Dirt Bags

You hear the TV brutes spit out "dirt bags"

As they blow away some human "fags".

It sounds all brave, and glorious and macho

When heads fly off and blood squirts everywhere.

And maybe that term is ultimately fair

When they stick us in the ground, by then

We have become essentially "dirt bags."

 

I don't understand the attraction.

Of bodies slamming together in violent compaction.

What is the attraction to pain, and hurt and fear,

Of those in comfortable chair sitting in the rear?

Reality is these things are thuggish, brutal terror

And while still alive the term dirt bag is usually in error

The TV brutes may fill fantasies of Cowboy Bob

For folks in front of a TV fat like blobs

But they can't look their murder victims in the eye

Until just before they die.

I don't get the need for this porn.

 

Think about the definition of terror and then,

Wonder who is being the terrorist, and when.

Is it the brute with a bomb-belt under his suite

Or is it also the one with a joystick in his hand,

Blowing up wedding parties full of "dirt bags?"

The definition of purpose of shock and awe is terrorism.

Whatever BS reason they give as their "ism"

The value of wars and blows and body bags, is fear.

And the first step to stopping this dear friends,

Is to recognize those "dirt bags" could be people we love.

And we dirt bags should be better than this.

Christopher H. Holte

When they stick us in the ground. Even if we are in a box instead of a bag we are essentially "dirt bags."

Positive law and negative law

Negative law is expressed as "thou shalt not" terms. A lot of the bible is "negative law" and telling people what they can't do. It's purpose is to set boundaries and rule those boundaries with measurements and punishments. Thou shalt not steal is defined in hundreds of more detailed laws from laws against shoplifting to unenforced laws against banks swindling people out of billions.

Positive laws are expressed as "thou shall". The bibles "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." Positive laws start with setting goal posts and then work to define the requirements for virtue and good function. Positive laws define both the good and the means for attain the goood. Our laws for creating corporations are an example of positive law, implied by the requirements within the constitution:

“The power of creating a corporation, though appertaining to sovereignty, is not, like the power of making war or levying taxes or of regulating commerce, a great substantive and independent power which cannot be implied as incidental to other powers or used as a means of executing them. It is never the end for which other powers are exercised, but a means by which other objects are accomplished. No contributions are made to charity for the sake of an incorporation, but a corporation is created to administer the charity; no seminary of learning is instituted in order to be incorporated, but the corporate character is conferred to subserve the purposes of education. No city was ever built with the sole object of being incorporated, but is incorporated as affording the best means of being well governed. The power of creating a corporation is never used for its own sake, but for the purpose of effecting something else. No sufficient reason is therefore perceived why it may not pass as incidental to those powers which are expressly given if it be a direct mode of executing them.” [McCulloch vs Maryland]

A society cannot survive without both positive law and negative law. Negative laws keep people within their swim lanes, out of each other's hair and keep them from killing people. Positive law through it's implied power defines what civilizations should look like, how they should provide for the common good, and what it takes to attain that good. They then establish and insititutionalize organizations and give them the resources to accomplish that good.

Bullying and what to do about it

Today I saw a horrible story about bullying from my friend Bridgett on Facebook, and it brought back memories of my own childhood. I usually keep those memories fully buried, but this image brought them all back:

The image breaks my heart. The URL says she beat herself up:

Little Girl Kicked & Assaulted, School Determines That She Injured HERSELF

http://realitywives.net/blogs/little-girl-kicked-assaulted-school-determines-injured-self/

The article via Gulf Live says:

An Arlington Elementary student was injured on the school’s playground on Tuesday and her mother filed a police report on Thursday, according to Pascagoula Police Department Lt. Jim Roe.

The child was beat up on the playground.

“The mother alleges another child kicked her child on the slide,” Roe said. “Right now, there’s no indication something criminal took place. I have spoken with school security and an assistant superintendent is investigating the matter.”

Instead of acknowledging the reality the school Authorities here are real ********, they compound her injuries with the same kind of bull chips that authorities always put out in response to bullying. The idea of confronting it is foreign to authorities, who just plane don't know how to confront bullies. Teachers are intimidated. They often are bullied by the same miscreants themselves!

Roe identified the mother as Lacey Harris and the student has been identified on social media sites as AvaLynn. There is a Justice For AvaLynn Facebook page created as well as a gofundme.com account that is raising money to help pay for her medical bills. It indicates about $1,000 has been raised in one day.

