Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Speaking truth to power?
Speaking truth to power.  Telling those holding the reins that we see them and we DO NOT agree.

A lot is said of this old Quaker adage.  It assumes, of course, that we have something to tell those in power that they don’t already know.   Why then, are they so secretive, so indignant about any kind of transparency, so eager to clamp down on any/all dissent?

Do they jump through so many hoops because they don’t know anything’s wrong with the things they do or because they don’t fear we’ll find out?

I think it’s exactly the opposite.  They more than know.  Look at how extremely paranoid they are about all of the ruthless, undemocratic, repressive, elitist and globally genocidal policies they promote.  Oh, they know.  Maybe it’s the people that need to hear the truth.  The people, inundated by American Idol and Desperate Housewives and all similar propaganda intended to convince us that EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIINE!  And that the revolution, if it is decided that one is needed, will be televised even without disturbing your normal programming.  Is it the people or power that need to hear the truth?  

  • Bay of Pigs.

  • Watergate.

  • Iran-Contra.

  • Savings & Loan

  • Iraq 91.

  • Enron.

  • Iraq 03.

  • Tapping phones.

  • An elaborate, convoluted system of lobbying and campaign finance where unelected corporate representatives essentially run all branches of government.

  • Endless self-congratulation about a self-described two party system that offers little choice.  So little that 80 million registered voters sat home playing PS2 instead of voting for president in ’04.

  • A so-called opposition party so racially stratified it can hardly win an election even though vast majorities of the country agree on what it is supposed to represent.

Does power try to keep this stuff under wraps because they think they’re right?  

Do we need to speak the truth?  Hell yes.
But to power?  There seems to be every indication they already know!!.

We need to speak truth to where the actual power should lie, to each other, to the people!!
 
posted by Marc Garvey at 6:27 AM | Permalink |


3 Comments:


  • At May 04, 2006 10:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

    Hey, we're out here man, only it's hard to get heard! You think there should be more people doing what Neil Young has done? There are - we did it, but people haven't heard about it because...well, we're not Neil Young. But we've got some pretty powerful songs, if you wanna check it out go to www.elmercreek.com or listen to samples of our songs at www.cdbaby.com/cd/elmercreek - we're speaking out, just have to get people to listen. Every voice counts, and like the Quakers we all need to speak truth to power and bear witness against atrocities committed in the name of the American people. If enough voices join in, maybe, just maybe, we can be heard by those who control our common destiny.

    Melissa
    Elmer Creek Conspiracy

     
  • At May 06, 2006 6:01 AM, Anonymous Anonymous

    The left's new hero, Ray McGovern, entered the room last night to a near standing ovation at the Quaker Meeting House. I say near because there were a few of us who were a bit more skeptical of a 27 year veteran of the CIA turned recent whistleblower. I suppose the warm reception was for a man who is suddenly being portrayed in the mass media as someone who had the temerity to ask Donald Rumsfeld, at speech at the Atlanta History Center, to expalin his penchant for lying about everyone and everything and was boldly "speaking truth to power".

    After a brief history of the creation of the CIA (no mention of Operation Paperclip), Mr. McGovern went on to detail his years working for "The Company", full of anecdotes about the noble work undertaken by dedicated professionals to keep Americans safe from the Soviet menace during the Cold War and defending the CIA's dubious adventures around the globe. In what had to be one of the most bastardized uses of the old Quaker adage, Mr. McGovern told the rapt audience that he was proud of his 27 years of service as a CIA analyst, who at the pinnacle of his career gave the PDB to the Reagan and Bush Sr. White House, because it allowed him to "speak truth to power".

    What the...? Talk about linguistical contortions!
    Is it me, or does it seem like this phrase has become so ubiquitous lately that it has lost any real relevance or potentcy?

     
  • At May 07, 2006 5:28 AM, Anonymous Anonymous

    The left's new hero, Ray McGovern, entered the room last night to a near standing ovation at the Quaker Meeting House. I say near because there were a few of us who were a bit more skeptical of a 27 year veteran of the CIA turned recent whistleblower. I suppose the warm reception was for a man who is suddenly being portrayed in the mass media as someone who had the temerity to ask Donald Rumsfeld, at speech at the Atlanta History Center, to expalin his penchant for lying about everyone and everything and was boldly "speaking truth to power".

    After a brief history of the creation of the CIA (no mention of Operation Paperclip), Mr. McGovern went on to detail his years working for "The Company", full of anecdotes about the noble work undertaken by dedicated professionals to keep Americans safe from the Soviet menace during the Cold War and defending the CIA's dubious adventures around the globe. In what had to be one of the most bastardized uses of the old Quaker adage, Mr. McGovern told the rapt audience that he was proud of his 27 years of service as a CIA analyst, who at the pinnacle of his career gave the PDB to the Reagan and Bush Sr. White House, because it allowed him to "speak truth to power".

    What the...? Talk about linguistical contortions!
    Is it me, or does it seem like this phrase has become so ubiquitous lately that it has lost any real relevance or potentcy?