And Crown They Good, With Brotherhood . . . .

In the Arab world, common people by the thousands are taking to the streets and public squares to demand basic human rights and participation in their own government.

In Madison, WI, American workers by the thousands are taking to the public square and Capitol rotunda to preserve basic human rights democratically won half a century ago when The People still had a voice in their own government.

Police and military thugs for the king stormed Pearl square in the capital of Bahrain, killing five of the protesters and putting Manama under army control.

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, a Teabagger, threatens to call in the National Guard to sweep Madison clean of protesters.

Ah, America, Land of the Free.

Ray McGovern, 71, had a distinguished career in United States government as an intelligence analyst.  From retirement, he spotted the falsehoods in the run-up to the Iraq invasion and warned the people about them.  He has continued to speak out bravely against not just the lies and injustices of our government, but against the abuses and cover-ups of the clergy's abuses in the Roman Catholic Church to which he belongs.  He fears no power, neither Papacy nor White House.  He is a brave and honest man.

McGovern was in the audience at George Washington University the other day when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived to give a speech about . . . free speech. The audience, including McGovern, stood as she entered.  When she prepared to speak everyone sat down, except McGovern. "It was my symbolic way of saying not everybody agrees with her.  When she came in I not only remained standing but I turned my back to her." He was seized by government thugs, assaulted, dragged from the room and double handcuffed with metal cuffs causing profuse bleeding. 

Ah, America, land of free speech.

In South Dakota a Republican state legislator named Phil Jensen has introduced a bill that would make it "justifiable homicide" to murder any person attempting to "harm an unborn child" -- such as doctors who perform legal abortions.

Ah, America ! God Shed His Grace on Thee

The ruthless king who ordered the shock troops into Pearl Square on the island nation of Bahrain is a real pal of the American government because he lets us park our Fifth Fleet there.  Here are some of our other pals in that region:

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.  Human Rights Watch says his regime "systematically suppresses or fails to protect the rights of nine million Saudi women and girls . . . and some two million Shia citizens.  Each year thousands of people receive unfair trials . . . arbitrary detention . . . curbs on freedom."

King Abdullah II of Jordan.  Human Rights Watch: "Torture (is) routine and widespread, in particular at police stations."  Free speech is prohibited.

President Gurbanguly Berdmukhamedov of Turkmenistan.  One of the most repressive regimes in the world, a favorite of General David Petraeus in particular.  Makes arbitrary arrests, detains prisoners incommunicado, tortures, abuses women.  No freedom of religion, speech or press.  Has some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world.

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan.  Routinely elected with 90 or more percent of the vote, Kamirov  endorses torture of dissenters; two were boiled to death in 2003.  The government rounds up children to do the cotton harvest every year. U.S. props him up with aid to his spy agency and police.  He provides U.S. with supply routes for our forces in Afghanistan.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.  Commands large offshore oil reserves.  Good pal of Condi Rice.  Human Rights Watch: "Mired in corruption, poverty and repression."  Posed for Photo Op with his buddy, Barry Obama, at Metropolitan Museum of New York in 2009.

Ah, America, Beacon of Liberty to the World.