The words were valuable, sure, and within the ongoing saga of Bradley Manning served to call out Emperor Obama to (simperingly, predictably) defend his administration’s actions. But I didn’t celebrate the man. Crowley didn’t say that the way Manning was being treated was evil, barbaric, unjust, unfair, illegal, inhuman, inhumane, sick, perverted, sadistic, etc. All he said was “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid”.

Some of my allies took his statement to mean that Crowley has a good bone somewhere in his loathsome body. I knew better, but didn’t have enough information on hand to really, strongly object, until this:

From The Guardian:

Part of our strength comes from international recognition that the United States practises what we preach. Most of the time, we do. This strategic narrative has made us, broadly speaking, the most admired country in the world.

[...]

The release placed the lives of activists [ed note.: read: spies, saboteurs, agents provocateur, thugs, liars, assassins, arms dealers, etc.] around the world at risk.

Julian Assange and others have suggested that the release of the cables was to expose wrongdoing. Nonsense.

While everyone can point to an isolated cable, taken as a whole, the cables tell a compelling story of “rightdoing” – of US diplomats engaged in 189 countries around the world, working on behalf of the American people, and serving broader interests as well. As a nation, we are proud of the story the cables tell, even as we decry their release.

Much like the George W. Bush administration, Crowley has clearly divorced himself from the “reality-based community”. A little torture here, a few cruise missiles there, a wee bit of multi-billion-dollar bribery and smidge of rampant corporate imperialism over there, and we’ll just wrap that up in a delicious, low-carb, fat-free, totally non-threatening “strategic narrative” and sell it to the dumbass punters all over the world, with American Exceptionalist sprinkles on top.

P.J. Crowley spoke the truth. But he didn’t speak the truth some of my allies perceived. No, what Crowley said, very clearly, was this: “If the American government (and its fully-vested shareholders, who are not, incidentally, the electorate) intends to perpetuate the animating, exceptionalist mythos which supports its planet-dominating imperial aspirations, it must at least pretend in such a high-profile case that it cares about human rights, the rule of law, etc. For, if it does not, some people might, just for a second, truly perceive the maggot-ridden death’s head face behind the stars-stripes-uncle-sam-and-apple-pie mask, and we can’t have that.”

And from the Empire’s perspective, Crowley’s statement was not out of line. No, Crowley’s unforgivable sin lay not in his words, but that he let them be heard by the public.

I’m off to the ice cream shop. I hear they have a new flavor called “rightdoing”. I’ll bet it’s red, white and blue.

Janine -- Halfway-ex-political prisoner

I set up a Google news alert thingy then to follow anything else that wound up in the press about her case. Pretty much everything that came over the wire about her was connected with stories about Sandra Bullock, into whose custody Janine’s young daughter, Sunny, went while she was in prison. Much sappy commentary was written about how enthused Bullock was at her chance to “play mom”. I saw precisely zero attention given to how Sunny might have felt to have her mother kidnapped and caged, or, indeed, any mention at all of what Janine felt.

I expected that my news alert would turn up some mention of Janine’s release, but it never happened. Checking her website, FreeJanine.com (NSFW) the other day, I saw that she was released some time around August 18th. At $29.95/month for a membership, there was simply no way I was going to sign up to read her prison blog. Sorry, Janine.

Assuming the same program as mentioned when she was sentenced, Janine is now enjoying a further six months of brainwashing and control at a halfway house.

All this trouble, of course, meant that Janine wasn’t available to play in Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge, a tragedy of a different sort.

So, Janine is free, sort of. Glad you’re out. Hooray, sort of. Meanwhile, a few million other political prisoners remain incarcerated around the world.

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Someone who found my blog and made their way to my other website where I list my instant messaging contacts struck up a brief conversation with me. It is reproduced here, in slightly edited form.

Conversation with He at 3:09 AM:

(3:09 AM) He: Way to go! I hope you find happiness where you’re living now. I understand your feelings very much on the Gov.

(3:10 AM) Me: Hello.

(3:10 AM) Me: Thanks. Which feelings?

(3:10 AM) He: The American Gov………… corruption.

(3:11 AM) Me: Aye. Calling it merely “corruption” is perhaps too kind.

