Shock and Awe: Bipartisan Beltway Terrorists Launch Economic 9/11 on the American People

Chris Floyd
Sunday, Oct 5, 2008

You’ve seen the news. You know the score. The House of Representatives has now completed the economic terrorist attack inflicted on the American people by the nation’s elite.

The bailout bill — or as Arthur Silber more rightly terms it, the “Extortion Bill” — is already law, thanks to the Democrats in Congress, and to Barack Obama, who spent the day working the phones and twisting arms to make sure the $700 billion bonanza for the filthy rich passed without any more of the hiccups that held it up earlier this week.

The plan that Obama made his own — despite its origins in the poison kitchen of the Bush White House — is far worse than the version voted down on Monday. Every reputable economic expert says that the plan is unworkable; it will not solve the problems at the root of the current economic crisis, but will only make them worse. It entrenches many of the fraudulent practices that led to the meltdown in the first place, and rewards the perpetrators for their misdeeds with a gargantuan amount of public money, which they can now use to carry on largely as before, albeit with a few new toothless “oversight” mechanisms operated by their own Wall Street cronies, and their bribed-and-bought hirelings on Capitol Hill.

(Article continues below)

There were many viable, reasonable, eminently centrist alternatives to the radical, plutocratic Bush-Obama scam — alternatives which would have been politically palatable to a broad spectrum of the electorate. One of the best ones of this ilk that I’ve seen was outlined in the eminently mainstream Washington Post earlier this week by two eminently respectable Yale economists. (You can find it here.) There were many other such practical and effective plans offered by reputable experts, any one of which could have gone a long way toward protecting ordinary citizens now exposed by the meltdown, supporting the banks, and stabilizing the markets — all without effecting one of the largest single redistributions of wealth since the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in 1917.

None of these plans were considered or debated or even mentioned, not even for a single moment, by the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate. Instead, they joined the Republican leadership and the Bush Administration in repeating, over and over, the Big Lie that there was NO OTHER CHOICE but some basic version of the unworkable Bush plan. The Democrats — led by Barack Obama — not only threw a political lifeline to the most despised president in American history (in the middle of an election year!), they deliberately took ownership of a measure widely rejected by the American public — a class war weapon of mass destruction whose malign effects will reverberate through American society for years, perhaps generations to come.

Why have they done this? Why would they do such a thing? Why would they commit such an egregious offense against their own people, when they could have very easily NOT done it, and had the near-unanimous support of the American electorate in standing up to the Bush plan and choosing some other completely mainstream alternative?

You already know the answer. It’s because they do not serve the American people. They serve a very small yet brutally powerful ruling class. And this elite wanted the Bush-Obama extortion plan, and no other, to make sure their power and privilege were not unduly threatened by the debacle that their own monstrous greed and fraud have made.

II.
Let’s go back to Arthur Silber on this, as we have done so often during the financial crisis. As always, he goes behind the heated headlines to see the deeper threads of connection knitting the bipartisan economic-domestic Terror War with the bipartisan foreign policy Terror War that is now wrapping the world in flames. And he traces one of the prime roots of this sinister web: the American elite’s belief that whatever they do to maintain their primacy — however many people they kill, how much destruction and suffering and degradation they cause, at home and abroad — it is all reasonable, rational and right…because they are doing it. Here is Silber in “Terrorist State, At Home and Abroad.” [And again, you should read the whole thing, with the many links that broaden and deepen the scope of the argument.].

First, he quotes William Pfaff on the U.S. government’s “aggressive, neverending global interventionism”:

Militarized or otherwise, American policy remains under the influence of an unacknowledged and unjustified utopianism. This is the unanalyzed background to the work of all Washington’s foreign policy agencies. It permeates the rhetoric and thinking of Republicans and Democrats alike. It is the reason Americans can think that history has an ultimate solution, and that the United States is meant to provide it.

