Coughing up $4 fees for ATM transactions. Iron-clad cell phone contracts you can’t get out of with a crowbar. Paying big bucks for insurance you don’t need on a rental car or forking over $20 a day for supposedly “free” wireless internet. Every day we use banks, cell phones, and credit cards. Every day we book hotels and airline tickets. And every day we get ripped off.
How? Here are just a few examples of how big business can get you:
• You didn’t fill up the rental car with gas?
Gotcha! Gas costs $7 a gallon here.
• Your bank balance fell to $999.99 for one day?
Gotcha! That’ll be $12.
• You miss one payment on that 18-month same-as-cash loan?
Gotcha! That’ll be $512 extra.
• You’re one day late on that electric bill?
Gotcha! All your credit cards now have a 29.99% interest rate.
But not for much longer. In Gotcha Capitalism, MSNBC.com’s “Red Tape Chronicles” columnist Bob Sullivan exposes the ways we’re all cheated by big business, and teaches us how to get our money back–proven strategies that can help you save more than $1,000 a year.
The principle known as “Ockham’s razor” states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory. In layman’s terms, we shouldn’t make any assertions for which we have no proof.
The assertion has been made that the attacks on America on September 11, 2001 were carried out by alleged Arab terrorists affiliated with Al Qaida, under orders from Osama Bin Laden. Somehow that led to a war against Al Qaida in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
While the news media reported that the hunt was on for Osama Bin Laden, the suspect in question was laying in a hospital bed in DuBai under the care of American physicians. Where did the media get their information that Osama was responsible for the attack? Did they get it from the White House whose occupant has strong business ties with the Bin Laden family? And if Osama was in fact the culprit, why did the news report his whereabouts unknown when the United States government knew the exact location of Osama Bin Laden?
Why did prompted the sudden shift off of Bin Laden in Saudi Arabia and onto Al Qaida in Afghanistan? Is it a mere coincidence that Vice President Dick Cheney had a significant stake in Halliburton which in turn had a significant stake in the oil pipeline being laid through Afghanistan? Is it a coincidence that oil prices suddenly made the rich filthy rich while causing the perception of a global oil crisis? Is it a coincidence that Condoleeza Rice had an oil tanker named after her?
Then how did we jump from Al Qiada in Afghanistan to Saddam Hussein in Iraq? How was Saddam responsible for 9/11? Why did the Bush Administration lie about Weapons of Mass Destruction? And when none of the lies were as effective as it was hoped they would be, how did we go from finding those responsible for 9/11 to liberating Iraq from a tyrannical dictator?
The Florida election that allegedly gave George Bush the Presidency was eventually proven to be a fraud. Whether the election was fixed, stolen or bought - it wasn’t legal. Chaos followed.
Today it seems the masses have gone along with the official story about what happened on 9/11. Careful and independent investigators have found all kinds of holes in the official story. Perhaps because the questions raised aren’t from “professional” or “traditionally accepted sources,” the American public is skeptical. The fact remains, however, that there is little if any proof corroborating the official story. The documentary “Loose Change” does an excellent job of highlighting some of these discrepancies.
What does it all mean? Maybe Y2k was nothing more than a social experiment - a preliminary run at guaging social psychology and behavior. Marry that to the “Shock & Awe” doctrine espoused by the Bush Administration and the picture becomes clearer. Become a student of history, sociology, politics, psychology, finance and economics - and you get more of the picture. It means that somebody is paying attention. Is it you?
Michael Tarif Warren is a high profile attorney who has been practicing law for 28 years. His wife Evelyn, is also an attorney. Mr. Warren is a human rights attorney known for handling cases of police brutality, including those of Michael Stewart, Yvonne Smallwood, and the five young black teenagers falsely convicted of raping the white bank executive “the Central Park Jogger.” On Thursday, June 21, 2007 Mr. and Mrs. Warren became victims of police abuse in Brooklyn.
What Happened?
Attorney Michael Tarif Warren and his wife Evelyn were driving along Vanderbilt Avenue around 6:00 pm, when they witnessed NYPD officers “kicking and stomping” a handcuffed young black man. The Warrens pulled over to help.
Mr. Warren said “We saw a young kid being chased by a horde of policemen across a McDonald’s parking lot. They tackled him and immediately put handcuffs on him. Then Sergeant Talvy, who appeared to be in charge, began kicking him in the head and ribs, and stomping him on the neck.” The other police officers followed suit. “They literally gave this kid a beating which was unconscionable.”
“Not only as people of conscience and moral decency, but as lawyers, we said this is outrageous.” They arrived and stood “more than ten feet away,” he said. Mr. Warren told Sergeant Talvy they were lawyers, and told him to stop and just take the young man to the precinct. In response he said, “Talvy shouted, I don’t give a f**k who you are, get the f**k back in your car!”
