September 30, 2006
by Jason Miller
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/20...ire&frame=true
Relentless indoctrination by a vast corporate media complex has
convinced many that the United States of America is an exceptional
nation. Charged with the sacred duty of preserving Pax Americana, the
United States is purported to be the embodiment of the ideals of
truth, justice and liberty for all.

Before making firm intellectual commitment to such pleasant fictions,
consider these questions:

Why is it that virtually every liberal or progressive proposal for
socioeconomic or political change in the United States is still-born,
or on the rare occasions it survives the birthing process, it is
beaten into submission by a domineering patriarch?

And why have virtually all crusaders for progressive causes in the
"land of the free" wound up imprisoned (i.e. Eugene Debs), deported
(Emma Goldman), or assassinated (MLK)?

For a nation that Thomas Paine, the intellectual catalyst of the
American Revolution, envisioned as "an asylum for mankind", the United
States has not been very hospitable to dissent or dissidents. How can
this be?

A simple summation of a highly complex answer is that powerful
reactionary forces are consistently poised to suppress those who dare
to challenge the tyranny of the de facto aristocracy and
corporatocracy. And they have an extraordinary propaganda machine
known as the mainstream media to sustain the myth that the United
States is a nation governed by and for "We the People".

One can readily find multiple examples of other governments and
nations guilty of heinous crimes against humanity, but with a foreign
policy that has resulted in the annihilation of millions of civilians,
the United States is as malevolent as some of history's most
despicable empires. And the "bastion of human rights" has a highly
questionable track record domestically too. Ask Native Americans and
Blacks how their ancestors fared in a nation populated largely by self-
professed Christians and ostensibly governed as a constitutional
republic.

It HAS happened here

Tragically, the forces of avarice, militarism, nationalism, and lust
for power have all but extinguished the bright illumination cast by
those amongst the Founding Fathers who were deeply influenced by the
Age of Enlightenment. Despite its military and technological prowess,
the United States is awash in ignorance, superstition, repression, and
fear reminiscent of the Dark Ages.

Holding the reins guiding the world's sole remaining super-power, the
United States' ruling elite have seized (or perhaps created) a ripe
opportunity. Preying on ignorance and fear, they have convinced many
amongst the masses to sell their souls for the "security" of fascist
and corporate rule.

Fascism is multi-faceted and has been defined in a multitude of ways.
However, Wikipedia provides a simple and succinct summary of fascism's
widely accepted defining characteristics:

Fascism is associated by many scholars with one or more of the
following characteristics: a very high degree of nationalism, economic
corporatism, a powerful, dictatorial leader who portrays the nation,
state or collective as superior to the individuals or groups composing
it.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sinclair Lewis' prediction has come true.
And despite desperate propagandistic attempts to preserve the false
cloak of humanitarianism, the Bush Regime is overtly displaying the
innate savagery and predatory nature of the American Empire, Inc.

In the United States' version of a fascist state, the flag and those
who mindlessly Pledge Allegiance have become nearly ubiquitous. The so-
called "Patriot Act" has severely diminished civil liberties yet is
widely accepted as necessary to preserve the security of "our nation".
Two consecutive elections (each of which denied US citizens the
opportunity to truly influence the outcome) "catapulted" a morally and
intellectually bankrupt man into the role of "leader of the free
world". Natural disasters occur and thousands of human beings are left
to suffer and die. Imperial wars cost hundreds of thousands of lives,
plunge the nation further into fiscal and moral bankruptcy, and strain
military personnel beyond their limits. The Decider and company
continue greedily consolidating power to elevate Bush to the position
of a unitary executive. And thanks to the zealous efforts of the Bush
Regime, the widening wealth gap and deep cuts to federal social
programs are enabling some Developing Nations to surpass the United
States in areas such as education and health care.

Corporatism and its evil ways.

With the rise of economic corporatism, the line between corporations
and the federal government has blurred significantly. Dick Cheney is
one of many key government officials who seamlessly slide between the
private and public sector, closing the door on neither. In a blatantly
criminal example, this "revolving door" has enabled Halliburton to win
no-bid contracts and defraud tax-payers of billions of dollars.
Intense lobbying efforts, large campaign donations, and the
manipulation of Congresspeople with promises to create (or threats to
eliminate) jobs ensure that corporate interests prevail in the public
arena. And with $600 billion of public money going toward military
spending each year, corporate defense contractors have become the
pushers for a nation addicted to war.

How did corporations become so powerful?

