A funny story behind these pictures: My friend and I were looking for the social security office in town, when we happened across this unmarked building. I was utterly flabbergasted to find Homeland Security in my town. When I stepped out my car to take some pictures, a voice from a truck in the parking lot said, ''Can I help you?'' I responded paying him little attention: ''No, I don't need any help.'' Then he stepped out of the truck, pulled a badge from under his blue, collared shirt and asked me a little more aggressively, ''Can I HELP you?'' I told him how surprised I was to find Homeland Security in my home town, and that I was just curious what they were up to. ''Your not allowed to take pictures of this building,'' he interrupted. ''Why not?'' I asked. ''Because'' he reasoned. Perhaps the situation would have escalated, but my friend in the passenger seat of my vehicle, became worried, and told the man we were just looking for the social security office. On our way back, from the social security office I snapped a photo of the building in spite of the asshole who accosted me.

A problem that threatens national security is one of the most compelling reasons for the United States Government to take affirmative action. But let’s consider what national security for the U.S really entails in a global context.

If you listened to any of the three presidential debates this year, you have heard many areas of political concern listed as potential threats to national security. Among them are the economic crisis, energy independence, health care, entitlement reform, and even education. There are some valid concerns in each of these areas as to the stability of a nation, but national security entails more than that.

National security is about power and it is not only about the power to defend a nation’s borders; it’s about power to influence world affairs. It has less to do with fighting off terrorists, than guaranteeing our privileged place as a powerful nation.

Around the globe there is a power-complex. Each nation understands that power is achieved by economically out-competing other nations. Not only does a powerful nation have the resources to fight off threatening forces, it has the ability to influences its will upon other nations. Hence, there is a fear of falling behind in economic competition, that a country will not only loose power internationally, but will be made more vulnerable to the influence of other more powerful nations.

So fundamentally, national security is not really about security at all, it is about a pursuit of power between nations. When one nation has claimed superiority over others, other nations strive to meet or surpass that superiority. The superior state must then protect and improve its economic status, lest it loose power. And even those countries that have relatively little power, are forced to pursue power in order to protect themselves to some degree.

So the United States government is not going to think twice about a decision to abridge freedoms in the name of ensuring economic power. The state only exists to perpetuate itself. Concerns for rights and freedoms of the people are always secondary. Just consider a few examples in recent history such as the governments purchase of mortgage giants Fanni Mae and Freddie Mac, their partial ownership of banking institutions, or the enactment of the Patriot Act. These are all incredible infringements upon the peoples freedoms, for the sake of national security.

This pursuit of power requires the sacrifice or freedoms. Often, this sacrifice is justified with the intent of garnering more freedoms in the long-term, but over the long-term it is obvious that this pursuit of power among nations becomes a perpetual course with no end in sight. It follows logically, that as the power-struggle between nations continues, more and more freedoms will be abridged in the name of national security. The struggle for power is an unending process, and the freedoms sacrificed along the way are not likely to be returned to the people.

And really just about anything can constitute a threat to national security if it threatens to damage a nations power status. If it simply bares an effect on the economy it can become a national security issue. Free people aren’t inclined to be efficient, and so freedoms by themselves can be considered a national security issue. The Chinese government knows this well, and can thank its success as an economic power to it’s people’s lack of freedoms. And if there are too many homosexuals and not enough offspring to populate the military and the work force, gay rights could potentially become a threat to national security as well–the way it has in powerful nations of the past, and still is in China.

Is it not obvious how the pursuit of power is the enemy to freedom? Is it not obvious that social harmony between peoples cannot be accomplished through means of power?

Considering all this, national security should be more appropriately recognized as the reckless pursuit of power it is. It should be recognized as the violation of respect and trust for our fellow human beings around the world. It should be cited as the sole evil of modern society.

A month or so ago I received a call to action email warning against the governments ever- increasing interference with the “American ideal” of the free market economy. The author warned that the United States government is ever approaching an “anti-thesis to freedom” in the form of communist socialism. The email was specifically criticizing the government’s recent rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a subject appropriate for the author–an ambitious capitalist who operates a Down Payment Assistant program. He drew an illusion to each act of government interference to the loss of a star on the flag. I made the following reply:

Photo by fauxto_digit

The fist of power so-commonly represented on the hands of monuments to our forefathers.