I think I'm not the only one who has first hand memory of being Bullied. But the School district? Do they know what to do? No:

"The Pascagoula School District issued the following statement about the incident:

“A student was injured while playing on the playground at Arlington Elementary School Tuesday afternoon. School officials responded to the situation. The parent was contacted and the student received medical treatment. No other children were involved in the incident. The Pascagoula School District remains committed to the safety of all its students.”

So regardless of the little girl's testimony, "no other children were involved" -- which is an obvious lie.

"The gofundme.com page indicates AvaLynn was “was badly injured in an incident at her elementary school.”"

The Justice for AvaLynn Facebook page says she was “attacked by another student on the school playground. We are fighting for answers and for greater supervision at school.”

[http://realitywives.net/blogs/little-girl-kicked-assaulted-school-determines-injured-self/]

Greater supervision is important. But I don't see any evidence schools are any less clueless now than they were then.

My own experience with Bullying

I'm sure I also did some bullying. But I also remember going through years of bullying that in retrospect I see as even more horrendous than it seemed at the time. We had unrestricted play time in my school. They might have had one playground mom, but there were hundreds of us. Then they integrated the school and new kids came in who picked on me. I remember getting into fights and getting beat up. And then after that every day at lunch time I raced the bell out into the field and dived into where there was a thicket with blackberries, wild roses and rasberries. I'd dive under the bushes and wait until the bell ran again and then run again. I was terrified.

Then one day the kids ran with me, caught me and formed a circle around me punching me over and over again until I collapsed on the ground. Then they kicked me until I couldn't move. Finally one of them helped me into the Principle office and said "This kid got beat up on the field". Instead of being grateful I shouted he was one of the kids who beat me up. He got suspended. After that I sat out recess reading books.

Eventually I got to know some of the kids a little. But I'll talk about that more. The bullying went on, but one day I traded lunches with the smallest of them. I had forgotten my lunch and left it outside the school in the morning. A boy nick-named Junior with a tiny thumb who sucked it all the time. He had a really small lunch and I remember being hungry that day. I was angry because after lunch I realized my mom had simply packed the wrong type of cupcake. I traded lunch for a wishme sandwich because I couldn't believe my mom would give me a coconut covered cupcake. I guess I was an entitled little asshole. But it became a lesson later.

My Karma sucked. We moved and I rode the bus with the same kids. One day one of them put out a cigarrette on my head and I got even more hurt when I tried to hit the guy who did it. They would just laugh at me. Shortly after that two other kids. One named Daniel and the other one I've been wracking my brain to remember ever since, stood up for me and stopped them. I became friends with Daniel and his friend. This was the sixties. I learned a lot from meeting Daniel. For one thing I learned to look at the people bullying me as individuals. I also was being bullied by white kids, so it was really nice to find friends. Later the kids from my own neighborhood tried to attack me and I simply attacked one of them and broke through their circle. I'm sad to say I didn't become a bully myself, but I did come close to killing people. I remember having fantasies of bringing a machine gun to school. Fortunately I was broke.

I don't even like thinking about this, but there are methods for dealing with bullying, and they involve a variety of approaches that are also approaches for improving school hermaneutics.

Lessons Learned

1. Bullying doesn't end by ignoring it.

What is happening to that little girl will no more stop because the School administration denies it, than bullying stopped for me when I was a kid. Later, when I was a little more recovered friends would excuse it by telling me "well you're so pickable." Bullies pick on people because they are vulnerable. If Children aren't protected, the bullies take advantage. Unfortunately.

2. Bullies ignore efforts to stop them and escalate.

As we are learning from the experiences of law abiding black people with bullying cops one of the important things is to know how to de-escalate situations. When I was a kid I would fight back when I shouldn't or react to taunts, and that pretty much guaranteed Bullying. But the way to de-escalate is to act somewhat submissive while while trying to switch the conversation transaction from "parent-child" or "child-child" interactions to adult ones. That is why black people, who are expert at dealing with bullying, raise their hands and bow their heads a little. Cops would understand how to de-escalate situations but currently our cops are being taught bad Doctrine, Policy and getting bad guidance on how to deal with suspects or crowds, all involve teaching de-escalation. And that is also true with handling bullies. As long as a person is in "macho mode" (male or female) they're "fight or flight" brain is engaged and the rational analytical one is suppressed. You have to stop bullying. But then you have to find a way to de-escalating the conflict that drives the bullying. Whether it is angry racist prejudice, or criminal rebellion and fear, it won't stop until the parties decide to stop it. And that requires de-escalation.