(3:11 AM) He: hahaha……

(3:11 AM) He: Yeah, that’s putting it lightly.

(3:11 AM) Me: Do I know you from somewhere/one/when else?

(3:11 AM) He: No.

(3:12 AM) Me: Ah okay.

(3:13 AM) He: was looking into renouncing my citizenship since they refused to give me a passport because of child support.

(3:14 AM) Me: Won’t work.

(3:14 AM) Me: It’s one of the conditions which if present can be grounds for denial of renunciation.

(3:14 AM) He: am hostage here even though I’m paying support.

(3:14 AM) Me: Yeah, i understand this situation. Didn’t happen to me, but I’ve modeled the possibilities. It’s damned ugly on the outside, must be fucking horrible on the inside.

(3:15 AM) He: Yeah, it’s though……… I guess I’ll run across the Mexican border for vacation and hope I don’t get shot.

(3:15 AM) Me: dubious strategy, without adequate preparation.

(3:15 AM) He: Thanks for the input.

(3:15 AM) Me: You’re stuck with your citizenship, most likely.

(3:16 AM) Me: Unless you can find a way to ditch it.

(3:16 AM) Me: Read the Nationality Act.

(3:16 AM) He: I’m searching.

(3:16 AM) Me: Where do you live?

(3:16 AM) He: Ohio.

(3:16 AM) Me: Big land. Moderately hilly.

(3:17 AM) He: Yeah, and lots of taxes.

(3:17 AM) Me: I’d imagine.

(3:17 AM) He: Thanks for the chat time………… the kids need tucked into bed.

(3:17 AM) He: thanks Mike.

(3:17 AM) Me: Can I have your permission to post this conversation?

(3:18 AM) Me: Without any identifying details?

(3:18 AM) He: Sure, just not my screen name.

(3:18 AM) Me: ok, your SSN is fine, but not your screen name, got it

(3:18 AM) He: Add me.

(3:18 AM) He: Goodnight.

(3:18 AM) He: Thanks.

(3:19 AM) Me: You too. G’night, kids.

From Free Keene:

Adam Mueller – Disorderly Conduct and Disobeying an Officer
Pete Eyre – Possession of a Beer in a Dry County
Jason Talley – Disorderly Conduct, Disobeying, and Resisting Arrest

From elsewhere:

Pete Eyre – also charged with a Federal firearms offense

From Dan Patrick in the comments there:

May 14, 2009 @ 5:19 pm

Just spoke with “Stacy” at the jail.

Bail has been set as follows:

$1000 each– Pete possession of beer in dry county, Adam disorderly conduct, disobeying

$1500 – Jason Possession firearm, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest

Additionally they will have to pay a towing fee to get MARV out of lockup. She did not have information on where MARV was towed, but said that you’d have to call general dispatch to get that info.

From Allison Gibbs aka Allison Zayne, just landed in Mississippi and trying to get bail together for them and provide other coordination on-scene, via Twitter:

Here is an update: $1000 pete, $1500 jason. Adam is on hold with ATF. we have to have cash. Western union is the only way. I need a car!

Western union option #1 food tiger, 615 hill st ellisville ms 29437emai

Option 1 closes at 8pm. Email me if u do it. We have to havew cash

Option 2: piggly wiggly 321 n 16th ave laurel ms 39440. Close 7.

From Jim Davidson, via Twitter:

Send Western Union to Allison GIBBS (not Zayne!) at food tiger, 615 hill st ellisville ms 29437. E-mail her with MTCN.

UPDATE 6:04pm local time from Allison:

Need cash within 30 minutes…let’s at least gete pete out….

Countdown for the night. Wothout a car this is all I can do for the night. Stopping by western union, then the jail… email me with con …

UPDATE 6:05pm local time from Jim Davidson, via Facebook:

Thanks Mike.  See my recent status update for sending bail money by Western Union.

Western union to Allison Gibbs Food Tiger, 615 hill st ellisville ms 39437. Closes at 8 p.m. tonite so if you are sending Western Union, let me know. I’ll get MTCN to Allison, or you can.

