 Ed Garren, a 22-year resident of West Hollywood now residing in Portland Oregon. By Ryan Gierach. |
The morning radio went off, playing KFWB, "A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York." I thought to myself, "Oh great, a private plane hit the WTC" and turned off the radio to go back to sleep. About an hour later, Sallie Fiske called, she sounded even more grim than usual, "Are you watching the news?" she asked? When I expressed my thoughts, she responded, "No, this is much bigger, turn on the TV."
Call me the world's original cynic, cold hearted, realist, whatever, but nothing surprises me anymore, and 9/11 was no exception. When Bush/Cheney stole the election in Florida, I sent out an eMail to associates in the Democratic Party stating flatly, "They've stolen the election, they have control over all three branches of government, they are not just capable of doing anything, but they will."
These are also the same people who destroyed the mental health system in 1981, turning thousands of mental patients out into the streets and creating the flood of homeless people we now have in this country. They have systematically taken food away from the children of poor people, destroyed quality public education in America, are bankrupting Social Security, and have repeatedly cut benefits for the very veterans they are sending into battle in Iraq.
They have also eliminated overtime pay for most employees, replacing it with "comp time" (at the employer's discretion), along with destroying a host of other employment laws that once protected American workers from abuse in the work place.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
I was perhaps the only person in my circle who noticed that four days after the Supremes declared Baby Bush the winner we suddenly had a shortage of electricity in California. The week before, we had the largest per capita surplus of electricity in America, now we had rolling black-outs and a "crisis."
About the same time, gasoline prices mysteriously shot up about 30 cents a gallon, and natural gas doubled or tripled in price.
I got the usual "Oh Ed, you're just being paranoid" from most of my associates, particularly leadership in the Democratic party, some of whom are now out of a job. Only a handful of friends, mostly fellow mental health professionals, and people of color shared my sinking feeling that something great about America had died. All of us had sleepless nights, or nightmares about totalitarian states, where dissidents simply vanish and are never heard from again. Even my brother started joking with me about "Jack booted officers" taking me away in the middle of the night.
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Anyone who lived in or remembered Chile under Allende (pre Pinochet) remembers the same thing, fabricated shortages to give cause to declaring marshall law and installing a dictator. The California "electricity crisis" has since been proven to have been fabricated by the Texas owned generating companies, so much for my paranoia. The "set up" and ensuing expensive "fix" to get electricity flowing cost the sate billions, setting the stage for re-calling one of the best governors we have ever had, and a Democrat.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
I was not surprised when the re-call for Gray Davis was launched. It played out like a "B Movie" script, complete with the expected outcome, the Terminator come to destroy and conquer. Why was anyone surprised? Were they expecting "fair play?" These people go for the jugular, with a razor blade. Why were they surprised?
So on September 11, 2001, as I watched the TV, I was neither horrified or frightened. I knew exactly how it was going to play out, but I told almost no one because I knew no one was listening. Denial is a powerful instinct. Who in America want's to believe their government is out to get them?
Years of working with alcoholics, addicts, spouse beaters, abused children, foster parents who warehouse kids for profit, declaring them "hyperactive" for elevated compensation, then overmedicating them, starving them and making them sleep on the floor, nothing surprises me. I know what greed does to people, and the lengths some will go to to make even more wealth. Sallie Fiske and I often joked over dinner that when the rest of the populace would be saying "The would never", we would be saying, "The hell they wouldn't." For her it was years of journalism. For me it was years of watching the poor and the powerless be simply turned out to fend for themselves.
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The problem with 9/11 is that most people responded to it as if it was a genuinely unexpected attack. What if it was not? What if it was planned and staged? That would more clearly explain all that has happened since. If you look at it from that perspective, it makes a lot of sense.
I remember when John Kennedy was shot wondering how they found Lee Harvey Oswald, and had photos of him holding a rifle to put on national TV, less than two hours after the shooting. It was too cut and dry.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
I looked at Lyndon Johnson on the TV a few days later, saying something about how he regretted the circumstances of his coming to the presidency and thinking to myself, "Liar." I liked Lyndon, he did more for civil rights than any president in history, but I still think he had some connection to the assassination of John Kennedy.
