My Cats Knows Something I Don’t

You can tell a lot about a person’s personality by what kind of pet they have. For example if one’s personality needs to be "validated," loved or craves attention they will most likely have a dog. A dog waits for you to get home. A dog follows you around wanting you to play and interact with them. A dog is loyal. A dog responds to the owner calling his name at the drop of a hat no questions asked. In a nut shell, no matter how rotten you are, your dog unconditionally loves you. As Scott Larsen, creator of The Far Side cartoon puts it, "Even Hitler had a dog."

On the other hand, if you are someone who doesn’t particularly want to be alone yet has little patience for the hard work, effort and compromise that goes into any kind of real relationship, you most likely are going to have a cat(s). Cats need little attention. Their facial expressions rarely reveal any emotions. They do not need to be walked. They do not need to be bathed. In a nut shell, they take care of themselves. Because of this self sufficient behavior many people broadly categorize the cat as "smart" and the dog as "dumb." I disagree. I just think on the one hand you have independence, both emotional and physical (Cats) and, on the other, you have the exact opposite (Dogs) which does not necessarily reflect intelligence.

That third pet owner category (Fish and Birds) I do not want to comment on because I do not want to offend any readers. I would only point out that a bird can fly so the whole sky is his natural habitat. A fish can breathe under water so, being that the Earth’s surface is _ covered by water, you can safely say his natural space is usually a lot larger than a 4x2 rectangular box which is decorated with colored pebbles and a Spongebob in Scuba Gear figurine that spews forth oxygen. A box that sits in a wall unit, next to the TV, in a living room of a three room walk-up, being looked at only when the fish food needs to be sprinkled in so that the wretched existence of those poor beings could be sustained. What does it say of a person who takes animals that can perform tasks that human beings could only dream of doing and put them in a cage?

So:

1) Dog owners: Need to feel wanted and needed, crave attention, require validation, welcome interaction, want instant gratification and are possibly insecure.

2) Cat owners: Covet solitude but not complete loneliness, respect self sufficiency, do not need reassurance of their own worth, understand when a tree falls in the forest it does make a sound even though they are personally not there to hear it, possibly lazy.

3) Fish and Bird owners: No comment!

Of course these are all general statements that are just my personal opinions. Like every other axiom in the world there are exceptions and this guide is not 100% accurate. It is just a good template that, more often than not, turns out to be true. I, of course, have two cats who I refer to as my tenants. Their names, not that they know or care, are Meng and Manny, in honor of one of my favorite movies the 1983 classic Scarface.

The grizzled old veteran of my household is Meng, an all white male I had since he was a baby kitten. When he first came to me he was very curious and active but now he’s an old man of roughly ten years. His idea of a wild time is laying down on top of a cardboard box, slowly closing his eyes and sleeping for hours. To describe his personality as mellow would be an understatement. He gets along with humans and animals alike, accepting whatever fate has in store for him with a stoic nod followed by a long nap. Every so often he wants to be patted, giving a half hearted meow, just to keep me honest, but overall he just hangs out not bothering anybody. He doesn’t complain about the cuisine he is served, which consists of whatever dry food is on sale that week coupled with a can of sliced or shredded 9 Lives. My kind of cat!!

My second cat, the rambunctious Manny, is relatively new to my apartment and the world for that matter. He is about 6 months old and it shows. If he is not jumping and lunging at imaginary prey on the walls or the windows he is knocking over anything that is not nailed down. When he is tired of inanimate objects, he playfully attacks Meng who, as I just described, really does not want any part of the action. To put it in human terms, Meng is the grandfather, sitting on the sofa, only wanting to watch the ball game while Meng, the rug rat, plays at his feet, toys spread out all over the floor, demanding that Grandpa play Army with him.

In this family dynamic I noticed something very interesting the other day. The two of them were sitting in front of the TV in "static mode." Nothing from that infernal tube seemed to interest them. Not Ray Romano or Jerry Seinfeld. Not the contestants eating live Earth worms on Fear Factor or has-been celebrities making complete jack asses of themselves on the Surreal World. Not even some of the cat food commercials that feature felines meowing for their supposed favorite meals. Nope nothing seem to faze these two who, to my great delight, seemed to have settled in for a long summer/fall’s nap. Being a "channel surfer" I was hitting all the bases; Reality Shows, Sit Coms, PBS informational shows and even some sports.