They returned to their car, and Mr. Warren began to write down the license plate numbers of the police vehicles as they watched them put the bleeding young man in a car. “Then Talvy comes to my car and viciously attacks me, repeatedly punching me through the window. Shouting, ‘Get out of the car!’ He dragged me out of the car, ripping my shirt and pants. My wife, very upset, asked him why are you doing this? He then punched her in the face.” Both were arrested and taken to the 77th precinct charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Quickly, word of the Warrens arrest spread, and several hundred people descended on the 77th Precinct demanding his release. Organizations including the December 12th Movement, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Malcolm X Grassroots, International Action Center, CEMOTAP, the Muslim community, the Haitian community and many others were present and several media outlets were on hand.
NYC Councilman Charles Barron, Attorneys Roger Wareham, Reginald Haley, and Marisa Benton began negotiating their release with Brooklyn’s top brass, including Community Affairs Chief Douglas Zeigler, Brooklyn Borough Commander Chief Gerald Nelson, and 77th Precinct Executive Officer Michael Marino. At approximately 10:30 PM Evelyn Warren was released with a DAT (desk appearance ticket), Michael Warren was released with a DAT at 11:30 PM.
Councilman Barron and other community activists are demanding Talvy be fired and that Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hines “drop the charges (against the Warrens) and charge the police.” He stated, “Police who murder and assault us must be charged with crimes and put in jail. That is the only deterrent.”
Evelyn Warren added, “We are professionals, if they do this to us in broad daylight on a crowded street, what do they do in the dark when no one is around? That’s what I’m concerned about. Officer Talvy must go and Police Commissioner Kelly must go, because his policy allows this behavior to continue.”
If charges against them are not dropped, Michael and Evelyn Warren vow to take the case to trial and use it as a community mobilizing and educating tool to fight police brutality.
What We Can Do
The New York Police Department and Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hines regularly ignore cases where racist police officers assault and murder civilians. We are a volunteer group of relatives, neighbors, friends and community members determined to become informed and support the Warren’s in their quest for justice. Join us.
(1) INFORM everyone about this case.
(2) MOBILIZE everyone for the upcoming court dates.
(3) SIGN UP for regular emails about updates, court dates and community support events (click here). Sign up all your friends.
(4) GET TOGETHER with neighbors, friends, family, members of your faith community, etc. and hold events to raise awareness of this case
(5) WRITE the Mayor and Police Commissioner.
Come back to this website and stay informed. Thank you.
NEXT COURT DATES:
September 12, Wednesday
Evelyn - 2:00 p.m.
New York City Summons Part
Courtroom 3
346 Broadway
New York, New York
October 23, Tuesday
Michael Tarif - 9:30 a.m.
Criminal Court, AP2
120 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn, New York
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Not surprisingly, La Salle Parish Judge J.P. Mauffrey Jr. denied several motions put forward by Mychal Bell’s lawyers in the parish courthouse yesterday. Mauffrey did remand the conspiracy charge to juvenile court but did not acquit Bell of the charge despite a lack of evidence. Further, the judge upheld adult court jurisdiction over Bell’s second-degree battery conviction. Mychal Bell’s sentencing is set for September 20 where the maximum sentence is now 15 years instead of 22.5.
Bell’s lawyers will be appealing the denied motions in the 3rd District Court of Appeals, hoping to receive a positive judgment before September 20. The lawyers admit there are still lots of “hoops” to jump through and that the nuances involved in this case will be “unchartered territory” for Louisiana law.
Bob Noel, one of Bell’s lawyers, called the trial and conviction in adult court as District Attorney Reed Walters’ “bait-and-switch,” wherein he charged the teen with attempted murder to get the case in adult court and then reduced the charge right before the trial–a charge that would have been handled in juvenile court.
Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw saw their charges reduced from second-degree attempted murder to second-degree battery earlier in the day. Jones trial has been set for January 28 at 9am. Shaw’s has not been set. The other three youth are still charged with attempted murder at this time.
David W. Foley, President and Chief Executive Officer, has been with WSI since 2001. He served over 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a General Officer. General Foley’s military assignments include service as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and Commandant of the U.S. Army Military Police School. Mr. Foley and his wife Pam reside in Florida.
Paul Donahue, Chief Operating Officer, has been with WSI since 1994. He holds an MBA from Palm Beach Atlantic College and a BBA from the University of Miami. Prior to his promotion to Chief Operating Officer Mr. Donahue served as the Executive Vice President and General manager of the Gulf States Region. He previously served as Executive Vice President and CFO of WSI. Mr. Donahue resides in Florida with his wife Anna and their two children.
Laura V. Thomas, Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, joined WSI in 1196. She graduated from Auburn University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Prior to her promotion to CFO Mrs. Thomas was serving as Vice President and Controller of WSI. Mrs. Thomas resides in Florida with her husband Brook.
WSI Board of Directors
Admiral David E. Jeremiah (Ret.), Chairman of the Board, is Chairman of Technology Strategies & Alliances Corporation. His distinguished military career culminated with four years of service as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His previous assignments included Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet; Director of Navy Program Planning, and in financial planning positions on the staffs of the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Naval Operations. In 1986 he led combat operations against Libya in the Gulf of Sidra, and in 1985 he directed the capture of the Achille Lauro hijackers. He is currently serving as a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a National Reconnaissance Office of Technology Advisory Group and other National Security Panels. Admiral Jeremiah resides in Virginia with his wife Connie.