Now Silber:

It has long been apparent to an honest observer that “utopianism” of this kind is immensely and unforgivably destructive, just as it is obvious that the belief that one person or one nation has the “ultimate solution” constitutes murderous arrogance of the kind we properly associate with the greatest monsters in history. One of the most deeply pathetic aspects of the tragedy of Iraq is that not a single element of this belief system has been dislodged in even the smallest degree. Thus, we continue to hear Obama, along with every other prominent national leader, proclaim: “The American moment has not passed. The American moment is here. And like generations before us, we will seize that moment, and begin the world anew.”

Where it matters, on the ground, the American drive to world hegemony translates into brute force used to make others behave in the manner the U.S. government demands. Such force will often be deployed in the form of economic assistance, but offered only on certain conditions, which therefore more accurately means economic intimidation. On other occasions, the interference becomes harsher, while it is still kept under wraps to some extent: thus, we have numerous covert operations, sometimes used to engineer the overthrow of duly constituted governments. When all else fails, military force will be employed openly and with carefully crafted righteous anger.

It will also be cast as a “favor” to the victims, as Silber notes:

…just as the genocide unleashed by the U.S. government in Iraq constituted a benevolent, disinterested gift to more than a million slaughtered Iraqis, and to many more millions made homeless refugees. “Freedom isn’t free,” our viciously stupid propagandists announced to the dead, maimed and displaced Iraqis, neglecting to note that it was beneath our lofty status to inquire whether the gift was desired in the smallest degree, especially when acquired by these methods and with the associated costs. (This assumes that “freedom” was, in fact, the goal, which of course it was not. All of this is propaganda, remember.)

The fundamental lesson is unmistakable, and unmistakably evil in intent and execution (a word made horribly appropriate in more than one sense by our government’s actions): you will do exactly as we say — or else.

Now comes the turn to the domestic scene:

Just as it is not possible for an individual to restrict what constitutes a fundamental psychological methodology to only one area of his life, so a ruling class will not employ one approach in foreign policy while dealing with matters of domestic politics in a radically different manner. In any case, the U.S. ruling class never had such a desire: in one way or another, other nations would be made to submit to the demands of the U.S. government — and the same is true for U.S. citizens. The citizens of America will do exactly as the ruling class demands — or else. As far as the ruling class is concerned, you have as little reason to complain as the murdered Iraqis do: the ruling class only wishes to improve your life. The ruling class acts only on your behalf, and “for your own good.”

You now witness these tactics of intimidation and of the most transparently, viciously manipulative fear-mongering deployed by almost every member of the ruling class in connection with the bailout bill….I have several other news articles offering comments from other members of the ruling class, and I could easily find many, many more, all to the same general effect: be terrified and do what they say. Or else. If you don’t understand the urgency and necessity of doing exactly what they say, you’re just stupid. In that case, you should obviously turn your life and your money over to your betters. Let them dispose of all of it as they see fit. That’s why they’re your rulers, isn’t it? They know what’s best for you.

…The system is now set up so that when the ruling class is particularly intent upon a certain objective, even your obedience isn’t required any longer. After all, what are you going to do? Move to another country? Not vote for any of these bastards in November?

Most Americans won’t do that. They protest now; once the deed is done, they’ll go back to their lives, such as they will be at that point, and devote themselves to making the ruling class more wealthy and more powerful.

To a terrorist government, you’re irrelevant, as irrelevant as a slaughtered five-year-old Iraqi girl. But they’ll continue to try to scare you to death. You’re easier to rule that way.

I suggest you get used to it. This is your future…

In a later piece, written as the House was passing the bailout, Silber hammered home to the grim implications of the key role played by Barack Obama in its passage. [Again, see the original for copious links]:

First, Obama and the Democrats fully own the extortion bill. Obama and the Democrats, as much as the Republicans, are nothing but whores for the sickeningly corrupt financial and corporate interests that control the U.S. government. I’ve been pointing this out about Obama for some time. Furthermore, in their determination to make certain that the ruling class’s affluence and power are maintained with the work, blood and lives of “ordinary” Americans for generations to come, both Republicans and Democrats have turned their terrorist tactics on Americans with close to full force. All that is missing are the bullets — but they may not be long in coming as conditions deteriorate. It should be illuminating (read: nauseating) to see most of those who would condemn brutal police state actions when ordered by Republicans watch identical events in total silence — and in this context, silence means consent — because a Democrat orders them.

