….. years ago,…..is that right?" I asked in disbelief.

"I think you are finally beginning to understand how it works now, you're becoming one of us" she replied," regarding me fondly as if I'd been newly converted to her chosen faith."

Feeling like I'd entered the twilight zone I finally asked," and if a year from now it turns out that all the terrible things we've done, including the invasion of Iraq, and the slaughter of it's people were done not for 'freedom and democracy', but for some new hitherto undiscovered 'reason', would that be OK to?

"Of course it would be, now you've finally got it." She exclaimed appearing to be so excited she was practically bouncing up and down in her chair.

Staring at her, utterly appalled I replied softly "Mrs. America those were just campaign slogans, do you understand that during the last twenty years while we played these ethnic groups and countries against each another, all the while making money selling them weapons to kill one another, millions of people have died, many quite terribly"

"Oh don't' be such a cry baby. It doesn't matter anyway" she crowed, grabbing my arm in her excitement, practically jumping off her chair while staring at me intently, "we did it to give them 'freedom and democracy'."

Trying not to cringe and jerk my arm away from her grasp, I gently removed her hand and asked, "so, using your own words we are now going to 'kill, maim and torture millions and millions of other people, especially the one's with lots of oil' not to 'protect ourselves from those evil terrorists', but to 'bring the people in these countries freedom and democracy', is that right Mrs. America. In your opinion 'we're actually helping them when we bomb and kill them.' Is that correct?"

"Exactly, you finally understand what we're really trying to do."

Looking sadly at Mrs. America I asked softly "Mrs. America… do you know what a lie is?"

"Of course I do, why are you asking me such a silly question. A lie is when you don't tell the truth." She replied.

I responded patiently "I'm asking this silly question because you've already agreed that all the prior 'reasons' or 'truths' were wrong.

"There weren't 'wrong' she said, and paused while she concentrated, "they were true at the time" she paused again, with a painfully thoughtful expression." And now they're not true." She finished looking at me brightly and with great cheer." She hesitated and regarded me searchingly. "You understand now don't you?"

I replied very slowly "So anything the administration says is 'true' is 'true' at the time they say it and because they say it, especially if our mass media uncritically and continually repeat it over and over again. Even if it is contradicted by all the current facts and is later proven to be utterly untrue. Is that correct?"

"Absolutely correct" she replied with a satisfied look.

"Mrs. America" I said patiently "that is not the meaning of truth"

"Oh fiddlesticks" she said with great exasperation "I thought you were beginning to understand me."

"Well let me try to understand you better by asking a few more questions. Would you sacrifice your sons and daughters for this 'truth' whatever it may be at the time," I asked softly.

"Yes" She replied.

"And you would agree that the U.S. can kill and maim and torture millions of people throughout the world on the basis of whatever  'truth' your 'truth' currently happens to be." I asked softly again.

"Yes", she sighed happily "so you do understand after all".

"And it doesn't matter that your 'freedom and democracy', your new 'truth' is already fraying at the edges. That we have established 14 military bases in Iraq and it looks like we’ll occupy Iraq for the next 10 years. That the Shiites who comprise 65% of the population, 'somehow', remarkably received only 48% of the vote in the recent Iraqi elections, coincidently right below the 50% margin needed to take control of the government. What the San Francisco Chronicle might have been referring to in a prior article as 'controlled democracy'.  What you are saying essentially Mrs. America is occupation is freedom and tallying the votes the way you want them to go is democracy, is that correct, this is your 'truth'."

"Of course it is." She replied with utter aplomb, "truth is whatever our wonderful president decides it's to be and if he has to change it every six months then that's what he'll have to do."

I reply very softly, “Mrs. America I’ve read an article recently outlining Pentagon plans to establish a series of ‘terrorist’ groups in Iraq, ostensibly to be used to combat and infiltrate other terrorist groups.  These groups would be semi-automanous, and probably unaccountable to any legal authorities or body of international law.  Like the ‘death squads’ which caused so much untold agony for Central America’s people these groups could be used, and given history’s tendency to repeat itself probably will be used, to coerce the local population; for the selected assassination of political undesirables; and as agent provocateurs to deliberately inflame religious or ethnic tensions when and if the need should arise. [hh] Is this a policy compatible with your ‘freedom and democracy?’

“Of course it is,” she said smiling. “You have to understand everything we’re doing is for the Iraqi people’s own good, we’re only there just to help them, and they’re just going to have to understand this and trust us.”

As I stared at the happily beaming Mrs. Middle America, I realized nothing would stop her, that the killing and deaths would go on and on and on to satisfy whatever glorious visions her 'wonderful president' would lay out for her.  No amount of death and destruction was too much. Nothing would ever jar her out of her self-satisfied reverie even if the price were to be paid for by her own flesh and blood.

Utterly shocked by what I had heard I got ready to leave.  Mrs. America happily accompanied me to the door, and appeared to be blissfully unaware of the effect her views had had on me. She cordially said goodbye, perhaps thinking I was one 'of them' now.

But of course I wasn't. I knew there was no place in this country for me, no place to hide anymore 'they' were everywhere and would do anything and say anything to get what they want.  But this isn't the true horror; the horror is that they would smile at you and say they were helping you, even while they killed you. That's the true horror.