Germinating in the 19th Century, the legal concept of corporate
personhood sank deep roots into the rich soil of predacious capitalism
in the United States. Sheltered by the validation of the Supreme Court
and the fierce protection of the ruling elite, corporate personhood
has grown to Sequoia-like proportions. Bestowed with many of the legal
rights of a human being yet lacking human encumbrances or limitations
such as conscience, fear, and mortality, corporations are bastions
from which acquisitive and malevolent individuals can commit egregious
crimes with virtual impunity.

There are many examples of corporations that often abuse their power,
put profits ahead of human welfare and the environment, and wield
undue influence over public policy.

Shall we consider one such corporation?

"Have a Coke and a Smile and Shut the **** Up"

Coca Cola is as much a part of the American Way as baseball, hot dogs,
and apple pie. What could be more wonderful than an American icon
producing a refreshing soft drink recognized by 94% of the world's
population?

Remember some of Coke's advertising slogans?

I'd like to buy the world a Coke

Coke adds life.

Coke is it.

(Yes, those are but a few of the taglines that Madison Avenue has
seared into your cerebrum).

Despite some recent "hiccups", the soft drink leviathan cruised across
the 2005 finish line with annual revenues of $23.1 billion and a net
income of nearly $5 billion. So major investors, corporate executives,
supporters, and Coca Cola addicts can truly "Have a Coke and a smile."

It's not a party for everyone.

Unfortunately, there are many people around the world who are not
smiling with them. A campaign to Stop Killer Coke has gathered so much
momentum that Coke spent $2.4 billion in advertising last year. To
counter the exposure of the hideous truths behind the hallowed "Coke
lore", Coca Cola has increased its advertising expenditures by 30%
since 2004.

With animated polar bears and Kris Kringle giving them the thumbs up
while merrily downing their noxious concoction, how can Coke lose?

Hopefully enough people will awaken to reality and stop drinking Coca
Cola beverages until it begins producing and marketing healthier
products in an ethical way.

And what are some of these ugly truths veiled by the powerful
illusions that $2.4 billion per year can create?

Ray Rogers, head of Corporate Campaign, Inc. offered this analysis:

"They are right at the top of the worst companies in the world, and
yet they've created an image like they are American pie. When people
think of Coca-Cola, they should think about great hardship and despair
for people and communities around the world."

What are some of the hardships and despairs associated with Coca Cola?

India is the scene of some of Coke's most serious crimes.

In the remote village of Plachimada, Coke's $25 million bottling plant
depleted the water wells of locals. Adding insult to injury, Coca Cola
also distributed "free fertilizer" to indigenous farmers. The
"fertilizer" was a by-product of its production process and was loaded
with cadmium, a carcinogenic toxin. Locals staged an ongoing
demonstration at the plant starting in 2002. In 2005 the Kerala State
Pollution Control Board shut down the Coke facility.

A Coke plant in Mehdiganj has caused Indian citizens in twenty towns
to face significant water scarcity with water tables dropping by 18
feet.

Pesticide levels in Coke produced in India average 25 times the
maximum levels established by the Bureau of Indian Standards. As a
result, the Indian state of Kerala has banned the sale of Coke.

It is instructive to note that the Bush administration, ever the
corporate champion, dispatched U.S. Undersecretary for International
Trade Franklin Lavin to issue this thinly veiled threat to India:

"In a time when India is working hard to attract and retain foreign
investment, it would be unfortunate if the discussion were dominated
by those who did not want to treat foreign companies fairly."

Yes, Franklin. It is indeed unfair that people in India don't want to
drink pesticide to enhance Coke's profits. And Coca Cola thanks you
for providing a return on its investment of $380,000.00 to the Bush
presidential campaign in 2004.

In his April 2006 ZNet article, Sucking Communities Dry , Joe Zacune
of War on Want wrote:

The company admits that without water it would have no business at
all. Coca-Cola's operations rely on access to vast supplies of water,
as it takes almost three litres of water to make one litre of Coca-
Cola. In order to satisfy this need, Coca-Cola is increasingly taking
over control of aquifers in communities around the world. These vast
subterranean chambers hold water resources collected over many
hundreds of years. As such they the represent the heritage of entire
communities.

It is indeed ironic that the company that once used the tagline
"Delicious, wholesome, thirst quenching" is depriving significant
numbers of people around the globe of ready access to potable water.

And do the ends justify the means? To offset its theft and poisoning
of water supplies, does Coca Cola create an elixir that benefits
humanity in a substantial way? Hardly....

Here's to your (deteriorating) health.