UPDATE 6:09pm local time from Allison:

30 min to send to tiger mart in ellisville!! I have $400 on me… let’s get 1 out at least

UPDATE: 6:17pm local time from Allison Gibbs:

$300 more bucks and 1 gets out! Western union to allison gibbs: food tiger in ellisville ms, 29437! Confirm it allisonzayne@gmail.com

UPDATE: 6:30pm local time:

Old new thread at Free Keene: http://freekeene.com/2009/05/14/update-on-the-mhd-crews-imprisonment/

Best you read there instead of here. Also, search for “planetaryjim OR allisonzayne OR mhd” at twitter.com to keep up that way.

Going to sleep. Godspeed, you guys…

Bhumibol, usually referred to as “revered” by the Thai people, seems to be in the habit of pardoning foreigners convicted of lèse majesté, as he did in the case a few years back of a Swiss man sentenced to ten years for spray-painting over posters of the King’s face while drunk. Not so lucky, it seems, are native Thais, who for uttering a few words or putting together a series of images or any number of other otherwise innocuous acts can find themselves in prison for three to fifteen years under some of the most horrible conditions imaginable. Hang in there, Harry.

Fuck kings, and fuck Bhumibol. There, I said it. Further, the images here should make me persona non grata in Thailand so long as the idiotic lèse majesté law survives. Placing images of other people above that of the King: verboten. Juxtaposition of King with feet: offensive. Thirteen feet: unlucky.

Now I gotta think up some way to insult Turkishness…

Australian writer Harry Nicolaides in a detention cell at Bangkok's Criminal Court, 19 January 2009

13-foot mandala for King Bhumibol

Janine’s going to federal prison for six months for tax evasion.

Janine James née Janine Lindemulder, political prisoner

From The News-Review, Roseburg, Oregon:

An adult film actress [...] was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for tax evasion.

U.S. Magistrate Thomas Coffin also ordered Janine M. James, 40, to live in a residential community corrections center for up to six months after her release from prison and to serve one year of supervised release.

[...]

Known in the adult film world as Janine Lindemulder, James pleaded guilty last summer to intentionally failing to pay her income taxes. During her sentencing in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cardani said James currently owes $294,000 in back taxes.

James, who first appeared in Penthouse magazine as the Pet of the Month in 1987 and later appeared in more than 50 adult films, was given until March 10 to report to prison.

I feel safer already.

Many people oppose pornography, saying that it’s degrading to women. In some cases, that’s very well-founded. In many others, it’s either untrue or irrelevant, reflecting the speaker’s own tastes rather than anything the rest of us need concern ourselves with.

As for degrading, though, what could be more degrading than writing this, as Janine did in her letter to the court?

“At this low point in my life, I tried to create the lifestyle I thought was taken from Sunny when her father left me for Sandra Bullock. That was a big mistake,” she wrote. “I was hurt and confused and made bad decisions about how I spent my money, ignoring my back taxes. I was threatened and intimidated by Jesse’s wealth, afraid I might lose my daughter to that wealth someday, and tried to ‘keep up.’”

Sunny is Janine’s almost-five-year-old daughter by one Jesse James, some other celebrity type, and will be placed in the custody of James and Bullock while Janine serves her time in the State’s cage.

Certainly, crimes have been committed here. But not the fantasy crime that was prosecuted — failing to timely bend over for your master — and that Janine will suffer for by being locked in cages away from her daughter for six months of her life and being forced into a State brainwashing program in the guise of a “halfway house”. The real crimes here are those of people like U.S. Magistrate Thomas Coffin, the IRS agents and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cardani, quoted in the article:

United States Criminal Christopher Cardani

“While [Wesley] Snipes failed to report far more income than defendant James, her tax defiant conduct is similarly offensive. She has demonstrated an attitude of greed and privilege, and has taken advantage of her status as a high profile figure, while at the same time wantonly ignoring her obligation to pay taxes,” Cardani wrote in a pre-sentencing memo. “A meaningful sentence is necessary to get the message to her and others that no one is beyond the law and they must pay their taxes just like everyone else.”

You smug prick, Cardani. You want an image of “greed and privilege”? Take a good look in the mirror. You fucking tool. People have an “obligation” to pay taxes in the same way they have an “obligation” to hand over 100% of everything when a mugger sticks a gun in their face and says: “Give me all your money!” — that is, no obligation whatsoever.

