I have always been fascinated by astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, etc. Knowing more about our neighborhood, as it were. But we generally think of these subjects are spectator sports. We look, we catalog, we theorize, we look again. And that about does it. However, that is not always the case.

        Sometime ago, I read about a theoretical explanation of powerful blasts of energy coming from a dense rotating star. The idea was that there was a dust cloud around the star and a very intense magnetic field. The star was rotating so rapidly that out in the dust cloud, the magnetic field  was being swept along faster than the speed of light. This resulted in a “luminous boom” effect, analogous to a sonic boom in our atmosphere. And the result was the observed burst of energy.

        The English astronomer who coined this theory had a son who was an electrical engineer. He thought about his father’s idea and decided that he might be able to duplicate the effect with technology. His idea was to have a disk with elements around the rim. If he could switch them on and off faster than a pulse of light could travel around the rim of the disk, he should be able to create the luminous boom effect.

        One of the possibilities for this technology would be a transmitter whose power did not diminish with distance to the same degree that our current communications systems suffer. In other words, a very powerful transmitter in a small package. He might be able to create a cell phone that could reach all the way to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit. No more cell towers. Cell phone service anywhere on the planet.

        Years later, I happened across a brief mention of a company that had purchased an old abandoned air base in England. They were setting up receivers along a runway to measure the attenuation of a signal transmitted by a new technology they were developing. Wonder if it was the astronomer son?

I used to think of memory as one thing, sort of like a tape recorder where you stored stuff and then replayed it. But then I began to wonder how it was that someone could have amnesia and still remember how to read, write, talk, get around, etc. Obviously, there was more to it. So I read up on memory and found that there were two types of memory. The first one, “episodic”, deals with what happened to you, places, times, events.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episodic_memory

The second, “semantic”, deals with what you know, facts, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_memory

So you could explain the situation with amnesia as a case where you lost episodic memory but not semantic.

However, that was not the end of it. A lot of what we know how to do is unconscious. If you know how to play tennis, try thinking about serving while you are doing it. You will probably screw it up. That’s because you have what they call “muscle” memory that does not require conscious direction once learned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory

For a long time, I thought that there were only these 3 kinds of memory. Then I can across some research that talked about something called priming memory. Apparently, you can be unconsciously “primed” by words and other stimuli that do not reach the level of consciousness but that can bias your thoughts. For instance, if we were doing a word association test on the word “bank”, I could flash a word on a screen too fast for you to see it consciously but it would still prime you. If I flashed “Wells Fargo”, you might associate “money” with “bank” but if I flashed “Mississippi”, you might associate “river” with “bank”. So, now we have a fourth type of memory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_%28psychology%29

Then I found a diagram which showed a total of 7 different types of memory. In addition to the 4 above, there are also emotional memory,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_memory

skeletal responses

http://home.hia.no/~stephens/mustrn.htm

and reflexes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflexes

I may have come across other types of memory but I don’t remember….

We have all heard the term “fascism” tossed around to criticize a government or political philosophy. Unfortunately, this use of the word does not convey much beyond a dislike for who ever or what ever it is applied to. A dictionary definition of fascism is “a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control”. A quote often attributed to Mussolini is “Fascism could also be called Corporatism.” Here is an overview article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

There was a serious flirtation with fascism in this country prior to World War II. Some prominent people in the US were supporters of Hitler and his philosophy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism_as_an_international_phenomenon#United_States

In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote a satirical book about the development of a fascist government in the US titled “It Can’t Happen Here”.

http://reactor-core.org/cant-happen.html

In the mid-80s, I came across the book “Friendly Fascism” by Bertram Gross. He said that the US could be heading toward fascism but that it would be a uniquely American version. He laid out a lot of interesting information about the wealthy few, their managers and the rest of us. He also drew a very interesting diagram that showed the connection between universities and think tanks, government offices and corporations. The book was written in 1976 in order to alert people to possible developments in the future. I was disturbed to notice that many of the things that he was concerned about seemed to be on the agenda of the Republican Party.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/Friendly_Fascism_BGross.html

Not long ago, a study was conducted on seven fascist dictatorships in the Twentieth Century. Various political aspects of these governments were collected and subjected to cluster analysis to derive a list of fourteen common traits found to varying degrees in these political systems.

These fourteen features are:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism — Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights — Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to ‘look the other way’ or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause — The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military — Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism — The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and antigay legislation and national policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media — Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security — Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined — Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected — The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed — Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts — Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment — Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses, and even forego civil liberties, in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption — Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions, and who use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections — Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against (or even the assassination of) opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fascism/14_Characteristics_Fascism.html

As I read thru this list for the first time, I was upset to realize that the current Bush government had managed to hit every one of them.

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

Recently, Joe Conason, a progressive political commentator and writer, published a book about political trends in the US with the title, “It Can Happen Here”, an obvious reference to the Sinclair Lewis book. I attended a book signing for “It Can Happen Here” where Conason talked about Sinclair Lewis and his book.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/48246/

When I asked Conason whether he thought that the word “fascism” could be applied to the Bush administration, he was very reluctant. I mentioned the article with the 14 points and asked him if he had read it. He said that someone had sent it to him but he had not read it. I pointed out that it was an academic study of common features of fascism and that the Bush administration was guilty of every single one of them. To my way of thinking, we were entitled to use the term, not in a pejorative sense, but simply as an appropriate label. He still refused to apply the word to our current executive branch.

As we were driving home, I told Barbara that I thought Conason’s refusal to overtly use the word “fascism” in relation to our current situation probably rose from his desire not to be labeled a “left-wing nut case” and a “Bush hater”. I later read an interview with his publisher that confirmed my theory. I cannot fault him for wanting his book to be taken seriously, but I would have chosen a different title if I were him. Seems to me he was being a bit coy.

