The American Islamic Forum for Democracy brings to your attention the following AIFD Briefer below on Jibril Hough, spokesperson of the Islamic Center of Charlotte and the point person for the recent "Muslim Town Hall" chaired by Cong. Sue Myrick (R-NC), Co-Chair of the House Anti-terror Caucus. The Briefer below also discusses the IPPA and JAM organizations closely associated with Hough and North Carolina.
Media Update: Dr. Jasser was interveiwed today on the Keith Larson Show on NewsTalk 1100 AM WBT, Charlotte, NC. Mr. Hough called in to the program midway and provided for a very revealing debate over Islam, political Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood, his connections to radical groups, and his mosque's connections to the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT). We, at AIFD, refuse to believe that when the general population of Muslims in towns like Charlotte learn about the real ideologies of 'spokespersons' like Mr. Hough that they will continue to allow them to represent "Muslims". Kudos to Keith Larson for his courage in facilitating this Muslim debate.
The audio of today's very interesting interview/debate on WBT Radio which aired live at 1000 AM (EST) can be found at AIFD at this link.
AIFD Briefer: Connecting the Dots of Islamism-Jibril Hough, the Islamic Political Party of America (IPPA), and the Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JAM)
March 7, 2010
AIFD
American Islamic Forum for Democracy
http://www.aifdemocracy.org/news.php?id=5597
The following briefer is intended most specifically to provide some public source information in one location on the ideologies of local Charlotte Muslim leader, Jibril Hough. This will give easy access to central public players in the Charlotte Muslim community that led to the town hall meeting with Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-NC). While this is by no means all inclusive, it will serve as a point of departure in discussing the realities of Mr. Hough and his relevant colleagues with regards to their positions and ideologies. This briefer is especially important in light of AIFD's participation in the February 25th Charlotte Town Hall and the unfathomable deference which all Muslims present at the Town Hall gave Mr. Hough.
Background
Last month, after a few meetings in late 2009 with Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-NC), Jibril Hough, official spokesperson for the Islamic Center of Charlotte (ICC) along with the colleagues he represents, requested a public 'Muslim' Town Hall. They wanted to discuss in a public forum concerns they had regarding Rep. Myrick's approach to Islamist radicalism. Rep. Myrick obliged, and scheduled the public town hall as part of her 'Conversation with America'.
It was held on February 25, 2010 with the close attention of most local media outlets in Charlotte and some national attention due to the high profile nature of Rep. Myrick's leadership as the co-chair of the Anti-Terror Caucus of the House of Representatives. However, as is typical of most media coverage on American Muslim issues, it was predictably soft on the salient issues of radicalization, political Islam, and separatism, and heavy on fanning the flames of Muslim victimology (Charlotte Observer, Channel 14, Channel 36 WCNC).
The Muslim Town Hall, was a two hour event held at the Government Center in Charlotte. There were around 200 in attendance, most of whom were Muslim. Rep. Myrick opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a brief discussion on the principles all Americans are sworn to uphold including most importantly our U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the core principles of religious freedom for all. She then turned it over to the audience for questions.
The two hour session did prove to be a profoundly revealing exposure of the real ideologies of leading Muslims in Charlotte, in North Carolina, and nationally. The American Islamic Forum for Democracy was invited by Rep. Myrick to provide some 'Muslim' balance to the repetitive narrative of local Islamists which proved to dominate the Town Hall save the cogent responses from Cong. Myrick. The discussion centered on issues related to Muslims, Islam, Islamism, Terrorism, radicalism, shar'iah, CAIR, and the threat of radical Islam in America.
The full audio of the event is available online at the AIFD website at the following links. (video links will be provided once available)
Introductions and Q & A (Part 1 of Muslim Town Hall)
Q & A (Part 2 of Muslim Town Hall)
Comments by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, AIFD President (Part 3 of Muslim Town Hall)
Comments by Hedieh Mirahmedi, WORDE President (Part 4 of Muslim Town Hall)
One would have hoped that the other voices of Charlotte Muslims less often heard than the ones who spoke at the event would have taken the opportunity to speak and be heard, but for the most part it appeared that the veteran anointed ones spoke up.
Relevant to this discussion is not only the substance of the town hall discussion itself, but an analysis of the background, connections, and ideologies of the spokesperson for the ICC, Jibril Hough, who led this Town Hall effort. The fact that the Muslims present gave Mr. Hough deference as their leader cannot help but speak to the ideology of all Muslims present. For not only does the local ICC mosque give him the leadership as spokesperson, but as can be heard loud and clear, no one except for one individual of Iranian descent stood up to differ with him at all on any of his ideas. This is a pattern. Looking through Charlotte media, none have publicly disagreed with him in the media on his ideas or background for years-all very germane to this discussion.
Hough's ideologies are relevant since the local Charlotte media has also readily accepted the anointment of Hough and his colleagues as the political leaders for what they repeatedly, wrongly, and exploitatively called the "Muslim community"-- as if it was a singular definable entity that met and elected their local imam and spokesperson Jibril Hough of ICC Charlotte.
1. Hough opens the Charlotte Muslim Town Hall
The February 25th Town Hall was chaired by Cong. Sue Myrick. After her opening remarks, Jibril Hough, the anointed leader of Muslims present opened with these comments, [audio file available here]
"There is an idea of infiltration that some people like to feed out that Muslims are out to take over America and enforce Shar'iah law on non-Muslims. As citizens of a non-Muslim country and as American Muslims, we have a contract with America and not a contract on America. This means that we must abide by the laws of this state and we cannot be at war with this state. Are there cases where Muslims are working towards creating laws that would help us practice our religion more freely and more openly, be it a halal food bill law, or nondiscriminatory laws where ladies can wear the headscarf without being discriminated against, or we can take our holidays off work or things like that. Yes, Muslims are working towards that. But this would in no way mandate these things on non-Muslims. It would just make it easier for us. In all honesty these are the only things we are working towards. I know of no Islamofascist agenda per se like that. So please don't fear any Muslims you may see in government working towards these things because I'm in contact with Keith Ellison who is a Muslim who is a Congressperson. But he has a very diverse district. And he works with many people. Some things that he works for some on the far right of Islam might even argue that he shouldn't even be supporting those people but he does. So this is what we are doing as American Muslims. I do know that Rep. Myrick has mentioned the idea of infiltration. And I would just like to give her the opportunity to speak to that. Who are these Muslims or radicals that are in a position of government that we should be concerned about because as a Muslim like I said, this is my country I am concerned with those too. But if they are not doing that we need to make clear that, that is not their agenda. So if you could speak to that."
