What would Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. say to the SPLC?

Originally published on my TPM-DC blog, before TPM gave me the axe.

Original publication date: April 25, 2010

Opinion by Dr. Goldstein

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

If Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was resurrected he would have nothing to do with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). If he came back from the grave and visited the SPLC today I believe it would probably go something like this:

Rev. King would look at the list of concerned Americans the SPLC smears on their list of "antigovernment 'patriots'." Then he would shake his head in disgust and say "You bash these people who dislike the wars, corruption, injustice, torture camps and covert operations of the government? You smear these people who speak out against todays wars and tyrannical oppression both at home and overseas? My whole life was about leading the people into a nonviolent revolution against the oppressive government of the day and it's tyrannical policies. I used the term 'marvelous new militancy' to describe the movement I started. I coined the phrase 'citizens have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws' in my letter from the Birmingham jail. I personally was in the crosshairs of a covert operation by the FBI and other sinister government agencies that wanted to destroy me."


"I won't support the SPLC or any other quack group that wants to smear antigovernment patriots. I never had an SPLC membership card, and I don't want one today. I was assassinated by a highly trained sniper many years before the SPLC was hatched.  I was an antigovernment patriot. I hated what the government was doing, both at home and overseas, and I dedicated my life to changing it. And yes, I even spoke passionately in defense of America's Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, just like Ron Paul's does today. Should I be lumped in with the people you list on your 'Patriot Movement Timeline'? Go ahead if you wish. Us patriots are pretty thick skinned."


"At my Lincoln Memorial speech I said 'When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir'. "

"Free speech and freedom of assembly were the main tools I used in my struggle. I certainly do not agree with every word that every person on your "patriot list" is saying, but I strongly support their constitutional rights and freedom of expression. Did you know that same Bill Of Rights I used also permits gun ownership and the formation of militias? Go ask Ron Paul. The doctor will explain it to you."


"I fought the U.S. government until they had me killed. I gave my life to end apartheid in America. If you really seriously want to follow my example, then start fighting Israel's racist apartheid The Palestinians have a right to exist, and a right to live free of Israeli occupation and oppression. 

Apartheid is evil whether it happens in America, South Africa or the Middle East. We fought the first two successfully. If you want to destroy the evil menace called apartheid then here is your golden opportunity to finish my work."

"Move your offices to Gaza and the West Bank. Stand up to the Israeli government's systematic annihilation of the defenseless Palestinian families. When we marched to Selma we had to deal with horrific violence but I will be honest about this. The violence in Selma was slow-pitch softball compared to the white phosphorus bombs, helicopter gunships and the massive bulldozers Israel uses against the brown-skinned people of Palestine. Please get to work finishing my struggle against apartheid. If you do that you can proudly hold your heads high and say you are fighting for my cause."

"Whatever happens, please stop making stupid lists of patriots like me who oppose government policy. That is what the FBI and the CIA did to me and you know how that story ended."


Some Important Notes


Dr. King was a fervent advocate of the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, just like Dr. Ron Paul .  My point is that Dr. King and Dr. Paul were (are) both hardcore constitutionalists. Yet Dr. Ron Paul is smeared by the SPLC as having a "noxious effect on the body politic" because he has a problem with the botched raids of federal "jack-booted thugs". Golly gee - I just don't think Reverend King would have been a cheerleader for the jack-booted thugs either.


Dr. King hated the Vietnam war and America's global military entanglements. He was a member of the anti-war group Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam which coined the phrase "a time comes when silence is betrayal." Dr. King recited the very best anti-Vietnam speeches ever. From day one Dr. King saw through the government's smokescreen of propaganda and lies, as Dr. Ron Paul does today. The list of similarities both men share is truly remarkable.


Everybody in the world should read the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially America's Patriots. The world is changing and entering into a period of great turmoil leading to World War III. Courageous patriots, who challenge government as Dr. King did, will determine what America becomes. The words, lessons and strategies of Dr. King have never been more relevant.


This speech is an awesome starting point for those who wish to study the words of Dr. King. He lays bare the personal inner struggle that patriots who oppose the government must deal with.

A Good Chuckle

Writing this opinion was serious business, so I want to thank "antigovernment patriot" John Stadtmiller of the Republic Broadcasting Network for giving me a good laugh. Stadtmiller was contacted by the "Intelligence Report" unit of the SPLC about doing an interview. Stadtmiller's reply:
 "I would rather pour gasoline on myself and light it than speak to anyone in your organization."