Second, and see an earlier essay for much more on this subject, Obama’s election will ensure the death of significant political opposition in this country for the foreseeable future as much as any single development can….

To sum up: the triumph of the ruling class, again, the destruction of the present and future for all other Americans, and the annihilation of political opposition, all within a matter of months.

Remember: there were viable alternatives to the Bush-Obama scam. It did not have to go down this way. It happened because the bipartisan political elite WANTED it to happen. And they wanted it to happen because those who have bought and paid for them wanted it to happen. As the old saying goes, you dance with the one that brung you.

But an even more apt quote, perhaps, is one we have used here many times, referring to the remark that the Emperor Tiberius once made when a groveling Roman Senate gave in once more to his authoritarian dictates: “Men fit to be slaves.”

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28 Responses to “Shock and Awe: Bipartisan Beltway Terrorists Launch Economic 9/11 on the American People”

mythicshadow Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 3:36 am
welcome to amerika

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv3yuRdD2oE
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 6:27 am
“Shock and Awe” from 337 Traitors in Congress!
‘what can We The People Do?’
THE PEOPLE’S PLAN: (start date: nov.3rd?)
1] Boycot everything (if they don’t get our money they have nothing)
2] Do not Pay any Bills (they can’t arrest all of us)
3] On one day [nov.3rd?] we all stay home from work (let the powers that be run their own dammed system)
4] The Plan will only work…if We The People have the GUTS to follow through…
5] Please my friends; country men and women…add to The Plan!
6]…this space is for “add-ons’ to The Plan!
7] now; for those who say: ‘we do not have a Plan?’…well i have just started one…
TOGETHER WE STAND AS ONE…alone we fall…one at a time!
footnote: ‘pass the Plan around and “C” what other Truth and Freedom Seekers think!’
Tom Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Very well written article and nice response about NORAD by Dean Jackson.

It would be instructive for Americans everywhere to pay attention to what this website (Prison Planet) says! It also would be useful to read Naomi Klein’s excellent book, “The Shock Doctrine, the Rise of Disaster Capitalism.” It just came out in paperback.

What Chris Floyd explains so well would be further understood with the analysis Ms. Klein provides. Straight out of the Milton Freidman Chicago School of Economics is “The Shock Doctrine.” A shock–military or economic is always required to get through unpopular economic programs. Although they’re always packaged as “for the people” this is never the case! They’re for the profits of corporations. Such claims are also butressed by John Perkins in his book, “Confessions of An Economic Hit Man.”

I called my congressmen and complained about this dismal “bailout bill” as did millions of other Americans. As a nutritionist, I’m often sad at how poorly people take care of their health and also, how poorly the doctors do in implimenting basic holistic protocols in getting their patients (truly) better. Now I have to add the profound sadness (not that I didn’t have some anger before), that our nation’s leaders don’t even care a LITTLE bit about the people they’ve been sworn to serve.
vasas Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Just wanted to remind people, that Obama and McCain were apart of this deal.. Not just, Obama.
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Well spoken ‘C’. Now if we can get the rest of the country to GET OFF THEIR LAZY ASS and take their country back. Somehow there must be a way to open their eyes since they still religiously watch mainstream news and take it as ‘the gospel’. Their rainbows-and-butterflies mentality will be broken soon, and they’ll finally wake up the morning of D-day. They still think us ‘truthers’ are foil-hat wearing wierdos. Regardless, I would like to add to your plan with the following:
* Change your W-4’s to ‘tax exempt’ or ‘9 deductions’ and refuse paying the IRS
* Stockpile everything (they are already doing this)
* hang your flag upside down
* Close your 401-k account (dollar will be worthless by the time you retire)
Keith Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 8:43 am
For those who are upset by the Wall Street bailout, there is an effective way to protest. Simply move your money out of financial institutions with federal charters, and into financial institutions with state charters (state banks, etc…). You’ll still get all the security and will send a powerful message to Washington that they can mess around all they want, but We The People are still the ones who can bring down the giants like J.P. Morgan / Chase.
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 9:04 am
THE PEOPLE’S PLAN Update:
6] OldSchool says: Change W-4 Tax to: exempt/or 9 deductions (do not PAY TAXES)
Stockpile everything (food, water, gas, guns…ect…)
Hang your flag upside down (means death to our nation/by the Nazi’s)
Close your 401-K accounts (buy food, gold, silver, and guns)
Thank-you OldSchool; for having the GUTS to add to the PLAN and these are all GREAT IDEA’S!
(full PLAN is # 3 on this message board…please pass it around for more ‘add-ons’)
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Why wait until Nov 3rd? Now is a good time. We need to gear up and pull the rug out from under THEM first!!
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 10:45 am
The 3rd of nov. would give us a target date..needed to rally the TROOPS! even if the enemy knows the date..they do not know the hour; when..1/10 of the population [arx.270,000] start to leave their jobs; some at midnight and some at noon…all on one DAY…nov. 3rd?
WE The People can stop the hands on the clock…because We are the Gears that run the Clock!
This will take GUTS, COURAGE, HONOR and our Pledge to One another; our Lives, Fortunes, and Love for God and each other…thank-you OldSchool, my friend..and pick a date; we’ll Rally The Troops. Victory is only ours! if we are willing to fight!
P Renaud Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Here’s an add-on:

