As John Perkins described in "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man", the Jackals are at work...

Pro-war right-wingers like to use aircraft to assassinate left-wingers. Paul Wellstone, Mel Carnahan, and JFK Jr. are a few examples. I see the right-wing racists are busy in Bolivia, too. When they refer to Morales, it's "the Indian. It must kill them to see an indigenous leader.

Two Strange Deaths Which Changed History

Paul Wellstone and Mel Carnahan

"Isn't it quite a coincidence that these two Democratic candidates both died in plane crashes only two years apart, both just weeks before the elections? It's even more of a coincidence that both were very progressive Democrats. Wellstone was often labeled the most progressive member of Senate. As a National Review article stated, "Probably no other member of the Senate had been on the losing side of more 99-1 or 98-2 votes. None had voted more consistently against the Bush administration."

http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller102502a.asp

And even more strange is the fact that no one in the media has discussed these highly strange coincidences."

C
I
A

The rotten little pissants at the CIA are dealing with democracy the only way they know how. Apparently they can't bribe the Morales government, so they must murder him. The CIA overthrew Mohammed Mossadeq, the democratically elected Prime Minister Iran in 1953; it overthrew Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, the democratically elected president of Guatemala in 1954; it overthrew Salvador Allende, the democratically elected president of Chile in 1973; it participated in the overthrow of Achmad Sukarno in Indonesia in 1965; as described by William Blum in his article, "A Concise History of US Global Interventions, 1945 to the Present", the United States intervened in eleven different South and Central American countries during the Cold War; and the Church Committee interim report published in 1975 determined that "American officials encouraged or were privy to coup plots which resulted in the deaths of Patrice Lumumba of the Congo, Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, and Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam.

The above list includes only a few episodes for which excellent documentary evidence exists. There are many more, but who knows how many similar episodes go undocumented? John Perkins, mentioned above by USAn, is a former hands on participant in these graduated intimidation tactics. Perkins supplied two more stories in his book – the two plane crash deaths of Omar Torrijos of Panama and Jaime Roldos of Ecuador, in 1981 shortly after Ronald Reagan took office. These two leaders had resisted the US corporate efforts to control their economies through bribery. Both died within days of their final refusal to be bribed. Manuel Noriega tried to introduce evidence of the assassination of Torrijos, at his trial in 1991, but the evidence was not allowed to be introduced because it would have violated the Classified Information Procedures Act.

Any 3rd world country leader who doesn't take the lucrative bribe money from the US is at risk of being murdered by CIA field planners. It is far cheaper and less messy than invading. If their security is too good to penetrate, then as a last resort, the US invades with its all volunteer mercenary army.

Yes, the CIA, but also the State Dept. and the International Republican Institute, which uses State Dept. "democracy" building funds and USAid dollars to foment trouble and undermine every democratically elected president in South America who does not buy into market fundamentalism and "free" trade that impoverishes their already poor citizens. The Bush administration has been conducting a campaign of disinformation about Chavez since 2001. In the past year or two, it has added Evo Morales of Bolivia and the president of Ecuador to its list of those who must be maligned. The US media have jumped in to help the administration with articles I find slanted and with editorials.

Our leaders DO like President Uribe of Colombia, however, because he helps in the War on Terror and the War on Drugs. That he disappears people and has labor organizers murdered do not seem to matter.They AND the media are pushing hard for Congress to sign a trade pact with Uribe before Bush leaves office.

See www.venezuelanalysis, www.ipsnewsnet.org, and Mark Weisbrot's columns at www.cepr.net.

If a helicopter carrying a member of the Bush junta went down, there would immediately be 6 billion highly suspicious suspects.

Obama must realize he'd better toe the line...for now at least.

Why on earth would Obama have to worry. He's safely taken the corporate line. He's standing there right next to Bush with the same money men behind him. He regularly attacks real leftists like Morales and Chavez.

Nope, Obama has nothing to worry about.

The more interesting question is if this was a CIA covert op, how many top Democrats were briefed about it? Pelos, Reid, Harman and Rockefeller all get briefed normally. And none object. They all take the side of Bush against Chavez and these leaders.

