“The SCAM We Have Been Believing for Decades”

Meria Heller’s Column

I have been very busy this past month with many interviews with real progressive people. One thing I have come away with is that we have all been lied to and manipulated for decades by the “elite” of the world who’s only goal has been to keep us ALL down. Whether it’s been in the name of “our country”, “Our political party”, “Our sexual preferences”, “Our racial beliefs”, “Our religious beliefs” etc., is has all been to achieve one goal é world domination by the select few. Empire.

While we have been busy arguing amongst ourselves, the rich and powerful have been taking over the world’s resources in the name of Corporatism. The top 51 nation/states wealth-wise are not nations at all. They are Corporations. They have invaded every political regime in almost every country on the planet. The few countries like Cuba that turn down the monies and deals of the WTO suffer dearly for the price they refuse to pay, but remain independent because of it.

Here in America we have lost our legal rights to treaties formulated by the WTO to supercede our own Courts and Laws. Treaties such as GATT, NAFTA and others we did NOT vote for, nor was Congress consulted on, now threaten our constitution on a daily basis. The WTO holds secret meetings without our consent or knowledge to determine OUR future and the future of our own countries resources, the same as they do in many other countries worldwide. We have an unelected administration of corporate CEO’s that have bought their way into office and totally support the interests of Corporation, not democracy. The rights of the people mean nothing to those who choose to dominate by means of Empire.

Yes, Empire. The United States leads that Empire as many nations around the world have aptly called it. It is this “Empire” that was attacked on 9/11/01, not America. America as we knew it is long gone. The World Trade Center, the symbol of the Empire was attacked on September 11th. Protests around the globe are protesting the Empire of Corporatism. Just today September 27, hundreds of peaceful protesters were arrested in Washington, D.C. for speaking out against the Empire during the WTO meeting in DC. The police are now turning on American citizens who still believe they are exercising their rights under the constitution for peaceful protest. They are even talking about using valium to deter or drown out the voices of protesters. What happened to freedom of assembly? Freedom of speech? In 1880 the editor of the New York Times said that we don’t have a free press, and they were all intellectual whores. In 1880. What do you think he would have said of the press in America in 2002?

Without a free press, we have nothing. No way of knowing the truth. We are fed lies constantly by the media (radio, television, newspapers) who are owned by the same Corporations that now own a lot of the water, electric, oil, gas, food, patents, etc., on the planet. What do you think they are going to feed us? The truth? No way. They are continually lying to us, enticing and seducing us to BUY, BUY, BUY. Yes, spend MORE money to build the Empire. How many sit home night after night, watching and supporting the media that is there to HURT us and keep us in the dark? The same media that won’t cover peaceful protests? The same media that wouldn’t give Al Gore the right to give his speech against Bush and the war in Iraq? The same media that called the election for George Bush long before the votes were attempted to be counted. The same media that helped make SURE the votes were never counted? The media is responsible for much of what is happening to America and the whole world. They deliberately keep Americans in the dark where foreign news is concerned. We aren’t privy to foreign views on what our warmongering administration is creating in the world. We are creating an international state of terrorism through fear, threatening to hit any country including the Hague if we so choose. How many Americans know how much we are feared and hated right now? Very few I’m afraid to say.

The media feeds us WAR on a daily basis, minute by minute. Most Americans think war is a good idea. Why? Because the cost of this “war” in blood and coin hasn’t been revealed by the media. The repercussions of attacking Iraq aren’t discussed. There isn’t a City in the country that won’t feel the aftershock of the wrath of the world if we do not have a U.N. mandate to go into Iraq. What about the restructuring of the Iraqi government once we do attack? What will that take in lives and money? They are talking about hundreds of thousands of troops. Our children. Not the children of the chickenhawks or the rich. Our kids. They will be on the front lines. Many without the proper protection in ways of apparel or ammunition. This will be worse than the Gulf War and Vietnam put together. We have madmen in office that take it upon themselves to declare Armageddon, without the consent of anyone. What about the people (civilians) in Baghdad? What about the children in Iraq? Are we so blind to believe in the single bad guy theory that Saddam Hussein is purported to be? By the same men who have done business with him all these years? The same men who have sold him the weapons of destruction that he may or may not have?

What about Russia and China? They are not going to approve any war with Iraq. Russia according to Dr. Helen Caldicott (author, “The New Nuclear Danger, George W. Bush’s Military Complex”) still has more than one missile pointing at every city in the United States with a population over 10,000. Hello? Is this any way to run a planet?

If we were to take one day of worldwide military spending, we’d have enough money to take care of every social issue on the planet, every environmental issue on the planet and total disarmament. Does anyone see the folly of continuing to live in the dark ages and constantly annihilating ourselves? Pakistan/India; Israel/Palestine; America and the WORLD; how insane is this?

Where is the media on all of this? Stoking the fires? Encouraging the destruction of everything we hold dear as human beings? Where is the voice for PEACE? Where is the voice for FREEDOM for all peoples? Who will be accountable? How will these warmongers face their maker?

Many of my listeners say “what can we do about it?”, give us some “solutions”. Well, here it is, straight out:

STOP supporting the media that lies to you. Turn it off. Cancel those high cable bills. Cancel those subscriptions.

Demand accountability and truth.

Start your own PRESS. Right. Your own press. Most people own computers and have programs for flyers, leaflets, bumper stickers. Get busy! Put them everywhere as they did to bring down dictators in every country since the beginning of time. The power of the pen is mightier than the sword.

Write to your local police, let them know the cuts in funding by the very administration that has them arresting their own brothers and sisters who are fighting for their rights too.

Put your body on a protest line. They can’t arrest MILLIONS of us.

Stop spending. The best way to bring Corporatism down and regain democracy is by voting with your dollars. Let the buck stop NOW. Hit them in the pocket, and hit them hard. Simplify your life and your needs. (Think how much simpler it will be if a bomb goes off)

Put a large sign in your window and on your car windows that says “PEACE”

Join a tax revolt group to insist that your taxes NOT go to support any war or military effort. They are growing around the country.

Bombard your congress people with letters, faxes, emails and say “NOT in OUR names”.

SUPPORT the real media that is giving you the truth and supporting YOU. Support shows like mine, websites such as these. Prove to the “media whores” that you know who the real media is, and it’s US, not them.

Remember, those who are willing to give up their freedom for a little security, will end up with neither. This is about the rich vs. the poor, the haves vs. the have nots. Let go of the issues that you argue over, and your false allegiances to groups made to create division. We are all in this together, the entire human family. Take a stand and say “hell no, we won’t go”. “War, no way”. Vote with your dollars and make sure you register and vote against them this November. Have monitors outside the polling booths to watch them like a hawk. Ask questions. Demand accountability. It is time for the people to arise and say we want our planet, our lives, and our happiness and freedom assured. To do nothing is making a choice. It votes for them. It supports the Empire.

May the force be with you and with us all.

Meria Heller is MMN‘s columnist and one of the most popular webcaster on the Internet. She hosts an international webcast heard in over sixty countries, and has for over two years now. She believes in truth, justice and humanitarianism for all living things.