Holding Israel Accountable Is Not Anti-Semitic

If you are a "Type A" person who skims through articles just to get the main points, then here are the 3 main points of this article. You can read them and move on:

1. Attacking anybody because of their religious beliefs is wrong. That includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, etc.   Freedom of religion is intertwined with freedom of consciousness, freedom of thought, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.   However, countries that commit war crimes, or crimes against humanity, must not be allowed to get away with it by cowering behind a religious shroud, and dismissing legitimate critics as 'antisemitic' or racist.

2. Every government and every army in the world is fair game for political discourse including harsh criticism and verbal expressions of disgust. Israel is no exception. Hate means "to dislike intensely or passionately."  Sure, we all hate seeing Palestinian school kids getting scorched and killed by white phosphorus. But expressing that is no hate crime.

3. Legitimate criticism of Israeli atrocities is frequently dismissed as anti-semitic. This overused "crying wolf" strategy is tragically wrong because it  causes genuine anti-semitism to be taken with a grain of salt. Blurring the line between Jew-hating skinheads and non-violent concerned citizens is a reckless public relations strategy, but Israel can be counted on to use the ad-hominum "anti-semitic" label to deflect legitimate critics who point to verifiable atrocities.

Did you like Operation Cast Lead ?

Over a thousand Palestinian women and children were casualties in Israel's ethnic cleansing incident called Operation Cast Lead. When I saw Israel unleashing white phosphorus bombs on Palestinian schools and population centers I had to ask myself: "Do I support this, or am I against this? Where will I stand?" Everybody with a conscience needs to take a hard look at  Israeli occupation and aggression and ask themselves the same questions.

I know right from wrong, and what I saw during Operation Cast Lead was wrong. Using white phosphorus bombs on population centers and schools? Wrong. Dropping "get out of town" leaflets on 1.5 million people locked in behind the Apartheid Wall with no exit? Wrong and cruel. Blowing up  buildings packed with women and children because there might be a "terrorist" inside. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

The whole thing was wrong before it even started. Israel is a sophisticated military power with nukes, and Gaza is 1.5 million people packed into a sardine can with no military to defend it.  Nothing but the crudest hand-made weapons and obsolete technology. No helicopters, no jets, no air-strike capability, no artillery to repel the invaders, no UN Peacekeepers, nothing.

The situation before Cast Lead was so desperate that food and medicine had to be smuggled in through underground tunnels. Clean drinking water was a luxury.  After cast Lead the siege of Gaza has gotten much worse. The situation went from bleak and inhumane to impossible. On top of everything else Israel has restricted concrete for rebuilding, and emergency medicine convoys. The only good news: The Goldstone Report came in,  the BDS campaign is gaining steam, and people around the world are waking up and starting to speak out.

When you can't attack the message, attack the messenger

Calling someone antisemitic is a "vicious attack" according to Congressman Dr. Ron Paul. The respected former flight surgeon appeared on Larry King Live to debate Yemen and airport security. He never said one word about Jewish people, but he was slammed as being 'antisemitic' by talking-head Ben Stein.

Dingleberries like Ben Stein make themselves look like idiots when they call someone anti-semitic.  Does he lack the brainpower needed to form a more intelligent answer?  Ron Paul had simply raised the point that we need to look at "the motives" of people, like the fact that we are invading and occupying Muslim countries . Dr. Paul had not said one word about Israel, Jews, Judaism, Zionism, Rabbis, Bar Mitzvas, Apartheid Wall, or any topic that remotely would justify Stein's knee-jerk use of the word anti-semitic.

This kind of absurd and reflexive overuse of the word anti-semitic has become far too common, and it is reaching a level that now causes many people to take  all claims of anti-semitism with a grain of salt. You can only "cry wolf" so many times before people ignore you. My advice to people like Ben Stein is this: If you have nothing constructive to say and you are down to playing the 'anti-semitic' card, just shut your pie-hole and let someone else talk.  At least you won't look like an moron, and you won't cause people to yawn and roll their eyes when genuine and legitimate antisemitism is revealed.

Let's hold Israel accountable for their atrocities against Palestinians

My advice to writers and bloggers everywhere is this: Power up your moral compass and start asking the tough questions about Israeli aggression and war-crimes. It's not taboo, and it's morally right. Like all governments, the Israeli government has moral and humanitarian obligations. When Israel acts immorally or commits war-crimes, it should expect heavy handed condemnation from the rest of the world, just like America got when it's renditions, and it's worldwide torture camp network were revealed. If you hate what you see, go ahead and say it. It's OK to hate atrocities.

If you are a writer, don't muzzle yourself  just because someone might call you antisemitic. They will. Just correctly label it as a "viscous attack" like Dr. Ron Paul did. Speaking up for the oppressed is morally right, and exposing the truth is a beautiful thing.

