"The Wrecking Crew" - A True Crime Story

[arendt]

Sorry about the lack of alignment in the table. Its uncontrollable
in HTML.

Even if you don't find the essay worth commenting on, I hope you
save and use the talking points table.

arendt

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"The Wrecking Crew" - A True Crime Story
by arendt

The gang of thugs that George Bush is fronting for cannot be
dignified with the name of an Administration; it can only be called
a Wrecking Crew.

Like sub-families in the mob, each member of this Administration
has been given his own territory to loot, cripple, or destroy. The
agressiveness, egomania, arrogance, machismo, and heartless brutality
of these gutter politicians can only be understood by bringing to mind
the way you expect gangsters to behave.

While the many victims of these cut-throats are busy licking their
individual wounds or burying their own dead (sometimes literally),
the overall scope of the catastrophe these people have brought upon
America and the world goes unreported by a media corps that is
either bribed or intimidated into acquiescence.

The volume of writing needed to do justice to these serial and
parallel crimes would make "War and Peace" seem like a haiku.
Now, when confronted with "War and Peace" in college, the average,
sensible American's reaction is to buy the Cliff Notes.

So, the purpose of this essay is to provide a crib sheet that is comprehensive
enough to be appalling, but brief enough to be remembered and used
for talking points by an average, concerned American.

-----------------

Cliff Notes for "The Wrecking Crew", a true crime story.

INTRODUCTION: DRAMATIS PERSONNAE

THE BUSH JR./PNAC CRIME FAMILY (a.k.a. The Bait and Switch Administration, the Cabal)

1. George W. Bush (Smirk, AWOL-boy) - Boss, Front Man, and Holy Warrior
........Karl Rove (Bush's Brain) - Chief Mouthpiece
........Fox News (Wholly Without Merit) - Leg Breakers and Knee-cappers
........MSNBC, CNN, etc. - Gangster wannabees who stab and rob the wounded after the battle

2. Dick Cheney (Snarl, Unca Dick, Bunker Boy) - Enforcer, Chief Bagman, and Dispenser of Oil Spoils
........Ken (I'm not indicted) Lay - Sub-boss for wrecking the Energy Utility System (now "on ice")
........Mitch McConnell - GOP Hitman for Campaign Finance Reform

3. John Ashcroft (Crisco Kid, Calico John) - Sub-boss for Wrecking the Constitution and establishing theocracy
........Tom Delay (The Hammer) - Sub-boss for Wrecking the Political Process
........Chuck Hegel - Mob soldier in charge of Stealing the Votes

4. Donald Rumsfeld (Rummy) - Sub boss for Wrecking the State Department, and privatizing the Military and CIA
........PNAC Soldiers (Chickenhawks, Straussians) - Fighting for an Empire of their own
................Paul Wolfowitz
................Richard Perle (Prince of Darkness)
................Condi Rice

5. Tony Scalia (Fat Tony & the Supremos) - Independent Hit Man for Sensitive Jobs
........Clarence (Long Dong) Thomas - Big, Stupid, Factotum for Fat Tony
........Various other Federalist Society judges - More hitmen-in-training

Mnemonic: The U.S. has CRABS (Cheney Rumsfeld Ashcroft Bush Scalia) from getting in bed with big money.

-------------------

MINOR CROOKS AND BCF HANGERS-ON

Colin Powell ("House N....." - H. Belafonte) - Token Phony Moderate, Judas Goat, Designated Fall Guy
........Michael Powell - Sub-boss for Wrecking the FCC and giving away the public airwaves

Tom Ridge (The Kato Kaelin of the BCF) - Invisible, Ineffective Creep with Stupid Color Codes

Treasury Secretary du jour (Secretary of Looting) - Mob soldier in charge of wrecking the economy by doing nothing
........Any rich nobody will do. The crazier/laissez-ier they are, the faster the economy tanks.
........SEC Commissioner Harvey Pitt (Our Guy) - Sub-soldier in charge of corporate get-out-of-jail-free cards.