[AIFD Note] While, Dr. Jasser, AIFD President, did respond to this in his remarks at the end of the Town Hall in Charlotte, these remarks by Jibril Hough to Cong. Myrick, the audience, and the media sets the stage well for a review of Hough's connections and ideologies. They are extraordinarily revealing. He expects Americans to be reassured that his "Muslims" have a contract with America so there is no threat since this is not a "Muslim nation". He conveniently avoids discussing what exactly a "Muslim" nation would be and how different his "Muslim" nation's governance and laws would be from our U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and legal foundations. Thus, basically it still seems quite clear from these comments that all bets are off and this so-called contract is null and void if America becomes a "Muslim nation". This is the exact language and rationale of the Muslim Brotherhood, its spiritual leaders like Imam Yusuf Qaradawi, and Islamist movements in general.
So, Hough may deny membership or support of the MB, but these comments are right out of their playbook. AIFD is profoundly offended by these comments as Americans and especially as Muslims since this gentleman claims to speak for Muslims. He states, we "must abide by the laws of the state and cannot be at war with the state." Note the deep seeded separatism in this 'we' mindset. Basically he is saying that this system of laws is not his or the Muslims he represents but they will follow it-for now. He expects Americans to be reassured that his only goal is special rights with regards to Halal food, holidays, and dress laws. In fact his only exclusion is that they would "in no way mandate those things on non-Muslims." So he would like to mandate this on Muslims? Hough's comments are typical of Islamists who are separatists and seek to ultimately create legal systems that are not one law based in reason, but rather separate legal paths for each faith. This is at the core of political Islam and the MB agenda.
Hough then feigned ignorance when speaking about infiltration and yet, what is it called when an individual like himself leads a group which follows the laws of the land but is working towards creating a majority which when in power would put into place shar'iah law and a legal system which is diametrically opposed to the core legal system of our republic and the Establishment Clause. He never responded to that central existential threat of political Islam.
2. Jibril Hough insists it's a war against Islam
Jibril told Channel 14 News in Charlotte that "We are constantly told that this is not a war against Islam and if it truly isn't - which I believe religion probably plays a small part in this war - but if it truly is not against Islam, they would stop using religious intimidation," said IPPA chairman Jibril Hough. (2005). Channel 14.
[AIFD Note]: This propaganda that Americans are in a war against Islam and Muslims is one of the central ideas in the Al Qaeda, radical Islamist narrative which is used to gain recruits and radicalize American Muslims. Major Nidal Hasan was exposed to that narrative and internalized it as it drove him to then act violently against his fellow soldiers and murder his colleagues who he ultimately felt were part of a nation and military dedicated to killing Muslims. Hough's mindset and that of other Islamist groups is that the 'religious intimidation' is real and rather than teach impressionable youth to trust and join our military to keep us safe, he spreads this propaganda along with Islamist groups like CAIR teaching them that it seems to often be a war against Muslim and Islam. This schizophrenic response is profoundly radicalizing for Muslims not grounded in a love for our American system, government, and liberty.
3. Hough and the IPPA
Jibril has always associated himself with the IPPA. As recent as 2008, Hough has presented himself as head of IPPA North Carolina. An IPPA homepage statement reads:
"We, the Islamic Political Party of America (IPPA) acknowledge ALLAH as the Sovereign Creator of the universe, who has entrusted to humanity the right and responsibility to rule over the affairs of the world. We solemnly declare that the foundation of our political positions and moving principles of our political activity is our full submission to the will of ALLAH and acknowledgement that Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is the Last Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) and we find in him the best of conduct for the affairs of mankind. We hereby appeal to ALLAH for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and his protection as we work to restore and preserve this Nation as a government of the People, by the People, and for the People..." [source, http://www.ippausa.org]
The website further states, "Let it Be Known...Allah is our Lord! Muhammad (Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa salaam) is His Messenger and our Rasool! Islam is our way of life! The United States of America is our country! Freedom is our right!" [source, http://www.ippausa.org/about.html]
This reads very much like the mantra of the Muslim Brotherhood. Proving again that various flavors of political Islam are just that variations on the exact same theme-the supremacy of the Islamic state and shar'iah over all other forms of government and peoples.
The IPPA had several representatives at a conference of the radical Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JAM-discussed in more depth below). According to JAM,
"IPPA's message was delivered by Dr. Suhir Ahmed, National Coordinator of IPPA She spoke of the Federal Government's attempts to implement "terrorist" profiling, targeting Muslims, Arabs and other racial and ethnic groups. IPPA is calling for organizations and individuals to form a coalition that will open a forum to address government and congressional officials on profiling which damages constitutional and civil rights."
