mahak

Haribol, stoney, i think i remember. another time, it was pouring down rain, and the lecture was prthu and arci. Phenop would usually start, and build, and then siddha would come into the room and the whole thing would explode. The boy scout camp retreat was another event worth mentioning, electric kirtanas, and another one quite a few years earlier (you may have been tryin to get to SA at the time) at a park at the end of the road in Kauai. Im sure garuda still adds his expertise to the congas, but no one played a cow bell like phenop. Hare krsna, ys, mahak

Mercy Ship c.1993, mahaksadasa You came into my life from oh so far, Riding through my mind in Subhadra's car, Without a single purpose but to save the world. Your Song has mor power than all the missles they have hurled. All the holy men came to show the way. Many people listened to what they had to say. Some of them insane, some just went to other things, Not knowing the difference between soldiers and Kings. They wanted to steal my mind, take away my land, A trade for a philosophy no one can understand. They prey on people' greed, take advantage of their fear. They say anything the people want to hear. Tricks, treachery, cheap words, and smiling nods, Are needed to convince the ignorant they are gods. Crime, poverty, death, gods exposed as fools, Tossed around like ants into giant whirlpools. But You did not come to advertize Your name. You had no pressing needs to strive for selfish fame. You have what you are given, and to me You bring, Matchless Gifts, if I would only dance and sing. You have gone back to Vrndavana, left me all alone, On these streets of Armageddon, weary to the bone. Yet You leave Your loving Lifeline, waiting for my grip. Through these dreadful waters, You guide the Mercy Ship.

Haribol. I do not like being confrontational. An old Krsna e group, the Garuda express, sometimes got a bit confrontational, but I was called the dear abby of garuda by a contributor because of my non-confrontational attitude. That said, there is no confrontation with the christians that I speak of, and the church loyal moslems, jews and hindus as well. Their teachers teach vaisnavism, but they reject and pretend that impersonal eccliastic religion is the goal of life. They are worse than hedonists. Association with gross matter addicts is never recommended, but these folks can be reached via the preaching method devised by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, the humble persuasion, the injection of dharma-friendly topics in everyday conversation. Hedonists respond, and quite well. Srila Prabhupada made hedonists into devotees, it was the religionists who employed the likes of ted patrick and other so-called deprogrammers. I used to tell folks the best way to get rid of mormons or JWs who invade one's privacy is to warmly chant hare krsna and proceed to tell them about the concept of aham brahmasmi. Your home will be marked, and they will never come back. (The mormons might, because they seem to have open minds and their theology is revolutionary). I worked on a military facility, top secret, for the last twenty years until 2002, and had great preaching success with followers of Lord Jesus Christ. Only one captain of sixteen submarine crews rejected a new bhagavad gita as it is for the ships library. A human resource officer jumped on my bandwagon when someone defaced my locker that had a picture of Sri Sri Krsna Balarama. But these "victims" of my preaching ewfforts were the exception rather than the rule. One mention of life beyond the physical body, outside the realm of the time factor, one mention of God having a wife (even though the word Israel translates as the wife of god), or even that jesus can be personally associated with, well, they would kill me if they could, and think that jesus gave power and permission for such killing. Christians are contemptable, as are jews, hindus and muslims. These are the kali yuga religions that Krsna wishes us to give up in favor of surrendering to Him. Some go well beyond the confines of eccliastic religiosity, but they become pariahs of their own congregations. The only churches that accept those who see the fire instead of the smoke created by mental speculation are groups who believe in everything, unitarians, who may be pious, but have no direction. Comes down to one issue, guru tattwa, and how does one activate such a miracle available to all without cost, or at the cost of tears from the nervous breakdown which makes one surrender to God. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, well, the british invasion hit me here, with all my comments about the yardbirds, traffic, et al. But these groups are still available, I can even access Harrison's wonderbar album, and pete townsends solo, Who came first, can also be had. But not a-cid symphony, not the collectors, no fairport convention, no illinois speed press. These are "long lost" goldies. Another group, the shaggy dog arthur lee of LOVE (not alvin lee of ten years after). Both of these lees need mention here, LOVE was a great group, many great songs. Ten years after was also a great group, not by the trash that got promoted with woodstock, which alvin lee even agreed that im goin home was trash for the masses. TYA had a song, "id love to change the world" that is profound in todays climate. Now with the yardbirds, shapes of things was unreal in the guitar department, as was happenings ten years time ago, and Im a man. I especially must mention the groups I saw, not howlin wolf, not jl hooker, but bo diddley, I saw him. Dave van ronk was a folkie of great ballads, and I even saw phil ochs and MC5, and kicked out the jams with those artists (which explains my radical bent on things political). I saw hoyt axton many times, and I saw jimi once where he was horrible, but eric burdon and the animals followed him with just about the best show ever, a 30 minute bagpipe version of sky pilot bropught the horrors of vietnam right into the orange county wilderness. Today, I jump, and mention honorably groups that have no honor, the clash sandinistha album, and johnny lydons public image ltd generic album, and the sex pistols as well. And the reggae crowd that worships the supreme person, ras michael and the berekley crowd, pablo moses, rankin screw and ginger, della grant, and the twinkle brothers. Saw the whole crowd regularly at Island reggaefest of duncan bc, the most wonderful annual event for four or five years in the early 90's. Mutabaruka and sistah breeze, poets extraordinaire. I be ramblin in nostalgia. Maybe we can purify a bit by runnin some memories of great kirtanas, like the big battles in front of subhadras cart at SF, with sudama, visnu jnana, bahudaka, and even guru krpa had a way of movin the throngs. I especially like a jam I was fortunate to take part in, with brahmananda, jivananda, phenop, balakhilya in haiku. I still got that tape, and the music continued even while all the devotees were looking around, awestruck. Sukadeva had a great kirtana, but when I took part, it was not nice because I was threatened that day, I couldnt bow down to a dude who I saw two nights previous with a coke-ho at a disco lounge in encino. (What was I doin there? Valid question. Ill take the pete townsend approach, research. What he was doing there is the issue, and I didnt bow on sunday, had a great kirtana led by sukadeva, and left, never to return to this day. Kirtana leaders? Siddhas the best, all who have been there agree. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa Fear not, the hard groups and bluesers arent overpowering here, and ill pit the 15 year old gene pitney with any of them for raw talent.

Traffic, way cool, but how bout Spirit, the 12 dsreams of Dr sardonicus. (BTW I ate good prasadam at LA temple with mark andes and jay ferguson in those days, we was all guests of the temple.) And blind faith, such potency for a one-album wonder. Now for you canadians, what about the collectors "lydia purple" or "what is love". The collectors would be a collectors item, the what is love album was sublime, Ottawa's answer to the doors. Keep em coming, haribol. quiz, what yardbirds song has jimmy, eric and jeff in a three guitar extravaganza. (I think there were about three of em) Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol. Your note rings quite true, which is why christianity cannot claim Vaisnavism, though their asserted leader, Lord Jesus Christ, is fully accepted. Christianity is a product of political man, and the so-called religion practiced is banned by Srila Rupa Goswami, as eccliastic religion. Lord Jesus Christ clearly states (why this wasnt deleted by the councils, Ill never know), "In the years to come, many will come in My name, healing the sick, raising the dead, but I know them not, they are not mine, for they fail to do the will of My Father. I will say to them, 'Get away from me, for you only perform evil'" We see this today, christians non-different from hypocrit muslims, hindus and jews as well, all groups with potential to be vaisnavic by their line of lover's of the Supreme Lord and doers of His will. Religionists who cannot ever concieve of comparitive religious study because of their false identification with the self. Their clan, their congregation, their synods. Their false identification with their stupid and temporary causes to the point of artificially pretending their masters approve of their demniac behavior. The world has had enough of these workers of iniquity, the christians, hindus, jews, muslims, all claiming to be doing the works of the church, but all failing miserably in developing the compassion, the toleration, the (god forbid) the transcendence, failing to do the will of the Supreme Lord, the Father of Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus teaches humility and love of god and others. He does not preach salvation, he in fact denies this as a goal beyond selfishness. The Bhakti he presents, initiated by recitation of the Lord's Prayer with sincerity and promise to adhere to the ideas presented therein, will lead one to devotion in both servitude, and friendship. While the higher rasas of parental and conjugal affection yoga are subtly touched upon via His line (not just the bible, which is a compilation of about 50 separate books, but the thousands of volumes still being discovered as authentic, beyond the scope of paulist religiosity), the friendship and servitude can be fully attained through His via-medium mission on behalf of His Father. So, if one offends paundraka pretender christians, no sweat, for they are more offensive than the hedonists without pretense about what they hold valuable. Those who are followers of Lord Jesus Christ have full capacity to render all respect to all that is said about the Father, I have experianced this type of follower. They keep away from churches with a passion, and they would never even consider to become a republican (or democrat, for that matter). Ramblin, but I hope yall catch my drift. Comparing religions is easy in this age, all of them are man-made idiocy. Bhagavad Gita is very clear in total summary of the king of knowledge, raja-vidya, "Give up all religions, and do the will of the Father." Jesus says this as well, in the simplest of terms, "our Father, of the Spiritual Realm, all glories to your Holy Name". hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, here are some other faves obscured by clouds - pink floyd after bathing at baxters - jefferson airplane