3. Bullies need Intervention. Ironically intervention involves as a first step de-escalating the situation. The Crisis Prevention Website [http://www.crisisprevention.com/Resources/Knowledge-Base/General/De-escalation-Tips] has instructions for Police, for intervention. But they apply to bullies and demonstrators dealing with dysfunctional police too:

4.  First step in intervention is de-escalation

Dealing with Bullying as law enforcement with the Mentally ill

“A difficult and potentially dangerous situation for officers involves being called to a scene and engaging with a person who may be mentally ill. Most individuals with mental illness are not dangerous, but a special set of skills is required to bring a mutually successful end to the encounter.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Essentially dealing with bullies or cops is dealing with mental illness. It may be illness so common it's like the common cold, but it is illness nevertheless. Bullies are often hurt people themselves. The kids who bullied me on the playground were dealing with issues I (literally) could not comprehend at the time. The ones in my neighborhood also. In fact a study out of Brown University says that:

“Bullies often continue the cycle of social abuse that they have experienced themselves.”[http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/22/bullies-more-likely-to-have-mental-disorder/]

The author, Hilfer, continued:

“They can be depressed, fearful, and they often take out some of their anger and frustration on others down the pecking order,”[mental-disorder study]

And he continues:

“Support is often given to the bullied peers who are seen as victims. Many bullies should also be viewed as victims and offered help to change their behavior, they said.”[mental-disorder study]

So it is apt that a conflict de-escalation involves treating police, rioters, mobs, and deranged individuals as folks needing mental health support.

“This finding emphasizes the importance of providing psychological support to not only victims of bullying but bullies as well.”[mental-disorder study]

So while “The study did not look at the likelihood that bullies would have a mental health disorder.” experience with bullies suggest they need to be treated as if they have one. Bullying Behavior may be a symptom of a disorder. It certainly is disordering to both bully and bullied. The report notes that those bullied often bully in turn.[mental-disorder study]

Thus de-escalation requires intervention, and de-escalation:

“Although an officer's inclination may be to intervene immediately, that may not always be the best response. As long as the individual isn't an immediate danger to self or others, there's time to make a quick assessment. CPI, an international training company specializing in violence prevention and crisis intervention, recommends evaluating the person's behavior before acting, if at all possible.”[De-Escalation Tips]

The following steps apply to stopping bullying as well as stopping violence. I've added [or teacher/principle] to emphasize the quotes apply to schools too:

“How does an officer [or teacher/principle] make the decision about how to treat that individual? Of course the answer is communication: talking to the person and evaluating the responses. But what if the person is unable or unwilling to speak? Again, as long as the person is not a danger to self or others, there is time. Use it to listen to what the person is saying—not only with words, but also with body language and tone of voice.c[De-Escalation Tips]

Empathy

“CPI stresses the importance of listening with empathy, trying to understand where the person is coming from. Like other skills, empathic listening can be learned. The five keys are: give the person undivided attention; be nonjudgmental; focus on the person's feelings, not just the facts; allow silence; and use restatement to clarify messages.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Empathy is important because there is a strong link between bullying and trauma. Not only is bullying traumatic for the victim but bullies are often passing on what they learned as victims of trauma, of other people's bullying. The British Journal of Psychiatry [http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/193/5/378.short] reported:

“Adolescents who reported psychotic symptoms were significantly more likely to have been physically abused in childhood, to have been exposed to domestic violence and to be identified as a bully/victim (that is, both a perpetrator and victim of bullying) than those who did not report such symptoms.”

Bullying and Being Bullied as forms of Trauma

Bullying and being bullied are both forms of trauma. It could be that they induce Post Traumatic Stress symptoms in people. It really changes perspective to consider that both victims and victimizers are being traumatized. [http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/28/bullying-can-lead-to-ptsd-symptoms/48213.html

So when we endure Bullying from police, authorities, school mates and others some empathy is needed. That doesn't mean that it doesn't have to stop. Or that it is right. It just means that stopping it requires a different paradigm than simple violence or punishment. We are dealing with wounded people. Empathy has a practical role too. When someone is out of their mind or one is dealing with a person who is not fully rational. Empathy also helps one figure out where the person is going and maybe even understand where they are coming from. A good hunter knows his quarry so well he/she can anticipate their moves. That too is empathy. "Not fully in one's right mind means "handle with care." We have to give them:

Undivided Attention

“When people are paid attention to they feel validated; they feel important. The converse is also true: people feel less important and sometimes feel they need to up the ante if they feel like they need attention. Paying attention doesn't just mean saying, "I'm listening." It means looking at the person, making eye contact if it's culturally appropriate, and virtually listening with the entire body. By really listening, and conveying that through body language as well as words, an officer [or teacher/principle] can take away the person's reason for escalating the situation.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Often times just listening to a person calms them down enough so that they begin to think more clearly. So because school bullies, police, violent people aren't always in their right mind. De-escalating a situation usually also requires we make sure we understand the situation fully. That means:

