Recipe for Disaster

***First and foremost I would like to make abundantly clear that the Anarchist Cook book is nothing to laugh at or take lightly. I am not a terrorist and would like to include that the Anarchist Cookbook was written to protest American involvement in the Vietnam war.*** For more information about the actual book I have included the Wikepedia run down here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anarchist_Cookbook

For this you will need the following ingredients: one child still in the crib, one mother, one priest (consisting of one part man, one part deity) and one set of beliefs. Combine as follows. Take a child whose brain has yet to develop and make him recite prayers each night like a parrot. Take the mother and have her tell him there is a heaven, a hell and a God. Beat until smooth. Next take the priest and have him tell the child of mythical legends about giants and magic tricks that occurred thousands of years ago. Be sure to remove any lumps of doubt before adding anymore ingredients. This child might collapse while baking if said step is not complete. Next, shrink the child’s mind about any other beliefs to ensure the highest quality of Catholic. Bake at 375 degrees and let sit until he is cold to the touch. Now to whip up a fresh batch of patriot, substitute the pledge of allegiance for prayer, public figures for Gods and one-sided war tales for the legends. Do be sure to add as much spin as possible for garnish. Having completed this you will have yourself a marvelous tin soldier, ready to serve. (The patriotic dish is served best at 4th of July picnics, place next to red, white and blue jell-O and hot dogs to ensure your guests optimal enjoyment)

The 4th of July is a day when Americans sing their culling song with hands over hearts and beers at their sides. The one day a year when the young and old alike waive their mini flags made in China to show off their pride in their American government and leaders. It is the day to let your patriotism shine through. But what is patriotism? As an American citizen you are conditioned that it is the love for your country, with its made up lines used as boundaries. It is a way to say you would follow your leader through the fiery pits of hell and revere your burns as badges of honor. After September 11th 2001, patriotism has become an all-or-nothing philosophy that removes liberties guaranteed by our Constitution, even punishing free thinkers for having something to believe in other than Uncle Sam. It has become a way of blindly following orders to avoid confrontation and the only option Americans have access to without forfeiting their feeling of security in their country.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Most Americans are oblivious to the liberties they have been stripped of in the past. In the 1931 case Stromberg versus the People of the State of California, this young man was charged for hanging a red flag in a public place. He was in violation of (283 US 359, 361) section 403a of the Penal Code of the state. That section provides: “Any person who displays a red flag, banner or badge or any flag, badge, banner or device of any color or form whatever in any public place or in any meeting place or public assembly, or from or on any house, building, or window as a sign, symbol or emblem of opposition to organized government or as an invitation or stimulus to anarchistic action or as an aid to propaganda that is of a seditious character is guilty of a felony.” As eloquently as this was written, what on earth was the United States government trying to accomplish? The rights within the parameter of the Constitution are to free speech. With free speech this gives us the right to free thought as well. http://www.esquilax.com/flag/stromberg.shtml

Rub Crisco over pan to prevent this information from sticking.

After the government started losing face due to the First Amendment, it was changed to be broken down into speech and non-speech items. Take Spence versus Washington in 1974 for example. Spence displayed an American flag turned upside down with a peace sign taped to it to protest the fatal events at Kent State University and to associate the American flag with peace instead of war and violence. His charges are verbatim: Appellant displayed a United States flag, which he owned, out of the window of his apartment. Affixed to both surfaces of the flag was a large peace symbol fashioned of removable tape. Appellant was convicted under a Washington statute forbidding the exhibition of a United States flag to which is attached or superimposed figures, symbols, or other extraneous material. http://www.esquilax.com/flag/spence.shtml

Be sure to remove all elements of surprise before mixing ingredients.

In the case of the United States versus O’Brien in 1968 he was charged when he burned his Selective Service registration certificate before a sizable crowd in order to influence others to adopt his antiwar beliefs. He was indicted and convicted for violating the amended version of the constitution which states “When “speech” and “non-speech” elements are combined in the same course of conduct, a sufficiently important governmental interest in regulating the non-speech element can justify incidental limitations on First Amendment freedoms.” These three are just so few of the many pioneers for anti-patriotism. http://www.esquilax.com/flag/obrien.shtml

In a separate bowl, mix courage and a dash of abstract thinking. (Do mind the over-spray, they are American beaters.)

That was then and this is now. Conditions have worsened greatly. George W. Bush was quoted after the terrorist attacks on September 11th as saying “You are either with us or with the terrorists.” With that being said, Americans are to choose between blind patriotism and their sense of security. It has become a dividing line they cannot teeter across.

After thoroughly mixing the above add a pinch of panic to flavor.

On one end, we can choose to sport yellow flags on our cars, or we can operationally define supporting our troops. Our government is using our emotions tied to our brothers and sisters in Iraq to choose between war and peace. If we choose peace, we are anti-war. If we are anti-war, we are anti-patriot. If we are anti-patriot, we are terrorists. He said so himself, “If you are not with us, you are with the terrorists.” Now that we know how the president defines terrorists, we must decide whether we will blindly follow him or be labeled as one. If we opt to follow, what differentiates us from the German people in the 20’s and 30’s? They followed their government into their own living hell for their blind love of their country.

Add a dash of disappointment, death and despair to remove the bitterness of past mistakes being repeated.

President Bush passed the Patriot Act or “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act.” What an incredible acronym and violation of our rights to privacy in our lives. The law enforcement agencies now have the ability to search telephones, email correspondences, medical, financial and other records to intercept and obstruct terrorism. I myself am probably being investigated for not giving into patriotism.

Beat and beat and beat until all of said essay is removed from your mind.

In conclusion we cannot possess peace and patriotism together. There is a love for your country and then there is a love for the quality of human life. In any effective democracy you should never be forced to choose between these two. My favorite band has a song entitled, “Baby I’m an Anarchist.” With the Patriot Act I’m sure every time their website has a hit; it is being cataloged and reported to the Anti-American Activities committee. http://www.againstme.net/am.php/news/index I’d like to leave you with a piece of their First Amendment, don’t worry it is within the statutes of an actual “speech” item so you may read it aloud. “You watched in awe at the red, white and blue on the 4th of July. While those fireworks were exploding I was burning that f&*%er and stringing my black flag high. Eating the peanuts that the parties have tossed you, in the back seat of your father’s new Ford, you believe in the ballot, you believe in reform. You have faith in the elephant and jackass, and to you solidarity’s a four-letter word. We’re all hypocrites, but you’re a patriot. Do you remember ’36? We went our separate ways, you fought for Stalin, I fought for freedom. You believe in authority, I believe in myself. I’m a Molotov cocktail, you’re Dom Perignon. Baby, what’s that confused look in your eyes, what I’m trying to say is that I burn down buildings while you sit on a shelf inside of them. You call the cops on the looters and pie-throwers. They call it class war, I call it co-conspirators.” Well baby I guess I’m an anarchist and I believe there may already be a cookbook floating around for us!