Haribol, I was reading the speculations about Jesus and the Veda, and decided that it was getting unwieldly there (Thanks, Jagat, for the word you used to correct the old mela). About resurrection, it never happened, because Lord Jesus did not die. I always wonder about . theology, they say that jesus is god and then he died at the hands of roman and jewish assassins. Talk about speculation. Krsna confirms that whenever there is a decline in religion, He descends. There are certainly the scheduled avatars, but Krsna is not bound by the Veda, he comes and goes as he pleases. Plus, he reserves the right to send anyone of his associates anywhere he (or they) want to go. The saktiavesa avatars are often jivas who are fixed up in swarup, and often, these folks are travelers, like Narada Muni. When they appear, Krsna is said to appear as well, because there is oneness in purpose with the mission of God and the mission of his unalloyed se4rvants. Such avatars are not controlled by material nature, they are born and they die at their own whim. Death never overtook Lord Jesus, so there is no question of resurrection. This magic is an invention by those who feel the need to FORTIFY their theology. This need to FORTIFY jesus by having him mentioned in the veda is also inventive. Lord Jesus needs no mundane fortification for justification. Also, Veda is never possessed or contained, itsd nothing like the bible that has been ruined by man by political mechanations, cut and dried. Veda also means the histories and the Author Himself, Srila Vyasadeva, has expanded the veda to mean "any writing that describes the name, fame, pastimes, associates, etc, are acceptable by those who are fully honest". So, maybe I cant see Jesus on line 50 of the rg veda, or chapter 67 of the Visnu Purana, but since Srila Prabhupada, as well as predecessor acaryas like Bhaktivinode Thakur, describe Lord Jesus as a high calibre Vaisnava, I can accept the veda as such. The words from guru and sadhu comprise shastra, and nothing they mention about lord jesus christ goes against established shastra. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, theist, thanks for starting this topic instead of usin the other one. I just have a little time today, but I wanted to make a political point here. Kicinich's change, as alluded to on the other topic, is not a happy one for me. I never really appreciated those against abortion who nevertheless, did nothing about it. But, the fact that one candidate states he will not interfere with rowe vs wade does not necessarily disturb me for the following reason. The christian right and the neo-cons have a strong rhetorical platform on this rowe v wade issue, but where are they. These fanatics control all three branches of our government, yet rowe vs wade is not going anywhere. The problem with abortion is not that some 16 yo girl has an unwanted pregnancy, the problem is the abortion industry. As a multi billion dollar industry, neither the democrats nor republicans will tackle it. Some pro-life democrats such as kicinich are just honest about it. The best way to tackle the abortion problem is not by arresting 16 year old girls or physicians (though some physicians should be put out), it is in creating an atmosphere where abortion is not a requirement. This stance is not feasable to fanatic republicans who could care less about poverty stricken mothers, they are under some kind of voodoo when it comes to basic sex-ed, even discussions about celabacy and abstinance are taboo to such folks because they think sex is dirty and evil, and any kind of such discussion is some kind of sin. So the republicans, who despite their rhetoric will never hurt the abortion industry (though I do appreciate bush's partial birth ban, but this is not special, this is not a platform of anyone but the most demoniac, and the so-called "health of the mother" position has never been outlawed anyway). Their failure to have any kind of compassionate social programs for the poor only leads to solutions that are horrible. I go with the pro-life democrats, even those who promise to not interfere with r-v-w, because the final result of their work on the abortion problem (ie education, wic, etc) is that abortion is less and less necessary. Sorry I got political here, because you seem to be discussing karmic implications. Perhaps on the spiritual discussion board, we can tackle these issues, because there are implications that go way beyond abortion, i.e. the killing of the sperm, the killing of the ovum, equal issues as far as I am concerned. The life force is carried by the woman for nine months, but the same life force is carried by the male for two years (according to some sources, including Srila Prabhupada.) So, isnt masterbation another form of abortion in a strict sense? I hope this discussion does not get out of hand, I have worked life centers for over 25 years, but I have resigned because many who are supporters of life centers are just too wierd for me. They dont care about abortion of third worlders, or crack babies, the folks I tried to work with have no compassion at all for anyone, just want a rhetorical tool they think will sway the pious ignorant who love them sound bites. If the republicans were serious about overturning roe v wade, it could happen on monday, the congress, the executive branch and the supreme court are all controlled, so I think only a fool will use a position statement about roe v wade as a litmus test come election time. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

I do not need to enumerate all the foolish activities of this dry-drunk butcher. If you still sing his praises, I have only pity for you, and if you are the majority of this electorate, the pity extends to the denizens of the entire century of so-called "Pax Americana". I wish here only to delve into military strategy (which transcends political ideology, BTW). This arrogant man and his fascist handlers are wasting the U.S. military endowment while neglecting a rudimentary fact of military science. If a defeated military is not soon given full military duty by the occupying force, no buffer is created to stand between the innocent victims of brutality and those forced, by ksatriya dharma (i.e. obedience to order from superior officers, etc.), to inflict such demoralizing defeat. A quick exit of american forces is required, our troops are damaged and need the shelter of their own homeland. To engage the Republican Guard and Iraqi regular forces is necessary, and the operational requirement must be peacekeeping, meaning compassionate, yet firm, order. The granting of complete amnesty to a defeated military is the ONLY option for two basic reasons. 1. A stablized political climate which will prevent, by buffer, a bloody and extensive internal subversion, must be a priority production. The victor is crippled greatly by overextending the mission and ludicrous change from destruction to peacekeeping. NOTE: The U.S. is already a crippled victor and steps are absolutely required to support the troops by reassignment and medical and psychological repair. If immediate remedies are not forthcoming, not only does morale suffer, but the very real probability of mutiny, fraggin, etc. exponentially increases each day. 2. It is unreasonable to demand that defeated civilians and innocent non-combatants accept those who inflicted death and destruction on their homes as peacekeepers and men of good will. I wouldn't, nor would any stupid rednik amerikan. If amerika were defeated and occupation by the victor were to take place, the victor would be damned forever to snipers, bombers and all what we see in the daliy news. To be surprised at the killings of our soldiers by the Iraqis is also ludicrous, for we would all do the same thing in their shoes. Bush is too stupid for common sense solutions to the havok he alone has wreaked, without justification. Besides his low IQ and lack of any programs thought out by himself, his tex-mex, western movie jargon is out of place, and also glorifies a time (the old west illusion) where the demoniac manifest destiny policies were also engaged in genocide. Hope this line fills out. I ask the commenters relate to military strategy only, because bush is not worth debating his intellect. Everything he touches turns to catastrophe, and I just want to prevent a revolt against the office by the military, I wish to support the troops by honoring their commitment. To deny them rotation from the theater of operation is most disturbing, and rumsfeld should be arrested by the Generals immediately. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