Be Nonjudgmental

“If someone says, "The sewers are talking to me," an officer's [or teacher/principle] immediate reaction might be to think that the person is crazy. That reaction, especially if verbalized, will probably upset the individual even more. Even if not said aloud, that attitude may be conveyed through the officer[or teacher/principle]'s body language. If someone is psychotic, she may tune into the nonverbal communication much more than words. So besides paying attention to what is said, ensure that body language and tone are nonjudgmental as well. This will go a lot further in calming the individual.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Focus on Feelings

“Going back to the previous example, if an individual says, "The sewers are talking to me," a feeling response might be, "That must be pretty scary," or even, "Tell me what that feels like." This isn't getting into a therapist's bailiwick, but it is using a handy therapeutic tool. Most likely it will elicit a response that is positive, since the individual will know that the officer [or teacher/principle] understands what's happening.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Allow Silence

“As people devoted to protecting and serving, officers [or teacher/principle] are quite comfortable using silence during interrogations, but may not be quite so comfortable using it on the street. Officers [or teacher/principle] want to make sure the incident is handled quickly and peacefully. However, sometimes allowing that moment of silence can be the best choice.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Patience

“If the individual doesn't immediately answer a question, it doesn't mean he didn't hear you. It may mean he's thinking about his answer, or even that he wants to make sure he's saying the right thing.”[De-Escalation Tips]

More Patience

“Allow a moment of silence. If the person's face registers confusion, then repeat the question and let the silence happen again. Just as officers [or teacher/principle] are taught in basic training, another good reason for silence is that no one likes it—and people tend to start talking when silence lengthens.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Clarify Messages

“When a subject makes a statement, an officer [or teacher/principle] may think he knows what the person means. The only way to be sure is to ask. Sometimes a question may be perceived as challenging and can make the subject defensive. So restatement is used instead.”[De-Escalation Tips]

“For example, someone living on the street might say, "I don't want to sleep here anymore." The officer [or teacher/principle] might think he knows what the person is saying, but instead of just making an assumption the officer [or teacher/principle] could restate, "Oh, you're ready to go to the shelter?"”[De-Escalation Tips]

“The homeless person could say, "Yes." Or perhaps, "No, I don't want to sleep here anymore. I'm going to move over to Main Street where it's safer." In either case, the officer [or teacher/principle] has shown an interest in the individual and has kept the lines of communication open.”[De-Escalation Tips]

“One of the most important actions in any crisis is for the officer [or teacher/principle] to remain in control of himself. This factor, which CPI calls rational detachment, will be the key to whether the officer [or teacher/principle] helps de-escalate or escalate the situation. To rationally detach: develop a plan; use a team approach whenever possible; use positive self-talk; recognize personal limits; and debrief.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Develop a Plan

“Devise a plan before one is needed. Decisions made before a crisis occurs are more likely to be more rational than those made when on the receiving end of emotional outbursts. Think about those things that are upsetting and practice dealing with those issues ahead of time. This is called strategic visualization and is effective in helping officers [or teacher/principle] get through some stressful and even dangerous moments. Just as with other professional training officers [or teacher/principle] receive, this training will kick in when needed.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Use a Team Approach

“It's easier to maintain professionalism when assistance is nearby. Support and back up are both crucial pieces when trying to rationally detach.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Use Positive Self-Talk

“Positive self-talk has been the butt of many jokes. Picture Al Franken on Saturday Night Live saying, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Sure, that's funny, but positive self-talk really can work wonders. Just as saying, "I can't deal with this" might cause an officer to behave in one fashion, saying to oneself, "I'm trained, I know what to do" will cause another response.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Recognize Personal Limits

“Being a professional doesn't mean that a police officer must be able to excel at everything. That's an unrealistic expectation. Know what your limits are. Know that sometimes it's not easy to leave problems alone. Sometimes the most professional decision is to let someone else take over, if that's an option.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Debrief

“Be sure to debrief with coworkers, team members, or a supervisor after a major incident. Talking about it can relieve some of the stress and is also a good time to start planning for next time: what was done correctly, what could have been handled better, how could the response be improved the next time a similar situation occurs. This serves to assist in being able to rationally detach in the future.”[De-Escalation Tips]

“Assisting someone with a possible mental illness is only one example of when an officer's evaluation, assessment and negotiation skills come into play. There are many other examples: domestic disturbances, dealing with children, assisting victims, helping traumatized witnesses, and even calming down an out-of-control colleague. No matter what the situation, keeping the lines of communication open can help to de-escalate a potentially dangerous crisis.”[De-Escalation Tips]

Bullying is also socially unacceptable and requires Adjudication

But like dealing with criminality. Dealing with bullying doesn't stop with de-escalation. It requires an adjudication. Someone has been hurt. And someone else hurt them. All this trauma doesn't justify bullying. It just is the vehicle by which bullying is passed on generation to generation.