Few remember that the explosion on the battleship Maine in Havana harbor, which sent us into war with Spain, occurred under very questionable circumstances. That war, which we won easily, gave us all of Spain's former colonies, including Panama, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and created an independent (but very obliged to us) Cuba. A Cuba that after years of meddling by our government, and having it's poor and powerless ruthlessly exploited by_ American interests, including the mafia, revolted into an equally ruthless communist regime.
One of the things I figured out about the Republican "spin" machine is that they are experts at the tactics developed by the Nazi's, Goerbels, Hitler and the rest. Tell the same lie over and over, and people will believe it. It helps if you own most (if not all) of the media outlets in the country).
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Years ago I was told by Bruce Decker, a VERY "inside" Republican "Log Cabin" type, who was chair of the first AIDS Commission in California (He often referred to himself as "The Governor's 'house' Fairy") what Republican leadership does when they decide to pull something, they create spin, accusing the Democrats of it.
In other words, if you want to know what the Republicans are doing, listen to what they accuse the Democrats of doing.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
If you think the label "Islamic Fascists" is an incorrect use of the term, think again. It is intentionally created to distract Americans into associating "Fascists" with "them", while this administration continues to become the most Fascist state since the fall of Mussolini and Hitler. If you're not sure about the meaning of the word, check out any dictionary or encyclopedia about the word Fascist and Fascism. It looks a lot like this administration. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
As the post 9/11 events unfolded, as Colin Powell was (in essence) lying to the world, and the spin was being created, I just looked on, thinking "These poor suckers are buying it, hook, line and sinker." We have made the Arabs the new Russia, the new "Communists." Remember the "Red Scare?"
America has always needed an enemy. In our formative years, it was Great Britain, who we had two wars with before they finally left us alone. After about 100 years of leaving us alone, we became allies for WWI and WWII. During that 100 years it was Native Americans, then "Rebels", then Native Americans again. For about fifty years, the first part of the 20th century, we enjoyed our isolationist existence, and an innocence that was shattered at Pearl Harbor. After that, the Russians stepped up to the plate. Twenty years ago, when that fizzled out, we started looking around for a new enemy.
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Fortunately, the Arabs were more than ready to step up to the plate. Few Americans realize that between the U.S. and Great Britain, we've really angered the Arab/Muslim world. Israel is just icing on the cake, it started long before that.
Ask any American of color about our ability to de-humanize people we don't like. My nephew (who is half Korean) jokes about the impossibility of going through any airport in the U.S. without being "profiled" and frisked. He says it's because they know he must be related to Kim Il Jong. And so it goes, we see photos and footage of angry Arabs, waving guns, etc. all fueling the de-humanization spin.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
I ask myself, "were they born that way?" I have to conclude that they were not, and that if energy interests in this country can jack around we Americans with oil and related products (gas prices up and down constantly) what does that same industry do to the people who are at the source? Take the time to dig a little into our history (and that of the British) in the region, it's not pretty.
It's pretty awful. It's not much different from what they do and have done in Latin America for decades. It's why they hate us. To them, America represents exploitation, manipulation, and cruelty. Much like the experience of employees of any large U.S. Corporation, but without any legal restraints (the few that are still in place with this administration). But with us, it's our own corporations that work us hard. Over there, it's "them", and the "them" is the United States and it's business interests. It's sort of like working for Wal-Mart, except they are also the government, police and army. Only Wal-Mart (by comparison) is the kinder, gentler version.
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So, I watched, occasionally talking to friends with the same perspective as myself, seeing the disaster that greed perpetrated and realizing just how bad it is.
The only mystery is where flight 93 was headed. Here's my take, enjoy the possibilities.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
Our President does not like being stuck in Washington. He'd much rather be in Texas, on his ranch, away from all those people who don't like him. Remember that his itinerary for 9/10 and 9/11 showed him at work in the White House. We have yet to get any explanation as to why he and his entourage just happened to be in Sarasota Florida that fateful day, nor are we likely to get one.