The IPPA is physically based out of North Carolina and close to Hough:
National Headquarters, The Islamic Political Party of America ( IPPA ), 1101 Tyvola Rd., Charlotte, N.C. 28217-3515
(an active website of the organization) Albany http://ippaofalbany.com/
Here is the IPPA statement of principles from 2005
We, the Islamic Political Party of America (IPPA) acknowledge ALLAH as the Sovereign Creator of the universe, who has entrusted to humanity the right and responsibility to rule over the affairs of the world. We solemnly declare that the foundation of our political positions and moving principles of our political activity is our full submission to the will of ALLAH and acknowledgement that Muhammad Ibn Abdullah is the Last Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) and we find in him the best of conduct for the affairs of mankind. We hereby appeal to ALLAH for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and his protection as we work to restore and preserve this Nation as a government of the People, by the People, and for the People. We commit ourselves to this nation to uphold a leadership of integrity, righteous conduct and moral character, and to administer its tasks with a prudent spirit. We adhere to a moral philosophy that is based upon the Word of Allah and the traditions of His beloved Holy Last Messenger (pbuh) and measure the interpretation of our policies against the prerequisites of Islamic standards. We affirm the principles of inherent individual rights upon which these United States of America were founded and seek to give the Muslims in America a voice in matters crucial to the future of this society. Our primary goal is focused on the general public good when participating in local, state and national elections and to that end we believe: That ALLAH endows each individual with certain unalienable rights; that among these are the rights to Life, Liberty, Property and the Pursuit of happiness; That the legitimate function of government is to secure these rights through the preservation of domestic tranquility, the maintenance of a strong national defense, and the promotion of equal justice for all; That the Islamic principles, values and norms represented by IPPA are the proper foundation for personal freedom, national unity, reconciliation, justice, peace, and security; that the goal of a multiracial leadership arising from diverse political backgrounds, united behind common principles is to bring hope to this nation; That critical issues such as poverty, security, housing, education, health care, land ownership, and foreign policy are key planks in our political platform; that a vibrant open market economy, creating opportunities for all to prosper is an element in our program; and That the development of the party can be achieved through the empowerment of grassroots communities and the individual. thus, our intent is to call on all faithful, loyal, American Muslims who love Liberty and have gathered together for the purpose of fulfilling these ideals, and value their inherent rights, to join with us in the pursuit of these goals and in the restoration of these founding principles. Let it Be Known..Allah is our Lord! * Muhammad (Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa salaam) is His Messenger and our Rasool! * Islam is our way of life! * The United States of America is our country! * Freedom is our right!
IPPA is connected closely with the Jamaat al-Muslimeen and considers the American system kafir (of unbelief, rejecting God, quite contrary to the words out of Hough's lips at the Charlotte Town Hall in his supposed contract with America). Siddiqui's JAM's New Trend magazine quotes the following from the IPPA in their magazine:
"The June 24 meeting was attended by representatives of IPPA to observe the proceedings of Jamaat's Shoora and to come up with suggestions for cooperation between the two organizations. In a forceful presentation, the IPPA representative said that formation of a political party does not mean that we are getting involved with the kafir system (rejecting God, unbelief). We are simply trying to ensure that Muslims are not denied their rights in the realm of politics. The USA is our country and we must ensure that we are not denied whatever is good in this country. The message of the Islamic Political Party is: Allah is our Lord! Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger and our Prophet!Islam is our way of life! The United States of America is our country! Freedom is our right! The IPPA has reportedly 9 chapters. www.ippausa.org or write to: IPPA, 1101 Tyvola Rd., Charlotte, NC 28217-3515"
In October 2004, Ron Chepesiuk of the Lebanese Daily Star reported that the Islamic Political Party of America (IPPA) was becoming very active and stated the following,
"Party officials are excited about the party's potential to play a seminal role both in the Muslim American community and national, state and local politics. But they plan to move slowly to build a base to ensure the party as a viable political entity. At their National Platform Conference some party officials talked about running a candidate in the 2008 elections." Abdur-Rashid told the Daily Star, that anyone can join the party, so long as they "believe in one God, Allah, and follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammed." "The party hopes to build alliances with non-Muslim political groups," he said. "We will work with a non-Muslim group so long as they agree with our principles. At the moment, IPPA's Charlotte chapter has about 100 members, but at least 10,000 traditional and indigenous Muslims are living in the city," Hough revealed. "Could you imagine what kind of impact we Muslims would have at the local level if we are organized as a group."
[AIFD Note] In fact this IPPA is the archetypal manifestation of political Islam and its deep seeded separatist movement which ultimately seeks to empower Islamic laws and create an Islamic state where Muslims are a majority. Hough's leadership in this organization and what it actually means is bizarrely ignored in most media coverage of him. He was no small actor in this group. He was their chairman. Members can only be Muslim and they will only work with groups which agree to their principles. This is hardly American principles of political participation. In fact AIFD's principles of the separation of mosque and state and political pluralism blind to faith stand in stark contrast to this separatism (Islamism) and it is in fact this separatism which is the root cause of Islamist terror. Where is the media in revealing Hough's ideology?
His joint participation and leadership in the IPPA and as spokesperson for the ICC speaks volumes to the acquiescence of the local ICC Muslim community to the ideas which Hough propagates at the IPPA. If the local Muslims at the ICC which he represents disagree it is time for them to speak out publicly.
4. Ideology of the Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JAM): IPPA closely connected to JAM
As reported on Pipeline News, Jamaat Al Muslimeen (JAM), The Islamic Peoples Movement, held an "international conference promoting peace and awareness" on August 16, 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland. JAM is a radical separatist Islamist group. Its radicalism is embodied in their ideologies. Their website states, "Jihad is considered a sixth pillar in countries where Islam is the majority religion." Their 'shoora' (leadership, consensus) council has on it Imam Badi Ali also a resident of North Carolina. Note that the conference boasts the active close participation of the IPPA on its website. JAM calls for the release of convicted terrorists, Imam Ali Tamimi, the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, Jose Padilla, and Afia Siddiqui. JAM also openly makes calls with its associates that the "Muslim world should combine its efforts to dismantle Israel by peaceful means."
This organization called for the unification with Muslims of America (aka Jamaat al-Fuqra), a group with camps in remote regions around the U.S. led by Sheikh Mubarrak Gilani in Pakistan (profiled in the documentary The Third Jihad and on Fox News). The links to radicalism are ubiquitous from suspicious connections to the Daniel Pearl murder in Pakistan to Richard Reid, and John Allen Muhammed. The website of JAM proudly defends convicted cop-killer Jamil al-Amin whose representative, Masai Ehehasi spoke at this conference. Interestingly, JAM hysterically refers to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) as an "FBI related group" and Siraj Wahhaj as 'notorious'. This speaks to very common internecine feuds within the Islamist ranks between core MB front groups like ISNA and splinter groups which feign association with the MB but are still within the ideological realm of political Islam like IPPA, JAM, or Muslims of America.
