When the Establishment put George W. Bush at the helm of their luxury liner they expected him to follow the course charted by his predecessors (which include Bill Clinton, by the way...). Little did they realize the diversion that he and his co-pilot (Cheney, not the other one) would take, far away from global dominance and close to the edge of the falls. Now that they are realizing they handed up their own Constitutional power, not just that of the People, they are sounding the alarm. Gilles d'Aymery created a staggering world-wide map of their destructive path that will leave you wondering, what next? Michael Doliner answers with some bleak predictions on the consequences of our disastrous detour in Iraq, and Charles Marowitz examines Bush and his soul mate Putin and their respective versions of "democracy." Perhaps the Establishment is heeding Martin Murie's call to use every legal means outlined in the Constitution in order to preserve it. Or are they plotting a coup d'état à la FDR, a scheme that was swept under the media's rug, and resurrected by Philip Greenspan? History does indeed repeat itself; Carol Warner Christen provides evidence to that effect with insight into her family's Revolutionary heritage.
Barbarity reared its ugly head close to home with the recent attention on the growing American blood sport of dog fighting. None other than Senator Robert Byrd could so eloquently express the outrage felt by many, especially the dog lovers among us. While we are publishing the transcript of his remarks, we recommend that you follow the links and watch the poignant video instead.
Thankfully there are counterbalances to this culture, including Peter Byrne's dry wit; Gerard Donnelly Smith's prose; and the creative poetry of Guido Monte and Francesca Saieva, illustrated by Giuseppe Quattrocchi. We close with your letters, with thoughts on Ralph Nader and the Kucinich conundrum, Michael Chekhov, the so-called straight news, and once again, Ron Paul.
As always, please form your OWN opinion, and let your friends (and foes) know about Swans.
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Gilles d'Aymery: The Establishment's Tocsin
The Establishment expected George W. Bush to carry forth their agenda as did his predecessors; they could not predict the disasters that would follow, nor what the long-term consequences will be, but they are sounding the alarm (tocsin). More...
Michael Doliner: Iraq Now As I See It
The American elites are aware that the longer they delay a retreat from Iraq, the worse the consequences -- hence their continued delay. Yet the sooner the Iraq War, American Empire, and the American Dream end, the sooner we will wake up and face the looming aftermath. But will we stop first in Iran? More...
Charles Marowitz: Choice Of Evils
Behind both masks -- one of the good ol' boy and the other cold as ice, the similarities between George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin are remarkable. More...
Martin Murie: War And The Constitution
What do we do with the US Constitution? First, we need to use its words to the hilt to enforce it. More...
Philip Greenspan: Treason -- Often An Essential Business Practice
The author and activist looks back on the 1930 American elites' desired coup against Franklin Roosevelt and its would-be leader, retired general Smedley Butler. More...
Carol Warner Christen: The Past Explains The Present
Carol Warner Christen shares the Warner heritage as one of the founding families of America through an 1894 newspaper article. More...
Senator Robert C. Byrd: Dog Fighting
Powerful speech delivered on the floor of the US Senate on July 19, 2007, regarding the barbaric American "blood sport" of dog fighting. Introduction by Gilles d'Aymery. More...
Peter Byrne: This Land Is His Land
As Woody Guthrie rolls in his grave, reality TV visits the illegal immigrants in the homeland, where this land is my land, and no one else's. More...
Gerard Donnelly Smith: The First Law Of Thermodynamics (for Cara)
The many states of water, as it flows through a prose poem. More...
Guido Monte & Francesca Saieva: Polyhedron n. 7: World Useless Slaughter
We can fight against the horror, but sometimes we're tired, and prefer to elude the sight of the meaningless world slaughter. Monte and Saieva describe the constant existential risk to remove and forget the overhanging world horror. More...
Some thoughts on third parties, Ralph Nader, and the Kucinich conundrum; reinterpreting Michael Chekhov; reporting on BP's refinery waste dumping with a straight face; and, why all the letters about Ron Paul? More...
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