It's pretty established that our formal legal system is incapable of handling school crime. There have been scandals where judges have been caught funneling children to private prisons. One reason why schools are loathe to turn offenders (such as the bullies of the little girl in Arlington Elementary, into the police is that the consequences are either the ruination of a child's life, or the kids getting away with it. There has to be a better way.

Trial by Peers in School

Schools have used mock trials for years to teach kids civic and laws. I'd suggest that schools have real trials with the Principle acting as judge and teachers acting as counsel. The trials would not have force of law beyond school discipline, but the students would pass judgment on the accused and the teachers would ensure that rules of law and procedure are followed. A conviction might involve escalation to the the Police. But more likely some kind of arbitration type solution can be found. And kids know the circumstances of what happened better than outside adults. The goal isn't to shame the perpetrator but to teach the kids about bullying, violence and the consequences of violence. I can't find any literature on that idea. But it seems like common sense idea so long as the basic principles of separation of officers (Separate Judge, jury, executive and counsel for all involved) are observed, and the adjudication is informal and informational. Kids literally are a jury of one's peers.

I'm not anyone important and I can't find any evidence of this working well.

Mock trial information: http://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/services/pages/mock_trials.aspx

Predicting 9/11 -- Kali Marching

I could feel something wrong. Something very wrong coming. And I went to Manhatten with my wife in 2000, because it was the place we loved. We went into the Twin Towers and passed through their magnificence. And I wrote the poem "The Archetypes come alive in Manhattan" while we were there and posted it in a yahoogroup I was a member of. Nobody understood what I was saying as usual. But there is something predictive in it. The third stanza goes:

These archetypes all dance their steps,

all dance in wild abandon!

In the minds of drunken revellers,

drunk with anger, drunk with hate,

marching down Broadway,

stopping at Harald Square.

Climbing the millenia tower,

on top of a giant skyscraper!

An angry Ape climbs the Empire State,

and Godzilla parades his hate!

And then both fall to their fate!

Less than 9 months later a large part of that cataclysmic vision came true. I'm gathering stanzas from this long poem and each one astounds me.

Full Poem: http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-archetypes-come-alive-in-manhatten.html

More Recent:

http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/kali-marching-in-palestine.html

The Archetypes come alive in Manhatten

The Archetypes come alive like a great beehive,

out of the sky, all the sky kings dive!

Out of the ground, demons ride black steeds!

Out of the earth, ghosts raise up their heads,

Shake off the lethargy of years of being dead,

and march into town instead.

 

The Archetypes come alive, one by one, two by two,

Fat happy Sun kings, fawning, evil Richeliu,

Happy, gay, Three Musketeers, dueling D'Artanion too!

And cowboys duel with Musketeers,

while Indians brawl with Vikings!

And sea battles soon ensue,

between dragon ships, and triremes,

Treasure Ships and Pirates!

Black beard lights candles on his face,

and Berserkers scream their bravery!

Three musicians march in step,

celibrating their freedom!

While good priests meditate;

evil priests fornicate;

and everyone acts with wild abandon,

the fantasies of their soul.

Wielding a sword at illusions,

that seem to only get stronger,

While chiding others for delusions,

that are so plainly false!

 

These archetypes all dance their steps,

all dance in wild abandon!

In the minds of drunken revellers,

drunk with anger, drunk with hate,

marching down Broadway,

stopping at Harald Square.

Climbing the millenia tower,

on top of a giant skyscraper!

An angry Ape climbs the Empire State,

and Godzilla parades his hate!

And then both fall to their fate!

 

The archetypes come alive

and war like Devas and Ashuras!

While the real villains of these places,

gnash their teeth and hide their faces,

creating unleashed archetypes!

Calling "Peace" but unleashing war!

Calling "brotherhood" but disdaining love;

loving only their archetypes!

The police cannot leash them,

their own are loose!

And these archetypes dance together,

while their owners cry in delusion:

 

"You believe a lie, I utter truth!"