[AIFD note] The connection of Jibril Hough, his Islamic Center of Charlotte, and his IPPA to JAM and its ideas is particularly troubling. Nowhere in the public setting does Mr. Hough take on JAM or distance himself from any of its radical ideas. That would be nearly impossible since one of Hough's closest confidants is Ali Rashid as noted by WFAE at this report. Ali Rashid has been noted in the media as an Islamville elder recruited by Gilani 25 years ago in Pakistan. Rashid has defended Muslims of America's Islamville saying "Islamville is an open community and we don't hide anything." (WLTX South Carolina). Rashid stated further, "We don't have any training camps, and we're not shooting any guns. I'm telling you Sheik Gilani is not involved in terrorism," Ali Rashid is identified as a member of the compound called Holy Islamville by WSOC Channel 9. Ali Rashid also identifies himself with IPPA along with Jibril Hough. It would be absurd for Jibril Hough and Ali Rashid to dissociate themselves from Muslims of America or JAM. JAM also clearly demonstrates its oppressive mentality regarding any ideological diversity among Muslims. They admonish President Obama that:
"He should ensure that those Muslims he talks to do represent authentic Islam. All Islamic movements oppose America's policies. If Obama talks to Muslims who support America's policies, it will be an exercise in futility."
Interesting here is the blanket condemnation of all American policy because it is not from their supremacist Islamist platform of political Islam and their own bizarre promotion of their radical Islamist voices as being "authentic Islam."
The battle within the House of Islam from the AIFD perspective is that those voices like Hough, ICC, IPPA, JAM, and Muslims of America inappropriately mix foreign and domestic policy considerations with Islam (Islamists). In doing so, they are hijacking our faith community for their own political agenda. The leadership which gross Islamists like Hough wield over communities demonstrates more than ever that a movement of a pure spiritual Islam which separates mosque and state will ultimately be needed to intellectually defeat political Islam and all of its permutations.
5. Connnecting the radicalism of JAM's Imam Badi Ali to Hough and his colleagues in North Carolina
Imam Badi Ali of "Muslims for a Better North Carolina" openly supports the Taliban and condemns American military in this May 2009 fatwa which basically calls for fighting against American soldiers:
"The target of Zionism and Imperialism is Islam. Pakistan represents Islam, so it is a target. The Taliban fight for Islam; so they are targets. We urge the Pakistani soldiers not to fight against the Taliban. These Taliban are the fighters in the Way of Allah. Fighting against them is a form of KUFR. People who die fighting against the forces of Islam are destined to go to jahannum (hell). There surely are some Pakistani soldiers and officers who still fear Allah Almighty and will not die for the sake of American intervention in Pakistan.
Our FATWA is: Pakistani Muslims must support the Taliban and oppose American-Zionist military intervention. Muslims must unite to stop Pakistani military action against the Taliban. These fighters with Black Turbans are hinted about in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him. They are the spearhead of Islam. All Pakistani Muslims should support them. Fighting for America , directly or indirectly, against Muslims is Kufr and is strictly prohibited [HARAM] in Islamic Law. Remember dear Muslims, the kuffar will never be pleased with you until you give up Islam. Read Sura al-Kafiroon. There is a clear SEPARATION between Islam and kufr. This world is passing away. The Hereafter is far better and more lasting."
Imam Badi Ali is closely affiliated with JAM and has been at conferences with the IPPA. Hough has never been critical of Badi Ali. How does his so-called contract with America which he defiantly proclaimed fit into this separatist radicalizing fatwa (religious opinion) from this radical imam.
[AIFD Note] This statement and fatwa is in reality treasonous as our soldiers wage war against factions of the Taliban in Afghanistan. It's time for Hough and his colleagues to condemn JAM, the IPPA, and all these radical statements.
6. JAM's deep seeded anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, and rejection of western democracy
JAM produces a radical online newsletter called New Trend Magazine. As noted by the ADL, this newsletter has promoted the work of holocaust denier David Irving. JAM is led by Dr. Kaukab Siddique, Ameer of Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JAM) from Baltimore, Maryland. Siddique is also a holocaust denier. He stated,
"There is no evidence available that Hitler planned or ordered the wholesale decimation of Jews." Siddique further stated, "The Jewish narratives of the gassing of six million Jews too cannot be substantiated." He has also called the Holocaust "a Jewish milk cow." He claims "American governance is under Zionist control." He has described the U.S. as "satanic system," claiming that "America's power structure does not accept the sovereignty of Allah."
JAM also does not endorse nationalist flags which runs against the global hegemony of political Islam.
[AIFD Note]- The silence from Hough about JAM's radicalism is deafening, not to mention IPPA's involvement with their conferences and his close alliances with individuals like Ali Rashid.
7. Hough on loyalty to the American system of government:
After the Islamic Day of Prayer staged at Capitol Hill on September 25, 2009, CBN News asked Mr. Hough whether his loyalty came first to Islam or to America.
"My loyalty first is to Islam," answered Jibril Hough. "But with that said if I'm loyal to my religion, I'm going to be loyal to America. If I practice my religion like a good Muslim, I'm no threat to America--I'm going to make America better." The prayer rally leaders organized the prayer to reportedly "pray for the soul of America," and an attendee, Sham I'deen Mohammed stated that, "Our message is, Islam is on the rise in this country." He said, that he "would like to see America become an Islamic country but not through violence."
[AIFD Note] : This is typical supremacist Islamist language. Note that while he confirms loyalty to America, acknowledging he is not an anarchist, he still confirms that his loyalty is to Islam first. Which Islam? Whose Islam? No one knows here.
Political Islam has a construct of law based in theocratic foundations where the Qur'an, Sunnah, and shar'iah are the source of law rather than a source of law. Note the company Hough joins in this rally which also has a condescending supremacist take on America as being a nation for whose soul they need to pray. It is as if our nation is swimming in decadence and malfeasance which can only saved by Islam and Muslims. In fact the primary speaker of the event, Imam Abdul Malik, used Gov. Spitzer's example in New York as a typical example of the type of political leader seen in the U.S. needing Islamic influence. Not one suggestion to the Muslims at the event to join the military help protect this nation from radical Islamists. Not one pronouncement at the prayer to lead the fight against radical groups from within Muslim communities.
