Friday, October 21, 2011

Two stories of Police Brutality

Let me tell you a story about ´Boston´s finest.´
Geez there are so many...the ones who frisked people
for drugs...for themselves, and cash too. That goes back
to the early to mid 1980´s.

Then there´s the ones on my old street who operated a towing
scam. Back then, if your car got towed it cost $35 to get it back.
Certain cops went through our and other streets in blocks and
would have between ten and fifteen cars towed on our street in
winter.

So, if it was 10 cars they got a kickback of $15 apiece. If one cop
was on our street that meant $150 for the day. Not a bad days work.
But, these guys were eager. They would go through six or eight
streets in a day. You´re talking close to $1,000.

I figured that out after they got arrested.

There were many, many more dirty cops that I knew...not
always by name. But, this story is about your first amendment
rights.

I am a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran. I was a grunt and volunteered
twice. I wasn´t there long, and was lucky to survive where I was.

Before I went to Vietnam I was pro-war; I had eaten up all the propaganda
our government fed us on what was called the news, but was really nothing
more than propaganda. I came back against the war and joined Vietnam Veterans
Against the War, and later Veterans For Peace.

In 1967 or 1968 I skipped school to go to an anti-war protest at Post Office
Square outside the Post Office and government buildings. I went to beat up
anti-war protesters. I went by myself, but I wasn´t the only pro-war person there
for that reason.

At a certain point, and after yelling between our crowd against the protesters-who
were protesting peacefully some of us ran in to smack a few. That´s a criminal
offense assault and battery. As we did, the Boston Police moved right in with
their German Shepard police dogs.

I was worried about being bitten or grabbed by one of those dogs, but I later realized
that the police dogs were only to be used against the anti-war protesters. You see
what happened was after I hit someone(s) and started to run away I was grabbed by
one of ´Boston´s Finest.´

I thought ´Oh shit, my old man will kill me, and the school will know that I left the
building, and I´ll get suspended for that. But, none of that happened. I was put in the
back seat of the cruiser; there was a man in blue at the wheel.

I sat quietly, and after several minutes the other cop came in, and the car took off.
I wasn´t feeling to good at that point. But, it was just then that the guy in front of me
on the passenger side turned around to me and with a big smile on his face said
"wasn´t that great?" I really didn´t know what to say until he patted me knee, then I
nodded.

They went up the street a couple of blocks turned and stopped, the man in front of me
again said how good it was, and that I could go but not to go back to that area, so I
promised him I wouldn´t. I took the train home and went to work that afternoon like it
was anyday. But, I did notice on TV that the police had arrested some of the anti-war
protesters!

Almost three years later, after Vietnam my friend, Jimmy and I were hitchhiking
on the New Jersey pike. It was about 3am, (I´m not positive of the time); we were
going to his house on a New Years leave. Some got Christmas, and others like us
got New Years. We were walking and saw several police vehicles and I think an
ambulance on the other side of the highway. Then, we noticed a police cruiser
come over to us, and I said to Jimmy ´Let me do the talking.´ It was illegal to hitchhike.


The State Police officer rolled down the window on our side, and said smiling ´Are
you boys in the army?´and I said ´No, we´re Marines.´He said ´come on in.´ He
had been in the Marines too. He told me he cracked some hippies heads; he said
´they were hitchhiking.´ He told us how much he liked that part of his job.

He was enthused, and showed me his ´Billy club´; it was red from the blood he´d
just spilled. He drove us to a place; dropped us off and wished us well.

So, remember; the police are not neutral. Don´t let them push you around anymore
than the revolutionaries of 1776 would let the British push them around.

Yours in Struggle
Paul Meuse

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Is the banking crisis really a scam to get countries to pay tribute (a share) of America´s wars

I spent thirty nights in Badajoz, España,
and during that time I finish reading the
´History of the Peloponnesian War´ by
Thucydides (c. 460 BC – c. 395 BC).

It was an amazing story of the downfall of
the Athenian empire, which like the USA was
based mostly upon sea power - her navy.

Those that they called their allies were
for the most part were in a subordinate
relationship with Athens.

Thucydides, and others in the story make the point
over and over that a successful prosecution of a war
lies in large part upon money.

Those with the greatest resources stand the best chance
of coming out victorious...so long as their policies,
tatics and strategy are off.

But, war requires loads of money. Athens, and Sparta both
had their so-called allies paying them tribute in one form
or another, whether in building a certain number of ships,
providing troops, or mercenaries, or in cash.

So, the thought occurred to me is this so-called banking
crisis really a scam (well we all know it is), but really a
way of raising tribute to pay for the ongoing cost of America´s
wars of aggression?

I think it´s very possible that that is why the banks demand money.
Banks prosecute wars, or wars are prosecuted for their benefit,
and anyone who doesn´t think that this is so ought to read ´War is
A Racket´by Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.

Avoid LAN Airlines

I am traveling and living in the least expensive places
I can find in España and Portugal after LAN airlines
didn´t let me board a flight to Quito, Ecuador on August
26th, 2011.

I´m trying to save another airfare. LAN didn´t let
me proceed past the ticket booth unless I either bought
a return ticket or a ticket for a forwarding flight to
another South American country.

They had a separate counter set up where people could
purchase either ticket. I was told that if I bought a ticket to
Medellin, Colombia for €350, then I could get on the plane and then
cancel that flight the next day in Quito. The woman said that LAN
airlines would then reimburse me.

I asked if LAN would reimburse me in cash, and they woman said "Oh,
we never do it in cash; we put it back on your credit card." The
problem for me was that I had no credit card; just €450 cash, so
if I did that I would only have about $140 until September 1st.

I thought that I might be able to make it on that, but realized
that they could refuse me entry for ´insufficient funds.´ So I
was stuck in Spain; I lost my flat in the process and am then
found myself living out of cheap hostels or hotels.

I spent 30 nights in Badajoz, Spain; it was a lovely place and I
saved just under €300, but I need another €1,000 tops.

I spend 7 nights in Lisboa, Portugal, a lovely city, but couldn´t
afford €30 a night. I am now in Porto for my first night in a place
for €20 a night. All the places have been very nice, and the people
at this one are great, and the place looks good. If not for a friend´s
help I would be spending nights on the street.

In fact, I have been looking for camping gear as I reasoned that 20-30
nights camping would save much more money quicker. I figured that I could
spend every 4th and 5th night in a hostel that way.

I am trying to save money to get back over to Ecuador. I wanted to travel
in South America; it is much cheaper and would ease my financial burden.
I make more than enough to live comfortably in South America.

I am a Vietnam veteran and I am writing a novel.

It seemed hypocritical for the airlines LAN not to let me board the
flight unless I bought a ticket that I could cancel the next day.
That´s a scheme, or what I would call a scam.

I lost €758+ in airfare, my apartment, and I found out that I am not
the only one that LAN has done that to. It´s a morally and ethically
bankrupt policy for them to do that, but it is also very profitable
for them.

So, if you intend to travel to South America avoid LAN Airlines.