If you need to get up to speed on the issues start by reading a summary of the U.N.'s Goldstone Report.  After you get familiar with the Goldstone Report, read about the Gaza Siege. Study how Israel rounded up and imprisoned Gaza's democratically elected government and thousands of other Palestinians including young children. Ask why Israel refuses U.N. nuclear inspections. Investigate Israel's history of killing unarmed kids and pregnant women. Ask why Israel refuses to define it's borders, and keeps building 'settlements' on top of demolished Palestinian houses.

Proper expressions of hate

With all the talk of hate-crimes these days people are asking themselves "What can I say? Am I supposed to pretend I don't hate anything?"   Hate is a perfectly normal human emotion. Oppressive actions taken by governments and their armies can easily trigger feelings of anger and hatred in normal people.

I hate lots of things about my own Canadian government: Afghan War-crimes, helping NATO destroy Libya, spending healthcare money to build battleships. I boiled-over with hatred of my government when Canada shipped Marc Emery into America's prison-industrial complex just because he mailed some pot seeds. 

I hate America's wars, America's subservience to Israel, America bailing out Wall Street criminals while Main Street families became jobless and homeless. I feel sorry for my many American friends.

Up here in Canada, no matter how screwed up things get, we can usually point south and say "at least it's not as bad as the USA."  That applies to the economy, worker's rights, drug testing policies, health care , and a very long list of issues.

If you hate what Israel is doing to the Palestinians, go ahead and say so. Don't be intimidated by blowhards like Ben Stein.

The Three Tripwires That Trigger WW3

There are three tripwires that will trigger WWIII

Invasion of Iran, Syria, or Pakistan will force the China-Russia S.C.O. Alliance to act in defense of it's vital interests. US/NATO aggression in one of these sovereign nations will trigger events that rapidly escalate into WW3.  China and Russia are military allies under the S.C.O. They were forced to quickly join ranks after the USA and NATO commenced their barbaric military crusade against Muslim countries in 2001.   They routinely perform war-games together.

Iran:  Both China and Russia have put the USA/NATO partners on notice, and warned them not to attack Iran.     The foolish cheerleaders who advocate bombing the peaceful Iranian people, are really cheerleading for WWIII.

The Russians have issued a stern ultimatum: “Should Anything Happen to Iran … This Will Be a Direct Threat to Our National Security”

Syria:  The Russian Fleet recently docked in Syria. They spent a week unloading their high tech weapons like the unstoppable "Sunburn" missile. The SS-N-22 is considered the most lethal anti-ship missile in the world. An aircraft carrier has less than a 10% chance of stopping this 2,000 mph missile, because it performs evasive maneuvers faster than the NATO defenses can lock on to it.  A large cluster of Sunburn missiles will sink any fleet in minutes. 

Pakistan:   China has issued an ultimatum: "Any Attack on Pakistan Would be Construed as an Attack on China”.  As noted earlier, if China is drawn into a war the Russians will join them.

China + Russia = A Superpower:   WW3 will not be over until every nuke is fired.  America, Europe and Israel will be flattened if they foolishly provoke the S.C.O. partners into WW3.  Unfortunately, rational thinking and respect for human life has never been what guides the Pentagon. The chance of a nuclear WW3 happening in 2012-2013 is greater than 60%.

 

 Why will the USA and NATO take military action that leads to WW3 ? 

The USA and Europe are bankrupt.  America became a rich country in the first place because after WW2 it was the only highly developed country that still had it's industrial base fully intact. For 40+ years people all over the world bought items that said "Made in the USA" and Americans lived in unprecedented prosperity. Gradually the world's manufacturing base shifted to Europe and then to SE Asia, Mexico, Brazil, India, Russia and China. At the same time America declined into it's current bankruptcy.

America will never again be the global economic champ. The emerging economic heavyweights are the BRIC nations, with China leading the pack. China will also emerge as the global leader in terms of military capability and technology within 10 years. This reality sends a shiver down the spines of everybody in the Pentagon and NATO. 

The spoiled USA and NATO decision-makers are too insecure and irrational to accept the reality of ranking below China and Russia both economically and militarily, as all the experts are predicting. Accepting the inevitable consequences of military overspending and warmongering, and changing their behavior to improve the lives of Americans and Europeans is not an option on the table of the elite. They got into this mess by military overspending and warmongering, and they foolishly believe that more warmongering will get them out of it. Old habits and old ways of thinking die hard. 

 If you live in a big city it's time to think about moving to an area with a very low population density, and it's time to start practicing self sufficient living. Preferably nowhere near a port or a military base.