Most people think "fanatic" when presented with "the only way" idealogies. And, the way these philosophies are presented will never erase such feelings either. But to get around this, which must be done because such terms are indeed in the context of the science of bhakti, we must understand that there is no one else referred to in such a statement. And, there can be many "the only ways" in the sense that absolute truth clears up all apparent contradiction. I accept that Lord Jesus Christ is my via medium to His Father, and I accept that Srila Prabhupada is my via medium to Krsna. In other words, Im on the chariot faced with all these opponants, and Krsna (in the form of Sri Guru and Gauranga) hold the key to my victory. The problem is hypocracy. King Yudhisthira defines hypocracy as "establishment of religious principle for others to follow". So we see a bunch of neophytes telling Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers that he is the only way? Or a bunch af born again babies refusing to mature and grow up saying someone they have no faith in is the only way to another's salvation? If one has a guru, be it Christ, Prabhupada, etc, the connection to god is there, and the way is clearly inhabited by the one who made such love of god possible. Nothing contrived nor artificial. Lord Brahma himself had a lesson in a sense about such things. He is the only way, he is the only way for our entire sampradaya, but once he was bewildered by the fact that there are unlimited "only way" Lord Brahmas, some tiny, some that made him feel like an insignificant ant. So, "ONLY" is a relative term, not absolute. Besides, who is to say that Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jesus Christ are not the same being? Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa ps I personally do not entertain those whose approach is to immediately declare exclusivity by saying their pet hero is the only way. This is for me to decide, tell me the facts and Ill pass it through my system (G-S-S).

Most people think "fanatic" when presented with "the only way" idealogies. And, the way these philosophies are presented will never erase such feelings either. But to get around this, which must be done because such terms are indeed in the context of the science of bhakti, we must understand that there is no one else referred to in such a statement. And, there can be many "the only ways" in the sense that absolute truth clears up all apparent contradiction. I accept that Lord Jesus Christ is my via medium to His Father, and I accept that Srila Prabhupada is my via medium to Krsna. In other words, Im on the chariot faced with all these opponants, and Krsna (in the form of Sri Guru and Gauranga) hold the key to my victory. The problem is hypocracy. King Yudhisthira defines hypocracy as "establishment of religious principle for others to follow". So we see a bunch of neophytes telling Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers that he is the only way? Or a bunch af born again babies refusing to mature and grow up saying someone they have no faith in is the only way to another's salvation? If one has a guru, be it Christ, Prabhupada, etc, the connection to god is there, and the way is clearly inhabited by the one who made such love of god possible. Nothing contrived nor artificial. Lord Brahma himself had a lesson in a sense about such things. He is the only way, he is the only way for our entire sampradaya, but once he was bewildered by the fact that there are unlimited "only way" Lord Brahmas, some tiny, some that made him feel like an insignificant ant. So, "ONLY" is a relative term, not absolute. Besides, who is to say that Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jesus Christ are not the same being? Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa ps I personally do not entertain those whose approach is to immediately declare exclusivity by saying their pet hero is the only way. This is for me to decide, tell me the facts and Ill pass it through my system (G-S-S).

Haribol. Rastafarians and their root religions also consider pictures against their beliefs. They say such photos capture their souls. Personally, I give a little credence here. My family members are photo hounds, and there are shots of everyone for decades, but what is the picture's purpose? Nostalgia (which is illusion that the good times weren't just as lousy as the present times)? I limit my beliefs here, and accept that pictures also capture the spirit, but not to the detriment of the one pictured. I took a few photos at a reggae show once, and one performer forbade me. And he was true to his word because I have never seen his photo on his albums. But what about his sound captured, is that also not binding him to the disc? Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol. I guess most are thinking that the media is giving accurate information, that since the traitor dry-drunk, fundamentalist fanatic bush said the war is all but done, then we move on to other things, like the idiotic democrats who think economy is a valid point that will win them the big prize. But Iraq is not over. We see the wonderful scenes of the troops returning home, and are fooled into thinking that things are winding down. Got news for ya sunshine, pink isnt well and is back at the hotel. 10,000 return while 20,000 are deployed, not even mentioned by the media. Bhagdad is worse now than ever under the former stalinist dictator. Al Qaida is gaining strength, not decimated. The war on terrorism cannot be fought by terrorists disguised as large governments, and there are no comparisons that can be made about any tin hat dictator with hitler if they have no military, industrial strength thet threatens the world. Only the United States and the demagogues who unconstitutionally usurped powers of perpetual war are comparable to the fuhrer. So, though we want it all to be cool and think the danger is past, take a look around. Iraq is exactly like vietnam, a big show and then bogged down in a shootin gallery. All the good will the world felt for us after 9-11 is long gone because of the demoniac leadership of this godless country. They act so pious, but they fail to do the will of the Father, so they are not known by the one whose name they think they call. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, great discussion ammunition, a subject us imperfect devotees should always study. Certainly, mental sins are not considered in this age, verified by shastra. However, we MUST exercize control, and if our minds are allowed to run rampant, we are very responsible for this. This is the purpose of the sadhana bhakti process, where we can control the mind in this age with the tools provided by the Acaryas. Take anger, frinstance. I cite a novel of mine which deals with such an issue. The character is wondering about anger, and compares it to the angels of death at passover. They hover outside the door, wanting access, but the door is controlled by the person who is under attack. Anger comes on its own, we cannot control anger, we understand when such a thing is present. But the Bhagavad Gita clearly states that we must control the ACTIONS of anger. The shouting, fighting and killing that comes from anger only come from the person not exercising control. Another ACTION that some may artificially and erroneously consider mental (therefore exempt from ramification) is dwelling on such anger. This is action of the mind, and not free from serious problems. By dwelling on the event and the person, anger WILL turn to envy, then to loss of sanity. So, I say, "darn, that makes me mad, and then forget about it." The character in the novel sings: Forget the Fiyeh c. 1995 mahaksadasa Words are hurled like rocks on a lake, agitate the waters for awhile I take what I said back for now, but the waves bounce around for miles I should only do what Jahmon say, and go about business, turn other cheek Don't lose real treasure and break my heart by all worldly things I seek To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Barking dogs defend the land, angrily showing their teeth Do I join their kind today, all this anger burning beneath Or should I do what Jahman say, and always tolerate All these waves of illusion crashing down, and forget the fiyeh of hate To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Trouble all around me crumbling down, but why should I think Im alone The culprits surely pay for their crimes, someday we all must atone I should just follow what Jahmon say, forgive the demon who will slay me The theif with my shirt deserves my coat, if I understand this he will save me To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Tresspasser, just go your way, retaliation is not up to me I forget this fiyeh, it burns me. et it fade into history I should always do what Jahmon say, no need to worry any more "Vengeance is Mine" says the Lord, this is what He said it for To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history ..... This is just anger, other things we think are exempt are not at all. Lusty dreams are silly and cannot be helped, but lusty thoughts while awake must be driven from the mind. This is what deity worship is utilized for in our neophyte stage. Jealousy, sloth, laziness, these mental flaws do have ramifications if ACTIONS are NOT taken by the devotee to minimize their effect on our consciousness. Anyway, very good subject matter, but we must never surrender to the mind. The mind is the chariot driven by the senses. The chariot will go over a cliff if these unbridled senses are allowed to be the only source of driving. The self is the controller of the chariot, and holds the reins of the senses. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol. Of course we know what to do. The diversions are our creation to avoid reality. I posted the old bob dylan classics on another forum, and was also guided to act properly. This is the value of vaisnava association (any way we can get it), good advise, and a way to focus on reality. Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