Expect more skullduggery as the Bush pResidency ticks down.

Obama embraces the Chicago Boys (the vicious Chicago School of Economics), which had a hand in post-coup restructuring in Latin America. They've pushed their economic shock doctrine in Uruguay, Brazil, etc. So, should Obama gain the presidency, I wouldn't expect U.S. threats to democracies in that region to end.

Samson: "Pelosi, Reid, Harman and Rockefeller all get briefed normally. And none object. They all take the side of Bush against Chavez and these leaders."

What I want to know is WHAT is the point of voting for a Democrat if they always take the side of the worst president ever of the supposedly opposition party?

I don't blame Morales for being suspicious. As other people pointed out, air travel is dangerous for opponents of the American Empire. Israel Shamir presents another interesting case in his article "Empire Strikes Back: Katyn" (http://www.israelshamir.net/English/Eng31.htm). It seems that the Polish government was explicitly opposed to hosting an American "missile shield" base, until the convenient crash of a Polish military cargo plane killed General Andrzejewski, who was responsible for the security of Polish airspace and was an opponent of the project. A week later the Polish government conceded to the American demand.

I came across this story a few days ago. My first thought - CIA. This policy is well known in Latin America. Look for a revolution if and when it happens.

USAn is correct.

The spirits of Jaime Roldos Aguilera (Ecuador)and Omar Torrijos (Panama) are testimony to the source of this violence.

Obama is safe he loves Israel

I saw a wonderful documentary about the incredible movement that put Morales into the Presidency. He was also so impressive on Democracy Now a few months back. This hideous deed makes me feel physically ill. The fiends will stop at nothing. Unless we can drain the cesspool, our country is doomed. These slimey murderers have to be stopped.

it was Chevaz's chopper maybe he'll get the same treatment Castro gave Che or Trotsky got from his "comrads".

"Obama must realize he'd better toe the line…for now at least."

Yeah sure, by adopting the same policies as Bush, he'll be real safe. After all, no one wants to harm Bush.

That's right. I certainly would not want to harm Bush by pouring Roundup Ready (tm) into his whiskey or by any other means including an exploding golf ball or nuclear-tipped gold Cross pen.

I've often wondered how a president so hated as Bush could manage to escape assassination. Cheney too. And Rice, Rumsfeld, etc. It seems only those we love are killed. The CIA and other secret and criminally bent institutions of our government's covert operations are the most evil organizations ever created and when they were, all hope for this country as a fair and free nation were doomed. Until the cancer of the covert operations of this country is exposed and extricated the decline of this nation and world will continue. All hope is not lost but it seems the door is closing on that alternative fast as the people of this country are brain washed by the media.

too bad these leaders can't do what bush senior did, with quayle. an intrinsic insurance policy. I remember people jokingly stating that quayle assured no one would ever assassinate the president.. because no one wanted him as president.. a far worse choice. cheney serves a similar function, i might guess. maybe these left leaning countries need to learn that tactic from us. " if I die.. this is what you will get, and I promise you won't like it...."? they can't beat us in military strength, or in covert cunning- but they do at least have a home court advantage. didn't chavez promise that if anything happened to him, the oil flow to the US would stop?

Morales represents the popular indigenous movement to throw off the remainder of genocide brought on by European discovery and to return the country to it's rightful owners.
So these are not just "conservative opposed to the referendum," they are European invader occupier elitists who wish to keep the people enslaved. The attempted murder of Morales will not be taken lightly.

We are owned and operated by a super-rich global gangster cabal that will dispose of domestic and foreign opposition at the drop of a hat. These gangsters will never give up power voluntarily. Noam Chomsky is right: "The US public is irrelevant"

Our nation has lost the Spirit of 1776. We have been intimidated into submission. Our military is the only institution that could stop these gangsters and bring them to justice. After all, haven't they taken an oath to defend our Constitution from domestic and foreign enemies? ha, ha, ha.
Too bad the military-industrial complex owns our generals.