Dear Sir,

Perhaps, you’ve yet to realize that government does not exist separate from economic systems. It is in the state’s best interest to maximize, or at least stabilize, the economy, in order to secure a position as a world power. The government must interfere with laissez-faire capitalism (as you can see by the recent failure of several high-profile financial institutions) otherwise it collapses in upon itself in due time. A free market economy is volatile on a large scale and can only survive with a government entity to manipulate and regulate it. As markets grow, the government will have to interfere more often, and there is a necessary decrease in freedoms.

But what would you prefer? Would you prefer to live in a powerful nation or a free nation? Do you see what happens to free nations, which are not powerful? Take Tibet for an example, a country whose government is in exile and has been occupied by a powerful country, China. Now, I imagine you would rather lose all of the stars on the American flag, than loose the benefits of being an American and live in Tibet. I on the other hand, would prefer to live in a free nation because this is the only right way to live.

The pursuit of power requires the sacrifice or freedoms. Often, it is justified with the intent to garner more freedoms over the long-term,but over the long-term it is obvious that this pursuit of power among nations becomes a perpetual course with no end in sight. You see, when one nation has claimed superiority over others, other nations strive to meet or surpass that superiority. The superior state must then protect and improve its economic status, lest it loose power. And even those countries that have relatively little power, are forced to pursue power in order to protect themselves to some degree. The struggle for power is an unending process, and the freedoms sacrificed along the way are not likely to be returned to the people.

And the whole bit about communism is so out-dated. I certainly am no communist sympathizer, but if you think that the United States government is going to think twice about a decision to abridge freedoms in the name of ensuring economic power, you’re wrong. The state only exists to perpetuate itself. Concerns for rights and freedoms of the people are always secondary. It’s just that the Communists were more upfront about it.

Sincerely,

Preston Benson

My friends Ryan and Lisa accompanied me on a visit to the Whole Expo in search of some much-needed holistic healing.

I have one friend who takes anti-psychotics. Then I have another friend who is depressed over a breakup with my old roommate who was also chronically depressed. I myself am completely unmedicated and arguably mentally unstable as well. Seeing that we all could use a little more mental health in our lives, my friends and I visited a local holistic health conference called the Whole Expo.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find the mentally stabilizing and holistic environment we were looking for. Somehow tarot readings and psychic analyses just weren’t the metaphysical experiences we were searching for. We didn’t fit in, without bindis stuck to the center of our foreheads or giant crystal talismans hanging from silver chains around our necks.

Among the psychic booths, there were salesmen promoting strange devices including a laser machine said to whiten teeth, a foot bath that used electric current supposedly to detoxify feet and “space age” infrared amethyst crystal mats–all touted to bring greater health. I was seriously skeptical. The validity of all these technologies was seriously undermined just by being in the same exhibition hall as a “Photograph Your Own Energy” booth. I was quick to come to the conclusion that this whole conference was nothing but a big scam, but I stuck around because I was curious how an absurd event like this could be so popular.

Trained as mystical traveler, aye?

A pushy man pressured my friend Lisa into a “free nervous system analysis.” The man had her fill out paperwork, in which she disclosed information as to her terrible sleep schedule being a full-time college student and working night shifts at an assisted living home. The man took a hand-held gadget dotted with bright blue diodes and pressed it to her neck. The device was supposed to analyze the spine and indicate general health. After the “scan” he reported that she was sleep deprived and that she needed to pay for a full session with him. Now, did that hand-held gadget reveal this or did the paperwork tell him that? And come on, she really didn’t need anyone else to tell her she was sleep-deprived. When she declined the man’s imperative, he reproached her, “Don’t you care about your body?” and she walked away.

I realized, walking around, that the people who attended this event, were people of a particular kind. They were the “looking for something more” kind of folk. Many were overweight or looked otherwise unhealthy. Some were frail and aging. I especially spotted many lonely women. It seems of all things, these people exuded an extremely low self-confidence. All these people were in need, all of them searching for help and all of them fit to be swindled.