8. Some of the bizarre ideas of Jibril Hough
In October 2003, Little Green Footballs (LGF) had a post that featured Jibril Hough of the IPPA, after he wrote an editorial for the Charlotte Observer bizarrely claiming that California was discovered by Muslims long before Columbus.
"It is important for the American public to know that although this political movement by Muslims may be somewhat new, Muslims have been a part of the fabric of this society, in some fashion, since before Columbus. Muslim explorers visited the West Coast long ago. Arabic writings have been found in some caves in California. The name "California" comes from the Arabic word 'calif', meaning ruler or leader." (oped 'New Party, Old Religion' for Charlotte Observer.)
Hough's IPPA also disseminated this nonsense in a 2002 press release claiming that the Jews were behind 9-11:
But the biased western media would not cover this story, yet they also neglected to report that 4000 Jews employed at the World Trade Center were absent at WTC on 9/11. Nor did they report on the thousands who saw WTC Building Seven fall without a plane hitting it.
Everyday as more and more independent investigations are done, the evidence is proving that the September 11th may have been some great orchestration that caught our great nation totally unaware. And we the Muslims are left to believe the words of our president, which he later tried to change, that this is a "crusade, and you are either with them or with us."
Both Islam and Christianity are the victims of this devious plot and all Americans must join together to help prevent evil ones from succeeding. (original link: http://ippausa.org/press_releases.htm)
Hough seems to also interestingly pride himself in the use of radical media like Louis Farrakhan's Final Call. In this video, Hough speaks to a reporter boasting the headlines from the grossly anti-Semitic and radical Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam's Final Call newspaper. Not only does this reflect on Hough, but the ignorance of the unquestioning reporter.
[AIFD Note] It is important to note that the belief in and propagation of conspiracy theories is very common to those who believe in Islamism (political Islam). It fulfills the collectivist obsession and denials that all Muslim maladies are someone else's fault and Muslims are just victims of global conspiracies.
9. Hough covers for ICC, the North American Islamic Trust, and ISNA
In the wake of the Feb 25, 2010 town hall, upon repeated and pointed questioning from WBT's Keith Larson, Mr. Hough was unable to give any coherent explanation of the relationship between the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and his mosque. He and others at the Town Hall continued to complain about the unindicted conconspirator designation despite demonstrating no proof of ISNA's differences with the Muslim Brotherhood. The full interview can be found at this video link and World Net Daily's related story is here. During his interview with Larsen, Hough stated that he has on occasion heard comments supporting radicals and the Muslim Brotherhood.
When they have heard that in their mosque, he said they privately "pull the coat of the 'brother' espousing the radicalism". He gave no specifics as to what that means. Then later in the same interview he ended up basically trying to say that HAMAS was not a terrorist organization and it was no different than our own military which he felt killed civilians. Clearly, Hough, was miserably trying to dissimulate his condemnation of terrorism and terror groups. His bizarrely ignorant approach to NAIT and the fact that they held the deed to their mosque also spoke volumes of his attempts to dissimulate.
10. The revealing connection to Cong. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Jibril Hough, seemed to have direct access to U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN). He mentioned speaking to the Muslim congressman during the town hall discussion and was proud to get Ellison's advice to move forward with the meeting in Jibril's opening comments at the Charlotte Town Hall on Feb 25, 2010.
[AIFD Note] Mr. Ellison weighing in as a confidant of Mr. Hough with contrarily little to no public support for his colleague Cong. Sue Myrick on the Anti-terror caucus on which Ellison serves runs in line with Ellison's warped priorities. His denials are masked in a victimology obsessed propaganda which Ellison peddled against AIFD in our debate with him on the Hill on October 1, 2009. Here with Jibril Hough, Cong. Ellison again proves here that he is more interested in Muslim collectivism and protecting ideologues of political Islam than in protecting American ideas of liberty against the threat of political Islam.
http://www.aifdemocracy.org/news.php?id=5597
Compiled March 7, 2010, copyright American Islamic Forum for Democracy
Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Mosab Hassan Yousef Denies Existence of Moderate Islam
Sean Hannity talks with Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, about his former life in a Hamas family (he was never a member of Hamas) then as a spy for Israel. He says there is no such thing as moderate Islam.
MOSAB HASSAN YOUSEF:
The God of the Koran hates Jews anyway if there was occupation or not…Problem with Jews is with the God of Islam not Muslims themselves….If you die for the glory of the Koran you go to heaven.
Yes, he believes there would be 72 virgins. No God hates His own creation. It’s the people teaching the Koran who hate Jews.
Why are Jews so hated anyway?
He said the Muslims, if they believe in the God of the Koran, do not have a choice about jihad.
I worked against the Hamas movement…against evil…I did what was right to save human life – Palestinians and Israelis….I understand the mentality of terrorists.
Hannity asks him about the difference between radical Islam and mainstream Islam.
This is a big mistake – comparing between moderates Muslims and fanatics….All Muslims to me are the same.
HANNITY: When people talk about moderate Islam, you’re saying it doesn’t exist?
It doesn’t exist…Muslims have moralities, responsibilities, logics more than their God.
The most criminal terrorist Muslim has morality and a minimum of humanity more than their God. Their God is a terrorist and ignorant.
He was absolutely forgiving. But when I went public with the story, he couldn’t handle the pressure from his God and from his society. His God unskinned his humanity and now he is divided between me and Him.
Rep. Massa Blast Dems: He Was Set Up…Hoyer Lied…May Rescind Resignation
"When I voted against the cap and trade bill, the phone rang and it was the chief of staff to the president of the United States of America, Rahm Emanuel, and he started swearing at me in terms and words that I hadn't heard since that crossing the line ceremony on the USS New Jersey in 1983," Massa said. "And I gave it right back to him, in terms and words that I know are physically impossible."