I ask myself, how is all this going to end? Anyone out there have an answer?

peter montana

btw- note that I am not a historian here-

this country was essentially founded, by younger sons ( those who did NOT inherit), and came here to make their fortunes. So, it might be said that this country is perpetuating the dynamic under which it initially started.. pursuing its intent.. to take/ claim what was somehow " denied" them by the fact of their birth. they took it from the indians, they took it from the french, spanish, mexicans etc. and keep taking and taking and taking.. like an addict or wounded child whose addiction will/ can never be filled.

the most powerful thing we can do, is appreciate that the macrocosm reflects the microcosm as much as the inverse. the most powerful thing we can each do, is to understand the dynamics.. ferret out the ways in which we each/ all perpetuate that.. and change our own perceptions and actions accordingly. do we want change, or do we want to be angry? opposing something strengthens is and wastes/ diverts energy. decide what we want.. and start building that at the grass roots level.

anthropology shows the power of diffusion.. hell.. just look at humans.. we diffused all over the globe from a single person….:)

The world will not be safe until the Imperial Empire is dismantled and helpless from carrying out anymore nefarious acts.

peaceman- how will this happen? ( not a dig/ argument here) How do we dismantle the empire? other than by being informed, informing others, and making sure that the dollars don't flow into their coffers. it seems corporations need to be stripped of their "personhood".. which ironically, seems to strip them of accountability ( shouldn't being a person create accountability?). Until that happens, where someone is actually accountable and " punishable".. the monied interests will run rampant. In the interval- we can best bring change by being conscientious, not catering to those interests ( daily, with our dollars). in a corporatocracy, we vote EVERY DAY.. with our dollars/ feet. and corporations like news media.. will follow the money. that is the real motivation behind the new " green revolution" in the US. because it is the right thing to do? hell no, not to the businesses.. did detroit stop making huge cars and trucks because it was right? no.. they didn't stop until there was no one buying them. Of course, now they are crying about bankruptcy and closing plants etc.. ( like no one saw this coming..???)

I am not sure who said it ( detoqueville?).. but no people can be oppressed against their will.

the greatest trick " they" have played on the people, is convincing them that these cries for more are coming from US the people: keep us safe, more prisons, more army,more cars, more breakfast cereals.

a viscous loop-cycle.. how do we break it?

TeriD, Great post! What you said is half of the battle in dismantling the empire, Teri. I/we can learn from you, but I'll highlight your statement and add mine and we'll go from there.

#1-Being informed! Correct. This is PARAMOUNT before any constructive and effective action takes place. Too many still watch MSM, especially Faux (Fox) News and think they are getting two points of view. For all new readers of CD (Common Dreams) who are on an honest information quest, scroll down on the CD cover page and there are so many audio and video websites and stations, individual writers etcetera, with enough insight on just about everything pertaining to current events for those willing to take the time to read and listen. Teri, as you know, the first step is KNOWING.

#2-Corporations need to be stripped of their "personhood"...absolutely! There are groups around the country that focus on this explicitly. How about emphasizing and start identifying corporate executives and board members who make decisions detrimental to the majority?

#3-Hit them in the pocketbook! Absolutely! Sums up what you said.
I agree with you about the auto industry. Of course, the workers get screwed and lose their jobs because of incompetent management.(overpaid pencil pushers,aka "executives") With all of the awareness about how Wal-Mart treats their employees and what they do to small businesses in communities, people still shop there and justify doing so. How do we encourage our fellow citizens to shop at locally owned stores and businesses which sometimes costs more at the cash register but may be a better value in the long run?
When college students began an unrelenting national and then worldwide campaign against the Apartheid Regime in South Africa by demanding an end to financial investments, the Afrikaners saw the writing on the wall, and made amends. That effort was focused, concerted and effective. The economic boycott does work because the capitalist class has an insatiable appetite and any loss of money upsets them. Again, by being informed and each one of us doing our part in an economic boycott ( For instance, I don't buy Coca Cola products anymore.) the momentum will build and We The People will have our say in the nations affairs. And this goes for every other country on earth as well.

