The Alberton Papers, Vol. V, #XVII
By Dick Darne 2-20-08
Now that the Think Tank has been relocated and remodeled, we will be exploring important social issues again. Before the first meeting, a review of the characters is in order. All the characters, while fictional, are composites of real people I have known, some are real people and some are imaginary, symbols of American values, that should be familiar to everyone (maybe not to those who have had no history or civics in school).
First the real people:
Bill Woods, a retired logger and truck driver, who is living on a decent pension, thanks to his Union. Bill has seen a lot and still wonders why workers can still be coerced into making choices that are not in their own best interest.
Johnny Sixgun, a firearms afficionado who came to realize that the puny power of one who owns more firepower than could be carried is dwarfed by the power of the state when it decides you are the enemy. He also realized that they don’t need a gun register list, only the NRA membership list.
Todd Young, a union pipefitter who is well read, to the point that he’d rather read the Wall Street Journal for facts (the editorials make him want to barf) than listen to the snake-oil salesmen, Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter and others who not only play fast and loose with the facts, but actually make things up. He also knows the meaning of Solidarity.
Gno Lackowitz, who has a good grasp of the overall picture and the language and is not afraid to express his opinion.
Professor Sven Berkowitz , from the North Dakota Institute of Financial Technology, who is a consultant for the Think Tank. He has a brother, Lars Berkowitz, who heads up the Nodak U Political Science and Industrial Technology department.
Elder, who seems to have hundreds of years of knowledge and experience and just drifts in and out, offering only that there are other Think Tanks and he must watch them all.
The others are not real, but yet they are.
Lady Liberty, aka The Lady, who is very sad over the assault on our liberties.
Father Justice, aka Padre, who is reviewing the thinkings even when he is away.
Eternal Vigilance, aka Viggie, yours truly went on a quest last summer to find him. He is quite busy also.
Mother Nature, who is quite tough and unforgiving to those who try to fool her.
Nemi, the goddess of revenge, who at this time can only watch.
Stay tuned for some exciting times. Think more and harder. dd