Editor's note: In another section of the interview Massa hints that he may rescind his resignation: “I’m not going to be a Congressman as of 5 o’clock [Monday] afternoon. The only way to stop that is for me to rescind my resignation. That’s the only way to stop it. And the only way that’s going to happen is if this becomes a national story.”
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Feds Seek to Take More State Land Away
Jim DeMint took to the Senate floor and the pages of the Washington Times earlier this week to expose a plan by the White House to seize over 10 million acres of land in nine Western states. Using an obscure clause in the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Department of the Interior under Ken Salazar would designate the land as “monuments” in order to block the use of the resources in those states. DeMint correctly asserts that this is not only a perversion of the intent of the Antiquities Act, but also a huge power grab by the federal government at the expense of the states.
Young Muslims protest Obama's visit to his homeland
An Iraqi journalist threw two shoes at President Bush during a news conference Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The president was not hurt in the incident: Dec. 14 2008.
Muslim students throw shoes at Obama in a reminder of the shoe-throwing Iraqi who tossed them at Bush.
Both Indonesia and the US are currently negotiating a second deal in the debt-for-nature scheme by which funds would be used to help conserve forest areas in Indonesia.
The two countries signed the first debt-for-nature deal last June, swapping US$30 million of Indonesia’s debt that could then be used to conserve around 7 million hectares of forest.
Employment Situation Summary
Employment Situation Summary
Good news!
On March 5, 2010, Senator Harry Reid said, "Today is a big day in America. Only 36,000 people lost their jobs today, which is really good."
What is the reality?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Obama: "Active-negative" Political Type
This is an intriguing notion: the “active-negative” type as developed by political scientist James David Barber describes politicians who have lost touch with reality.
Medved commented January 21 at Townhall.com re the “grim, joyless demeanor” of POTUS:
It was also brought to my attention that, talking about POTUS on air, Michael Medved “has been assigning the label ‘active/negative personality’” to him.
Each time he’s used the term on air, he has laid out more detail. Medved says other examples of active-negative presidents include LBJ, Nixon, and Jimmy Carter to some extent.
Medved commented January 21 at Townhall.com re the “grim, joyless demeanor” of POTUS:
The one-time apostle of “hope” now gives the impression of self-righteous suffering in office—more and more exemplifying the self-destructive presidential personality defined as “active-negative” by political scientist James David Barber and characterizing stubborn, troubled, arrogant leaders like Wilson, Hoover, Johnson, Nixon and Carter.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
O.T.P., Wolverines
The comedy video features rapping by Molotov Mitchell, Constitution Kate, DJ Dolce, The MZA, and features bottle-breaking brawls with SEIU thugs, dancing women in burkhas and even a guest appearance by Black & Right’s Bob Parks. With over 40,000 views since it launched just days ago, the video could very well become an internet sensation. Take a look, let us know what you think, and judging from the liberal response, it seems to have struck a nerve.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Bunning, Reid Cross Words Over Unemployment
Sen. Jim Bunning has again blocked the Senate from extending unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the jobless. Bunning has been single-handedly blocking the stopgap legislation since Thursday. (March 2)
Monday, March 1, 2010
China PLA Officer Challenges Obama
"If he [Obama] reads my book he'll know China does not want to always be a runner-up," a leading Chinese military official and the author of a new book on the subject stated.
Middle Aged Man Drinks and Smokes Too Much: "excellent health"
Apart from smoking and drinking a middle aged man is told he is in "excellent health." Maybe I am missing something from sound medical advice but I was under the impression that middle aged people should not drink and smoke excessively. This individual, nonetheless, is described as in "excellent health."
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Judge Napolitano on Freedom and Rights
Judge Andrew Napolitano gives a speech about freedom and our rights: courtesy of www.CampaignForLiberty.com, edited by FreeTheNation.com.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Luntz Focus group reacts to Rationing Summit
The video shows that 13 McCain voters and 13 Obama voters from 2008 who mostly agree on key points. Republicans did much better than expected and Democrats did not. They also tell Lutz.
"Democratic dismissal of any attempt by Republicans to start a dialog"
"They're not listening to us, they're not listening to the people"
Lutz asked the entire group: "how many of you feel they are listening to you, raise your hands?"
Not one single person raised their hands.
Next question, "How many of you think Washington is still ignoring you?"
Every single person raised their hands.
Yesterday Gallup reported that if an agreement was not reached "Americans by a 49% to 42% margin oppose rather than favor Congress passing a health care bill similar to the one proposed by Obama. By a larger 52% to 39% margin, Americans also oppose the Democrats in the Senate using a reconciliation procedure to avoid a possible Republican filibuster and pass a bill by a simple majority vote. Reconciliation has been used by both parties as a means to pass a needed budget; it has never been used in a major piece of legislation such as health care or to determine policy.
Some quotes from CNN, The Hill and Fox:
CNN’s WOLF BLITZER: “It looks like the Republicans certainly showed up ready to play.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
CNN’s GLORIA BORGER: “The Republicans have been very effective today. They really did come to play. They were very smart.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
• BORGER: “They took on the substance of a very complex issue. … But they really stuck to the substance of this issue and tried to get to the heart of it and I think did a very good job.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
• BORGER: “They came in with a plan. They mapped it out.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
CNN’s DAVID GERGEN: “The folks in the White House just must be kicking themselves right now. They thought that coming out of Baltimore when the President went in and was mesmerizing and commanding in front of the House Republicans that he could do that again here today. That would revive health care and would change the public opinion about their health care bill and they can go on to victory. Just the opposite has happened.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
• GERGEN: “He doesn’t have a strong Democratic team behind him.” (CNN’s “Live,” 2/25/10)
THE HILL’S A.B. STODDARD: “I think we need to start out by acknowledging Republicans brought their ‘A Team.’ They had doctors knowledgeable about the system, they brought substance to the table, and they, I thought, expressed interest in the reform. I thought in the lecture from Senator John McCain and on the issue of transparency, I thought today the Democrats were pretty much on their knees.” (Fox News’ “Live,” 2/25/10)
THE WEEKLY STANDARD’S STEVE HAYES: “I think to me the most important thing to come out of the morning so far is that Republicans have spent a great deal of time talking with great passion, and I think eagerness about their plans, detailing the plans that until this morning them democrats had been saying didn't exist. Well, you now see, I think, in great detail that Republicans do have plans, that they care about the same issues and that they feel passionately about it.” (Fox News’ “Live,” 2/25/10)
According to the compiled statistics:
Obama spoke longer than either the Republican or the Democrat delegation. Democrats collectively talked for more than twice as long as Republicans. Democrats (including Obama): 233 minutes or nearly four hours; Republicans: 110 minutes; Obama alone: 119 minutes.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sri-Kumar Sees U.S. Economy Sliding Back Into Recession
Sri-Kumar Sees U.S. Economy Sliding Back Into Recession
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Komal Sri-Kumar, chief global strategist at TCW Group Inc., talks with Bloomberg's Carol Massar and Matt Miller about the outlook for the U.S. economy. Sri-Kumar also discusses U.S. stocks, the Obama administration's policies and Greece's debt crisis. (Source: Bloomberg)
Exchange student on Japan
katrandom on how foreigners (Gaijin) are treated when they come to Japan. The vlog covers subjects such as history/culture, "racism", and admiration for all things from the "outside."