 

Their owners cry in unison:

 

"Your archetype is a monster,

and mine a world taming hero!"

"No yours is the monster,

and mine the hero!

Oh look here,

is that a child our heroes just crushed?"

 

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! THIS DELUSION!"

Pointing fingers, three aimed at the breast!

"It's all my fault! This delusion!"

Without understanding why,

this too is a lie.

Do you know the causal law?

  Chris

Christopher H. Holte written December 27 2000

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BuddhistLampoon/conversations/messages/189

Who Funds ISIS: Follow up on "Bandar's Bandits" posts

Dark rumors are coming from officials about ISIS planning attacks in Britain and the USA. ISIS was rolling towards Baghdad, a little later it was exterminating local Christians and believers in an ancient religion (The Yezidi) in Kurd Territory. If I were onboard with the 1984 news media you'd think ISIS was about to take over the world and bomb the West to submission. Probably it's leaders would love to do that. But there is more here than meets the eye. Back in February I blogged on the subject of Prince Bandar ["Update on Bandar"] and before that in September of 2013 I shared information the Russians leaked on Bandar's boast that he controlled the anti-Assad revolutionaries in Syria. ["So Obviously about Oil"] that it was obvious that Prince Bandar was directing his "wasta" [influence] and bankrolling Al Nusra at the least and probably ISIS too. By December of 2013 this was obvious: [Bandar's Bandits, 911 & CIA frauds]

Back in May 2013 Senator John (crash) McCain, who now wants to "bomb, bomb, bomb" was meeting with the "Gen. Salim Idris, chief of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, accompanied McCain and they met with 19 battalion commanders." [News Report asking for heavy weapons]. At the time the "Free Syria Rebel Army" consisted of a main group that was relatively weak, Al Nusra, which is salafist and openly aligned with ISIS and ISIS. Al Jazeera reports:

"Analysts generally agree that of the eight major armed factions in the Syrian opposition, al-Nusra and the ISIS are by far the most prominent. This is hardly due to their relative strength since there are many groups in the Syrian opposition that are much better armed with many more fighters. al-Nusra has no more than 6,000 active members, while ISIS boasts about 7,000 members, out of which only 4,000 engage in actual fighting."[http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/02/al-qaida-third-generation-201421312828448349.html]

So when McCain was meeting those rebel leaders the allegations that at least 2 of them participated in beheadings was true. A lot of folks make hay from McCain's bull headed obtuseness, but that also says something about the intelligence of our intelligence. Who is funding ISIS, where did they get their weapons. And why did McCain not get briefed on the whole story. I don't believe he's that dumb. Someone was deliberately misleading him unless he was part of the con.

But it's true that only a few months ago he was meeting with it and it's equally radical but more local, rival Al Nusra and pinging Obama for not funding ISIS enough. He can't be so ambitious and mercenary as to support Al Qaeda just so he can criticize POTUS, can he? Yet it is obvious that the same people who had been cheering ISIS and criticizing the Administration for not going full stop to take down Assad are now criticizing the administration for not stopping them fast enough. I'm more interested in "Who, What, Where, Why and How questions about ISIS or "Islamic State" and the news media flies by important information in it's breathy focus on beheadings and fleeing refugees. So this blog is my attempt to make sense of what is going on.

The Role of Saudis/Prince Bandar in ISIL

One clue is that the Saudis seem to be trying to fire Prince Bandar from his main job. They can't actually fire him without possibly the current Sultan being beheaded himself, but they have tried. In July:

"Diplomatic sources told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia has sidelined its intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, by transferring key aspects of the Syrian dossier, which he had previously been overseeing, to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef."[https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/9894-saudi-arabia-replaces-bandar-bin-sultan-as-leader-of-syrian-dossier]

What went wrong. A little more than a year ago Prince Bandar was getting paid for moving into Syria where POTUS refused to tread. The article doesn't give reasons it just says:

"A Western diplomat in the Gulf region told the news agency that Prince Bandar is no longer in charge of the Syrian dossier, leaving Prince Nayef primarily responsible."[Same, Mideast Monitor]

It appears that:

According to a source close to the dossier, Prince Nayef participated in a meeting last week in Washington between Western and Arab officials to discuss the situation in Syria.

Obviously it had something to do with Prince Bandar's management of Al Nusra and ISIL/ISIS/IS. But will anyone state this openly? Not our government. As I noted before the Saudis are our Frenemies:

"Diplomatic sources added that Washington has criticised Prince Bandar's management of the Syrian dossier."