Dialogue with Dismas mahaksadasa c. 2002 My name was Mgabe, and I must now break my silence. I have been granted a memory from my past life, and I must tell the story. I do not pretend to be a hero, in fact, I was the most abominable of human beings. However, despite my life of heinous crimes of murder, robbery, and causing untold misery to others for many years, two events occurred that defy explanation. This story is not about my activities two thousand years ago, but the events that I now tell of can only be explained by relating my history to a certain degree. I was born in the fertile Afar Region of what is now known as the Horn of Afrika. My poverty stricken parents were both killed by highwaymen, led by Dismas, the Thief. Despite his evil intent, he personally rescued me from the burning hut. He was uncontrollably angry at the failure of this exploit, so he rescued me only to have something to show for two difficult murders. He took me under his wing, and I was his apprentice bandit. He protected me often even by killing his own partners in crime. His leadership was ruthlessly ingrained into me while I was taught the nefarious trade. When I was seventeen years of age, our troup, led by Dismas, was operating near the great pyramids of Giza Plateau. Our targets were anyone travelling facing the sun, and the sun was a perfect concealment. We used the element of surprise to hijack our victims, and we became quite wealthy taking what we pleased from desert travelers. Occasionally, we would spare their lives if no resistance to our demands occurred, but even a crying child was enough reason to leave them all dead for the birds of prey and scavengers. We were twenty strong and well armed and well fed soldiers, and only once in twelve years of my membership did I see one of our own harmed by a weary traveller. As invincible as our troup had become, there was never a good reason to change our methodology. Whatever goods, gold, spices, jewels, currency, silks and tapestries, entered our part of the upper Sahara, these goods were seen as our possessions, and possession came quickly. We had amassed many beasts of burden to carry the loads we obtained to our oasis, and no one with any sense tried to curtail our activities. So formidable was our group that on more than one occasion, we even defeated advance scout troups from the great Empire Armies from the North of the great sea. We had man-slaves and the women we took alive were ours as we wished. Our invincibility was disturbed only once during our fifteen years in Giza, and this disturbance was only experianced by our leader, Dismas. It was an early morning, and the season of days was in full bloom. We were to the east, and, as usual, our intended victims were coming our way and could not see us. The travelers, from miles away, were only a family, so we did not expect much from our heist. A beast and two adults, and one infant, were clearly noted by our scouts. As we surprised them, the adults showed no emotion whatsoever, no panic, no fear, no trepidation of any description. Dismas personally supervised this particular attack. The family was ordered to dismount the beast and present their belongings to us. The family quickly complied. Hundreds of balls of myrrh gum were unloaded from the beast, bars and coins of gold, and an assortment of other fine spices was also carried. Such wealth in the desert was unheard of, and we immediately thought that they had raided our own stockpiles. Dismas asked the middle aged gentleman, "Where did all this loot come from? Are you highwaymen like ourselves? Which caravan did you attack, and did anyone flee your small troup?" The man answered, "I am a carpenter, and we are in the desert as exiles from the cruel Herod. The wealth you see here are gifts for our newborn son. The royal princes from the orient traveled far to present these gifts, deluded by the stars. We have no need of such things, but we use as barter to afford protection." Dismas' men laughed, and started the attack. But as they loaded the bounty and began the murder of the victims, Dismas stopped them. The female traveler, the mother of the infant, was removed of her desert protection, and was revealed as the most perfect of women. The bandits wanted immediately to pillage her beauty, but Dismas became most angry. Five of the twenty bandits did not listen to Dismas, and he killed them on the spot. The rest of the men were in shock at the insanity displayed by their leader, and did not move. Dismas spoke to the woman, "Most beautiful woman, why are you with this old man and infant? Have you been taken against your will? I wish to protect you at once." The woman would respond to the calamitous event of the morning. Dismas said to the woman traveller: "Oh Star of the Morning, why have I failed in my occupation? Your family faced the blazing sun, and we were upon you before we were noticed. Yet, I was blinded by an unknown radiance from where the sun has yet to travel. And now, I not only hesitate, I have killed my own people who were only accepting their share of this raid." The young mother spoke to her confused captor, "I have possession of a Pearl. This gem is unseen by the commoner, and can only be perceived by the twice-born. As the Great Sea is to the West, so this Pearl has passed from generation to generation without any interference from the great sun of the orient. Your vision is your hesitation from your duty, and this has also allowed you to hear from me. I will tell you of your life, and upon hearing, you may decide to destroy or glorify the Pearl as you will." "I cannot criticize your profession. The professions of those we flee are far worse than your own, for they are covert in their implication in human suffering. Promising protection, the kings ruthlessly pillage their wards, with untruthfulness, uncleanliness, avarice and evil, without any mercy in their hearts. While your troup may be hunted worldwide as outlaws, you deceive no one. When you arrive, you act as Death, and the event is swift. Our concern is that the quality of mercy is absent in the kings' tormentors of the people and the bandits of the highway as well. Your hesitation indicates an ember of mercy and justice that carries potential of rekindlement into a blazing fire, the very luster of the Pearl of my being. Therefore, you will be successful in all your endeavors and will have no fear of the kings while you recognize life as different from the bounty you take as you will." Dismad replied in wonderment, "I will kill no more unless to defend myself. Your words fulfill lessons from thousands of nightmares of screaming corpses. As a fool, I was born into my profession. My father always killed those whose valuables he sought, and I had only known this way. But as he died in my arms from the spear of a king's soldier, I felt a pang of remorse. For fifteen years, I slaughtered many, and only spared my apprentice Mgabe. I now not only spare your family, your bounty remains intact in your possession. My only request is that you tell me of this unseen Pearl." The mother replied, "I am Mary of Axum. My husband, Yusif, has won me from the temple of Solomon. His wife had died from plague, and his children, James and Didymous Thomas, are in the shelter of Salome, the midwife, in Palestine. The evil Herod has targeted all the newborns of David and Solomon and executes them without regard. We have escaped through Sinai, and now wander in exile until we hear of the king's death. Our patron, the famed seaman Arathemia, will be awaiting our arrival in Alexandria. His service to Caesar surpasses even that of Herod, and a great war is certain if we are denied safe passage to Nazareth." "Your demonstration of mercy indicates the death of our common enemy, Herod. Perhaps you could escort us to the sea, and we will pay you nicely for your service. After our evening meals, I will impart to you the significance of treasure not of this world." Dismas at once agreed to the Mother's proposal. He spoke to his troops: "I have offered protection for this caravan. I have killed our friends for their safety, and you may rebel if you wish. I am leaving with this caravan as their soldier, and Mgabe has agreed to join me. You are dispersed, and whatever is considered mine at our base camp now belongs to your new leader, who should be recognized by reluctance to kill human beings. Your robbery is approved, but murder is now forbidden. I will return in two moon cycles, and we will leave this desert for the cedars and olive groves of the North. Do not attempt to deter us, for your own good." The exiles continued their journey fully protected by Dismas and myself, and the troops fell into disarray. They did not attack Dismas, but followed at a distance for many days. Eventually, drawn by their profession, they must have returned to the Giza Plain, but myself and my master Dismas never saw any of them ever again. Yusif and Dismas rode ahead while I led the beast of the Mother and Child. She did not speak to me, but allowed me to hear her sweel lullabies to the infant. That first evening, Dismas told me of his conversation with Yusif. It seems that this carpenter was the true king of his people, as direct descendant of King David, conquerer of the Philistine Nation. His kingdom is now torn, and the Makabean Rebellion marked 500 years of fraternal tribes at war with each other. The House of David was banished to Nazareth withoput power, and Herod was subserviant to the Roman Caesar as titular king. The mother is a direct daughter of King Solomon, and Afarian as well. Solomon's wealth has been plundered, and the God of Solomon is no longer worshipped. It seems, according to Yusif, that the infant is the new king, but that the kingdom he will rule is beyond all conceivable realms of this world. I did not understand any of this and asked Dismas to explain the meaning of God. Dismas said as the sun departed into the western sea, "I am truely sorry that I harmed your parents. You love me as a father, but I am only a criminal. I do not understand anything Yusif has told me, nor does the Axumite mother make any sense to me. They may well be insane for all I know, but one thing moves and keeps me. Since we first saw their silhouette at dawn, my hair has stood on end and tears have incessantly flowed from my eyes. I must know of the Pearl." So I slept, thinking of possessing a Pearl that cannot be seen. As I drifted, her sweet lullibies filled my ears and my heart. As I slept that night, a troublesome dream came to me. A small scorpion came from a rock and rose to the sky, growing to an enormous serpant. As the serpant grew, it began to devour the firmament, and lightning and explosions filled the night sky. The woman of the caravan we led then confronted the serpant, who now had seven hoods. The serpant resisted, but when the woman placed her foot upon one of the heads, he became docile. She spoke to the serpant, and though the words of dreams are seldom remembered, I not only remembered then, but now in my different existance two thousand years later, the voice is still clear. "Serpant, you have been given a home within the earth, yet you are not satisfied. You seek the Father that you have mistaken as your enemy. But He is not your servant, and will never come to you by your demand. What you destroy to get His attention is insignificant, for the whole firmament is but a hair on His head." The serpant cried out, "But I have a will. Is it not proper to fulfill desire at all costs, knowing that cruel Death eventually rules us all?" The Mother replied, "Proper action for one is victimization of all others, so ideas of proper behavior are simply concoctions of imperfection. It is a fact that all we see will soon face Death, but this event is not the cessation of existance. Actions done without knowledge of the quality of life are not satisfaction of desire, rather they only increase desire to the point of frustrating insanity. You may devour the entire universe, yet you remain hungry. Therefore, the wise always accept that desire has no satisfaction." The serpant, upon hearing these words, became Dismas, and replied, "Dear Comforter of the Afflicted, I understand now that my ways do not bring happiness. I have accumulated more than anyone, yet only possess emptiness as a trophy." I awoke wondering about my master Dismas, who was already preparing for the day's journey. He was explaining to Yusif and Mary the dangers ahead while we ate the morning meal. Mary gave her first description of her newborn child. "As you have witnessed, there is no danger for us. Just as you thought of yourself yesterday as our tormentor, today you falsely assume that you are our protector. Neither is the case. You are a servant and never a master, and though you resist the more powerful voice within you, such resistance does not affect the outcome. God is the Being you speak to when alone, and He always gives opportunity for action." Dismas said, "Who are you to pretend to teach. I do not understand a thing you say." Mary said kindly, "I, too, am a servant, yet my service is not wasted labor. I serve my Son here, who is the Light of the World. He entered my body on His own accord, and I accepted without protest. He is here for one reason only, and will be eternally glorified as the Deliverer of Dismas." Dismas asked, "This infant is my salvation? This is nonsense. Since when does any supernatural being, god or otherwise, have anything to do with a desert thief?" Mary said, "Many will always think of my Son as the salvation of the pious masses, but only a very few specially empowered people will take Him as personal and intimate without caring for the approval of the other breathing corpses. He has come not for the confident, but for those who are miserably lost, not unlike your self." Dismas smiled humbly, but decided there to abandon the caravan. We travelled with them only to the next village, still many days from Alexandria. As we left, Dismas said to Mary and Yusif, "Farewell, and I wish I knew of your serenity. I have never witnessed such equal-mindedness. Though I would like to emulate, it is beyond my nature. I hope to take only your favor with me." We noticed many people from the village coming to offer them homage, so we quickly departed, tears flowing from our eyes. Alone like never before, Dismas and I took refuge in the desert. He knew of every oasis, and we decided together that we would not gather our forces. We decided that the Kingdom of Judea would be our home, but we would not arrive there for another ten years, when I was 25 and Dismas was 37. We plied our new trade for subsistance. We killed only in self defence, and we refrained frfom raiding families. We robbed the trade routes and centurians by stealth, and lived comfortably. We were equals from the night that we abandoned the Holy Family, as Dismas had told me. "The holy lady told me that to be a master of another was illusion, so we are now partners, friends and brothers. I do not know this God she speaks of as if He were her husband, but I do know the incessant voice inside. Do you hear voices, Mgabe?" I replied, "Master, I mean friend, never is there a time when lively discussion is not taking place in my being. Sometimes this conversation is interrupted by my mind who hates these talks, but there is, certainly, another Being who never leaves me." Dismas said, "So the woman knows the TRUE. It is my enemy mind who made me leave before she described the Pearl. We must go to Judea, maybe the wise men there know of this Pearl. Our lives are changed forever by these intended victims and we must never forget them. Do you remember the song she sang to her child, that King of Kings." I replied, "As I remember the Afarian language of my parents, I caught only a few words. She called herself the Temple of the Almighty and something about how she is now worshipped by the Creator Himself as His refuge. She sang about her son's father, and how the Father's will is being done through Mother and Son." Dismas said, "Yusif was thed most powerful man I have ever met, yet he referred to his son as a child not of his doing, that his marriage to the Axumite woman was for future children, not this one. He said the child was born consecrated from the Temple of Solomon. Yusif did not speak much, but we are fortunate we did not attack him. He could have killed us all with his glance, and probably would have been as nonchalant as he was in pretence of weakness. I suggest that these were Gods of the Desert, or it was all a dream." Many years passed, and we were informal warriors against the evil king of Judea as well as the Empire's centurians. We were very successful looting those who were described by the Gods we met in the desert as a greater evil. We operated near the Great Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Both of us were old now, over 30 years had passed since we gave up our old army on the Plains of Giza.. Perhaps old age had depleated our skills, and eventually, we were arrested by Roman forces. I was released because my skin was black, and the Romans feared the magic of the Afarians. But Dismas was sentenced to die at Clavary Hill. He and another were tied to trees and left to die. I could not rescue him, but I was allowed to be there with him during his ordeal. The other man was angry and resentful, but Dismas seemed to have a certain peace about him. He said, "Mgabe, our lives have become successful by the wishes of the Morning Star who came in the desert. We never gave up hope of finding that invisible Pearl she spoke of. We sang her song and have been happy. She told us that death does not affect life, so I have no fear. This world is better off without me, as I have done cruel things, but she said I will be delivered by her Son. I know this will come to pass." A commotion erupted as hundreds of Judeans came up the hill. A man was being tortured and then was brutally nailed to a beam by hands and feet and placed between the trees of Dismas and the angry rebel. Dismas could not look at the man as his gaze was fixed upon a crying woman in the crowd. He cried out, "I have found the Pearl!" The woman was none other than the Morning Star, the Goddess of the Desert we had met over 30 years ago, who had never left our hearts. Her radiant beauty was untouched by time, and her son, the King of Kings, was being murdered by the mob. Dismas did not speak to me directly again, but he turned to the One called the Nazarine, who was hanging next to him. The other man, a vile creature, was taunting the son of Mary, goading him and mocking him as if he finally agreed with the murderous mob below him. He shouted in a horrible voice, "Hey miracle worker, save me and yourself, and we will lay waste to all of them." Dismas cried out to the rebel, "You are the evil voice of my mind that always keeps me from hearing the TRUE. Be silent!" The rebel died instantly at Dismas command, and Dismas turned to the Nazarine, and in a quiet prayerful voice, said, "We meet again, but you have never forsaken me. Your mother told me of your glory, but I took you to be just an infant. She told me of how you remain invisible to all but the twice-born, but you can show yourself as you please. I am but a fool and a criminal, and I see no injustice in the way I am facing Death. But you, dear sir? There is no crime in you, and the greatest injustice of all time takes place." "Your mother told me that death has no effect on life. I think you have tricked these rulers into this action. I think you are here to demonstrate life as indestructable. And your mother also told me that your mission is for my benefit alone. As I face this Death, I cling to life wanting nothing other than to remain forever with the Holy Family I rejceted in my youth. Please overlook my evil works, but keep me in mind." Dismas was crying profusely, and the Nazarine inquired, "Is your pain unbearable now?" Dismas replied, "My arms are only connected by the skin, and a fire burns me from within, but my tears are not for this. My tears are warm, and this indicates a joy never before felt." The Nazarine comforted him by saying, "You have appeared to render service to my Father, as have I. Our connection is beyond this realm of Death. Your guilt is illusion, but serves to purify your heart. I have come to open a great gate, but I have no one to enter while I complete my Father's desire. As you are no longer under the jurisdiction of Death, you will be the first in Paradise. All who you love will soon be there, in fact, on this very day you will be with me and my Father. Your faith in the Word of the servants of my Father, this alone, has purchased the greatest wealth of the Pearl. You see before you the voice of the TRUE within your heart who never abandons you." Dismas tried to explain his unworthiness, but the Nazarine continued, "You took a small step which is all my Father saw. The greatest holy men of Judea did nothing to save us, but though you wanted something else, you gave us protection. Your running away did nothing to deter my Father's stride toward you. My greatest disciples below, watching, do so in hiding. Other than my brothers, James and Thomas, my mother, that Magadaline woman, and of course, Salome, the midwife, all my disciples still fear this Death. They are yet immature. Yet you, a criminal, are being torn by Death, yet your sadness is not for yourself. You cry for those who cannot see what you now know. Therefore, I see no disqualification. My Father commands love, but you need no command for what your heart is now made of. Rest now, Dismas, for you alone are the successful completion of my Father's desire." Dismas smiled sweetly, and died then and there. The Nazarine looked skyward, saying, "Father, I drink from the cup of your Life. You have not forsaken me, for you alone have arranged for this Dismas, who has done evil in this world, to be purged from all sinful reaction. Please give all my followers this nectar as well." As the Nazarine passed away, the firmament opened up. The earth heaved mightily, and the assassins fled to no avail. Many of the mob dropped dead on site, their hair turning to ash, their skin dropping from their bones. I turned away from Calvary Hill to see Mother Mary, who shed no more tears, who smiled gently. The Magdaline woman and Salome, the Afarian midwife who comforted the older sons of Yusif, tended to the remains of the Nazarine. I took down my friend Dismas, and placed him upon our beast, and took his body back to the desert beyond Mount Sinai. I had heard later about the glories of the Nazarine, how he rose up from the dead, but I cared not to listen. I returned to the Afar Triangle and never spoke again. I was regarded as insane, but my song was of the Pearl. In my form of Mgabe, I, too, passed away in due course of time, but I was not granted any memory of such events. I live in this age, in this world, but Mgabe's story is now told. To call Dismas "the Good Thief" may not be accurate, for perhaps he incarnated with the Nazarine, Yusif and the Pearl as their vehicle of Pure Love. What I have related here is the TRUE, and is contained in full in the Names of the Father. The Holy Names of the Supreme Lord will set us free. hare krsna, mahaksadasa