NOBODY VOTE!! The machines are rigged and we all saw what happened with the count in NH this year… The criminals can’t change your vote if you don’t give them one.
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
THE PEOPE’S PLAN: update/add-on’s
6] P Renaud says: “NOBODY VOTE”

thank-you my friend..keep the add-on’s flowing…
TOGETHER WE STAND AS ONE…alone we fall…one at at time!
Kurt Peer Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I agree with most of the article, but not the part about if Obama is elected political opposition and the condemnation of police action will be nil because he’s a Democrat – I think if he’s elected and such actions occur many will finally wake up to the fact that the Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans (or worse – what’s worse: outright scum (R) or scum disguised (D).) This is NOT to say I want McCain/Palin to win – quite the opposite – the notion of those two is simply unthinkable – Laurel and Hardy. It would be nice to see Obama in there, and maybe it’ll be a wake-up call.
sUE Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
WAKE UP, SHEEPLE! WE ARE,ARE,ARE IN END TIMES! FACT! Only God and Jesus can save us, FACT! And I strongly suggest all you Jews and non-believer’s get your heads out of your asses and HONESTLY and sincerely ask for Jesus into your hearts and lives and NOW! IF you don’t want to fry in hell forever! WAKE UP! There IS a living, merciful, loving God who is our awesome Father, who sent his ONLY begotten Son down to die for our sins! BOTH are alive and Jesus sits on right hand of God our Father and you sheeple had better repent and ask for forgiveness and ask for Jesus to come into your hearts and lives so you can be saved and NOW! WAKE UP YOU MORONS, WE ARE,ARE,ARE,ARE IN END TIMES AND TIMES WILL KEEP GETTING WORSE AND WORSE TIL JESUS COMES AGAIN! FACTS! We have a merciful loving Father in heaven who loves us and who is PURE LOVE, I know because he has spoken to me before, LITERALLY spoken to me! HE IS ALIVE and so is Jesus ALIVE TOO! WAKE UP and be saved before it is too late and you burn in hell forever!
sUE Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
WAKE UP YOU STUPID SHEEPLE! WAKE THE HELL UP AND NOW! THEY ARE ALL, ALL, ALL IN COHOOTS TOGETHER AND ALL WORSHIP SATAN, I KID YOU NOT! ALL ARE PART OF PURE EVIL COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS WHO ALONG WITH FREEMASON’S AND KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AND SKULL AND BONES AND OTHER PURE EVIL SECRET ORGANIZATIONS, WORSHIP SATAN! That is WHY the Bible forbids secret organizations! Our ONLY help and hope is Jesus and God! PERIOD! WE ARE IN THE END TIMES, YOU IDIOTS! FACT! WAKE UP to that fact! Things will keep getting worse and worse and American sheeple SHOULD have had a REAL revolution LONG before now!
Publius Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
This bizarre willingness of Americans to embrace “Jesus” instead of realistically confronting the realities of doing worldly battle with worldly foes makes for a easily-dominated populace.