When I got to an all news network they were featuring a clip from that day’s political ranting. President Bush was making a stump speech about this or that, I wasn’t really paying attention, when all of a sudden Meng, the quiet one, jerks his head up with a look of seriousness that he RARELY has. Following in suit was the little guy Manny, a facial of ferocious intensity staring at the screen. Then the both of them, in unison, scrunch up in a crouch position, making baritone growling noises. Their eyes never stopped focusing on the President, as if he were a pigeon who happened to land on the window sill. To be honest I started to get a little nervous about the absolute intensity these two cats were exhibiting but not knowing why they were acting in such a way. I changed the channel and they seemed to stop the noise and almost immediately went back to a half slumber position. I guess Peter Falk did not have the same effect on them.

They know....

Well, TV being what it is, I eventually ended up on Bush again and, the minute he appeared on the screen, heads get cocked, growling starts and an uncomfortable single-mindedness permeates the room. But now I am curious. I keep the President’s speech on but I continue to watch the two cats. Again they seem to be completely agitated as if they were hunting a small animal, sensing weakness and just waiting for their moment to leap out and trap their quarry. I could not believe it so, to just make sure that the source of this behavior was what I thought it was, I quickly flipped the station. Both of the cats calmed down almost immediately when the soothing image of Donald Trump sternly saying "You’re Fired" appeared on the screen. Both their heads go down and their eyes started to slowly shut when I decided to tempt fate and confirm my suspicions. I hit the "last channel" button and to my astonishment the events DID repeat themselves: The Fox News Channel comes on, Bush is making a speech, he calls Kerry a flip flopper, Meng and Manny’s head rip around and their body contort into full stalk mode as if they are out on the Veldt and their very survival depends on catching an extremely fast jack rabbit. After three minutes of watching their display, I turned off the set and the two of them went back to sleep, possibly dreaming of that piece of string that got away.

I am not a very political guy and, quite frankly, I was squarely on the fence in the upcoming presidential election. Both candidates made some good points about the future direction this country should take and everyone I talk to is either on one side or the other. But watching my two cats, beasts that I will not vouch for their brains but completely trust their instincts, I think I’ve made up my mind. It is said that animals can see things that we can’t, think of how many times a dog barks when someone is approaching your house even though you can’t hear them or when a cat jerks his head up several seconds before someone rings your doorbell, so I think I’ll trust them on this one.

The old saying is:

Music soothes the savage beast

True but, in my house, I have an addendum:

Spoiled, lying, self serving politicians rile them up.

Sixth Army

3 Days of Bold and Decisive Action in the War on Terror

September 21, 2004

I know you guys have been panicking lately about the eminent threat of a terrorist attack so I want to be the first to tell you that you can resume living your normal calm filled lives again!! The U.S. Government has FINALLY gotten Yusef Islam (nee Cat Stevens) off our streets and out of our country.

Can’t you picture a “Muslimed up” Cat Stevens violently being ripped out of his first class seat by his arms and taken off the plane by Jackie Gleason and Bo Swenson look-a-likes saying corny lines like:

Jackie Gleason (Buford T Pusser Style): Boy…It sure is a wild world ain’t it?
Bo Swenson (Walking Tall Mode): You got that right!

>

One less rat scumbag
loose on OUR streets.

On hearing the news Attorney General Ashcroft met with reporters at the Church of the Immaculate Heart, Self Loathing and Sexual Repression in Baltimore where he was in the middle of his “daily flagellation and contrition” exercise. When asked about the detainment of a humanitarian and international recording star, he tersely said:

"Hop aboard the Peace Train baby because the Cat’s in the bag and the bag is in the river! Now, please fellas, can I get back to my absurdly over the top ancient Christian worship rituals?"

Thank the lord Jesus Christ that George W Bush is protecting us all!!!


Our long national nightmare is over!
Sixth Army


September 22, 2004

This off the AP Wire:

Home Land Security has just detained Gordon Lightfoot at the Buffalo/Canadian border trying to sneak back into the country. Custom Officers found lyrics to “The Shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Sundown” and “other subversive tracks” spread out all over the back seat of the Canadian rabble rouser’ 1982 Chevy Chevette.

Border patrol searching Lightfoot's car.

The official statement from Tom Ridge read:

"We are sending that reefer smoking Kanuck hippy bee-atch back to where he belongs. Or to put it another way that guy ain’t going to be spreading his crap such as:

"Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin again"

in MY God fearing Christian land."