I think flight #93 was headed for the White House. It was going to crash into it, utterly destroying it, giving even more "spin" about how the president narrowly escaped death. "They tried to kill me, that's how much they hate freedom."
With the White House destroyed, the President would have the perfect "out" to return to his Texas ranch, and avoid Washington altogether.
We have not found, and will not find (unless he's about to die anyway) Osama Bin Laden. They need Osama to make video tapes just before elections, or worse, attempt some new terrorist threat just in time to frighten Americans in time to vote. The last thing any candidate wants is Osama's endorsement. You can be assured that Osama will appear just in time to endorse any and all Democrats at his next appearance.
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Years ago in Florida, I had friends who were fishermen. They repeatedly had offers from drug runners who would make essentially two propositions. One was to run drugs, the other was to run a small amount to be the decoy, while another boat with much more aboard slipped by unnoticed. They were promised good lawyers, and family support while they served prison time.
This administration is the same group of folks who gave us "Negotiate with the Ayatollah in Iran to hold the embassy hostages to sabotage Carter during his re-election." All Carter did was pass a windfall profits tax on the oil industry.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
They went on to give us, "Ollie North in the basement of the White House selling the same Ayatollah weapons to pay for training Contras in central America."
So to think they, or someone close to them, might not be involved in Osama and 9/11 is somewhat myopic. Osama's half brother financed Bush in his early years in the oil industry.
Anything is possible, some things are probable. My brother was in Special Forces in the Army for 18 years. Thirteen of those years he was stationed at an elite and invisibly small post in Virginia, just west of DC. He would call my parents and tell them, "I'll be on a mission for a while, if there is an emergency, call this number. Otherwise, don't expect to hear from me for at least nine months." To this day, he cannot talk about what he did, but one thing he is very clear about, his disdain for this administration, and how their agenda is to turn America into a third world nation, with the wealthy elite living luxurious lives behind gated and exclusive enclaves, while the rest of us work very very cheap to assure their wealth and comfort.
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There are elements in our country that do things we will never know about and if you think this is being "paranoid" then you need to talk to some people who are darker than you.
So, this is my short version of what I think happened and what is going on.
Osama is still working for the CIA. 9/11 was planned, staged and executed so that the American people would get behind their agenda to go to war with Iraq. We went to war with Iraq because it has one of the world's largest oil reserves under it. The current administration are all "oil men" and also heavily invested in weapons and arms manufacturing companies. No matter what happens, they have made lots of money, and will make even more. They will do it while the children of the poor die in a hopeless war, that exists only to make them more money. If you think this is harsh, and there is a genuine war on terror, then ask why none of their kids have gone to fight it.
 Photo by Mikel Gerle. |
As usual, it's about money, and making lots of it for a very small group of people, who invest heavily in the Republican party. By design, few of us have any contact with these people, who consider themselves much better than us, another form of de-humanization that is the necessary part of life in the most upper of classes. The rest of us simply exist to serve them.
Lastly, and the most frightening part, is what they might do if they think they are going to lose control of the country. Will they stage another terrorist event? Will they use that event as an excuse to declare marshall law and shut down all freedoms in the country? How bad will it be? Will it ever end?
I have no trust of these people anymore, and I only expect the worst. How far it will take us is impossible to tell, but it won't be good, that much I know.
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So don't expect me to cry, or feel very melancholy about this anniversary. Certainly don't expect me feel anything but anger beyond words at how this country is being led down the road of greed and war, and looking more like a Fascist state every day.
And you wonder why the Arab/Muslims call us "The Great Satan"?
May God have mercy on us all.
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"The only devils in the world are those running round in our own hearts, and that is where all our battles ought to be fought." Mohandus K. Gandhi
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Edward "Ed" Garren, MFT is a Family Therapist, justice activist, former West Hollywood City Council candidate, writer and sojourner. He is originally from the Tampa Bay area of central Florida. Ed has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Frontiers news magazine, and other books, including "Out of My Mind", a pictorial memoir by Kris Nelson. He is currently working on a book about Addiction in America.
Ed Garren can be reached, even in the North Western haunts, at