She is spending a year in Japan as an exchange student: an 18 year-old about to be a student at a High School in Tokyo, Japan for a year. She is half American, half Austrian, and is bilingual in English and German.
Barry Listen? Not Hardly
Bammy speak Talks For More Time Than Either The Republican Or Democrat Delegation
Democrats Collectively Talked For More Than Twice As Long As Republicans
DEMOCRATS (Including Bammying): 233 MINUTES OR NEARLY 4 HOURS
REPUBLICANS: 110 MINUTES OR 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES
Barry Soetoro ALONE: 119 MINUTES OR 1 HOUR AND 59 MINUTES
Democrats Collectively Talked For More Than Twice As Long As Republicans
DEMOCRATS (Including Bammying): 233 MINUTES OR NEARLY 4 HOURS
REPUBLICANS: 110 MINUTES OR 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES
Barry Soetoro ALONE: 119 MINUTES OR 1 HOUR AND 59 MINUTES
Spy Transaction Caught on Tape
In the videotape obtained by "60 Minutes", Gregg Bergersen, a civilian Pentagon worker with a high-security clearance, is shown taking money, about $2,000, from the Chinese spy, Tai Shen Kuo. Bergersen then discusses how he will let Kuo look at secret documents. The documents included the types of weapons the U.S. was selling to its ally Taiwan as well as plans for a classified command and control system that was going to be used by Taiwan.
Bergersen clearly implicates himself on the videotape. "I'm very , very, very reticent to let you have it because it's all classified, but I will let you see it," he tells Kuo. "You know you can write all…the notes you want…it's just I can never let anyone know…I’d get fired for sure on that,” says Bergersen. "Well, not even get fired, I’d go to *** jail!"
That's where Bergersen is now, serving almost five years in federal prison for communicating national defense information. Kuo, a naturalized American citizen, was given 15 years for espionage. Both men pleaded guilty after being shown the tape and other evidence against them.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Census Is Getting Too Personal
This is an expose' of the Census Bureau.
This video itemizes the fundamental legal questions that the Census Bureau refuses or fails to answer about its collection and use of personal information from every American (see questions below). This program aired on Matrix News Network (syndicated national television) in January of 2010.
Without any apparent authority the Census Bureau has expanded it's information gathering activities. In addition to the once-in-10-years Census authorized by the Constitution, the Census Bureau conducts more in-depth "Surveys" of 250,000 Americans every month of every year. It has no Constitutional authority for that, in fact the Bureau is violating the 4th Amendment to the Bill of Rights by suggesting that Americans are "obligated" to provide any personal information whatsoever to government.
The Constitution allows the government to count people once every ten years, but does not require any American to BE COUNTED, OR TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AT ALL, much less to provide personal information to the temporary worker and stranger who comes to your door with a Census Bureau badge.
Americans have been given very false impressions and presumptions of the authority of government to invade their lives. Even the Census takers themselves are sometimes misinformed of the limits of government.
Once your information is out there, it is out there for good. There is no such thing as a "secure database" in government. Government data is bought, lost, stolen and viewed every day by everyone from law enforcement to criminals at all levels of society. Spill your life to strangers at your front door or on the "questionnaire" at your own risk. Beyond that is the question, if we agree to pass over our private information to bureaucrats, is there any limit to what they will ask for next?
My reason for producing this video and for posting it on YouTube is that I see so many people everywhere who don't seem to understand that the USA has become something very different than the country of our origin, and we have ALREADY lost many of the rights and freedoms that were given to us by nature (God?) and were protected for us again in our Constitution. Our Constitutional framers never imagined the spending, waste, taxation intrusion and aggression that our government now commits without restraint.
How did that happen? When our government pushes us we fail to push back so, after many decades of that, government simply sees no boundaries at all on its own presumed force and authority.
It is our government. It is our servant. Government can have no authority but that which it derives from us. But government employees, officials and representatives do need to be reminded of that on a regular basis.
There is a pdf file of the Census Bureau's AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY Questionnairre at:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/SQuest1.htm
If you are not disturbed by the questions they will ask you then you are not reading it carefully.
QUESTIONS THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU REFUSED OR FAILED TO ANSWER (from Jerry Day's Matrix News Network segment: "The Census Is Getting Personal") I strongly suggest asking these questions of your Census Taker, especially if they show up with an "American Community Survey" form:
1) The Constitution authorizes government to count people but it does not authorize the taking of private information or even the names of individuals. From where does the Census Bureau derive authority to demand our private information?
2) Is there any limit to the amount and type of private information that the Census bureau may demand and collect?
3) Under what Constitutional authority does the Census Bureau collect information now from 250,000 people per month of every year?
4) The 4th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits government search and seizure of private information without a court warrant based on probable cause. Current Census policies violate that Amendment do they not?
5) By what Constitutional authority does the Census Bureau threaten penalties for failure to provide personal information?
