Monopoly of Power

(originally published July, 2007 in The Burro magazine)

We’ve all played the game Monopoly. As a kid, I remember times when the game seemed so unfair that someone would take out their frustration by throwing the board up into the air, scrambling pieces and money. This generally signified that, in their opinion, the game was over.

Often, accusations of cheating would fill the air, and tempers would flare. Oh, the joy of counting out those rolls on the dice and seeing them end up on Boardwalk or Park Place, right after you put your hotels on! The brand of capitalism was firmly seared into our child-like brains, and while we did not get to enjoy the money we made, we certainly enjoyed humiliating our sibling rivals.

But in real life, there is no game board. Accusations of cheating might still fill the air, but there is no higher force to appeal to, like we used to do to our mother or father, who were hiding in the kitchen, trying to grab a moment of sanity between refereeing sessions.

George Bush and Dick Cheney own Boardwalk, Park Place, all the railroads and utilities, and have the only copy of the rules-- mysteriously blotted with scribbled notes that we cannot see, even with a subpeona.

And, oh yes-- they have a whole deck of Get Out Of Jail Free cards, which only they are allowed to use.

This past week, ‘Scooter’ Libby’s sentence was commutated before he even had time to appeal it. I guess the White House wanted to make sure we knew what they have been telling us for several years now-- courts only count when they decide what Bush and Cheney want them to decide.

Like the recent Supreme Court rulings, slashing previous court rulings down like a new lawnmower through dry grass. Those rulings are just fine.

And the court rulings that the deceased Enron head’s fines didn’t have to be paid by his estate. That’s good law there, by golly.

But when Libby-- who knew enough to put Dick Cheney on the hot seat for treason in exposing the identity of an undercover CIA agent-- was convicted, well, that was not good, at all.

Last week, I also watched a film on a website that absolutely proves that Bush, Cheney and their CIA buddies planned and carried out the 9-11 disaster at the World Trade Towers. You can see it online at www.loosechange911.com.

And it wasn’t just to start a war so Halliburton could make hundreds of billions of dollars, and the oil companies could pillage America by doubling gas prices. Oh no.

They also stole a billion dollars in gold that was under the Towers. And made over $100 million by betting that airline stocks would sink in the aftermath.

The cell calls we heard about are disproved. The plane in Pennsylvania? It landed in Cleveland.

The Pentagon? Eye witnesses tell of an Army helicopter firing a cruise missile into it. There was no plane. Pentagon officials even describe smelling the explosive used in cruise missiles.

Did you know steel melts at 3000 degrees, and airplane fuel burns at 1000 degrees less? Did you know that excavators found molten steel below the Towers, two weeks after the tragedy? Did you know that news teams and demolition experts said the Towers were blown up professionally?

Did you know that nearly identical buildings around the world have burned over 24 hours without falling? But one of the Towers fell after less than one hour of burning?

I watched this film. And then I watched Libby ‘get out of jail free’. And I just wanted to throw the board into the air, and tell my parents that these guys were cheating.

What can we do? What choices do we really have? I don’t condone violence, so radical thoughts have to be overlooked. I already volunteer for the Democrats-- and like a lot of people, I am wondering why there aren’t impeachment hearings, and why they caved in on pulling us out of war.

For a couple of days, I just calmed myself by looking at properties in other countries. That’s how bad it is. I just wanted to move away.

But I am staying, for now. I am telling people about this movie-- you can watch it online, or buy the DVD.

www.loosechange911.com.

Maybe if I get enough people to watch this movie, it will be like our forefathers dumping tea into Boston Harbor.

For the King George that is in the White House now, that’s as close to trashing the Monopoly board as I can get.