The article notes:

"Prince Bandar, the son of the former Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, was appointed in July 2012 as the head of the Saudi Intelligence Service. He had previously served as the Saudi Ambassador to Washington for 22 years and played a key role in encouraging the Bush administration to invade Iraq in 2003."

Bandar was also the controller of Al Qaeda when they launched the 9/11 attacks. Which is another subject left to the conspiracy nuts despite being obvious. Bandar dropped out of the pictures like a former Commissar in the old Soviet Union, or one of the leaders around Big Brother in the Novel 1984. Someone probably erased him from photos:

"The Saudi media have not covered any activity of Prince Bandar's since January."

And suddenly McCain and friends have forgotten him too.

"A diplomatic source told AFP that he was hospitalised recently in the United States and is currently in Morocco."

I'll bet he's "sick" as in avoiding getting beheaded. I am getting so cynical in my old age that I believe the Syrians on this one:

"Media aligned with the Syrian regime have accused him of backing extremists in Syria."

Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/9894-saudi-arabia-replaces-bandar-bin-sultan-as-leader-of-syrian-dossier

The role of John McCain And Lindsey Graham in ISIS

The Atlantic magazine [http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-saudi-arabia-iraq-syria-bandar/373181/ ] quotes John McCain from 2014:

“Thank God for the Saudis and Prince Bandar,” John McCain told CNN’s Candy Crowley in January 2014. “Thank God for the Saudis and Prince Bandar, and for our Qatari friends,” the senator said once again a month later, at the Munich Security Conference.[Atlantic Article]

The Atlantic author continues:

"McCain was praising Prince Bandar bin Sultan, then the head of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence services and a former ambassador to the United States, for supporting forces fighting Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham had previously met with Bandar to encourage the Saudis to arm Syrian rebel forces."

But the Atlantic then dryly notes:

"shortly after McCain’s Munich comments, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah relieved Bandar of his Syrian covert-action portfolio, which was then transferred to Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. By mid-April, just two weeks after President Obama met with King Abdullah on March 28, Bandar had also been removed from his position as head of Saudi intelligence—according to official government statements, at “his own request.” Sources close to the royal court told me that, in fact, the king fired Bandar over his handling of the kingdom’s Syria policy and other simmering tensions, after initially refusing to accept Bandar’s offers to resign. (Bandar retains his title as secretary-general of the king’s National Security Council.)"[Atlantic Article]

“ISIS has been a Saudi project.”

The Atlantic Article continues:

"The Free Syrian Army (FSA), the “moderate” armed opposition in the country, receives a lot of attention. But two of the most successful factions fighting Assad’s forces are Islamist extremist groups: Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the latter of which is now amassing territory in Iraq and threatening to further destabilize the entire region. And that success is in part due to the support they have received from two Persian Gulf countries: Qatar and Saudi Arabia."[Atlantic Article]

The Qataris' spill the beans:

"Qatar’s military and economic largesse has made its way to Jabhat al-Nusra, to the point that a senior Qatari official told me he can identify al-Nusra commanders by the blocks they control in various Syrian cities. But ISIS is another matter. As one senior Qatari official stated, “ISIS has been a Saudi project.”"[Atlantic Article]

ISIS was Bandar's covert Op

"ISIS, in fact, may have been a major part of Bandar’s covert-ops strategy in Syria. The Saudi government, for its part, has denied allegations, including claims made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, that it has directly supported ISIS. But there are also signs that the kingdom recently shifted its assistance—whether direct or indirect—away from extremist factions in Syria and toward more moderate opposition groups."

Sounds like the Saudis created a Frankenstein.

"The United States, France, and Turkey have long sought to support the weak and disorganized FSA, and to secure commitments from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to do the same. When Mohammed bin Nayef took the Syrian file from Bandar in February, the Saudi government appeared to finally be endorsing this strategy. As The Washington Post’s David Ignatius wrote at the time, “Prince Mohammed’s new oversight role reflects the increasing concern in Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries about al-Qaeda’s growing power within the Syrian opposition.”

So, this is circumstantial evidence that, as he had done with Chechen Rebels, Al Qaeda, and more recently with ISIS Prince Bandar had been arming, training and supporting Jihadis. With the full cooperation of some members of our CIA. No wonder we haven't seen what was on Bin Laden's hard drive or in his files.

"The worry at the time, punctuated by a February meeting between U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and the intelligence chiefs of Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, and others in the region, was that ISIS and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra had emerged as the preeminent rebel forces in Syria. The governments who took part reportedly committed to cut off ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, and support the FSA instead. But while official support from Qatar and Saudi Arabia appears to have dried up, non-governmental military and financial support may still be flowing from these countries to Islamist groups.

