Of the Inquisition and the Patriot Act/Safe Act

Gary C Gibson - 11:38am Apr 6, 2005 EDT (#30 of 30) Eisenhauer 61'In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for disatrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist'

Perhaps the Spanish painter Goya encountered the same sort of difficulties regarding bureaucrats and their quest for absolute power during his life in the first half of the 19th century. After apprenticing and experiencing the civil war he did a series of paintings of the wealthy some of which might irritate the Inquisition that still flourished. Although Goya had previously given all of his paintings to a monarch that might be of interest to the Inquisition, after the monarch died he eventually moved to Bordeaux only to die in 1928.

Saul Bellow wrote a brief novel about modern chaos titled 'Seize the Day' generally about a young fellow doing futures trading unsuccessfully. It may be difficult for the U.S. Public to ever 'seize the day' such as has the President with his advisers in attacking social security, perhaps the world bank, and building the greatest budget deficit in world history before retiring to leave the taxpayers holding the bag in 2008.

Security may be a correllative issue that the public falls behind the curve of, perhaps losing sight of a third of the 1000 points of light that fall from the sky as the horizon of the world expands politically to occlude their perspective. In reenforcing the Arizona border with more than a hundred customs agents, the President has removed border control officers from Texas leaving it wide open to illegal alien entry comparatively.

From El Paso or Juarez there is a 70 mile border on Nex Mexico that also permits a fair chance at surruptitous entry. If one goes over the border it justs 35 miles to I-10, and other roads that aren't patrolled exist beyond as pick up points for illegal alien taxi services.

The administration wants to require a passport for Alaskans to get into the U.S.A. through Canada, and presumably for Americans to get into Alaska via land as well. Its a remarkable requirement that is part of the reason why it is so difficult to leave southeast Alaska, earn a few dollars annual outside painting, and return north. I can't think of another state that requires a U.S. Passport to travel too (that costs a 100 dollars or so), international bus tickets, 300 dollars to cross customs and etc.

Picketed Fences

Pick the time, set the stage
take the world to another age
it grows cold as the Earth warms
sense sold in to the night

3 plus 5 equals 35
a budget plan predicts prosperity
with the slaughtered forests
exterminated species moved for oiled sheens
of no mind as illusory matrix

Passport into Alaska
remain rem sleeping in Canada
freezing by the node waiting at the gate
emblizzard’d without the weight

Of that Midland
over the trails of Deese and Burwash
Frederick Whymper following bureaucrats of Kluane
counting fields and caste towers
of Moose nuggets
in oil formed furs
after lems of Destruction Bay
deleted-for-others.