Coca Cola easily dissolves tooth enamel. Its high phosphorus contact
causes the depletion of calcium in the body. Calcium depletion
increases the risk of osteoporosis in adults and of bone fractures in
adolescents. As calcium leaves the body, it is often collected in the
kidneys to form kidney stones. Coke can also impede proper digestion
and exacerbate acid reflux.

And let's not forget the additional "health benefits" to Coke
drinkers. The extremely high sugar content increases the chance of
obesity 1.6 times each time a person downs a soda. And to complement
the lovely prospect of becoming obese, the over-consumption of sugar
associated with drinking Coke on a regular basis puts one at risk of
contracting Type 2 diabetes.

In 2002, Dr. Francine Ratner Kaufman wrote of a disturbing trend
involving our children, who happen to be frequent targets of Coke's
advertising:

As the new president of the American Diabetes Association and as a
pediatric endocrinologist, I have had the opportunity to appreciate
the recent change in the face of type 2 diabetes in the United States.
Type 2 diabetes has changed from a disease of our grandparents and
parents to a disease of our children..In 1992, it was rare for most
pediatric centers to have patients with type 2 diabetes. By 1994, type
2 diabetes accounted for up to 16% of new cases of pediatric diabetes
in urban areas, and by 1999, it accounted for 8-45% of new cases
depending on geographic location.

"Relax with Coke".But don't try to work for them

Coke has been particularly hard on the health of union activists and
members. In Colombia, nine Coca Cola-employed union leaders have been
killed and hundreds of union workers tortured, kidnapped, or attacked
by right-wing paramilitaries. Ironically, the timing of the violence
of the paramilitaries has coincided with union agitation and contract
negotiations.

The New York City Council sent a group to Colombia to investigate Coca
Cola's potential responsibility for the murders and assaults.
Documenting 179 human rights abuses and determining that Coke's
bottlers were closely aligned with the paramilitaries who committed
the crimes, the investigators issued this statement:

"The company denies any involvement in the threats, assassinations,
kidnappings and other terror tactics, but its failure to protect its
workers even on company property, its refusal to investigate
persistent allegations of payoffs to paramilitary leaders by plant
managers, and its unwillingness to share documentation that might
demonstrate otherwise leads the delegation to the conclusion that Coca-
Cola is complicit in the human rights abuses of its workers in
Colombia."

In May of 2005, a Coca Cola facility in Turkey fired five union
organizers. A day later, Coke fired 50 union employees. When the fired
employees refused to leave immediately, Coke had Turkish riot police
known as Cevik Kuvvet drive them off by beating them.

Coke was not finished. They waited five days and then fired 50 more
union members.

In July, the fired union members and their families gathered at the
Coca Cola facility to peacefully protest their termination. 1,000
Cevik Kuvvet sprayed them with tear gas and beat them with batons.
Coca Cola's violent suppression of union activity sent 90 people to
the hospital that day

According to a detailed report by Human Rights Watch, child labor is
rampant in El Salvador. Children as young as eight are subjected to
back-breaking and dangerous labor harvesting sugar-cane for
subsistence wages. Companies purchasing and using the sugar enable and
perpetuate this morally reprehensible practice.

Human Rights Watch asserted:

One such business is The Coca-Cola Company, which uses sugar from El
Salvador's largest mill, Central Izalco, located in the Department of
Sonsonate. Coca-Cola uses Salvadoran sugar in its bottled beverages
for domestic consumption in El Salvador and in its canned beverages
sold throughout Central America. At least four of the plantations that
supply sugarcane to Central Izalco regularly use child labor, Human
Rights Watch found after interviewing children and adults who work on
those plantations. When Human Rights Watch brought this information to
Coca-Cola's attention, Coca-Cola asked its supplier mill to conduct
its own investigation into the use of child labor on plantations that
supply the mill. Coca-Cola's extensive response to the information
provided by Human Rights Watch did not contradict our findings.

In 1946, one of Coke's advertising slogans was:

Whenever you hear "Have a Coke," you hear the voice of America

I wonder how often eight year old El Salvadoran children hear the
voice of America and think that "Coke adds life"..

They're counting on YOUR support!

After weighing the evidence, I have decided to excise soft drinks from
my life. And that is no easy task for a "four can a day" addict. So
the next time you are downing a refreshing can of soda, I urge you to
resist Coke's $2.4 billion mind **** and think about thirsty human
beings drinking cadmium-contaminated water, pesticide cocktails,
"fertilizer" derived from toxic sludge, decaying teeth, corpulence,
child diabetics, murder for hire, police batons cracking skulls,
children suffering the horrors of child labor, and the growing trend
toward global fascism.