FYOO CHUR 1995 by mahaksadasa (from Kipu'ka) As a youth All I wanted was the future Always thought about the future All my planning for the future All my living for the future Now it's here And I paint it every day But it's always day to day Praying for another day Alive for yet another day Like the sea Riders need a strong boat Waves will never sink this boat Gopal knows we need this boat So He sends this mercy boat All this future Gave it up long time ago Thought about it years ago Now it's here but I have to go The future is long time ago Send the boat Cause the future nevermore Accumulate? I can't. No more Future plans? I can't. No more I want to sing and dance some more Right now I need to love Jah more Love Jah more? Singing out His Holy Names Hear from those who sing His Names One God. One Love. With all those Names Sing them all, those Holy Names Govinda is sure Jah Name Ramana is sure Jah Name Krishna is sure Jah Name King David sang His Holy Names Solomon, wise, he sang His Names He sends His sons to praise His Names Who give their lives to spread His Fame ..... This song was sung by Kawela twenty five years after we left her getting ready to give tribute to her slain husband. The occasion was that the entire infrastructure of her world was dissolved by time, and this is what dissolves us all. When Kipu'ka was finished, I could not find an ending, because all the characters took upon themselves devotional characteristics. They do not ride off into sunsets like fictional characters do in normal novels, they do not live happily ever after in illusion, even these fictional characters have ability to LIVE IN SOUND. I had intended to send a dear friend who recently left us the completed Kipu'ka, but she now lives in sound with them. There is no death for those who dovetail their desires with the desire of the Supreme Lord. His desire is eternal, and the desire includes reuniting with His Own, the best of beings, who, despite their temporary loss of memory, have come full circle to make such reunification the best of all things. .... Hope full circle comes to us all. When we first uttered the holy name of the Supreme Lord, this was the process for attaining perfection. The full circle is that we call His names in love, jst like that first innocent (and possibly offenseless) utterance. Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, theist, and especially gHari. Unfortunately, I cannot separate the multiple identities from the spirit that occupies them all. Id love to do my songs, but then again, they are all not of "winter moon" quality. Some of them are rather dylanesque in these days. About my "liberal" heroes, well, I dont seem to have any. I liked bubba a lot, because he was smart, and he was a workaholic, and he truely wanted the best for america. I liked Carter as well. But, this does not mean that I blindly support the liberal cause. What I do support is the idea of a godly government, based on a VAD model. This is why I am leaning toward the Rep from Ohio, kusinich, who is not really a liberal. He is firmly a pro-life person, but he has social idealogy that does not quit on the issue post-partum, so to speak. I am more like Malcolm X in regard to accusations of being a liberal. I have no use for kennedy, h.clinton, liberman and the cast of thousands that are so wishy washy that they cannot possibly defeat any republican. Liberals do not stand for the down-trodden, they make great bureaucratic dividends by their motivated positions. The only two that have upset the repugnantian run of three decades, carter and clinton, did so because they stood apart from the liberal causes. Republicans are too fanatic to give credit where credit is due. The mean-lean-fighting machine we just witnessed in Iraq is a clinton creation, and the tactics used to separate leadership from undedicated militaries is also a clinton strategy, used quite excellently with virtual no loss of life in Haiti. But republicans are still talking about the sex scandal as if it mattered to the American people. The cannot see a balance, thus alienate half the population of the country. I see a balance. I had no problem with a more conservative government, and actually thought america was better off with bush than gore. But with 9-11 and the unconstitutional invasion of Iraq, the loss of rights of americans via the patriot act and the creation of the homeland security agency, I will not give a criminal good press just because he supports a pet idea of mine. My position on prayer in school is contained in Srila Prabhupada's initial instruction to the general audience of America and the west. "Milk touched by the lips of a serpant has poisonous effect." I will never sign off on the idiotic pledge of allegiance just because "under God" is acknowledged. The rest of the pledge is anti-vaisnava as well. I agree that the athiest has been overly protected by the liberals and the ACLU, and the "religion" of the atheist is disproportionately taught in public institutions. I agree that it is absurd that one can get books from a public school library dealing with voodoo, wiccanism, satan worship, but Bhagavad Gita as it is is on the banned list. And I agree that students should be given facility if they wish to congregationally organize prayer groups outside of the curriculum. But I cannot support anything that merges the state with sponsorship of any religious activity in public institution. Hell, it is bad enough that kids are forced to do peace rallies or support the troops rallies according to the whims of the teachers. I reject any such potentiality to be accepted as far as prayer goes. You may think that it will be a non-denominational moment of silence, but any community that is church based (like every school district in this state other than Spokane, Tacoma, and Seattle whose mere size prevents such motivated and planned christian fundamentalist takeover of school boards) will have teachers inserting their own version (poison). The prohibition is fine with me, the excesses (such as the library issue) can be easily corrected. Now, back to the impeachment issue, there are issues that are there. Go to http://www.votetoimpeach.org to find a credible case against the entire administration. I dont really care because the election will come before any such legal action, and if he is reelected, I will accept bitter defeat at the hands of the American will. You see, this has been the perfect format for changing our government into democratically desired fascism.. Fascists use fear as a weapon against their own so that the people opt for less freedom and more security. We have lost much protection from the bill of rights, yet we are much less secure. The fear mongering waged by the fascistas does not satop at the attainment of objective, it must be maintained. Yesteryear produced fear-mongering against socialism and zionism, today, all that is needed to get the fear going so we all vote to go to our junkyard doghouses and hope the owners gun is loaded is the mere mention of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. So we probably will soon see the film of the back lot of Rahim's Body and Fender Repair being cordoned off because of all the 55 gallon drums of chemicals discovered there. All that benzine, all that nerve agent (isocyanate), we were justified to kill tens of thousands to rid the worlds of this maniac painter with lousy hazmat program. But I will end with a song, because I am beholdin to my ol internet compadre. Mad mahax is still mahaksadasa, and his madness is just somethin to do between innings of this baseball game called life. ... Forget the Fiyeh c. 1995 mahaksadasa Words are hurled like rocks on a lake, agitate the waters for awhile I take what I said back for now, but the waves bounce around for miles I should only do what Jahmon say, and go about business, turn other cheek Don't lose real treasure and break my heart by all worldly things I seek To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Barking dogs defend the land, angrily showing their teeth Do I join their kind today, all this anger burning beneath Or should I do what Jahman say, and always tolerate All these waves of illusion crashing down, and forget the fiyeh of hate To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Trouble all around me crumbling down, but why should I think Im alone The culprits surely pay for their crimes, someday we all must atone I should just follow what Jahmon say, forgive the demon who will slay me The theif with my shirt deserves my coat, if I understand this he will save me To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history Tresspasser, just go your way, retaliation is not up to me I forget this fiyeh, it burns me. et it fade into history I should always do what Jahmon say, no need to worry any more "Vengeance is Mine" says the Lord, this is what He said it for To forget the fiyeh, it burns me Let it all fade to history ...... haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