EPA Secretary du jour (Secretary of Polluting) - Mob soldier in charge of wrecking the environment
........Any loyal, willing nobody will do. Just take orders from corporations

Newt (The Lizard) Gingrich - Disgraced, philandering slimeball trying to re-ingratiate himself with the boss
........Grover (Baby-Drowner) Norquist - Fanatical, dangerous hit man for The Lizard

------------------

PLOT SYNOPSIS

After blowing two legislative coup d'etats (led by the Lizard), the Cabal hires Fat Tony, who
pulls off a successful judicial coup d'etat. The Cabal immediately helps itself to America's bulging
treasury. With the clout of the U.S. military, AWOL-boy starts threatening people, but gets sucker
punched on 9/11 (or perhaps that whole thing is just a setup by the Chickenhawks for further wrecking).
The Crisco Kid goes on a tear, blasting away at least four amendments to the Bill of Rights.
Rummy gleefully unpacks his chopper, and mows down Afghanistan. Then Smirk, Snarl, and
Rummy try to goad the wimpy Euros into joining a hit on Rummy's old partner, Saddam. The
Euros, smelling a set up, beg off. Smirk tries to whack Saddam, but misses (he's a terrible shot,
and earlier missed whacking Osama). The people in Saddam's neighborhood don't like the Cabal
on their turf, and start driveby-shooting their mercenaries. The mercenaries finally start to wise
up, and tell the Cabal to put it where the sun don't shine.

-------------------


SUMMARY OF MULTIPLE PLOT-LINE THREADS or... WAITER, "THE DAMAGE", PLEASE!

Plot-line 1. THE DEFENSES OF THE U.S.

WRECKED....................................WEAPON..........................................................FELONS
Nuclear Disarmament......................Threaten first use/design new mini-nukes.........Bush/Rumsfeld
Nuclear Non-proliferation...............Cave to N. Korea; stop buying USSR nukes.....Bush/Rumsfeld
ABM Treaty...................................Arbitrary withdrawl; build untested system........Bush/Rumsfeld
Army...............................................Cancel combat pay; privatize supply; Iraq..........Bush/Rumsfeld
Veterans Administration..................Cut VA Budget..................................................Bush/Rumsfeld
First responders, port security.........Mandate, then don't fund....................................Bush
Non-politicized Intelligence..............Pentagon Office of Special Plans......................Rumsfeld/PNAC/Cheney
Good relations with world...............Old Europe/WMD lies/Gitmo/UN/Israel..............Bush/Rumsfeld/Powell/Cheney
True war on Terrorism.....................Help Saudis; Miss binLaden; Tie army to Iraq.....Bush/PNAC/Cheney/Rumsfeld
World Peace/U.N............................Warmongering/unilateralism...............................Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/PNAC

Plot-line 2. THE U.S. ECONOMY & INFRASTRUCTURE

WRECKED....................................WEAPON..........................................................FELONS
The economy...................................Inaction on unemployment/job flight.................Bush/Secy of Looting
Corporate enforcement....................Appoint H. Pitt to run SEC; Enron....................Bush/Ashcroft/Secy of Looting
Government Budget........................Tax giveaways & massive cuts..........................Bush/GOP
Energy as Dependable Utility 1.......Privatization; Gaming the System/Enron...........Bush/Ken Lay/GOP
Energy as Dependable Utility 2.......Lack of investment in grid.................................Bush/GOP
Media Integrity................................BCF made media an offer they couldn't refuse..NYT/WP/Networks
Media Diversity...............................FCC giveaways/deregulation/Clear Channel.....Michael Powell
Science Policy Integrity...................Quack fundie appointments/sanitized reports.....Bush

Plot-line 3. THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

WRECKED....................................WEAPON..........................................................FELONS
Bill of Rights...................................Patriot Act/Guantanamo Gulag..........................Bush/Ashcroft/Ridge
Separation of Church/State.............."faith-based" legislation; prayer meetings..........Bush/Ashcroft/DeLay
Prosecutorial/Judicial discretion......DOJ orders death & max sentencing.................Ashcroft
Court System...................................DOJ orders end to plea bargaining ..................Ashcroft
Constitutional checks/balances........Secrecy/Executive Privilege/Partisanship..........Bush/Cheney/Ashcroft/DeLay
States Rights....................................FL2K Selection; Med. Marijuana; Suicide........Supremos/Ashcroft

Plot-line 4. THE U.S. POLITICAL PROCESS & TRADITIONS

WRECKED....................................WEAPON..........................................................FELONS
The Electoral Process 1 ...................FL2K; TX/CO Redistrict; CA Recall...............Supremos/DeLay/GOP
The Electoral Process 2 ...................HAVA; Voting Machines.................................Bush/Hegel/Diebold
The Loyal Oppositon......................Attacks on Dem Patriotism & Dem Lobbyists...GOP/Ashcroft/DeLay
Civil service 1.................................Nepotism (Powell, Rehnquist,Thurmond...).......Bush/GOP
Civil service 2.................................Cronyism (Clinton-hater now Pentagon IG)......Bush/GOP
Civil Service 3.................................Privatization of Civil Service Jobs.....................Bush
Government Integrity......................Halliburton/Secret Energy Task Force...............Cheney, Ken Lay
Campaign Finance Reform..............Piles and Piles of Cash......................................Bush/McConnell