And remember to"Enjoy that refreshing new feeling." Fascist elements
are counting on your blind loyalty in their bid to subjugate the
world's masses to corporate domination.

On Sep 8, 10:53 pm, David wrote:
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 19:34:15 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:



"David" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 09:28:57 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:

I hope everyone dies twenty minutes before I do.

Why? Did you already convert to Islam?

- You do realize that Osama has the moral high ground?
- He is doing to the USA what he did to the USSR.
- My being transcends all religion.

David - Killing Innocent People and Acts of Massive Terrorism
are the Moral-High-Ground to your way of thinking !

David - You Worship Islam-O-Fascism and Praise Terror ?

david - your being transcends reality ~ RHF

On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 19:34:15 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:


"David" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 09:28:57 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:

I hope everyone dies twenty minutes before I do.

Why? Did you already convert to Islam?

You do realize that Osama has the moral high ground? He is doing to
the USA what he did to the USSR. My being transcends all religion.

On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:05:58 -0700, RHF
wrote:

On Sep 8, 10:53 pm, David wrote:
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 19:34:15 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:



"David" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 09:28:57 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:

I hope everyone dies twenty minutes before I do.

Why? Did you already convert to Islam?

- You do realize that Osama has the moral high ground?
- He is doing to the USA what he did to the USSR.
- My being transcends all religion.

David - Killing Innocent People and Acts of Massive Terrorism
are the Moral-High-Ground to your way of thinking !

David - You Worship Islam-O-Fascism and Praise Terror ?

david - your being transcends reality ~ RHF
.

Who kills more people, Bin Ladin or the USA?

"RHF" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Sep 8, 6:59 pm, "Billy Smith" wrote:
"Chas.Chan" wrote in message

...







"Bob Miller" the illiterate spittled

The Anti-Capitalist Mentality
http://www.mises.org/etexts/mises/anticap.asp

spittled

Why is it that virtually every liberal or progressive proposal
for
socioeconomic or political change in the United States is
still-born

READ: The Unholy Alliance of Neo-Liberal-"Progressives" and
Islamofascism

http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Allianc...rican/dp/08952...

Are you talking about George Bush or Rush Limbaugh? Dick Cheney or
Mary Matelin? Maybe Shawn Slanto?

bob

Read "The Road to Serfdom" by Hayek and the answer will become crystal
clear
as to who and what are the Socialist Neo-Liberal-"Progressives". Until
such
time as you have studied the great masters of Freedom all that you say
simply reveals your ignorance and stupidity - you are a useful Serf.

Thats a a quite excellent book as well. Have a copy of it myself.
However,
one might notice that Fascism, Communism and Corporatism have many
similarities.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

BS - None of which is about Shortwave Radio. ~ RHF
.

While very little of your posts are about shortwave either. Now go along and
play in the street boy.

RHF wrote:
With respest to Myself and My Reason for Being Here :

I have Posted more than 210 Shortwave Radio Reception
Reports (SWR3) to this NewsGroup

I have Posted arond 524 Shortwave Related Messages about
SWL News and Information; including Shortwave Antennas.

On Topic RHF posts: 210 + 524 = 734

Total RHF posts = 4018 (since March '06)

So, what were the other 3,284 posts about? :-)

"Billy Smith" wrote
Thats a a quite excellent book as well. Have a copy of it myself.
However,
one might notice that Fascism, Communism and Corporatism have many
similarities.


The only time a corporation can resemble anything close to Fascism or
Communism is when they are taken over by the government and nationalized you
stupid ignorant Communist twit!

"David" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 19:34:15 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:


"David" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 8 Sep 2007 09:28:57 -0500, "Chas.Chan"
wrote:

I hope everyone dies twenty minutes before I do.

Why? Did you already convert to Islam?

You do realize that Osama has the moral high ground? He is doing to
the USA what he did to the USSR. My being transcends all religion.

Osama - high moral ground? I hope your non-existent 12 year old daughter
enjoys a good long **** in the ass by that moralizing cock sucker you adore
so much.

"David" wrote in message
...

Who kills more people, Bin Ladin or the USA?

Who kills more people, Communism or Impeached Clinton?

"Chas.Chan" wrote in message
...

"Billy Smith" wrote
Thats a a quite excellent book as well. Have a copy of it myself.
However,
one might notice that Fascism, Communism and Corporatism have many
similarities.


The only time a corporation can resemble anything close to Fascism or
Communism is when they are taken over by the government and nationalized
you
stupid ignorant Communist twit!

Never lived in a 'company town' have you? They fit the textbook definition
of fascism quite handily.