Haribol, thanx for the thoughtful comments. All said about the flaws of a proposed theocracy, and how it will turn ugly, I agree. However, the alternative is just as gruesome. The PLAN is according to the Roman Empire model, in fact, Ive even heard the phrase "Pax Americana" in reference to the idealism proposed by those in power. So we have become the cops of the world, but our police department is seriously flawed, our democracy is a sham as well with the way things work. Say we got a president, he is elected "by the people". Does he make policy? No he does not, he is responsible for appointing many agency heads and officers of the administration, and these actual policy makers do NOT undergo scrutiny of the electorate. So we do not look at the man, we look at who put him in power by their influence of cash, prestiege, etc. These folks are the ones who get the appointments. So the trial lawers ran the country from 1993-2000, because the law fraternity is who made Clinton's presidency possible. Bush would not be president if not for the Christian Coalition, the right wing evangelicals. They turned out the vote, and received all the appointments, and anyone who does not see a fundamentalist christian agenda running world events, well, I cannot say anything to convince you otherwise. Iraq is going to be totally controlled by fundamentalist religionists no matter how the cards are cut. The Stalinist secular ruler is gone and defeated, now the holy war, the crusades so-to-speak, begins. Since the will of the Iraqi people is subserviant to propaganda regardless, my position is that the U.S. should go home and quit trying to be something quite outside the constitutional guidelines. I do not wish Graham junior and Pat Robertson to get a foothold, because their religion is a gutter religion that demands jesus to die over and over again so we can wipe our bloody sins away. The gutter christian expansionism lays waste to all it touches, just like in America, where a christian fanaticism called "manifest destiny" enables the stronger influx of euro stock to wipe out indigenous tribes at will. Genocide. So the Islamics who want control will do their evil, make life difficult for all not in tune with their "vision", but the U.S. is a mirror of the same thing, or the other side of the same coin. My point is that I do not allow our national resources to be wasted any more. It is not national security that motivates the present government, it is self-appointed and ill-advised meddling in the affairs of a sovereign nation, and where does it stop? Like another great appointee of reagan the forgetter, James Watt, in religious fervor, as Secretary of Interior, wanted unrestricted harvest of national resources because Jesus was coming soon anyway. I have more faith in trial lawyers that christian fanatics, all day, any day. At least lawyers must follow the law, whereas, fanatics believe they are above all such laws. Haribol, ys, mahak