Score Another One For The Good Guys!!
Sixth Army



September 23, 2004

Even more news on the terrorism front….

The AP wire is reporting that yesterday, Qantas flight 909 from Sydney, Australia to LAX, was intercepted and diverted to Guam at 12pm PST. The reason given for the forced landing was that Home Land Security discovered that two passengers on the plane were on the International Terrorist Watch List. The passengers, (Kenny) Loggins & (Jim) Messina, were detained for twelve hours on the U.S. Island Territory, and although they are US Citizens both were deported back to Australia.

Shut your mouth...You're cold busted!

When the news reached the east coast, President Bush, at the UN Building for some ridiculous photo op, was in a joint press conference with five leaders of the “Coalition of the Willing” (Monaco, Barbados, Honduras, Antigua and the Cayman Islands) answering questions about the “Global War on Terror,” when an aide whispered in his ear “We got them!”

Moby McDougal, a journalist from Screw Magazine (Dublin), was at the press conference and he described the scene this way:

The whole damn thing was pretty grim. The President was being very non responsive. He was pretty much absent mindedly nodding, staring blankly or “yielding my time to the Cayman Guy” whenever one of the reporters gathered in the room posed a question about the future plans for Iraq. After about 45 minutes of this, while (Prime Minister) Lester Bird of Antigua was elaborating on the Coalition’s plan to bring electricity to the people of Bagdad, someone leans over and tells the President something and all of a sudden Bush breaks out into a huge grin. He takes a pen and scribbles something on a scrap of paper and, snickering, giggling, a childlike look of coyness on his face, passes it to (President) Ricardo Maduro of Honduras. Mr. Maduro, with a look of surprise and disdain, reads the piece of paper, crumples it up into a little ball and tosses it over his shoulder. He then turns to look at Bush who is smiling, playfully humming a vaguely familiar tune while nodding quite playfully.

Later, it was found out what Bush wrote on the sheet of paper that was passed to the shocked Honduran:

Even though we ain’t got money
I’m so in love with you honey
Everything’s goin’ to be all right
Let Freedom Reign!!

Mission Accomplished!


We, the People, Are Batting A Thousand
Sixth Army

Staring Down The Barrel Of The Machine

I am starting to feel a tad distressed about the downward spiral WE ARE ALL IN illustrated perfectly by the story appearing on 60 minutes last night.

The interesting thing about yesterday’s 60 Minutes Show which featured the ACTUAL GUY who got George W Bush into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War, a war that Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Buchanan, O’Reilly, Rove, Ashcroft, Quayle, Limbaugh, Ridge and many others who are in, or are shilling for, the current administration, all SUPPORTED whole heartily but when it was their time to go “had other priorities” (Quote from Dick Cheney, head chicken hawk in our new age of the “fearless warriors”). This guy supposedly just visited the Vietnam War memorial and was so guilt ridden about the hand he played in getting a bunch of rich, spoiled, good for nothing shit heads out of their service so some poor bastard who didn’t have the money, social status or connections (I.E. REGULAR AMERICANS who this current bunch of appointed scum bags in office are suppose to represent) could get killed in their place.

To put it quite simply, while John Kerry, another privileged cork soaker who UNDERSTOOD that it was HIS DUTY to serve this nation, a country that, but for the grace of God, gave him every comfort and advantage in life, was IN COMBAT, BEING FIRED AT BY EXTREMELY HOSTILE ENEMIES, SAVING OTHER MEN’S LIVES WITH DISREGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY, EARNING FIVE MEDALS FOR SERVICE AND HEROISM, MEDALS THAT REPRESENT THE STRONG TRADITION OF OUR MILITARY PRIDE which the Republicans MOCKED at their hate fest held in New York, George W Bush, current President of the United States, was shoving large amount of cocaine up his nose, banging every prostitute and harlot from El Paso to Birmingham and consistently calling up his father’s friends to complain about even these MINIMAL requirements of the “Champagne Unit” of the Air National Guard.

