What are we celebrating today?

Today is the 4th of July.  I don't feel like celebrating.  Here's why.

Since 9/11 the United States Postal Service has been photographing and storing the images of billions of pieces of 1st class mail under the auspices of a program called Mail Isolation Control and Tracking Program.  I wonder what that program costs.  Such information is probably classified as SECRET.
How did we find out about this program?  The information "seeped" from the FBI during their search for the source of the ricin-tainted letters mailed to the White House & Congress.  "Seeped" is very different from "leaked."  You may go to jail for the last one while getting a mention in newspapers for the first.

Then, challenged by the neo-cons and hawks to use American POWER to get countries to cough up Edward Snowden, the administration watched from behind the scenes as allies forced a landing of the plane carrying the President of Bolivia who was returning home after an official mission.
Think of that.  A Head of State, a President of a sovereign nation was forced to land to see if the fugitive Snowden was aboard his plane.  I hope the blowback from that arrogant act lasts 100 years.

Now I understand why Assange and Snowden fear returning to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.  This corrupt and rotten administration, like the last administration,  is capable of anything.

Tonight there will be noise from fireworks on every block.  Their use is illegal but with a nudge and a wink the police know there is nothing to be done.  The local news will remind viewers to keep their cats and dogs inside so they don't break away from fear and get lost.  Viewers are also reminded to cover the cages of their pet birds as the explosions cause some birds to throw themselves against the cage.  Out in the western part of the county, what we call 'horse country,' nervous horses will be given light tranquilizer doses to help them cope.
Patti and I will take turns holding our dog Mia who shivers and shakes from fear.  We'll play music at louder than normal levels to disguise the explosions.  Slowly the noises will taper off and stop, usually around 1:00 AM.  Then we can sleep and wake up tomorrow with a return to normalcy in the outside world, i.e., return from stupid to venal.
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Wikileaks under fire again.

If you like to watch Television News as presented by CNN in the belief that you are watching an objective truth-seeking program based on integrity and facts, then you may not enjoy the hatchet job that will be done on June 12, Sunday at 8:00 PM on CNN.
Titled "Wikiwars: The Mission of Julian Assange", it is little more than a rehash of old rumours mixed with inaccuracies and detailed revelations of Assange's personal bodily features and personality idiosyncrasies.  Qualities we all have,  by the way.
This is not surprising.  CNN has tried to denigrate Assange from the beginning.  Along with the New York Times and some other publications, they are an organ  of the American Government and do the bidding of same.
The question I have is: why Assange right now, at this time?  Is it another "pre-emptive strike" that our Government is so famous for doing? 
More likely, it just time to renew the lesson of the dangers of truth-telling and whistle-blowing to the American people.
A digression here:  I wish an enterprising reporter would research who was the first person to use 'pre-emptive strike' to justify putting the country at war without following constitutional procedure.
I bet most people think it means to strike first.  My understanding is that pre-emption means the seizing of public lands within one's own nation.
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