Philip A. Farruggio -- World News Trust
April 1, 2017
Baby Boomers like this writer should remember the short lived television series The Outer Limits (1963-65). Using an Orwellian influence, this sci-fi show had the narrator's voice say:
"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to -- The Outer Limits."
Sadly, those who now run this Amerikan empire have we its serfs under a more subtle control. They, like the television show's opening, totally and without compunction send out whatever they deem acceptable for our eyes and ears via the mainstream media.
Is it "mind control?" Well, let's just say it is becoming more and more similar each and every day to what the German propaganda ministry shoveled to their serfs during Hitler's regime. Not so much what is now referred to by our phony mainstream media as "Fake News"; rather a "filtered" and "contrived" version of what they pass along as truth.
We send our young soldiers under the umbrella of hi-tech stealth air and missile "overkill" to places they never should have been sent to. They then patrol, like prison guards, destroyed towns and cities filled with wounded and dead civilians, many just women, children and the elderly... all part of this 21st century collateral damage. And, the politicians and media whores continually ask the question: "Why do they hate us?"
The money we spend on this "extension of empire" should have been used elsewhere. Our cities are failing fiscally throughout this great nation. Many of them have had to file bankruptcy:
General-Purpose Local Government Bankruptcy Filings:
- City of Hillview, Ky.
- City of Detroit, Mich.
- City of San Bernardino, Calif.
- Town of Mammoth Lakes, Calf. (Dismissed)
- City of Stockton, Calif.
- Jefferson County, Ala.
- City of Harrisburg, Pa. (Dismissed)
- City of Central Falls, R.I.
- Boise County, Idaho (Dismissed)
This of course is only the "tip" of the iceberg. A multitude of towns and cities have had to drastically cut services more and more since we decided to illegally and immorally invade and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan.
What the Outer Limits of Empire will not tell you is the "Why" of it all. Well, it is really so simple. Uncle Sam spends at least 50 percent of all federal tax revenue on military spending (keeping one soldier in Afghanistan for one year costs... no kidding... more than $1 million! Of course, the soldier gets less than $50,000).
We are speaking of more than $500 Billion dollars per year.< /em>Some believe the costs may be closer to $1 TRILLION!
Can one imagine if just 25 percent of that money was sent back to our states and their towns and cities? This was called Federal Revenue Sharing with Federal Block Grants, AKA cash, being sent to municipalities to help with various local projects... never having to be repaid.
You know, like maybe better drinking water for places like Flint, Michigan, along with more modern "lead free" water pipes; Road improvement, money for improved mass transit, better schools, health care... and on and on. Yet, all the mainstream media will tell us is how we are deeply immersed in this "War on Terror" and how "We gotta fight them there so they don't come here." Do you recall that **** being shoveled our way by the Bush/Cheney gang to justify their "War Crimes?"
The Outer Limits of Empire have filled us with their propaganda and "fake news" for as long as this boomer can remember. We had the whole "Oswald did it" (and alone) scenario that allowed what many refer to as a "Coup de tat" in '63.
One had to research via the independent media to learn that Oswald was most likely a "Naval Intelligence mole" (and a damn patriot for all we know) and NOT an assassin! He did reveal to the nation, as they marched him out after being questioned: "I'm just a patsy."
Soon after we had the Gulf of Tonkin hogwash to preface and justify our disgraceful actions in Vietnam. This was followed by Nixon and Kissinger's actions and manipulations regarding the illegal bombing of Cambodia, and of course the coup in Chile against a democratically elected president.
One needs to read William Blum's fine book Rogue State (2000) to follow the seemingly endless list of what our empire has done around the world. A short few years after the book was published, we had the most infamous use of lies and disinformation that allowed for the Iraq invasion in 2003.
Of course, this new Outer Limits of Empire show continues with our latest shameful election choice for the serfs Trump vs. Clinton with Trump triumphant. He then stocks his administration with super rich predators, while Mrs. Clinton's party spends their ammunition on creating a new Cold War vs. Russia... and the suckers, saps and lollipops get in line to follow one or the other two War parties down the road to economic and cultural ruination!
"We now return control of your television set to you. Until next week at the same time, when the control voice will take you to... the Outer Limits."
PA Farruggio
April Fool's Day 2017
Philip A. FarruggioPhilip A Farruggio is son and grandson of Brooklyn, NYC longshoremen. A graduate of Brooklyn College (class of '74 with a BA in Speech & Theater), he is a freelance columnist posted on World News Trust, Nation of Change Blog, Op Ed News, TheSleuthJournal.com, The Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House, Dandelion Salad, Activist Post, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch and many other sites worldwide. Philip works as an environmental products sales rep and has been a street corner protest activist leader and Green Party member since 2000. In 2010 he became a local spokesperson for the 25% Solution Movement to Save Our Cities by cutting military spending 25%. Philip can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.