"May still" is journalist speak for "probably is but I can't prove it in court."

"Senior White House officials have refused to discuss the question of any particular Saudi officials aiding ISIS and have not commented on Bandar’s departure. But they have emphasized that Saudi Arabia is now both supporting moderate Syrian rebels and helping coordinate regional policies to deal with an ascendant ISIS threat."

But the firing of Bandar is enough indication of the reality.

"Like elements of the mujahideen, which benefited from U.S. financial and military support during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and then later turned on the West in the form of al-Qaeda, ISIS achieved scale and consequence through Saudi support, only to now pose a grave threat to the kingdom and the region. It’s this concern about blowback that has motivated Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to encourage restraint in arming Syrian rebels. President Obama has so far heeded these warnings."

So once again we see that tactical thinking, especially "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is often stupid strategy. McCain and the Con artist right may make a big deal about "who lost Iraq" or "how did Al Qaeda get to rule Syria" in coming days, but they encouraged the Saudis to Arm ISIS and were blind to it's brutal practices and Salafist/Wahabi ideology. Both of which are direct reports from Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic article notes:

"John McCain’s desire to help rebel forces toss off a brutal dictator and fight for a more just and inclusive Syria is admirable. But as has been proven repeatedly in the Middle East, ousting strongmen doesn’t necessarily produce more favorable successor governments. Embracing figures like Bandar, who may have tried to achieve his objectives in Syria by building a monster, isn't worth it."[Atlantic Article]

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-saudi-arabia-iraq-syria-bandar/373181/

I started this several months ago, but it is still topical so I figured I'd better finish it. The leading cleric denounced ISIS yesterday, but the funding hasn't stopped. It's still a Saudi project, just not one of the Central Government and it's Spy operations.

PS & Further Reading

I drafted this a few months ago, but just now finished it. This is further reading:

Independent Article:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-how-saudi-arabia-helped-isis-take-over-the-north-of-the-country-9602312.html

Global Research makes Case that ISIS was a anti-Shia CIA project of the Bush Administration:

ISIS: Made in USA (Pushes origins to Iraq war)

Criminal behavior Criminal Assumptions

In 1979 I was trying to sell insurance. It was garbage insurance. I had just graduated College and had been told that this was the way to advance my degree and win fame and fortune. Unfortunately this insurance company wanted me going door to door and trying to convince farmers, cops, watermen and their friends to buy the insurance. It was a lousy product, I'm a lousy salesman, but I enjoyed meeting people. At least I'd sometimes get a meal from the salt of the earth types I was selling to. One experience I had while selling the garbage over in Calverton was that I met a woman after work in a bar, and she invited me to a police party. The police were throwing a party in the name of a man with a name similar to a famous actor. The man had been hurt in a car chase and was paralyzed waste down. The party was to raise funds to help him out. Sounded good to me. I was broke, and it would be cheaper than spending my little bit of money in a bar. So I went.

I don't remember much except I did drink a little more than I should (two beers is more than I should) and got sick. And the people. I met the hurt cop. Lots of Maryland State Troopers, the local volunteer firemen, and their groupies and relatives. They were doing all sorts of things I would never do at a party; Cocaine, smoking pot, drinking, not sure what else. And I was impressed by the notion that these were just regular people. Doing everything society as a whole was doing. And everything they were paid to arrest people for doing. I suspected they had their supplies from the evidence room. I quit my job soon after and the girl I took to the party broke up with me (I think) I know she stopped answering my phone calls. So I never went to another party where there were so many cops, except maybe a few given by one of my X's relatives. He was a retired cop.

But what I did learn is that we aren't fighting drugs by arresting people and throwing them in jail. I also went to NA meetings and AA meetings and there would be cops there. Cops get addicted too. I found out that the only thing that jail seems to do is to punish folks who get caught. It doesn't stop them from doing drugs or stop the pain. Most of the people I met at that time who were doing hard drugs like heroin, Methadone, or similar got addicted due to back pain. Some of them were cops injured in the line of duty. Cutting off those drugs sent them to the black market and all of them found their moral and legalized stressed by the difficulty of paying for such drugs. It is rare that a drug addict like Rush Limbaugh can support his habit legally. Most of them throw away vast sums of money that enrich both police chiefs and criminal syndicates alike. Drugs are a huge industry partly because our people are so sick, but also because they are illegal and the risk premium on their sales is so high the industry creates millionaires. They'll tell you "it's just business" -- and they mean it.

Prohibition is corrupting our country more than the drugs and alcohol do.