Welcome back to the Shadowproof Mailbag! Here’s some our favorite recent comments and feedback from our readers.

Doing time without the rule of law

Kevin’s article on a failed attempt by Muslims to sue after they were placed on the no-fly-list was crossposted to Common Dreams, where it received this thoughtful and thought-provoking comment from theoldgoat:

I am continually struck by what is revealed in plain sight by the increasing alternation between socialized costs (enabling the poisonous ‘externalization of costs’) that mushroomed since “Citizens United” and privatized benefits. In fact, in that CU ‘citizens’ is a designation under the ‘dominion’ dominated by corporate monopolies, citizens as human beings are being conceptually ‘dehumanized.’ I’m reminded of the science fiction device of the severed space walk tether that snakes through ’empty’ space — and its inevitable accompaniment by spectacle of deep space explosion. Spectacle being the operative emotional driver, reminiscent of the spectacle of Clinton saying “I feel your pain.”

The extent of extractive value sequestered by bloating dysfunctional and increasingly arbitrary corralling of thousands, nay, millions in quasi suspension represents a methodology whereby the coin of the realm is not money, but a bogey extrapolation of the ‘middleman’ function — an economy of militarizing PR that is a floating derivatives ‘economy’ in and of itself. Just think of it. What is the value of civil liabilities that this distortion represents? Not to mention that it represents very real damages to very real lives. One is forced to ‘do time’ without any rule of law whatsoever.

It seems to be a perversion of the concept of ‘mandamus’ based on rationalizations from falsified reasons to go to war and the entire bloody trail that has and continues to ensue.

Flying pigs and corporate crooks

Like Dan, many people seem skeptical of the Justice Department’s new promise to prosecute corporate criminals.

Alice X had this satirical take on the news:

In today’s news, from Washington DC the DoJ says the rule of law will be re-established; in Cherokee Iowa residents reported a group of flying pigs and from the Mount Palomar observatory in Southern California, astromers report seeing the tooth fairy … details at 11 …

Denis Shillingford was even more succinct:

I’m ready to buy some prime beachfront property at the North Pole now.

And Lee Stacie reminded us why accountability for Wall Street is so important:

About time. About time. Some of the anger in this country is due to the feeling that the majority of the people don’t matter- only the super rich matter, or know how to run things, so we need to let them take over everything. Countries who held the banksters responsible are doing great much better than we are, thank you very much.

From Star Trek to comic books

Kevin recently reported that the Director of National Intelligence compared the national intelligence community to the superhero Spiderman. karenjj2 was not amused:

Interesting, though appalling, character sketch of the current figurehead of the DNI. So we’ve gone from a tv series, Star Trek, fan as head of NSA who had a command center modeled on the bridge of the Enterprise to a guy that believes a comic book character is a model for wielding the global power of a government agency. (Shades of Porter Goss as head of the CIA though he truthfully admitted lack of qualifications for the “job”.)

I’d be more concerned about this buffoon if it weren’t for the fact that he’s just one of the tools that has risen to the highest level of incompetency necessary for a public figurehead so that “low level, obscure bureaucrats” are enabled to continue their traitorous work unimpeded.

Your summary of Hydra is an excellent description of the post-WW2 covert operations that continue the divisiveness and global chaos that the few impose on the world today. “Interesting times, indeed!”

On Facebook, Ellie Hagans suggested a different pseudonym might be appropriate for Clapper:

First we get Alexander’s Starship Enterprise and now Clappers Spiderman? These kids with their comic book fantasies!

Pssst Clapper … you’re TeflonMan. Outright lies to congress are deflected at high-hypersonic mach 25+ speed and an equal and equivalent rate of re-entry right back into your throne. That’s one hell of a super power you got there!

And Christine Robinett considered the role gender plays in these fantasies:

When clairvoyance, precognition are framed as “women’s intuition” it’s derided, discounted and even demonic. Frame it as “spidey sense” coming from a male comic book character and it’s beyond cool, even downright desirable by white male privilege.

In conclusion …

It’s Friday, and I know I’m glad for some downtime!

The mailbag is an open thread, so tell me about your weekend plans. You can also share articles you enjoyed recently, or whatever is on your mind.

Remember:

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With <3 and Solidarity,

Kit O’Connell

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