#4-We must encourage our young men and women not to sell their souls for a guaranteed paycheck in joining the military. "Defending" our country from invasion, I'm for, but invading and occupying other countries, I'm against.
When recruitment levels are way down, the politicians will take notice.

#5-One that is dear to me. When you see people on strike, honor the picket line and never cross it. A scab worker (they are called "replacement workers by the capitalist press) puts a knife into the back of all working people who only try to better the condition of labor, meaning, anybody who works for a living.

My little contribution, Teri. I'm with you, sister!

T E R I __&__ P E A C E M A N,

Excellent points.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

I have posted a lot previously about the ALTERNATIVE of raising our consciousness to battle the PSYOPS entrainment of the American population.

The jacka$$ sewer main stream media ( JAS MSM ) has subtly seized the power to create our previous American dream, and replaced for too many the neoCON-jobber's illusion of extreme insecurity, scarcity, fear, terror, and DANGER … with then bypasses our usual active cognitive brain centers to formant reactions against authoritarian control and "safety measures" needed to protect us for them coming over "here" ( and those "terrorists" already over here -- especially -- even those fellow Americans who dispute the officious narrative of 9_!_! or want to pervert our "freedoms".

Consider that the major EXCLUSIVE cause of all of our freedoms being in jeopardy, is our own gov't reactions to it's carefully placed lies and illusions of _ L O S S _ of Our Collective Dreams and

__ T H R E A T E N E D __ S U R V I V A L __
( the most powerful of all automatic reactive brain functions )

More links coming soon:
BEING_vs_DOING

"monkey trap"

Namaste « Presence »
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world » — Gandhi
« There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed » — Gandhi
« We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself » — ML King

lillulu July 26th, 2008 12:37 pm

"Pro-war right-wingers like to use aircraft to assassinate left-wingers. Paul Wellstone, Mel Carnahan, and JFK Jr. are a few examples".

Crap - I can't remember the name, but he was a Rep. from Alaska that also died this way.

thanks peaceman and veracity. on to some of the deep questions.. please help to build this discussion..

how to affect change. Doing-ness comes from Being-ness. First it is imperative to change the self, change the perspective. Not what we think, but rather, how we think about it, how we are thinking.

( not to tout myself) I wrote an article a while back- 10 things to enact change in the world ( will post below). The idea is to create those eye-opening rifts for ourselves. One of my best teachers ( Peruvian/ Andean) espouses- if you want to save the world, heal yourself. Back when I first heard it, I thought it was metaphoric, hyperbole. I appreciate now how profound that statement is- on many and all levels. We will not change the world by voting in new political leaders so long as we are the same. This teacher tried to explain something ( that if poorly described, some may take offense at. apologies in advance): He said Hitler did not create the German people/ atrocity. He was a reflection of where they were already resonating. had they not been " ripe" for someone like that.. he could not have aspired to that place of power, nor led them down that road. The road to the German/ Nazi rise of power is complex and sordid. Following WW1, europe determined that the best way to assure that would never happen again, was to starve Germany into submission ( word?). Instead of caving in, Germany internalized, stoked its own industries and built itself up from the ashes of WW1 ( note- not historian here. apologies). I note this, because we have repeatedly not learned the lesson that this approach to bad behaviour continues to bite us in the ass. This was the vaccuum that Hitler was able to fill for the German people- pride and economy.

anyway- In the same way that Hitler resonated with where the German people were, Bush is a reflection and resonance of where the US is collectively ( the bart simspon syndrome?).
I suppose it is an extension of the adage: Wherever you go, there you are. Dorothy learned the lesson, but had to travel to OZ in order to achieve it ( literary equivalent of a shamanic journey?). I don't know where a collective population can go in order to acquire the wisdom that our teachers travel to the mountain to attain. I suppose it starts with the children. Or the indigenous cultures. What do they teach their children that keeps them aligned with the earth. And, in some ways, it is far harder to fool children, than it is to fool adults. maybe because you can't double-talk them and slide around the truth.

Article below.

10 things to enact change. ( sorry if it lost blocking)

I think I inserted translations of relevant terms. this was written for an Andean cosmology/ terminology audience.