This is being reported by the main stream media with the attitude of “What’s the big deal?” “Give the guy a break.” “Why don’t we talk about the issues?” This is the same media who gave SATURATION coverage to the charges of an ironically named group called the “Swift Boat Captains For Truth” who were pretty much universally discredited as just a bunch of vindictive liars who were a thinly veiled front group for Karl Rove launching an ugly smear campaign against John Kerry with NOT ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE. While the questions being raised about the President are all COMPLETELY LEGITIMATE from the fact that his service records from back then were “lost” and surviving members of his unit have ABSOLUTELY NO MEMORY of him ever being there. But the main stream press thinks that THESE FACTS we should forget and ignore as unimportant but continuously refer to Kerry’s GENUINE WAR HERO STATUS as “Controversial.”

Why are they bending over backwards, doing intellectual back flips and somersaults, to excuse EVERY MISTAKE THIS GUY HAS EVER MADE AND IS MAKING THAT IS COSTING OUR KID’S THEIR LIVES!?! I’m coming to the conclusion that this is more than journalistic laziness or simple mistakes. A whole hell of a lot more!

I’m sorry. I almost forgot. What was the most interesting thing about last night’s interview? It was “blacked out” on many Direct TV systems across the country. Many of that company’s subscribers called into the main office and complained of experiencing “technical difficulties” on the CBS stations coincidentally right at the time when Dan Rather was about to interview this guy who was about to unequivocally confirm the suspicions that MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE that our President is nothing but a spoiled, mean spirited, coward who, when the chips are down, goes and hides behind his daddy’s influence, money and friends:

1) The Vietnam War – ‘nuff said!

2) 1975 to 1986 – AN UNBROKEN STRING of failed businesses that Dubya ran into the ground DUE DIRECTLY to his INEPTITUDE, IRRESPONSIBILITY and DRUNKENNESS. This fucking idiot is the only man in recorded history that had to beg his father, George H W Bush, for help by having him convince his friends, the Saudi Royal family, to give him large sums of money to bail out his failing oil company that WAS UNABLE TO FIND OIL IN TEXAS.

3) The 2000 Election – Let’s face it, it was stolen and not even by Dubya’s own cunning but the overwhelming resources of his traitorous family (Jeb and George H W)

4) 9/11 – A COMPLETE failure that cost us over 3,000 lives. Bush’s “leadership” was summed up by a man, after being told that HIS COUNTRY was being attacked and men, women and children were dying in the streets, decided that the best use of his time would be to listen to a bunch of elementary school children read him a story about a goat…for SEVEN MINUTES! AND THEN finally after he decided to get off his fat ass he stays in the school for ANOTHER TWENTY MINUTES not doing ANYTHING!! THANK GOD there were only 4 hijacked planes that day because if there were any more THIS GUY WOULD HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT!


You still think America is on the right track?
There is something going on here
Sixth Army

The Republican Assault On New York: Reports From The Front Line

August 30, 2004

They Hit The Beaches But We Were Waiting

Well, for all you people who were not in New York on Sunday, so unable to tell the Republicans how you feel, don’t worry: The Sixth Army and about a half million of his friends gave the RNC a welcome that this whole country will never forget!!

I know what you’re thinking: "Oh Sixth Army weren’t you afraid to enter Manhattan on Sunday with all those big bad anarchists, wild eyed crazies and Manson Family members converging on 33rd street?"

I can forgive your ignorance if the only information you were receiving was from the corporate media highway. All week the local newspapers painted an ugly picture of riots and possible terror attacks, creating an atmosphere of hysteria implying that people who exercise their constitutional rights by expressing an anti-administration position are scary "whack jobs." Of course all of this "shock reporting" played right into the hands of Karl Rove who sits on the sidelines trying in vein to convince a very skeptical American public that up is down and black is white. The local newspapers obsession with "outside agitators" in the run up to the big protest seemed ridiculous but at the same time familiar. Then it hit me. This is the same kind of crap they’re saying about Iraq.

We are told that the overwhelming majority of Iraqis are on our side and all our problems come from a very small minority with most of the "insurgents" being foreign fighters. The same is true with the protest in New York. We are to believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans are for the invasion and occupation of Iraq and it is just a bunch of "outside groups" who are stirring up trouble. I can easily say that that theory is bullshit here so I am going to make a logical conclusion that it is bull shit over there. The march I was at was totally organic. No fat cat money. No coercion. Not even any salesmanship. All United For Peace and Justice (The group that organized the march) had to do was say "We got a permit, let’s roll" and people came. The genuine hatred of this administration does not need to be egged on.