Let’s be clear: the “end times” are certainly not coming. Christians have been avoiding dealing with reality for many, many centuries by claiming the “end times” are just around the bend (”Except this time, it really IS around the corner!”). They’re nuts to think such ridiculous nonsense, and more importantly, they are being stupidly foolish.

The world is not going to end. So wake up and stop yearning for the Apocalpse – it’s plain sick to do so, anyway.

“God” won’t help the cause of Liberty by conveniently destroying the world.

We’ll just have to fight wordly battles here on earth and leave God out of things. Plenty of time for God when you’re in the grave.
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
BC to AD..and Jesus in the middle? a GOD? Bizarre?
Oh,Publius; how have you fallen from grace? to the end time shall thou go..!
baffled Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
You got to check out the new zeitgiest, just released

http://video.google.com/videop.....7695921912
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I, for one, refuse to discuss religion and politics at the same time, especially in this thread. Even though the NEO’S are following Revelations, my position is to survive and enjoy my freedom and independance. Sure our demise is being enabled via the prophecy of the Bible and our govt acts on behalf of all that is immoral and satanic. The end result is – you will survive or you will die in a fiery chamber in a FEMA camp.
Point being, survival, freedom, courage and independance are the stakes. As for me, I have a plan. Do you?
I would much rather be stocked, ready, and wrong, instead of right and standing in the FEMA line because I had no food, water, and safe haven.
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
“Love is an action; not just a word…
Love means: two or more (you can not love alone)
Love means: give and not recieve (you can not give; if you are alone)
Love means; WE THE PEOPLE; as ONE ACT of Love we free eachother (you can not act alone)
…that is the ACTION of the WORD: LOVE..!”

(why did i write about love?…because: Truth and Freedom is a love for one another!)
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’m thinkin midnight Halloween night would be a good time to kick this off. Start things off with a ‘trick’ so to speak….
et Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
#18

You are so confused. God left out of things is the reason we are where we are. When I was a kid we had guns in our cars. Not to invade the school but to hunt after school. Yes we said prayers in school and one nation under God was an important part of the pledge. We didn’t have gangs destroying public and private property with graffiti. Parents raised their kids, not dump them on society and let the TV be their source of education. Yes if need be I will stand up and bear arms to defend my rights and yours. But God is coming with his judgement and NOTHING you can do will save you, unless you embrace him and ask for forgiveness for your sins. If you take God out, there’s only one thing left.. eternal damnation. I’m not scared of death, only spending the rest of my existence living in hell on earth. God gave us this country and he’s the reason God is mentioned so many times in the declaration. If we all prayed then we wouldn’t be here, talking about how screwed up our world was.

Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I prefer to leave god and jesus out of this. Speaking to invaders or martial law enforcers about what jesus wants is pointless. I say ‘praise jesus and pass the ammunition’
"C" Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
11:59 10-31- 2008
“Knock..Knock”
..Trick or Treat…
ARE WE THE PEOPLE READY TO ANSWER THE DOOR…
…the night of evil..is upon us once more!
The October suprize?
our date will be sometime in november..for this is a month for US to remember…
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I’m still wondering about their ‘October Surprise’. What has the CIA cooked up for us this time? Oh wait….did I say CIA? I meant Bin Laden my bad…..
OldSchool Says:
October 5th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
et, forgot the part in the pledge that says “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all’
rlilewis Says:
October 6th, 2008 at 4:29 am
i knew this would get passed, there was no stopping it once the media had whipped the public into a frenzy and directed them towards congress…
Thomas Says:
October 6th, 2008 at 9:56 am
In Denmark they solved the bank issue with all the banks must pay 35 bil( if compared to USA pupulation would be around 500 bill dollars) to a fund. In that fund the banks can get money if they would need it. So they will payit by them self.
So it can be done without taxpayers money.

Best wishes from Denmark
sUE Says:
October 6th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Publius, Your soo very, very WRONG!