from: http://www.thepornographyofpower.com/tom9.html Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.thepornographyofpower.com/tom9.html">The Pornography of Power</A> ----- The Pornography of Power "I'm Wide Awake. I'm Wide Awake. I'm Not Sleeping." -"BAD", U2 Tom J. Wright A Semi-Weekly Column of Political Commentary March 15, 1997-March 31, 1997 The CIA, Dictators and Drugs: A Match Made in Heaven OR Watching the Corporate Media Scramble to Protect the Charles Manson of U.S. Government: The CIA Has there been anything more hilarious and amusing in the last few months than watching the Conservative Corporate Press go into blue-in-the-face fits of hysterics about the San Jose Mercury News story describing the connection between the CIA, the Contras, and crack cocaine? I must say, I've enjoyed it immensely. Yes folks, the Lords of the Corporate Press at the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Times--3 of the most influential government mouthpieces in the United States--have spared no expense in their (futile) attempts to controvert the San Jose Mercury investigative piece by Gary Webb. But, in the process of doing so, these Media Barons have only succeeded in making themselves look more clownish and buffoon-like than even the American people had at first suspected. A case-in-point: In attempting to contradict a mountain of evidence gathered by Webb and The Mercury News from court transcripts, numerous personal interviews, lengthy research, personal contacts, and many other sources; the L A Times, NY Times, and Washington Post have relied on CIA sources--the very organization that was being accused of wrongdoing in the Mercury News piece--to try to prove that there was not a connection between the CIA, drugs, and dictators! As Tom Tomorrow, in his nationally syndicated political cartoon, "This Modern World", recently showed, quoting CIA sources to say that the CIA wasn't guilty of wrongdoing is like quoting a denial by OJ Simpson to try to show that there is no truth to the accusation that Simpson killed two people and used to beat his wife. Such shoddy and deceitful practices are an insult to the American people and a violation of one of the first tenets of respectable journalism, which says that when gathering evidence for a story, you first make sure that that evidence comes from credible sources. The NY Times, LA Times, and Washington Post broke this journalistic tenet, proving themselves to be just what they are: heavily-biased media hacks more interested in protecting power and privilege than in discovering the truth. And what about the CIA? What are the secretive, rightwing thugs and professional warmongers over at Langley, Virginia saying about all this? They're doing what any guilty party would do when caught red-handed breaking the law: they're giving excuses, producing denials, arguing their case, and attempting to convince their powerful friends in Washington to help them make this all go away. But of course, when you've got a long and tortured history of drug running, political assassinations, illegal support of dictators, bloody overthrows of democracies around the world, and random acts of violence and cowardice, as the CIA does (see Killing Hope , by William Blum, among many other books out there, for gruesome details), then that isn't so easy. It's like Charles Manson getting busted in the joint for crack cocaine possession. His denials and claims of angelic innocence aren't going to carry much weight with people. You can think of the CIA as the Charles Manson of our government: they're both loony, violent, unpredictable, and convinced that they are the next coming of Jesus Christ, and thus holy. Both the CIA and Charles Manson are Mass Murderers responsible for the death of many, many innocent people (in the CIA's case, innocent people all over the globe, from Greece to Chile to Italy to Mexico to Nicaragua to Haiti to El Salvador, to ...). Except that the CIA is infinitely more dangerous to innocent Americans and unsuspecting millions across the globe. Picture Charles Manson with an army of secret agents all over the world to carry out his psychotic plans. Picture this Charles Manson with billions and billions and billions of taxpayer subsidized dollars in his personal checking account, to finance his unspeakable acts. And picture this Charles Manson with the full faith and credit of the United States Congress, The President, The Secretary of War, The Secretary of State, The Pentagon, The Department of Justice, and just about every other high ranking government official you can think of. Finally, picture this Charles Manson with full and complete access to weapons of war, including guns, tanks, helicopters, missiles, and bombs; as well as all of the latest in hi-tech surveillance equipment and other tools that we the public haven't even heard of yet. And most frightening of all, picture this Charles Manson with complete immunity from criminal prosecution of any kind, unarrestable by any police officer or law enforcement organization, and operating in complete secrecy. That is the Charles Manson we are dealing with my friends and the bad news is that he's not in jail. If you've been paying any attention at all throughout this whole sordid situation that I've just described, or already suspected its truth from your own observations, a creeping sort of Holy-Shit-Mother-of-God-What-the-Hell-Can-We-Do feeling is coming over your right about now. What can we do to stop this monster? How can we put an end to the CIA once and for all? Easy. Cut off its funding, revoke its charter, and watch the evil little bastard wither and die. That means the American people, who, in a sick-ironic way have been financing this beast with their hard-earned wages, must tell their servants in Washington that they, The People, don't want this abomination to exist anymore. That means $0 dollars to the CIA and immediate dismantling of its headquarters. No, better yet-implosion, just like they do in Las Vegas to those old casinos. Implosion will leave no trace, hopefully, of the stench that currently hangs over the place like death. Visit Langley sometime and you will smell it. It even creeps into the clothes of the spooks who work inside the place and makes it hard to be in the same room with them. The horrible odor seems to be a mixture of sweat, vomit, corruption, greed, decaying flesh, and human blood. Once smelled it can never be forgotten (just ask George Bush, he was the CIA's Director for many years before becoming President). Avoid it at all costs if you can. But folks, if you want to put the CIA out of its misery, you will have to contact your elected officials directly, or go to the alternative press and the Internet. Don't rely on the CIA-friendly corporate TV networks or the major establishment press to help you. In fact, expect just the opposite. Here's just one of a thousand examples: In 1988, Washington Post owner and publisher Katharine Graham (currently peddling a new bio) gave a speech in Langley, VA, at the CIA's world headquarters. She told CIA officials that: "We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn't. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press (presumable Mrs. Graham and her Corporate Cronies) can decide whether to print what it knows." (Extra!, Jan/Feb 1997, p. 19, quoting Regardie's magazine, Jan 1990) I can't think of any third world dictator who could have said it better. Welcome to America, ladies and gentlemen. Now, if you want to turn America into something better than this, call your representatives immediately(I don't care what time of night it is. Get their sorry asses out of bed), and give them Holy Hell. Then continue to get informed, active, smart, and mad. In other words, wake up. Previous Columns: Bombing Iraq: When Oil Is Thicker Than Blood The Republican Party's Losers' Club: A Wretched Look at The Right Wing's Wannabees, Has-Beens, and Never-Weres Who Wish They Could Be President Bill Clinton: 'The Best Republican President We've Had in 40 Years.' Conservatives: 'A Confederacy of Dunces' Watching the Status-Quo American Press Fawn All Over a Bloody Dictator Fortune 500s Are Laughing All The Way To The Bank As They Dodge Their Taxes: Meanwhile, You Are Stuck With The Bill American Corporations Give The Finger To America The CIA, Dictators and Drugs: A Match Made in Heaven OR Watching the Corporate Media Scramble to Protect the Charles Manson of U.S. Government: The CIA Saving the American Dream: If the Will Is There, There Is a Way Conservative Bias in the Media, Part II: Bob Dole Asks Media to Bury the Story of His Adultery, and the Media Says--"Sure, Bob Ol' Buddy Ol' Pal" Gnewt GetRich: the Hypocrite Americans Love to Hate Conservative Bias in the News: Twisted Tales of Monopolized Media American Politics: Our Never Ending Freak Show The Mad, Mad Dash For The White House Bill Clinton's October Surprise: A Month Early Why the Pornography of Power? ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. 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