The unscrupulous merchant who accosted my friend was just one among many. I have never witnessed a more overt predatory display of business. It was an event that attracted hungry lambs with the promise of oats and hay, into a den of vampiric lions. Surly, these merchants are conscious of their scam. They have to be aware that they are con artists on some level, though I’m sure they’d prefer to be called businessmen as the word “businessman” validates almost any practice. And I think to myself, in a way, many businessmen are magicians. By slight of hand they find a weakness in our awareness and then they exploit it. And if the illusion is well played, the customer becomes a willing participant in his own exploitation.

We sat in on a free name-reading seminar hosted by a psychic who called herself Dolly Mae. She claimed that the composition of a person’s name held secrets about a person’s personality. She was an energetic speaker, quick to respond, smooth with her words, and confident. She had a magician’s charisma.

She told the audience about how Zacharys are fascinating people, but how they screw up their lives thanks to the ‘z’ in their name. She told about how names like Katie, with an ‘ie’ letter combination on the end are diminutive. She told about how people with an ‘o’ in their names are empathetic. She told about how people with ‘b’ in their names can relate to others well. And she told about how the letter ‘a’ means a person “is about himself.”

At one point during the seminar a woman in the audience asked, “I’m in the process of changing my name from Laurena to Maurena because it just feels better. Can you tell me if I’ve made the right decision?” Of course, Dolly Mae declined to answer the question as this was a “free” seminar, but she kindly invited the woman to visit her booth and have her name read for $20.

I realized at this moment, that the woman in the audience, like many of the people attending the conference, was seeking validation. Obviously, this woman knows more about herself than any psychic could ever tell her. And the people who she lives with should know her next best. But here she is looking for someone to validate herself, because apparently she can’t find it anywhere else. She wants someone else to recognize her own humanity. Isn’t it a shame that my own community has lead people like her to seek recognition by paying money to a stranger?

She’s changing her name for the people who don’t know her. She’s changing her name for people like Dolly Mae who make grand generalizations about people without knowing them. A name should take on the meaning we give it, and that meaning should be far more complex than anything Dolly Mae could write a book about.

As Dolly Mae described the supposed varying characteristics of different letters and letter combinations, I realized that the characteristics she was describing could apply to any person at one point or another in their life. I realized that all people share the same spectrum of emotions. Perhaps this is the one things psychics do understand. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional wrestler, or a homemaker, we all share the human condition. Many times these emotions are repressed or suppressed, but ultimately we are very complex people made of very similar emotional needs, emotional desires and emotional situations. When a person seeks out a psychic, the psychic is only successful when they tell that person things he or she already knows. A psychic does nothing revolutionary, but validate what that person already knows. Yet there is something comforting and valuable in having someone recognize and validate who we are. This validation is best provided by those who love us. It’s simply a shame and embarrassment that so many people in my community don’t have someone to validate who they are.

When I went home, I began to do some research on the medical devices at the conference that didn’t seem quite legitimate. Most of them turned out to be gimmicks and scams, based on anecdotes and unsound science. It turns out that the teeth-whitening laser doesn’t use a laser at all, and that its whitening effect is only the result of temporary dehydration of the teeth. The ionic foot treatment was thoroughly documented as a scam on DeviceWatch.org. And the infrared light mats which were originally designed by NASA for astronauts seem rather useless considering most of us spend our days on earth bathing in the natural infrared rays of the sun.

If you think about it, a great deal of our consumption in this modern age, is fueled by our need to fill a void within ourselves. We wouldn’t need to purchase our own validation from a psychic, we wouldn’t need to whiten our teeth to impress others and we wouldn’t have to worry about businessmen preying on our weaknesses if we belonged to social circle where we would be known intimately. But for now, we, the disintegrated masses of the modern age, will seek the only temporary satisfaction we can acquire without an intimate social unit. We will seek it through consumption.

Fake Smile and Big Eyes by Kyle Flood

Everything is just hunky-dory!

A couple days ago, I received a much-appreciated phone call from my dear aunt Karen about my writing. She imparted some constructive criticism. “And try to stay positive,” she concluded, but I didn’t know exactly how to respond to that comment.

