Mood:
chillin'Now Playing: Greg Palast Armed Madhouse Review by Joe
Topic: POLITICS
I wrote the following report last summer 6-6-06 after listening to Greg Palast discuss his latest book "Armed Madhouse" at a Portland Oregon location. I am reposting this after reading it again last night, because it highlights many interesting need-to-know topics that are so relevant today.
(Greg's book "Armed Madhouse" which I have almost finished listening to since I have a copy on CD ... is an eye opening amazing book)
- please read or listen to it if at all possible -
Greg's website is http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=509&row=0
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6-6-06 Portland Or. First Unitarian Church.
Report written by Joe Anybody
"Armed Madhouse" Book Discussion
Greg urged all of us to write our County Election Clerks and demand
Verified Elections in Oregon.
He told of spoiled votes and how he once flew to New Mexico
And there he found 34,000 uncounted ballots in the garbage so to speak
Problems with chads, touch screens, and GLITCH’s these were the “spoiled votes”
He discusses the other type of “rejected ballots” which also were not counted.
These were known as “provisional ballots”.
Which were all those Military Ballots, that were returned because they couldn’t be “forwarded to the soldier’s location?”
Resulting in many Soldiers that didn’t get to vote at all.
And ….ALL, by the way, were black soldiers.
Then there was the Felony Voters ….to the tune of 94,000 whom were targeted in Florida.
In one case of this rejecting voters, Greg noticed was, where the Republican State Party Chairman was challenging these black voters credibility, and well, it turns out that every single name on their list was a good legal voter.
I think he said around 1 million 900 thousands votes were not counted due to these provisional ballots eventually being tossed in the garbage
Greg then discussed the Oil Lies
And how he had secretly taped these big Huston Oil guy’s and himself discussing the plan.
Only to latter have to remind them when they were lying that he had them on tape, playing “their own voice” as proof to get them to remember.
They had “a Plan” and it was given to Greg by the ol stupid guy ruse
He says to one “Hey!” ….“what is your plan mine is different”
They told him
To be used in Iraq it was called The Plan for Sustainable Oil Industry.
He goes on to mention James Baker III, whom he exposes as a man with an office in the White House & Saudi Arabia. He joked about how Baker plays in the Oval Office.
How he represents big players like the Carlyle Group, Exxon, and Bush and the Saudi’s who were sued in the 911 Tower attack.
With meetings and Oil War plans being in the making they all planned
This was such, as the private meeting with Cheney in his bunker. This meeting was also attended by Ken Lay and others in March of 2000 and together they all worked on the plan.
In what most of us would refer to as à ”price fixing” these guys brokered deals which they claimed would “enhance the relationship with OPEC”
It was the old sales pitch …..“Less oil” = high prices.
.
Back when Iraq appropriated the oil wells from Iran in the 60’s
Greg mentions in Iraq there is 74 fields and only 15 are being in production?
He asked Why so little production in this area?
He refers to 1920 and Winston Churchill who Greg says invented Iraq and for its purpose of oil and oil drilling ….which currently today is that company known as British Petroleum
He mentioned how when John Kennedy was talking with the British after being asked to join in and overthrow the Government of Iran by attacking Iraq who had appropriated the oil and land.
But then Kennedy turned around and told the British how they had been robbing the Iraq people for so long it wasn’t appropriation of their oil wells… it was justice”
Greg mentions 253 billion dollars flowing out to OPEC from the US
And 1/3 of a trillion coming back which is about 311 billion
In fact since the war began Exxon reserves have grown by 666 billion dollars.
He talked of Venezuela, offering cheap oil and having plenty of the reserves to do it.
Greg mentions Chavez doesn’t like the US oil plans, and coincidently Venezuela, owns a key U.S. subsidiary called Citgo Petroleum Corp., which has 14,000 gas stations and owns eight oil refineries in the US
He offers cheap oil but said he will not give the US his,”countries money” back
He is willing to help the poor with cheap oil but not loan or put his profits into the US economy.
In fact to prove his point Greg said Chavez withdrew 20 billion dollars out of the US and loaned it to the countries of Argentina and Ecuador.
He ends the lecture by promoting his book and encouraging us to get out and vote.
He talked of Martin Luther Kings Family being proud of his new book Armed Madhouse.
Proud enough to place this book on their father’s grave which is what was told to Greg by one of the family members. He ends with a short inspiring talk of marching for civil right
And a references by Jessie Jackson saying, how they should march down and throw the book through one of the white house windows not put it on a grave.
And a brief why we should bother to vote, - and a short “don’t take our flag” reflection.
They want to take votes from dead soldier, well make them Steal them, he says!
Greg predicts that they will take (steal) 5 million votes this next time in 2008
So he says we will need to then have….. 6 billion voters at the polls on that day!
Greg then closed with a quote, a fitting choice to repeat
(I think it was from Bush who the quote was from) a reminder from March 17 in a message to the Iraqi people
“Do not fight for a dieing regime …it is not worth your life”
We could heed those words today ourselves, says Greg.
This report is also posted on Portland Indy Media here http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/06/340504.shtml
(Pardon any misquotes or unintentional misprints or incorrect note deciphering ~just an average joe passing along what he can)
