Re: The 0-tone ET scale is no more in Afghanistan.

The following is in response to this message posted to the main tuning list:
/tuning/topicId_30144.html#30144

I apologise for not having read any of the preceding discussion on this topic in the metatuning list.
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Anyone who thinks that massively violent, US-led terrorism has
suceeded in "liberating" Afghanistan is severely mistaken. The US
government and military must have more effective control over your
media than I thought (probably your media obligingly self-censors "in
the national interest").

Oops I forgot that "terrorism" is what "they" do. When "we" do it it
is a war against evil, a just war. While some Afghani's may be dancing
in the streets, others will be quietly peeing in their pants, if they
are not already dead or being tortured.

The Northern Alliance is no better than the Taliban, just a different
brand of fundamentalism. I have now heard two people who should know,
say this independently. 1. A retired Australian Brigadeer with 37
years service including Vietnam. 2. Sabar Sabur (or similar name), a
spokesperson for the Revolutionary Association of the Women of
Afghanistan. See http://rawa.org

If you're a citizen of the US, the UK, Australia or any of several
other nations that leaped onto the Terrorism against Terrorism
bandwagon, and you're still paying your taxes in full, then you have
blood on your hands, with fresh blood still appearing daily, some of
it innocent, all of it unnecessary.

The loss of music pales into insignificance against the loss of
loved-ones.

For a well researched but probably very different view to what you get
in most of your media, see
http://www.zmag.org/GlobalWatch/chomskymit.htm

Regards,
-- Dave Keenan
Brisbane, Australia
http://dkeenan.com

[Dave Keenan wrote:]
>The following is in response to this message posted to the main tuning
>list:

> /tuning/topicId_30144.html#30144

>I apologise for not having read any of the preceding discussion on this
>topic in the metatuning list.

Welcome, Dave! If you _do_ get a chance to read back a bit, you'll see
that you and I share a lot of the same concerns. More below.

>-----------------------------------------------------------------------

>Anyone who thinks that massively violent, US-led terrorism has
>suceeded in "liberating" Afghanistan is severely mistaken. The US
>government and military must have more effective control over your
>media than I thought (probably your media obligingly self-censors "in
>the national interest").

>Oops I forgot that "terrorism" is what "they" do. When "we" do it it
>is a war against evil, a just war. While some Afghani's may be dancing
>in the streets, others will be quietly peeing in their pants, if they
>are not already dead or being tortured.

>The Northern Alliance is no better than the Taliban, just a different
>brand of fundamentalism. I have now heard two people who should know,
>say this independently. 1. A retired Australian Brigadeer with 37
>years service including Vietnam. 2. Sabar Sabur (or similar name), a
>spokesperson for the Revolutionary Association of the Women of
>Afghanistan. See http://rawa.org

Yes, their track record is indisputably horrible. Some on this list
believe that they will be held in check by the U.S. I just hope.

>If you're a citizen of the US, the UK, Australia or any of several
>other nations that leaped onto the Terrorism against Terrorism
>bandwagon, and you're still paying your taxes in full, then you have
>blood on your hands, with fresh blood still appearing daily, some of
>it innocent, all of it unnecessary.

I don't know about Australia or the UK, but here in the US if you don't
pay your taxes, they send guys with guns to arrest you. I try to do
what I can, yet remain out of jail if possible. ;->

>The loss of music pales into insignificance against the loss of
>loved-ones.

>For a well researched but probably very different view to what you get
>in most of your media, see
>http://www.zmag.org/GlobalWatch/chomskymit.htm

That's a great reference! As it happens, Dante posted it on Oct 25,

/metatuning/topicId_935.html#935

And I posted an enthusiastic response the next day,

/metatuning/topicId_935.html#942

As I say in that post, I particularly enjoyed the parts of the broadcast
that aren't in the transcript, in which Chomsky keeps his cool under
heavy verbal fire.

Dave, I hope you'll find the time to continue to participate in the
discussion on this list!

JdL

--- In metatuning@y..., "John A. deLaubenfels" <jdl@a...> wrote:
> I don't know about Australia or the UK, but here in the US if you
don't
> pay your taxes, they send guys with guns to arrest you. I try to do
> what I can, yet remain out of jail if possible. ;->

I'm pretty sure you're mistaken about this. But yeah, it aint easy. I
believe that in the US, as in the UK and Australia, if you've got
assets or income, they simply sieze them or intercept them if they
possibly can. They aren't terribly interested in jailing you. If you
don't have anything that can be turned into money, then I don't
believe that is a crime yet, even in the US.

[I wrote:]
>>I don't know about Australia or the UK, but here in the US if you
>>don't pay your taxes, they send guys with guns to arrest you. I try
>>to do what I can, yet remain out of jail if possible. ;->

[Dave K:]
>I'm pretty sure you're mistaken about this. But yeah, it aint easy. I
>believe that in the US, as in the UK and Australia, if you've got
>assets or income, they simply sieze them or intercept them if they
>possibly can. They aren't terribly interested in jailing you. If you
>don't have anything that can be turned into money, then I don't
>believe that is a crime yet, even in the US.

You're right that not everyone is jailed. My ex-wife's brother is
openly defying the tax laws, and last I heard he hadn't been locked up.
He's self-employed, so there's no paycheck they can garnish (or whatever
the word is); since I am employed in the normal way, they'd grab my
money before I see it. Plus penalties and interest.

The IRS _does_ go out of its way to arrest, prosecute, and jail people
who have written books that promote not paying federal taxes (and who
practice what they preach). I'm pretty sure they could do the same to
my ex brother-in-law, but haven't yet bothered (they might not consider
it cost-effective).

Dave, you have shown great courage in going head-to-head with the
government of Australia on a matter of conscience. Many list members
may not be aware of this (and indeed, I must confess that I had
forgotten briefly as well!). You describe your struggle in

http://www.uq.net.au/~zzdkeena/CO/

The last entries there are from more than two years ago, but I'm
assuming that your victory still stands? You da man!! An example for
all of us to try to emulate.

JdL

--- In metatuning@y..., "John A. deLaubenfels" <jdl@a...> wrote:
> Dave, you have shown great courage in going head-to-head with the
> government of Australia on a matter of conscience. Many list
members
> may not be aware of this (and indeed, I must confess that I had
> forgotten briefly as well!). You describe your struggle in
>
> http://www.uq.net.au/~zzdkeena/CO/
>
> The last entries there are from more than two years ago, but I'm
> assuming that your victory still stands? You da man!! An example
for
> all of us to try to emulate.

Thanks John. I see now that it would take a lot more courage to do the
same thing in the US.

Yes the whole thing was so distasteful to me that I have never been
back to add anything to that web page. Anyway, I appear to be in the
"too-hard basket" at the moment, but I'm sure that one day when I'm
least expecting it, they make another attempt.

The only way to do it is to have "trusted others" (like parents,
siblings, spouse, children) own any assets you might need the use of
(like a house), and of course to be self-employed so they can't
garnishee. Then (in Australia at least) the tax office will have you
declared bankrupt (but will get nothing). There are certain things you
can't do when bankrupt, but nothing I'd be worried about.

Robert Burrowes inspired me. He was convicted of contempt of court for
(politely) failing to cooperate with his trustee in bankruptcy, but
was not given any penalty (the tax office didn't want to make a martyr
of him). He will remain in bankruptcy for the rest of his life, which
suits him just fine.