Plot-line 5. THE U.S. & WORLD ENVIRONMENT

WRECKED....................................WEAPON..........................................................FELONS
Global Warming..............................Refuse Sign Kyoto Treaty.................................Bush
Air quality.......................................Loophole for Old Power Plants/911 Lies..........Bush/Secy of Polluting
Nuclear waste safety.......................Build Nevada nuke dump...................................Bush
National Park System.....................Budget cuts; privatization....................................Bush/Secy of Polluting
Forest/wilderness 1........................Allow ATVs, Log roads on public lands............Bush/Secy of Polluting
Forest/wilderness 2........................Allow massive logging to "prevent fires"...........Bush/Secy of Polluting

Mnemonic: Wrecked-Weapon-Felon => Worldwide Warmongering Foundation

----------------

CONCLUSION

The worst Administration in U.S. History. The most openly fascistic, propagandistic, lying,
thieving pack of traitors and jackals ever allowed to seize power by a complacent or complicit
American corporate aristocracy. It remains to be seen if the U.S. can ever recover from the
damage they have done in three years.

LESSON TO BE LEARNED

Democratic government defends MIDDLE CLASS political rights like a gun defends your life. You can't
throw away your gun and expect to defend yourself against armed robbers. That is delusional thinking.
If you are middle or lower class and you vote to wreck the society and its government, you don't gain your
freedom; you lose your rights.

[arendt]

1. Because its long, and its a busy time of day - KICK n/t

KICK

[Champion Jack]

2. nice work

[arendt]

3. Lunchtime kick n/t

n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I'm saving a copy and ...

with your permission, may make copies to pass out on street corners!
Thanks for the 'condensed' version!!

[arendt]

5. As always, permission granted. That's why I post. n/t

n/t

[arendt]

6. Vanity kick n/t

n/t

[arendt]

7. Could I get some feedback as to why nobody has any comments?

Is it useless? boring? overwhelming?

Why does this get no responses and candidate-bashing flame-bait
get hundreds?

WTF is going on in General Discussion these days?

arendt

[Julien Sorel]

8. I thought it was going to be about Hal Blaine,

and the studio musician scene of the 60s. Sorry :/

[arendt]

10. Aargh !

No offense, I'm just ignorant. Can't blame generation gap
because you say this guy was 60s; but I never heard of him.

What does Hal Blaine have to do with "true crime" or "the
wrecking crew".

Wasn't there a Dean Martin movie of the Matt Helm genre
titled "the wrecking crew".

Thanks

arendt

[Julien Sorel]

14. Hal Blaine was a drummer, who was

the most prolific studio musician of the 60s/early 70s. You've heard him on dozens and dozens of songs -- anything from the Byrds, to the Carpenters, to the Beach Boys, to Jay and the Americans -- I couldn't even begin to list them. He was kind of the ringleader of a group of studio musicians who were collectively called 'The Wrecking Crew.' He wrote a book about that era which was also called 'The Wrecking Crew.' Quite interesting stuff, if you're into music. I'm a big Blaine fan, although I actually prefer Earl Palmer of that era and genre.

Now, what does this have to do with your worthy topic? Not a dang thing! But it got you a kick :-)

[bpilgrim]

9. EXCELLENT!

:toast:

I am working on something simular but 911 plays a much larger role ;->

now if we could actually have links to the subplots this would be even MORE powerful... might be a nice DU 'project' :shrug:

nice work and thanks for sharing :hi:

peace

[arendt]

11. Interesting concept - thanks for responding

I had visions of making little pamphlets and passing them out.
That's why I wanted things to fit nicely on a page.

Maybe I'm just jaded, but the virtuality of websites is starting
to leave me feeling empty. I crave something I can hold in
my hand. Am I just old, or is there some truth to the power
of hard copy?

arendt

[bpilgrim]

13. you could do both...

a web version with the links embedded and a print version with an index of links.

does this have a permanent home on the internet somewhere? If not I would love to host it - with or without the links.

DU me if you are interested.

thanks again arendt for sharing your extrodinary creativety with us :toast:

peace

[arendt]

12. Kick n/t

n/t

[Avalon Sparks]

15. Good Job!

A+ for creativity!

I'm bookmarking it!