Here is the proof. Vice President Dick Cheney showed up on the same day and went to Ellis Island to give a speech. Gov. Pataki, Rudy Giulliani and a few others were there as well as about 200 flown in, hand picked, loyalty oath signing supporters who were cheering uncontrollably at everything the charismaticlly challenged VP said. Less than 1 mile away across New York Harbor 500,000 people in 90 degree heat were telling him to go fuck himself.

They Might Have Established A Beach Head
But The Fortifications of Democracy Are Still Standing
Sixth Army

8/31/2004

The Imperialist’s Moderate Guns Fire RIGHT On Target

One of my favorite moments from the initial invasion and subsequent response on Sunday was when the rather large group of defending patriots, gathered to rebuff the barbaric hordes arriving in their city, about halfway through the march kind of quieted down when out of no where a very loud booming voice pierced the still hot air with the battle cry:

"Rudolph Giulliani…You Whore!!!"

The blood red face and the eyes bulging out of this freedom fighter’s head definitely projected an aura of extreme anger. I thought to myself that sentiment was kind of cold. I disliked Rudy just as much as the next guy but after 9/11, which I thought he did a superb job ESPECIALLY in contrast with the Clown-in-Chief’s performance, I give the ex-mayor a break when it comes to vicious criticism. Well after witnessing Mr. Giulliani’s sick, duplicitous, self serving, ghoulish, pandering, dishonest and tasteless verbiage last night I think the honeymoon is over. Here is a sample:

As I was looking up at those flames from Hell, watching those people jump from that building, I turned to Bernie (NYC Chief of Police Bernard Kerik who also gave a piss poor sell out speech last night) and said to him "Thank God we have George W Bush as President."

9/11 was not only the most horrific attack on U.S. soil, with over 3,000 Americans dead and missing, but it also was the most filmed, photographed and recorded attack in our history. There were literally thousands of cameras focused on Downtown Manhattan as the World Trade Center burned on that beautiful Tuesday morning. So, after hearing the ex-Mayor’s utterly revisionist view of HIS OWN WORDS AND DEEDS, I decided to do a little research, hitting the internet and library, combing through files, books, films newspapers and magazines, looking for video or testimony specifically of the time in question, when Rudy watched those poor bastards jump out of windows, just to see EXACTLY what Giulliani DID SAY as he watched "those flames from Hell" on that tragic day. Well Mr. Giulliani, the Sixth Army has found a video, credited to Shauna McLoonberg a tourist who was initially trapped with the Mayor’s group (Which included Chief of Police Bernard Kerik and a variety of other bureaucrats), just north of Vesey Street. This video indisputably paints a very different picture from the dribble that was emanating from his pie hole yesterday. Here is an excerpt of the transcript:

Giulliani: (Looking up towards the sky.) Oh my God what is that falling?!? Sweet Jesus it’s a person!! (He cups his face with his hands. Then he turns to Kerik.) So where the fuck is that cock sucker? Huh… where is he?

Kerik: We can’t get HIM OR ANYBODY FROM THE ADMINISTRATION on the phone. I’ve been trying for the last half-hour.
Giulliani: (Yelling) DON’T THESE INCOMPETENT SHIT HEADS KNOW WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!?! WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY!?! Give me that cell phone Bernie. (He violently rips Kerik’s cell phone out of his hand and starts yelling into the phone) THIS IS THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK RUDOLPH GIULLIANI I NEED TO SPEAK TO THE PRESIDENT RIGHT AWAY! WELL WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!?! WE NEED HIM NOW!! Listen… listen… who am I speaking to? David Kruller. And what is your position there? Assistant to the assistant of Dick Cheney’s Chief of Staff. OK Mr. Kruller I want you to listen and listen carefully. This is Mayor Rudolph Guilliani from New York City…Oh I’m fine thank you and yourself? That’s good. Look… Mr. Kruller… we have a bit of a situation here. Oh good you’re watching it on the TV. So is it possible to speak to the President? IN HIDING? Ok… what about the Vice- President? The Secretary of State? Secretary of… ALL OF THEM!?! OK… OK… well when will they be back? OK… OK… (Looks at phone) its 917-228-4842. Yeah…Yeah…42. No…No… I understand. Just as soon as SOMEBODY over there gets back could you have them give me a call? Thanks…Yeah bye. (Begins to sob). WHY? WHY? WHY? Why did we let the Supreme Court appoint this arrogant, no good, selfish, self centered, lazy, shifty, cowardly, spoiled, self righteous, irresponsible, unbelievably stupid jack off and that fuckin’ crook Cheney!?! (He turns to Kerik and buries his face in Kerik shoulder.) Why did we sell out the American people? Why couldn’t me, and the rest of my party, look past our own insatiable greed, lust and sloth and for ONE MINUTE, JUST ONE FUCKING MINUTE, think of the safety and the well being of THE PEOPLE WHO ENTRUSTED US TO SERVE AND PROTECT THEM? Why did I take that envelope full of cash to... (Inaudible)? …and for what? For only a few dollars I betrayed my country and now look at the mess where in. I will probably BURN IN HELL for being in bed with these filthy rotten pricks who have put this great nation into such a terrible downward spiral, with the only possible outcome being our complete and total ruin (He bawls uncontrollably for one minute. Finally he picks his head up and wipes the tears away and blows his nose with a handkerchief and regains his composure.) OK…OK... We have to keep our heads. This city needs leadership and knowing what I know about that scum bag in the White House WE ARE DEFINITELY ON OUR OWN!! I wish to Christ Gore was President!!