It never crosses my mind, whether a subject is positive or negative. I just write to expose simple truths that are never brought to the attention of most people. Most of the time, this critical view tends to challenge the status quo, and this challenge can be perceived in a negative light.

But really, as independent human beings, the only positive progress that can be made against the standing order occurs when we challenge it. The standing order is the one negative thing we must fight against. So my writing and my criticism, despite a tone of dissonance, is my positive recourse against it.

I don’t just want to bemoan undesirable things; I want to challenge them. I want to draw out conflict where conflict is needed to inspire positive change. If all was well, I would have nothing to write about. I would spend my time enjoying a world that I did not need to criticize.

My father gets irritated at my constant criticism. His irritation is perhaps a sign that the standing order suits him quite well. He tells me how life would be miserable if he had to criticize everything. Sometimes I think he truly believes that I would be happier if I stopped criticizing. But in all actuality, my criticism is my pursuit of happiness. It makes me quite bitter when my father, who seeing that the standing order fits him quite well, gets upset with my contention when it does not fit me. I don’t expect him to solve my problems, but a level of compassion is a start.

I think we win a victory for all human beings when we assist those we come to know in their independent struggles, even if we do not share them. So here’s to staying positive, to staying vigilant and standing up for humanity. Here’s to never allowing yourself comfort when the standing order harbors so many terrible things either for you or your neighbor.

Photo by Barack Obama

Here's an energetic group of young change-makers in Arkansas registering voters to benefit democracy--no bias whatsoever.

The front page of USA Today reported today on a record-breaking season for voter registration as we approach the 2008 presidential election. It was reported that the Democrats gained 800,000 voters, while the Republicans lost 300,000 voters. Some would call it a victory for Democracy.

The leagues of folks with their clipboards and their registration forms stand just outside the door to your favorite bakery. They stand proud and upright as if they are doing a service for democracy, but this is no philanthropist’s mission. These people are strategically targeting you. They pose behind kindly smiles, but they aren’t just aiming to get you registered, they’re not pining for true democracy, they’re aiming to sell their party.

Expectedly, the article in USA Today specifically focused on numbers in terms of party affiliation. There was no report on the number of independent voters registered. Who the bleep cares about the independents, that disloyal backstabbing bunch, right? The ones who actually think for themselves and don’t subscribe to any political dogma. The ones who will not sell their soul and will not sell their vote.

The racket of the dual party system invaded the mainstream media long ago. They’ve long succeeded in delegitimizing independent voices. Let’s be honest with ourselves and recognize that this isn’t a democracy, this is a mob war. Let’s not fool ourselves. These men and women with their clipboards want their respective mob bosses to win. They carouse about friendly neighborhoods searching for a few unwary chaps to join the gang. The Democrats set up base camp on liberal college campuses, and the Republicans conduct voter registration in their church parking lots. They’re not interested in encouraging a more educated vote. They just want you to take a blood oath and declare your party affiliation.

Before I go on, I must admit there are a few folks who actually mean well. In fact, I have a good friend who took a clipboard and registration forms down to Main Avenue, and I know he’s not rooting for one party or the other. He explained to me that he just wanted to provide people the opportunity to vote. I do believe his intentions were noble, but I must still respectfully object to any campaign for voter registration on principle.

Here’s what I think: If a person doesn’t have the time or motivation to register to vote, they most definitely don’t have time to know what’s going on in politics. Isn’t that logical? God knows, some of us have wonderful lives outside of the political mob scene. Thank goodness for that. And thank goodness there are folks out there who don’t feel the need to impose their reckless opinions upon others.

Here’s to all of you unregistered folks out there. Thank you for standing strong. There’s no shame in abstaining from business that you have no interest in. It would certainly be a shame if you were just filling in the ovals because someone told you to. Thank you for fending off the mob and their incessant racket. We’d have a far more democratic country if more people minded their own business like you.

What is truly shameful, is the man or woman who has never given careful thought to life or liberty and out of weakness has submitted his or her independent mind to the will of one mob or the other. These people, in compromising themselves, have effectively disrespected and spit in the face of every individual who thinks for himself. What is more contemptible, though, is the arrogant man or woman who uses his vote ignorantly to impose his moral opinion upon others. This type of voter is an oppressor.