La Familia, o, No, no es La Mano Invisible, es La Mano Negro en Realidad

Bill Maher just aired an interview with Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family," via his HBO show, "Real Time." It pretty much confirms what some conspiracy theorists have said; that there is indeed a cabal of very powerful, rich, connected folks in this world pulling strings.

The stuff Sharlet was saying about these folks was pretty crazy and chilling. When you think about the way that EM08 has been engineered and played out, with the result so far being further conglomeration by big money interests into the new super banks, media and health care conglomerates, it isn't much of a stretch. As Chomsky has said, there doesn't even have to be a concerted cabal or conspiracy; all it takes is common interests. Outside of, or in league with, the corporate interests, there's guys like John Perkins who details the way that uncle scam has bullied his way throughout history and laid the groundwork for the neo-colonialism we see today.

Speaking of neo-colonialism, I think what China's enduring is a perfect example. Right now, there are hundreds if not thousands of WalMarts, McDonald's, KFC's and other uncle scam missionaries churning away. In much the same way that, on the retail side, a WalMart drains money from local economies and concentrates it in a very few hands outside of localities, so too on the international scene with China, arguments for building up China's economy not withstanding. There's a price. Right now, China's all in with uncle scam's debt because they are backed into a corner. They are, in poker terms, pot committed, having invested so much in our (bad) paper, plus, the twin facts that we are both China's largest customers as well as consumers.

As evidence, note that Hillary did something unprecedented for a secretary of state. Until her reign, every sec of state made their first sojourn to the motherland; Europe. Not her. She went to Asia, specifically, China and Japan. Coincidence?

How I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for those meetings. The likely scenario is that Hillary donned her kneepads and begged both countries to continue buying our debt, ie, lending us money. The other possibility is that she went with the big stick; "I can call the WalMart board right now..." - China's single largest customer - but that's probably not likely.

Either way, and despite rumblings from China a while ago about being unsure about whether they wanted to continue buying our bad paper, they continue to lend us money.

This is gambling on an epically unprecedented scale. Fasten your seat belts.

Anyway, as for Sharlet's book, all I know is I can't wait to read it. If I'm being reamed, I'm one of those miserable sorts who wants to know why, in gory detail.

Howard Dully

I've been meaning to get to this; about a week ago I saw one of the most riveting films in a long time, courtesy of PBS's American Experience - The Lobotomist, based upon Jack El-Hai's bio of Walter Freeman, the P.T. Barnum of medicine.

One small part of the flick stood out for me, and that was when they spoke to Howard Dully. A big man, he reminded me of an older Hulk Hogan. His short piece had me mesmerized; at the age of 12, he was lobotomized by Freeman, the youngest ever.

Here he is at the time, in a pic from his file that he tracked down:



Post lobotomy.


I won't say more story-wise, but I immediately got his book and would have a full review but have only gotten about 60 pages in - Renee's picked it up and is raving about it, saying that it's "super interesting."

I couldn't agree more.

If you're looking for creative writing, forget it. Dully's book is great at least in part because it is straightforward and direct. In this way, it's like Anne Moody's bio. One dipshit on Amazon downgraded the book because of its "poor writing." People are such imbeciles, they will recognize a urinal as art if someone famous signs it and enters it into a show, concentrating on the object because it can be seen. But it's the person who has no sight and learns of this act that laughs. Wasn't it Picabia who made fun of (presumably, sighted) people by saying, "you need to be told how to feel"?

You can watch The Lobotomist online here. NPR did a piece featuring Dully about four years ago; it's here.

Dully in 2004, holding one of Freeman's ice picks.



And here's the great cover to Dully's book, designed by Kyle Kolker.



Howard, you seem like a cool guy, and man, your story is something else. Stay up.