After viewing this material, which I found in the archive of the main branch of the New York Public Library located on 42nd Street, I now see EXACTLY what that guy at the protest meant as we marched in the unforgiving Sun on that 90° day.

Holding The Fort In NYC
Sixth Army


9/1/04

May Day! May Day! We Are Taking Casualties!

Sixth Army is sad to report that on the Island of Manhattan, a place that used to represent everything that was good about this country, the hopes and dreams, the strength and resolve, the center of culture, art, thought and progress, has been turned into a battle field in the war for the soul of America.

The anti-intellectual hordes, known in the mainstream media as the "Republican Delegates," have enlisted their minion Mayor Mike "I’ll spread my cheeks for anyone named DeLay" Bloomberg to sick his heavily armed dogs on the OVERWHELMINGLY peaceful protests going on all over this city. Here is a quote from the exact order the Mayor issued to General Raymond Kelly of the NYPD, a copy of which was obtained by the Sixth Army from an underground freedom fighter planted deep within the gray walls of the military command center at 100 Centre Street:

Clean up these God damn streets! Clean them up with extreme prejudice! I do not want to see ANY sign of dissension, disagreement or opposition to my overlords because THE REPUBLICANS, not our people, call ALL the shots in this country and don’t you forget it! I AM NOT going to be cut out of my piece of the action when they start parceling out the tax money they’re stealing from the hard earned paychecks of working people who, as you know, are the overwhelming majority of this city. If any sign of independent thought is in view during the convention, showing the delegates just how unpopular they really are, my puppet masters will be most displeased. If my superiors are displeased, I will be displeased and if I am displeased BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE ONLY THING I DO IS FIRE YOU!!! I don’t care how you get it done… JUST GET IT DONE!!

General Kelly immediately implemented the higher up’s plan and began conducting "indiscriminate sweeps" at certain locations all over the city. The first of these locations was in front of FOX studios where, early reports confirmed, a large outraged mob, who were chanting at the various "suits" who were working their anti-labor, anti-constitution and anti-thought campaign against the American people, started to get pretty ugly. The police, under direct orders from John Ashcroft who was in church at the time, started to use their newest toy, the riot net, ensnaring anyone who happened to be in the area and loaded them like cattle into huge transport vehicles. After each van was filled up with people who still believed in America, they were driven to a west side pier where a make shift "holding pen" had been hastily constructed earlier by the City of New York. This detainment center was gleefully described by some riot cop in full battle gear, who at the scene was overheard yelling at a handcuffed US citizen, as "worse than Guatanamo you rat bastard."

Another one of these Soylant Greenesque scenes was going on further east around Park Avenue South close to Union Square. Another peaceful demonstration of dissension was harshly met by a detachment of Bloomberg’s "Special Forces" which swarmed to the area in question, set up barricades and, frothing at the mouth, announced that "EVERYONE in this perimeter is going to jail." When a tourist and her ten year old grandson, who happened to be passing through the intersection at the time of the Bloomberg counter-attack, tried to explain herself to one of the 100 officers that were manning the barricade, the policeman shouted "Shut the fuck up!," clutched his Billy club in an exaggerated way and demanded that the sixtyish looking bystander "Step back and wait for the wagon, Shit Head!"