In any case, as the old saying goes, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… An author recently interviewed some old Germans who had lived thru Hitler’s rise to power. They were asked why they allowed such a thing to happen. They said that they could not conceived of what the future would bring. Each change was incremental and not too upsetting. They figured that if something really bad were to happen, people would rise up in protest. But, like the frog being gradually cooked, when they finally realize what was happening, it was far too late to stop it.

I am afraid that we may be in the same boat. This country has been drifting in a fascist direction for some time and the current is picking up. It may already be too late to do anything to stop it. A general recently said that the US is about 1 terrorist attack away from loosing the constitution. If we suddenly wake up in a police state, I will be angry but not that surprised. How about you?

I have always been fascinated by the story of the Knights Templar. A religious order founded in 1129 to protect pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem, they built a fortress on the Temple Mount. There is evidence that they excavated the ruins of Solomon’s temple. Legend says that they found something very important that gave them leverage in circles of power. They grew rich and powerful and were regarded as some of the fiercest warriors in the Holy Lands during the Crusades. Fearing their power and coveting their wealth, the King Philip of France turned the Pope against them and raided all their French strongholds in 1307. Although the king captured the Grand Master Jacques de Molay, the fabulous treasure of the Templars had disappeared. Some say the Templars retreated to Scotland and laid low after the raids across Europe. Two hundred years later, the Scottish Rights of the Knights Templar entered the Masonic ritual across Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar

International Banking:

As the Templars spread their fortresses across Europe and the Holy lands, they offered commercial services to travelers. A pilgrim could deposit gold at a Templar stronghold in England and be issued a receipt, encrypted in a special Templar code. As the pilgrim traveled to the Holy Lands, they could stop at Templar installations on the way and withdraw portions of their deposit by presenting the receipt. This system was a forerunner of our modern international banking system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Knights_Templar#Bankers

Shroud of Turin:

The Shroud of Turin is a famous cloth with the image of a man imprinted in some mysterious fashion. Some say it is the burial shroud of Jesus himself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud_of_turin

A group of researchers came up with a fascinating theory about the Shroud. They covered people in paint and rolled them in cloth to try to duplicate the image. They found that the best position for creating the image was of a man in a bed with his back and knees propped up. They point out the lactic acid can stain cloth and that lactic acid is given off in sweat when a person is under extreme stress. Jacque de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar was captured and tortured in the Templar headquarters in Paris. The Templars used burial shrouds in their rituals and he could have been wrapped in one after the torture while he was being nursed back to health so he could stand trial. His lieutenant’s family had nursed him after he was tortured and they moved to Turin years later. They could have kept the cloth and discovered the image imprinted by lactic acid. The Shroud first appeared in Turin about that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud_of_Turin#Alternate_14th_century_origins

Oak Island:

Oak Island is a small island off the south coast of Nova Scotia. In 1795, Donald McGinnis found a tree with a block and tackle tied to it above a circular depression. When he dug under the tree, he found a layer of flagstones a few feet below the surface. They kept digging and discovered layers of logs every 10 feet.  Around 1803, a company excavated down to 90 feet, still finding layers of logs every 10 feet. They also found layers of coconut fiber. Later a drill brought up fragments of wood, coconut fiber, and coins. A written account from 1862 says that they found a carved stone at the 90 foot level that said that there was two million pounds buried forty feet below. Their excavation flooded to the 33 foot level and, unable to bail out the water, they abandoned the dig.

Subsequently, another company used a drill to penetrate further down and brought up pieces of metal and wood in multiple layers. Many different groups tried and failed to dig down to the treasure. It turned out that a clever system of tunnels had been dug so that if anyone sank a shaft, the sea would rush in at the high tide and flood the hole. The treasure of Oak Island remains hidden to this day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island

One theory of the origin of the treasure says that the Sinclair family with historical ties to the Templars, hid the treasure that was smuggled out of France in Scotland and then brought it to Oak Island. They had connections to a hydraulic engineer who could have devised the system of tunnels to flood any attempts to dig out the treasure.

http://www.atlantisrising.com/issue20/20templar.html

A great deal of ink has been spent justifying and condemning torture in the “war on terror”. This is a waste of paper. We can get the intelligence that we need from prisoners without torture, which is often unproductive any.

1.There is a brain scanning technique that can tell very accurately when someone is lying. When you are telling the truth, you pull facts from memory and speak them. When you are lying, you have to remember what is true, fabricate the lie and then speak it. There are brain areas that are active when you lie that are not active when you tell the truth.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.01/lying.html

2. There is another brain scanning technique that can tell when someone recognize something. All you need to do is wire someone up, show them images of what you are investigating and their brain will tell you when they see something they recognize. They don’t even need to speak!

http://www.bookrags.com/Neuroimaging

3. There is a third technique that can tell when someone thinks they remember something but they are wrong and the memory is false.

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/002606.html

4.And finally, there is a technique that can utilize magnetic fields to block or interfere with brain function in a specific location. I wonder what would happen if someone was trying to lie while the brain stimulator was interfering with areas that are needed for concocting a lie?

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=171201506&cid=PT-popular-leftcol

With these techniques, a great deal of useful information can be extracted without threatening or torturing the subjects.

The equipment is expensive but so is the incarceration of many suspects in Gitmo and overseas in other countries. If the purpose of holding these people is really about getting information, we can do that easily. On the other hand, if the purpose is revenge, punishment and/or intimidation, then perhaps torture IS required to meet the goals of the US administration.