Haribol, please do not construe my post as favoring khomeni, his brand of godly government is already mirrored by bush and company. However, a government, run by the clerics, which rumsfeld said that the US would not let happen in Iraq, is the basis of government that cares for the citizens. This is VAD, the politicians followeing the will of the brahmana class. It is so easy to put things into little boxes, like a khomeni box for all who think that a theocracy in the islamic world is acceptable. Not much different when I use the word "we" when describing that slaughter called the war in Iraq. I am not we, I may be patriotic to the constitution, however, if patriotism means following fascists who bathe themselves in the flag, I think not, that is them to the NTH degree. Haribol, ys, mudmon

Haribol. Okay, the world has witnessed the blatant deception by the Bush administration. He clearly states that there is a possibility that no weapons of mass destruction will be found. This is admission of impeachable offence, lying to congress. He convinced congress to grant him powers under the War Powers Act by stating that these "known to exist" weapons of mass destruction posed a real and present danger to the security of the Uniteed States. He clearly stated that U.S. intelligence had information as to the existance and whereabouts of such weaponry. He refused to provide the U.N. with this so-called intelligence, stating security and secrecy to our own, but he cannot provide this to the U.S. Marines either, even after the fact. Congress granted him powers to engage the military to his ends because they were convinced about the WMD issue alone. There was no appeal to congress as to a motive of "freeing the Iraqi people", the main claim today. Such a claim in September, 2002, to congress, would not have stood as a clear and present danger. In after-sight, there are continual deceptions going on via the public outlets (the unprecedented slant of the U.S. media, as claimed by BBC). Some are so blatant that I have lost a lot of faith in the American people in their silence on the issue. Bush, the butcher, is directly contradicting himself on the "nation-building" issue, where he states that Iraq must adopt democracy, yet will never tolerate such democratic process to establish the theocracy 75% of the Iraqi people want, an Iran-style Islamic state. He continually lies about a motive to make Iraq a puppet of U.S. Corporate interests and Fundamentalist fanatic psuedo religiosity (as in Graham, Robertson and other well known western demagogues). He states that he wants Iraq for the Iraqis, yet he does not consider who actually composes such an operation. Iraqi people must control Iraq, and though it is well known that these butcher/fascist American traitors want to do away with all nationalistic tendencies in favor of world government, which also must include the nationalistic flavor of our own dearly regarded Constitution. They want to call the world America, but such terminology has no meaning because the word "America" has also a different meaning than known to the ignorant masses of our own populace. While Americans are fooled into Victory celebrations, the sane cry for the dead caused by the fascists. The sane know that this is not a military victory, becauise the other side lacked a military to fight back. This war was a slaughter, and even the opposing soldiers, the vast majority conscripted militias, were innocent victims. There is no victory because the war has not even begun yet. I have no faith in the other side of the aisle, either. Other than Ohio's Kusinich, all the contenders are fools, especially the zionist puppet front runner Liberman, who spends his days congratulating the guy he is supposed to be opposed to. Needless to say, as sung by the great band of the 80s, The Police, there is no political solution. The courts are stacked, the Christian Coalition and their evangelical non-separation of church and state are deeply entrenched in all levels of american politics. In our conservative protest (i.e. we cannot march witrh pro-abortion and other types who have agendas separate from what is on the table), we have discovered that the fanatic support comes from the churchy folks who either want to help jesus bring about armageddon and returning to bleed again for their right to enhjoy matter by causing all outsiders to suffer greatly or just hurry up and die. While the military may have support for the tactical aspects of their trade, they do not support their temporary CiC. The fact is is that Bush does not support the troops, cutting benefits at an unprecedented clip. The expertise shown in this war cannot be claimed as an accomplishment of the Bush administration, because on TV was clintons military, trim and expert. Liars must not make policy. Lies will kill Mother Bhumi, as she cries in Srimad Bhagavatam. Or maybe you just conside how I took it. Well, how do you take Rum-head's statement when asked about if the Iraqi folks want to establish a Theocracy for their nation, he stated "There is no way that will happen." Theocracy is the way of responsible governing, it is our (vaisnava) philosophy as well. True, what we have seen is rather ridiculous, but what did America look like to the Brits in 1812. US was fledgeling, then, taking small steps. If the brits had corrected their loss in 1776-81 by the War of 1812, no one would have known about our own system. The Iraqis want theocracy, and only se4ctarian fanatics will deny them the right to attempt to do this. IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWEL, NOW. hare krsna, praise allah, love jesus, shalom! ys mudmon (aka mahaksadasa)