The last two reports came directly from one of the Sixth Army’s closest allies ROBESPIERRE who was at both scenes with his camera, filming the whole thing, recording the skirmishes between the patriots and the reactionaries, so there would be at least ONE primary document that would contain THE TRUTH well after the spin doctors, "journalists" and liars paint the scene in the terms that THEY want. He was able to escape the first dragnet in front of FOX with his camera and film intact but was not so lucky at Union Square. To quote Robespierre:

The scene is pretty ugly. Cops came out of nowhere, from all sides, carrying "Do Not Cross" saw horses, shouting and hollering for us to get our asses behind the barrier. Seeing these guys in action only two hours earlier I immediately knew what was going down and slyly tried to elude the police. Well it wasn’t to be because one of the larger officers, I would say he was at least 250 pounds, zeroed in on me because he saw that I was filming. This cop grabbed the camera from me, violently jimmied the film compartment door open and ripped out the film exposing it to light and destroying the evidence. He flipped the camera back at me and with a distinct tone of sarcasm said "Oops." I am trying to call as many people as possible to let them know what is going on. They said their taking me to central booking but I don’t know…..

At that point in the conversation his cell phone was abruptly cut off. I have not heard from him since. I hope he is all right. The police have taken over one thousand prisoners last night. I hope they are ALL all right.

Sitting in my cubicle, working on some arbitrary deadline that was set by The Man so I could bring home a meager check that (barely) puts food on my table, I listened to Air America which had up to the minute updates on the major offensive launched by the forces of darkness. My heart started to sink as reports of, "100 arrested on Fulton Street," "Bicyclists being detained in Mid-Town," "Grand Central Station protest thwarted" or "Veterans Against the War march halted at Battery Park" came trickling through the radio throughout the day with my depression reaching a crescendo upon hearing of my comrade caught in the clutches of a vengeful enemy. I felt my cubicle walls closing in on me. I needed to leave as soon as I could. I needed to flee my office before I was crushed by the growing sense of pessimism, doom and hopelessness that was starting to permeate the air. I grabbed my bag, clocked out and raced to the subway thinking only of home.

I can not understate the grimness of the subway last night. Even though it was past rush hour (I worked late because of that damn deadline) the car was relatively full. Unfortunately the 1 train travels directly under Madison Square Garden, which of course has become the center of everything that is wrong with our country, so it was a slow go with the "threat of terrorism" a major concern. I took the opportunity of my added commute time to scan the faces of my fellow riders hoping that I would feel encouraged. I interpreted despair on the sunken faces of the people who were wearily hanging on to the hold on bars. Some might have been tired simply from a long day at their jobs. Others definitely looked like they were reacting to the same news reports that I was hearing all day. I made eye contact for a moment with a well dressed fortyish woman. At first glance her stare was neutral, betraying nothing. But in that moment our eyes met something happened. I saw her look change from one of passivity to one of immense pain and sorrow. Her gaze accused and pleaded with me at the same time, a haunted look that was asking me over and over again "What is going on in our country and why are you letting it happen?"

Our eyes met only for a moment but it felt like an eternity. I needed to look away. Was all lost? Is this thing we call representative democracy too far down the road of Imperialistic Corporate Fascism that there is no way back? As these questions swam in my head I started to physically shake and mentally fall apart. The only thing that kept me from crying was the words that have become my mantra during this brutal siege. The words come from Barack Obama:

Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? I’m not talking about blind optimism here—the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No, I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a mill worker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.


Arriving home I immediately poured myself a large glass of Rye to calm my nerves. Sitting down in my recliner I took a sip from my tumbler, grabbed the remote and turned on the tube. As the screen came to life I heard robotic passionless cheering and I immediately realized my huge lapse of judgment. The God Damn Republican convention was on!! There was a black guy at the podium (I later found out it was "Compassion Night" which explained why a minority would be spotlighted at the RNC and the speaker was Lt Governor Michael Steele from Maryland) and this was the first thing that I heard him say:

Now, at the Democratic convention, we heard one word over and over again: HOPE. But there's a problem, my friends.
Hope is not a strategy.
Hope doesn't protect your kids from terrorism.
Hope doesn't lower your taxes.
Hope doesn't help you buy a home.
And hope doesn't ensure quality education for your children.
After this message of anti-hope (Literally) a dull applause emanated from the delegates and once again it was confirmed that the Republican Party has become an obstacle to a better society. Before I changed the channel I heard Steele belt out one more gem:
As the book of James reminds us: "It's not enough just to have faith. Faith that does not show itself by good deeds is no faith at all."
Amen Brother,
Amen
Sixth Army

All Is Not Lost: Comments On The DNC

Here are my thoughts on the Democratic National Convention.