1.Never throw food away. Whether you are at home or at
a restaurant, always use what you take. Whatever is left on
your plate at the restaurant, ask them to wrap it up for you, even the garnish. This teaches us not to take more than we need. If it can't be eaten, then make a compost offering to the Pachamama ( mother earth).

2.Next time you are driving down the road, and pass a
dead animal, move it off the side of the road. Say a small
prayer for it and send it on its journey. This reminds us
that we share the planet with many others, and need to be
respectful and courteous to all creatures. It is also an eye
opening experience-drawing our attention to many of the
other things we pass by blindly.

3.Make an Earth offering. Put together whatever you feel
drawn to offer. Generally, the Earth Spirits like sweets and
candies. The mountain/ sky spirits like incenses. And all
spirits like tobacco. Additionally, you may want to put seeds into your offering, nuts, flowers, etc. Add whatever you feel drawn to include, just be sure it is edible or bio-degradable. Let your offering represent your gratitude. Decide where you would like to make your offering. Maybe there is a special place you can hike to. Make it into a special or sacred ceremony in whatever way you are comfortable with.

4.Every day- gift yourself with sweetness. Take a moment,
each day, a small slice of sacredness for yourself. It might
be a small piece of candy, or stopping for a moment to enjoy
the warmth of the sun, or a cool breeze- something that will
have meaning for you. Whatever you choose, do it with
conscious intent. It tells the Universe, and yourself, that
you value yourself and good things. It sets a vibration, and
sends it out into the universe, like adding "sweet" paint into

5.Gift someone else with sweetness. Show someone you
appreciate them. It might be a real, physical sweet, like a
chocolate, or a card, or maybe just a nice word, delivered
with the intent that they know they are being valued. It
is always good to express our gratitude for the people we
value. Or, it might just be someone that you think is in need of some special attention. our poq'po. And feeds the sweetness-seed. And we know that what is strong in our poq'po ( your bubble. energetic space) is what the universe will deliver right to our doorstep.

6. Be polite and gracious in your transactions. I know this
sounds simple and self evident- but make it a conscientious
practice. When you leave the store, wish the clerk a good
day, wholeheartedly and genuinely, rather than routinely.
Address them as a person. It makes someone else's day a
little bit happier, even if we don't see it, and we can all use more happiness. If everyone contributed just a tiny bit- huge changes can become possible. Maybe that clerk will leave work in a better mood, not run stop sign, and get cut off, and then go home and yell at their children. Who knows in how many ways we can impact the world around us. That
is all part of the Mystery. But know that we DO make a
difference!

7.Let someone make a left hand turn. It sounds simple, and
it takes almost no time out of your schedule. It helps the
rest of the world move a little more smoothly. It also helps
raise our awareness of other little things we can do, positive impacts in the world around us.

8.Volunteer for something. Maybe there is a cause that you
have always felt was worthwhile, find an organization that
does work with this and ask what you can do. Or maybe there
is a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or women's shelter, or an animal rescue squad, a local library, a conservation program that maintains trails and woodlands

9.Give away things you don't need anymore. It might be
a few things, or a lot. It helps us to realize that there are people in need. Also, that often, we have more than we
need, and that by sharing things we don't need, it helps
both sides.

10.Plant a seed. It sounds simple, but it is a good way to
appreciate that things take time. It helps us to appreciate
the wonder of watching something grow, to nourish and
nurture it to its fruition.

What spirit of "76? A bunch of rich white local guys overthrow a bunch of rich guys from England by the blood of dumb local peasents, then at least one retires to a farm stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to Ohio and avoids paying taxes and keeps his slaves too. Viva la revolucion!!!

TeriD and Veracity---thanks for uplifting the discussion here as well as my sagging spirits.
TeriD the list of 10 is a beautiful prescription for living and one worth striving to embody. I could not agree more!

thanks veracity.

I was just thinking that this thread had somehow gotten off topic. but then, in a lot of ways, it really hasn't.

