The G-20 came to Pittsburgh, and so did an outside army of politzei intent upon stifling the voice of the citizens. It appears they succeeded, by force. One can but wonder what next infringements upon the Constitution are in store for us.
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First there was the remote planning. Then the arrangements. Then arrived the advance cadre to the target area.
Then last week came the thousands of outsider politzei hired for the occasion, and the provisions: canisters of tear gas, soft bullets, pepper spray, clear body shields, riot batons, helmets, black body armor, and the support forces: armored humvees, sonic canon, high pressure water gear, attack dogs, gun boats in the river, and top cover provided by the US Air Force.
Invasion of Iraq? Afghanistan? Pakistan? Iran maybe? No -- Pittsburgh, right here in the good old USA!
Well, the"security" forces now in place, in THEY come, under deep, deep, deep security, if not surreptitiously, then certainly somehow undetected by any mere pitiable citizen's meager senses of perception. Who are THEY? THEY are the G-20 leaders, presidents, prime ministers, and such, and their wives. THEY run the world -- well, maybe. Perhaps THEY serve those who run the world who would just as soon avoid the notoriety, thereby sending in their surrogates.
Anyway, THEY and their wives are ensconced in posh quarters a mile or more behind the "security" forces, where they gorge on gourmet offerings and slurp fine wines all paid for by us, yes -- you and I.
In the guarded glimpses we ordinary citizens are permitted by the media (or their masters) we see a lot of smiles, handshakes, European style quick cheek-to-cheek non-kisses and such. And there are brief clips of oratory featuring such highlights as "cooperation," "progress," and "looking forward"and a range of platitudinosity. All and all, it's difficult for an intelligent mere citizen to figure out what is actually going on, which may in fact be the plan, nevertheless it is worrisome because no doubt our future welfare or doom is featured.
Meanwhile, out on the business side of the "security" lines, phalanxes of outsiders contract politzei, ninja-turtle-like in their black riot armor and helmets are advancing in half-step shuffle mode, all in unison while beating their riot batons upon their shields in the rhythm of their dirge-like gait, putting Tiananman Square to shame by comparison. Surely this cannot be happening in America! Actually it is.
Who are their targets? Well, the citizens, mostly kids, in not very large groups of perhaps fifty or a hundred, and their crime it appears is asking the cop-thugs to go away, to let them pass and to speak, and yes they -- tears streaming down burning faces and choking coughs -- occasionally manage to toss back one of the tear gas canisters at the G-20 praetorian guards who initially launched them. Meanwhile in the background, scary looking armored humvees roam menacingly, helicopters circle overhead, fighter-bombers howl across the sky, while the gunboats churn the city's three rivers.
Welcome to Pittsburgh, America, 2009! The Founding Fathers despair in their heavenly stations, while America watches the network news. And here is the major media's biggest dumbest bunny, Wolf Blitzer on CNN announcing that the "disorder" in Pittsburgh is "caused by anarchists disobeying police orders!" Really, that's what he said! We DISOBEYED POLICE ORDERS! Apparently, that explains everything, my fellow citizens!
And then America went to bed, the other 299 million non-Pittsburghians of us relieved we were not there in the "disorders"but "looking forward" to tomorrow.
And the kids in Pittsburgh went back to their bedrooms or their dorms,those of them who were on the outside of the "security zone."
And by the next morning the hired-in politzei went back to wherever uniformed thugs are hired-in from.
And THEY of the G-20 went back to their capitals armed with the latest agreed power strategy tucked in their securitized pouches, leaving the streets of Pittsburgh littered with the confetti of our once Bill of Rights.
Authors Bio:Rafe Pilgrim, after "a life largely wasted on hard honest work," found himself a jungle of turkey oak, scrub pine and giant palmettos up a dirt road running east of Crystal River, Florida, which neither school busses nor the U.S. Postal Service dare to assay. Sharing a house of his own design with Spanky the cat, Darla a pit bull, and a foundling of mysterious breed named Alfalfa -- all collectively known as Our Gang -- he spends his time "productively: writing poetry, working for peace, and gazing at the sky."
Details:
Central High School of Philadelphia, University of Maryland, Syracuse University, University of Maine, Ursinus College, Air Force Intelligence (Washington D.C., Germany), Ford Motor Company, Philco-Ford Corporation, Eighth Day Gallery, Phi Kappa Phi, Romey Everdell Award for Journalism,(1988), Hole in one (1998), and struggling to find America ever since 2000.