For further degradation, head on over to the Luke is Back blog (warning: barely safe for work), where Luke reports on this story back in August when Janine pled guilty as part of an extortionate plea agreement. Commentary on the posting includes such illuminating gems as:

What in the world possesses people to refuse to pay their taxes? All these people volunteer to join the military and die for the nations cause and pieces of white filthy trash like Janine selfishly try to circumvent the system that pays for it.

and

Dumb, antisocial whore.

Way to blame and degrade the victim while feeding your own statist, sexist delusions, guys.

Free Janine! And all political prisoners!

Victoria must pay tethered teen $30,000

Friday, November 28, 2008

VICTORIA – Willow Kinloch has been granted half of the $60,000 she won in a lawsuit after being tethered in Victoria police cells, with the payment of the rest hinging on an appeal of her case by the City of Victoria.

The city had applied for a stay, or suspension, of payment until the appeal is heard, perhaps sometime next spring. But Justice Mary Saunders of the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that Kinloch is entitled to $30,000 now.

Kinloch’s case dates to 2005 when she was 15. A B.C. Supreme Court jury came up with the award earlier this year following a decision that officers had violated Kinloch’s charter rights.

Kinloch had been picked up by police in the downtown area for being drunk and was taken to police cells.

She spent about an hour screaming and banging on the walls before two officers tried to take her home to the apartment she shared with her mother.

The apartment intercom was broken and officers wouldn’t let Kinloch yell up to a window, so she was brought back to the police station. She did not want to return to a cell, and police described her as uncooperative. She ended up being bound at the ankles, tethered and left in the cell for four hours.

Kinloch is now in Thailand.

Here’s to hoping Ms. Kinloch is safe, given the unrest in Thailand at the moment.

See also:
The further education of Willow Kinloch
Victoria, BC citizenry to pay $60,000 to brutalized teen (includes video)

Sorry to inform you, friend, but it’s gonna be a tough road. I refer you to Canada’s Citizenship Act, section II(9)1(a):

Renunciation of citizenship

9. (1) A citizen may, on application, renounce his citizenship if he

(a) is a citizen of a country other than Canada or, if his application is accepted, will become a citizen of a country other than Canada;

(b) is not the subject of a declaration by the Governor in Council made pursuant to section 20;

(c) is not a minor;

(d) is not prevented from understanding the significance of renouncing citizenship by reason of the person having a mental disability; and

(e) does not reside in Canada.

Part of this section, which was enacted in 1975, is intended to conform with the provisions of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (available at my Renunciant Resources page above), which came into force in 1975 and to which Canada is a State party, specifically Article 7 §1(a):

If the law of a Contracting State permits renunciation of nationality, such renunciation shall not result in loss of nationality unless the person concerned possesses or acquires another nationality.

Or, translated into my own terms:

A slaveowner may transfer ownership of a slave to another slaveowner; manumission is not permitted.

I believe that my correspondent intends to leave Canada at some point, but unless she obtains citizenship someplace else first, Canada will not allow her to sever the bond and become stateless. As far as I know she’s not a citizen elsewhere, so Canada will continue to treat her as its subject no matter how many times she renounces, unless she can show a different passport.

Fortunately, she has some European ancestry in the family tree, and there might even be a living grandparent to provide justification for any of the (disappearing) “reclaiming ancestral citizenship” programs available around the continent.

If that doesn’t work, the only paths available to bailing on Canada are taking up residence someplace else and going through the waiting period for naturalization there, or finding one of the (disappearing) “economic citizenship” programs available around the world. Gonna cost you either way, though.

Experts may argue over if the Stockholm syndrome really exists. One needn’t go to the experts to ascertain a plainly visible phenomena. Human beings tend not only to accept life within oppressive social structures, but to love and cherish it. They invent fanciful reasons justifying their subordinate position and go to the extent of punishing those who refuse to accept their assigned position. Such a person is generally considered “well adjusted” in human society. Human society as we know it is Stockholm syndrome at a gigantic scale.

Well worth a read, and even more so for the Cthulhu bonus.

Read: Stockholm Syndrome Society