I thought the Democratic Convention in Boston was quite historic, electrifying and above all unifying. Every speech seemed to be one of hope and inspiration particularly the Barack Obama speech which, in my opinion, will go down as kind of an "I Had A Dream" for the post-civil rights era. Unfortunately most people did not see it which flies in the face of the opinion that no "news" happens at these conventions.

I think that most people are purposely being turned off to the whole process but, in reality, if the elections are legitimate, the Bush wing is done. I doubt that ONE SINGLE PERSON who voted for Gore is going to vote for Bush while many who did vote for the clown are switching sides. I think the last hope of these guys, barring any shenanigans, is the evangelical right who they are trying to mobilize with a rallying cry of "Save Christian Civilization." That is what made the convention strategy brilliant.

The Democrats took the fight to the enemy so to speak. Their theme was God and Country from the trumpeting of Kerry's war record to every speaker saying God Bless America after every speech. By going on the offensive on their supposed weaknesses the Democrats are looking very strong.

Our last elected President, Bill Clinton, riding the crescent of popularity made more so by comparison, "checking his ego at the door" and using his masterful oratory skills to make the case for John Kerry and , more importantly, the Democratic Party by stating the simple but powerful sentence, "the Republicans NEED a divided America…WE don’t."

Our last elected Vice-President Al Gore humorously reminding the American People that HE not the current sitting President won the popular vote.

Al Sharpton, in an impassioned Gospel style, linked the present with the past by reminding the American people of the Mississippi civil rights murders and the terrible price that was paid for the right to vote and then telling the President directly, "Read my lips. Our vote is NOT for sale!"

Ex-President Jimmy Carter, looking like a religious sage, reminded everyone that he, like John Kerry, served in the Navy unlike the present commander and chief, and told a hushed Fleet Center, "this election is for the nation's soul."

A Reverend from South Carolina who was a shipmate of John Kerry in a swift boat on the Mekong Delta who testified Baptist style that, "I was 21 and running on fear and adrenaline," and "I survived to enjoy my children because of the grace of God that made John Kerry, with his steady leadership and cool under fire, the skipper of my boat."

Respected retired General Wesley Clark forcefully running off a list of "Great Democratic Commanders and Chiefs… Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman" reminding America that Democrats were traditionally strong on defense regardless of what the corporate and republican spin machine want you to believe.

Ex Democratic Senator Max Cleland, a triple amputee veteran of Vietnam, who has become a living symbol of McCarthyesque Republican politics of hatred and division, introducing Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry, surrounded by the men he served in Vietnam with where he won 3 Purple Hearts a Bronze and a Silver Star, pointing to the Stars and Stripes and shouting, "I fought for that flag and NOBODY is going to take it away from US" and then quoting Abraham Lincoln "I will not tell you God is on our side but I humbly pray that WE are on God’s side" all to thunderous cheers without a hint of disaffection.

Who are the Republicans going to have speak? Arnold Schwartzeneger, a lousy actor at best, making some kind of stupid pun on the word terminator? Rudy Giulliani? He will spend most of the time trying his hardest to convince HIMSELF, much less a disgusted public, that Bush is a strong leader when he knows PERSONALLY that when the chips were down Georgie boy huddled in a fetal position, whimpering uncontrollably, clutching a children’s book and wondering where the kindergartners kept the Scotch. Dick Cheney? His idea of an inspirational speech is to stare side eyed with a devious smirk on his face before telling someone to f**k off. George H W Bush? He is probably so embarrassed by the behavior of his kid that even the obscene amount of money he personally made from the war on Iraq can’t make him shake the feeling that he is part of something terribly wrong.

And what is Dubya going to do in NYC? Come out in that ridiculous flight suit, surrounded by the spoiled brats he sometimes served with in the "champagne unit" of the National Guard, talking about the good old days of eight balls, liquor and loose women?

Karl Rove probably messed his draws thinking about the ever growing "credibility gap" of the loser he is saddled up with.

Turn Out The Lights,
The Party’s Over
Sixth Army