Glad you mentioned it. The Bekkaa valley is home of the world terrorist industries for thirty years, and our covert folks know exactly where, as they have all along. So why is this massive university still there? Because the arms industry demands that it be left alone. This is why saddam was our friend, its called balance of power, and it is not iraq and syria and libya and arafat that fosters this. Im an expert of inner city gangster phenomenae. Crack is not invented there, coca leaves don grow there, uzis and mac10s arent produced there, but all that stuff is there. Why? INDUSTRY, the same thing that props up bekkaa valley and other terrorist hotspots. We use them and we abuse them at our whim, and now bush has a whim to attack and destroy a former reagan ally used against the ayatollah. Well, since bekkaa is the hotspot, then these convenient demons do not supply terror any more than a black twelve year old with a glock and a bag of rock supply such things to destroy the community. US, European and oriental manufacturers of arms supply all the warring factions need to destroy the lives and children. I cite a republican here, eisenhower, who knew the enemy of future america, its own creation of a marriage between the military and industry, and there is no line of separation between the two. We comment, on different sides, but when governments provide weaponry for enemies that use the gear against the governments own troops, hell, it has taken over, we are destroyed, just as eisenhower knew would happen. Now, we float, haitians and cubans, ready to land on the shore of south florida. We both flee dictatorships that kill their own. But america accepts cubans and sends haitians back to the stacks of human corpses, and this is the problem. The cubans become baptists, and the haitians hold onto santaria. Ever wonder why the day that jesus was murdered is called "good friday". later, mudmon, soon going deep.

George Bush is a religious fundamentalist who uses the Old Testament to justify his right to attack other countries, according to a veteran British peace campaigner. In an interview with BBC News Online, Bruce Kent - who was head of CND in the 1980s and had to quit a senior post in the Catholic church to pursue his political interests - also said that President Bush believes that Americans are God's chosen people. When we meet at his North London home, Kent claims that a future war with Iraq, like the war in Afghanistan and military action in the Balkans, all come back to one basic factor: oil. "The problem with Bush is that yes, he's religious in a fundamentalist sort of way, they read the Old Testament as a sort of charter for the chosen people to do what they like," he said. "You get your security by weapons and too bad if you happen to belong to one of the other tribes - you're going to get walked on. "And it's that kind of thing that horrifies me. I mean the Americans in a funny way see themselves as an ongoing chosen race - it was the Jews and now it's the great American dream." Dangerous people? Kent is keen to stress he is not anti-American - he draws great inspiration from political leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior. That said, he certainly feels a great deal of antipathy to the current White House administration. Bush causes Kent massive concern "I think that the present gang that's got control are really dangerous people," he says. Kent is also infuriated by the US position on Israel - a nation that both has nuclear weapons and has attacked another country, he says. "You're not allowed to say anything about Israel nor are you allowed to say anything about Pakistan ... nor are you allowed to say anything about India and those two countries have been brandishing their weapons at each other." Kent thinks their nuclear weapons deter US interference. "Which may suggest the Americans know Saddam Hussein hasn't yet got them although they may be on the way - heavens above why shouldn't he in a way? "We've got eight or nine countries with nuclear weapons and those countries all say nuclear weapons are essential for security as we do in Britain. What's the moral logic in saying other people can't?" Going nuclear? Kent also feels antipathy towards the current Labour administration in the UK. President Reagan's Cruise missiles were a focus of CND He says he quit the party on the day Tony Blair indicated he would be willing in some circumstances to use Britain's nuclear arsenal. Kent says he cannot work out what the prime minister's motivation is in politics nor does he have much time for the "many absolute clones" on the government benches. "He's making a country that is internally divided: the rich and the poor - the gap's getting wider, people are dispirited, they're disempowered." But Kent says there is little else to vote for either in the Lib Dems or among the Tories - or 'Sons of Thatcher' as he dubs them. The only reason Kent says he retains his optimism is that "change often happens outside parliament so when public opinion has moved sufficiently then politicians tend to follow". Envy The day we meet, news has just broken of Greenpeace activists getting into the grounds of the Sizewell B nuclear power station. Kent admits to being a little envious of the organisation's capacity for getting publicity for their cause. Blair has not won Kent's admiration Of course in the 1980s he was rarely out of the papers. It was the era of Reagan and Thatcher, the Cold War, Greenham Common and Cruise Missiles. So what are the lessons to be drawn from the 1980s in this new era of nuclear brinkmanship? "In the 1980s the real nuclear doctrine and the most dangerous one was first use - that we in some circumstances would be willing to use nuclear weapons in any conflict which had not yet gone nuclear - and that was the point of Cruise missiles, they were there to be used in a conflict that had started. "But now with President Bush in June of 2002 we've gone into a new line which is being echoed by [Defence Secretary] Geoff Hoon and that is that we have a right to pre-emptive action if we judge that we might be under some sort of threat. "In those circumstances we have a right, the Americans have the right, to use anything in the arsenal which must include nuclear weapons, and that's a completely new development and a very dangerous one." Abolishing war? Kent remains just as busy as he was in the 1980s still traipsing up and down the country to talk to different groups of peace activists. He has also founded an organisation called the Movement for the Abolition of War "to get people to realise that war is not an essential part of civilisation". Kent says if Germany and France - which had three wars in under a century - can come to such a binding peace as they have today there is hope for the rest of the world. It is clear that he believes the biggest barrier to the abolition of war is a belief in what he sees as a distorted version of the American dream. "We run everything and if you don't like what we're doing we are going to bop you with something," is the way Kent puts it.

Theist correctly states: " That doesn't mean all were forgeries but that info. should be in any discussion of the matter." Discussion of the matter, this is what is needed. What we have is reporting based on the administration slant on things, but what is needed is discussion, while we still have a chance. Like babhru clearly states, those against the administrations illegal use of military in wiping out Iraq regime are not saddam freaks. This is all too easy, to characterize all those not gung ho with the prez as traitors or helping the enemy. This is not what I am about. The Iraqis have my support in taking steps to improvew their lot, including putting a slug into the stalin wannabe's head. My concern is the utter lawlessness of the bush administration, this west texas vigilantism that has taken place via lies to congress, an impeachable offense. Is the america loved by patriotic support writers an america where a criminal is caught and punished prior ro evidence being collected to prove the case against the accused. Well, before we had in our possession all the stuff used to convince the UN of criminality of the regime, we laid waste to thousands of innocent as well as guilty persons in order to get one man and his two cloned sons. Some so-called conservatives are against the american ideal, and this most anti-patriotic activity of pre-emptive killing lacking evidence is most disturbing. This is my concern, this is why I curse the whacko 2nd amendment buffs who always cry the glories of the constitution when their bill of rights amendment is attacked, but are silent while the other nine amendments are laid waste by the bushwhacker so he can open the door to his christian coalition to do their manifest destiny thing on the iraqis. Lets discuss. Lets discuss CIA provided forgeries presented to congress in september, 2002, to garner approval for war power gift to the ayatollah of the west. haribol, ys, mahak