6) The Census Bureau claims it maintains privacy of personal information. Are there any circumstances under which law enforcement or spy agencies can access Census information?
7) Since presumably Census data may be subpoenaed by law enforcement, may individuals refuse to answer questions according to the fifth Amendment?
8) Why has the Census Bureau decided to collect GPS coordinates for every home?
9) Virtually every government database has been either lost, hacked or compromised. Would the Census Bureau's claim of data security not be an outright lie or at best highly improbable?
10) How would the Census Bureau locate, protect and compensate those individuals whose data becomes compromised?
More about the Video Producer at:
http://www.jerryday.com/
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything
This is a piece for an AS art course, a flipbook made entirely out of biro pens. It's something like 2100 pages long, and about 50 jotter books.
Song is French Cancan by Jaques Offenbach.
Additional sounds credited to Valve, specifically from their game Team Fortress 2.
Other stuff is from the 300 trailer and O Little Town of Bethlehem.
All other content copyright Jamie Bell (aka DispleasedEskimo) 2010, I guess :P
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Jobless Claims, Inflation Jump as Economy Wobbles
Jobless Claims, Inflation Jump as Economy Wobbles.
Some of the numbers do not look very positive, again.
The `Lone-Crazed' Pilot, a False Flag Incident: Austin Plane
As an update to my initial posting I have since seen a comment developing the spin on this story: "Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the incident was a "single act by a sole individual."
And, another update, an eyewitness states that just coincidentally a fire truck and a hazmat team just happened to be close by when the plane hit. You can hear her make the point around the 2:50 mark.
This incident will be touted by the government as indicative of the angry, dangerous crowd that should be clamped down upon. I wonder how fake the "manifesto" is and who actually wrote it.
Federal authorities are investigating the following Web posting linked to Joseph Stack, the pilot of the single-engine plane that crashed into an Austin, Texas, office building that housed IRS offices.
If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.
While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.
Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.
And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!
How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.
How did I get here?
My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.
The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.
That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.
Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.
On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.
The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on.
In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.
Return to the early ‘80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer… and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.
For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).
SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.
(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:
(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.
Note:
· “another person” is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.
· “taxpayer” is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.
· “individual”, “employee”, or “worker” is you.
Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes.
During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn’t bill clients.
After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.
Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.
Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.
Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ‘special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.
By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies.
To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.
So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.
When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to Bill Ross, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, Ross knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.
This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.
I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution.
As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.
I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.
I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.
I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.
The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.
Joe Stack (1956-2010)
02/18/2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
8 Missionaries Released
Eight of 10 Americans accused of trying to smuggle children out of the earthquake-ravaged nation were freed from jail. Two others remain imprisoned, reports Kelly Cobiella.
Obama Administration Marks Anniversary of Stimulus Plan
Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration is marking the one-year anniversary of the economic stimulus legislation with efforts to show the measure sparked U.S. growth and curbed rising unemployment. Bloomberg's Julianna Goldman reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Saudis Toy with Obama
Saudi official questions new sanctions on Iran
One solution is to back away from the region entirely except for direct American interests; Iran is a problem in the Saudis back yard: that fact makes it more their issue than ours. The Americans should elect someone who is works for them and what is in their national interests.
Lt. Colonel Allen West, War Hero, Candidate for Congress
Lt. Colonel Allen West, War Hero, Candidate for Congress
Allen West's recent remarks concerning jihad, West states:
“You want to dig up Charles Martel and ask him why him why he was fighting the Muslim army at the Battle of Tours in 732? You want to ask the Venetian fleet at Lepanto why they were fighting a Muslim fleet in 1571? You want to ask…the Germanic and Austrian knights why they were fighting at the gates of Vienna in 1683? You want to ask people what happened at Constantinople and why today it is called Istanbul because they lost that fight in 1453?
You need to get into the Koran…and understand their precepts. This is not a perversion. They are doing exactly what this book says.”
And Col. West reminds us of what should be self-evident, contra the willfully blind, delusional apologetics embraced by our current political and military leadership:
“Until you get principled leadership in the United States of America that is willing to say that, we will continue to chase our tail, because we will never clearly define who this enemy is, and then understand their goals and objectives—which (are) on any jihadist website—and then come up with the right (and) proper objectives to not only secure our Republic but secure Western civilization.”
Climategate U-turn as scientist at centre of row admits
There has been no global warming since 1995. The BBC published an instructive interview with Jones as he admitted that climate change is a fraud.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid
The new Lenovo hybrid device is a slate tablet running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM CPU and the Skylight Linux interface when a user removed from its notebook frame, and then if you dock it back into the clamshell it seamlessly switches back to a Windows 7 operating system, running on an Intel Core 2 Duo U4100 processor. The new Lenovo notebook/tablet will ship in June 2010 and is priced at $999.
Obama Also Will Exercise Unconstitutional Power
The Tenth Amendment Center has a number of studies demonstrating why an exercise of executive power is unconstitutional.
Yet, Obama is making plans to use executive power since his effectiveness has been diminished in the past year.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Rockefeller on Obama: Prez isn't 'believable'
Message the same as famous 'You lie' by GOP's Joe Wilson
Dem Sen. Rockefeller On Obama: "He's Beginning To Be Not Believable To Me"
"He says 'I'm for clean coal,' and then he says it in his speeches, but he doesn't say it in here. And he doesn't say it in the minds of my own people. And he's beginning to be not believable to me," Rockefeller said.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Hollywood Toes the Line: Support Failing Health Care Rationing
Fox’s “House M.D.” supports the Administration agenda completely. The show’s Feb.8 episode detailed a day in the life of Princeton Plainsboro Hospital Administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), in which three of the episode’s four story lines involved the perils of private insurance. Hollywood generally attacks business.
The New Chinese Order: Punish U.S.
China PLA officers urge economic punch against U.S.Chinese Military Urges Sanctions Against U.S.
White House Critics 'Serving the Goals of al Qaeda'
The opinion piece: Our view on war on terror: National security team fails to inspire; has apparently inspired a polemical response by the White House.
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