James L. Long III, Vice Chairman of the Board and Director, has been with WSI since 1991. He has a strong background in security, law enforcement and aviation and has either worked for or with the U.S. government for the past 41 years. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Business Management from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and Secondary Education from the University of Tampa. Mr. Long served for 22 years in the U.S. Army. He retired in 1987 and ran high security operations at three major nuclear weapon component facilities prior to becoming the CEO of WSI. During his military career, he commanded military operations in the U.S. and overseas and had multiple combat tours in Vietnam and Grenada. Mr. Long resides in Florida with his wife Betsy and has three adult children who also reside in Florida.
Dr. John S. Foster, Jr., Director, holds a Doctorate Degree in physics from the University of California and has served in sensitive positions involving national security for the past 62 years. His many defense related positions include a decade of service as Director of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, and 8 years as Director of Defense Research and Engineering for the Department of Defense. He has served on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the Air Force Science Advisory Board, the Army Scientific Advisory Panel and currently is a member of the Defense Science Board. Dr. Foster resides in California with his wife Fran.
Carol B. Hallett, Director, is currently serving as Counselor to the United States Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Hallett’s distinguished career includes service as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air Transport Association of America, Commissioner of the United States Customs Service and United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. From 2001 to 2006 she served as a member of the National Security Advisory Panel to the Director of Central Intelligence. Ms. Hallett served three terms in the California State Assembly including service as the Minority Leader from 1979 to 1982. She and her husband Jim reside in Virginia.
Troy E. Wade, Director, is Chairman of the Nevada Alliance for Defense, Energy and Business. Mr. Wade served over 31 years with the Department of Energy retiring as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Defense Programs. In this capacity he was responsible for the design, manufacture and maintenance of the United States Nuclear Weapon stockpile during critical cold war era years. Other important Energy Department assignments include Manager of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and Deputy Manager of the Nevada Test Site. He is currently serving on the Department of Energy panel examining the appropriate role for the Nevada Test Site in the nuclear weapon Stockpile Stewardship program. Mr. Wade resides in Nevada with his wife Mary.
David W. Foley, Director. See bio above.
The GEO Board of Directors (from left to right):
Seated: Wayne H. Calabrese, George C. Zoley, Norman A. Carlson. Standing: John M. Palms, Richard H. Glanton, Anne N. Foreman, John M. Perzel.
George C. Zoley
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer
and Founder
The GEO Group, Inc.
Wayne H. Calabrese
Vice Chairman
President and Chief Operating Officer
The GEO Group, Inc.
In the modern classic science fiction movie a technologically advanced alien from a corrupt and dying civilization discovers earth and seeks to conquer and enslave its people to insure a new beginning for itself and its kind.
Sometimes, though, science fiction is really science fact.
The last scenes from Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto come to mind. The main character, running for his life, has collapsed, exhausted, on a beach, with no where left to run. He has come to the edge of his world, with no choice but to meet his fate at the hands of his enemy. But death is distracted as the pursuing warriors are awestruck by the vision before them. On the ocean, just off shore, are giant alien craft from which men clothed in gleaming metal and carrying strange weapons emerge. History records what happened next. Entire nations of people known as the American Indian have been decimated. Volumes of historical ink, from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the divvying up of the African continent by European nations - right up to the Wars in Vietnam and Iraq, all suggest that this, in fact, is the way of the world.
Secret Sins
Racism is mis-defined so much that it is like listening to people mispronounce the word “jewelry” so often that its mispronunciation becomes acceptable. Racism is an institution of power and therefore racist behavior can only be perpetrated by one belonging to its established power structure. By definition, Black people in America cannot be racists. While it can be stated as a natural fact that everyone has their prejudices, to discriminate in and of itself is not an evil, for we all have tastes and preferences. But to systematically disenfranchise out of ignorance and malice without any sense of justice, or abide by such practices is inherently evil.
Orphaned Sons
Proponents of conversation argue that by naming a thing and then having open and honest dialogue about it, removes the veil of ignorance cloaking it and thus strips it of its power. It renders the thing naked and subject to the criticism of those whom it has previously terrorized. It becomes, for all intent and purpose… disempowered.
A monster is only terrifying when its would-be victims feel powerless against it. Identify what it is, how it works and what its weaknesses are and you have a chance at defeating it. Remember, David slew Goliath.
Without a teat to suckle from, Racism’s sons will grow weak and their power will diminish. They will hold out, fortified as best they can against the onslaught of time and tide, but ultimately they will die out, like the children of Israel left in the wilderness – the promise of a new beginning denied them for their hardheadedness.
There is an argument which states that Racism is a punishment for God’s chosen for having turned away from Him. Much is elaborated on at this website and I won’t spend much time going into it now only to say that it is an interesting perspective deserving of some study.
If a thousand people were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood.
– Henry David Thoreau
“On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”
Only for the brave
The Peace Form is for people who want to register a protest to paying taxes for war, or people who choose to refuse to pay some or all of their federal taxes because they are spent on war.