In the Andean community, we are in the midst of what is called the Taripaypacha- the age of meeting ourselves. This ( if I am correct) is the tail end of what is known in the andean teachings, as the pachacuti cycle. Pacha, is a segment ( sort of).. cuti, means to turn over. In this 500ish year cycle.. it began with the spanish conquest.. to the indigenous culture, the proper order was overturned. Now, in as the pachacuti cycle completes itself.. the rightful order is restored. The Andean community takes the election of an Aymara as profoundly prophetic; and Evo has been a huge advocate for restoring rights and dignity/ pride to the native populations.

The established powers do not like this- it means relinquishing, or sharing something of which they have had sole possession for far too long; long enough to nearly destroy/ ruin. I remember seeing Evo on the colbert report. He was very impressive, not by having a huge political stature.. but by his enormous humanity; a leader akin to the spiritual leaders like the christ, or buddha ( no I am not raising him to some exalted sublime deification).. but that he is truly a leader of people, not of power, money or corporations. Power will fear this, as that commitment is incorruptible. But the most important thing that we can do, is learn the lesson they are teaching.. and be sure that it survives as a living legacy.

the teachings of the Andes are simple, profound and the most powerful guides for living, no matter where a person is located or what religion they adhere to.

Cherish these people ( without romanticising them).. they still know how to live on this earth, a lesson we in the " civilized" world.. are losing.

when we finally meet ourselves.. will we like what will we see in the mirror?

kanchay and munay

Veracity: Always a pleasure to hear from you. Namaste, my friend.

You have made fine points all along, and starting with USAn and Lillulu, and all the other people below them all know the score. Thank you sisters and brothers for recognizing fact from fiction. Yes, Veracity, progressive Democrats (or any progressive person in political office) best stay away from private airplanes.

TeriD: The 'Ten Things To Enact Change' are beautifully written and thanks for sharing them with us. These actions speak for themselves and if we adhered to them...amazing results would materialize for the benefit of all inhabitants on this planet we dwell on so briefly.
But I want to address your other post as well. Something I have written about on CD before and worth repeating.

I agree, Teri. Before society changes for the better, WE, as INDIVIDUALS MUST change first. It starts with ME, in my THOUGHTS, first. Your Teacher, the Peruvian/Andean Sage understands this PRINCIPAL. Our own Common Dreams Teacher, SIOUXROSE, has been stressing this principal all along.
It is better to do the "right thing", which may be unpopular at the moment, then to go along with the herd instinct and do the "wrong thing" which is in vogue at that moment but help create serious problems unforeseen at the time. In reference to the Germans and the Nazis, I'll share this again. A friend of mine, a German woman who was a small girl during WW2 told me about her parents involvement with the Nazis. In the 1930's, when Hitler was parading around the country in the convertible, my friend's mother didn't give the Reichsfuher the Sig Heil salute as his motorcade passed by the crowd where she was standing "like everybody did" and a Gestapo cop asked her why she didn't salute, and she replied "That man's a lunatic and an idiot!" Words to that effect. The cop slapped her across the face and walked off. Those Germans in the White Rose were not so lucky. What if the German people gave Hitler "The Finger" instead of the salute, instead? Not counting the Jews, gypsies, Poles, Russians, French, Germans...oh yes, Germans too, who opposed the Nazi Regime. If they did do their own THINKING and fought the brown-shirted bullies from the start, who were funded to a large degree by the anti-union industrialists, maybe the 5-7 million "German" Germans who died for the Nazi Homeland would have lived. Our politicians have copied the Nazi method and started it with the so-called "surprise attack" on September 11, 2001. Klaus Von Stauffenberg an aristocratic Colonel in the German Army knew as early as 1936 that Hitler was bad for Germany and studied how to stage a "coup d'etat" and form a group willing to overthrow Hitler. He carried the suitcase with the bomb in the unsuccessful attempt to send Adolph to Valhalla, asap. It cost the Colonel and about 2000 other Germans their lives for finally trying to stop the madman.

I believe in a peaceful insurrection in our military against the wishes of the Bush Crime Family and to cease and desist from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All we can do is continue sharing information with those seeking a more equitable, peaceful, and harmonious existence in the United States and the rest of the world, and do as your teacher instructed.