[GJM] Fw: Re: Fw: If America Knew -- Comment from Steve Bhaerman

[marguerite hampton]

 Thanks Steve for your participation and comment.

   
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Swami Beyondananda
Date: 02/03/07 10:56:04
To: marguerite hampton
Subject: Re: Fw: If America Knew -- Good questions by Tim Jones
 
Thanks Marguerite for passing this along.  As an American of Jewish
background, I have been alarmed at the undue influence of AIPAC and the
slamming of any criticism as "anti-semitic."  Once again, the unacknowledged
shadow -- to paraphrase Jung -- jumps up and bites us in the ass.

Steve

marguerite hampton wrote: 
Hi Everyone -  Tim Jones has raised some questIons re: AIPAC LOBBY.  When
this message came though, I did some checking because I wanted to know where
the money for the "strong Israel Lobby" was coming from, and while I have
some suspicions of my own on this issue, I'm careful because I've been
slammed with the "you're anti-semitic" bit too many times when I tried to
bring out info on this, and then my computer's been invaded.  I also removed
Hugh's last name from the e-mail because I felt it was rather brave of him
to forward this message, but I didn't want his e-mail addy revealed due to
my own experience.  And, I did consider whether I should forward it or not
as this seems to be one of the issues you just don't talk about in America. 
 
Some very revealing information as to how PACs are set up can be found in
two of Jeffrey Birnbaum's books:  "The Money Men" and "The Lobbyists".
Birnbaum, for those who don't know him, as a correspondant for The
Washington Post, Fortune magazine, Time and The Wall Street 
Journal, has been in a position to "learn about things most of us never
dreamed of".  And he offers an unusually candid look at "K" Street Lobbyists
in Washington and and how they influence congress. 
 
One of the first things being that these lobbyists earn as much as a million
dollars a year or more,
paid by the corporations to get legislation through Congress.  Most of them
are attorneys who have run for and served as a Senator or Representative in
order to become eligible for the position of a "K"  Street lobbyist.  "Nice
work if you can get it". So, I have to ask here "What does this say about
some of the people who run for Congress? Where do their loyalties lay 
-- but then, money talks doesn't it? A million or more annually is not to be
sneezed at -- and what about the prestige that goes along with it? And how
many Congress persons are above taking a kickback in return for a vote. Now
I'm not saying all Congress persons can be compromised, but it appears that
a certain percentage can be influenced.  And maybe even influenced by lies. 
If the pharmaceutical and tobacco companies can lie and get legislation
passed in their behalf  -- how many lies can other large corporations, using
lobbyists, get away with?  Like munitions manufacturers for instance.
Without wars, they have no sales. Why did we go into Afghanistan, Iraq, and
now potentially Iran?  Anything to do with production and sales in order to
keep ROI for investors high? 
 
And, I also have to look at what I know about how many "influential
positions" are filled by what are known as "Skull and Bones' people.   
 
Would it surprise you to know that the largest PAC in the U.S.is the
Association of Retired Persons.  And, Birnbaum reveals how this PAC is 
managed" so as to get legislation wanted by the corporations passed.  Any
idea how many retired persons depend on their ROI to make ends meet?  And,
what happens to them if we don't keep fighting wars?  And, please don't
mistake this to mean that I'm "for war". Just considering the facts as I see
them. 
 
So, all in all, when someone posts on a website that 50% of congress belongs
to AIPAC, from where I sit, doesn't seem too far-fetched in today's world. 
Can I prove it? Can you disprove it
?  Probably not, but then I believe in the old adage "where there's smoke,
there's fire". . . 
 
But, then, I 'd also like to add: Not all Jews are Zionists, not all Muslims
are terrorists, and not all Americans are Imperialists -- so we need to be
exceedingly careful about labeling. And, we are all "more than any one
situation".   .  
 
Also that the system we now operate under is broken/corrupted  beyond repair
-- we need a new system. Jesus, himself couldn't work ethically within the
one we have now. When we fully awake to that fact, we may have a place to
start the healing/balancing  process, until then we will continue in this
dissociated state imbued with endless addictions. 
 
IMHO 
 
Please convey my feelings on this to Al Gore, Tim, the next time you talk
with him.
And, thank you for all you do.   
 
eco  .   
 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Tim Jones
Date: 02/02/07 18:12:09
To: marguerite hampton; 
Subject: Re: Fw: If America Knew
 
Hi Eco, Hugh,


My credibility has been called into question regarding the comment, "I
learned today that more than 50% of US congressional leaders are members of
AIPAC.....thus the strong Israel Lobby."
  
Regarding http://www.ifamericaknew.org/ - where I forwarded the message.


It would be helpful to have the statement on Congress and AIPAC spelled out.


It seems incorrect on it's face but let's get the data.  AIPAC "membership"
may be a vague thing, and on such inflammatory issues it helps to be as
factual as possible.


"Congressional leaders" is vague too. Seems like a major conflict of
interest and ethics violation would be involved where a Congressperson were
an actual congressional lobbyist as well.


Please reveal the source for this information.


Tim


At 1:15 PM -0800 1/31/07, marguerite hampton wrote:
FYI 
 
Thanks Hugh for this one.
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Hugh
Date: 01/31/07 10:34:54
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:, 
Subject: Fw: If America Knew
 


 
For those who want to know more about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict,  the
following website was recommended to me.   I do not know if it is
predominately balanced or biased.  I have not had time to wander around the
site much.  Just sharing.  You decide.
 
  I found the "Statistics" on the homepage to be astonishing and quite
different than what we are lead to believe in US media.  Under the
resolutions statistic, click on "resolutions."   Information that the AIPAC
certainly doesn't advertise.   I learned today that more than 50% of US
congressional leaders are members of AIPAC.....thus the strong Israel Lobby.
 
 
www.ifamericaknew.org    
 
 
 




-- 
        
<http://groundtruthinvestigations.com/>
 






 
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