We think you're near Phoenix

Currently in Phoenix

Location: Phoenix Current temperature: 51°F: Current condition: Partly Cloudy See Extended Forecast

Reagan's October Surprise: The beginning of America's Corporate takeover

This story has begun to come back from the dead again. This time it is not so much of a story of partisan politics as in Republicans and Democrats, but as the door through which Corporate America began to take away American freedom and liberty right up to the present.

In 1992-93 a House Committee chaired by Lee Hamilton ( D-Ind ) looked into the story of Reagan's October Surprise. They found no credibility in the story. The evidence points to other conclusions. So how was the story killed? How were we led to believe that in our democracy all was truly well and get duped into the idea that we were about to experience a new," Morning in America?"

The first reporting of this story began with Bob Woodward and Walter Pincus in the Washington Post.  They reported on a meeting held on Oct. 2, 1980 at L'Enfant Plaza with representatives of Reagan's campaign and the Iranians who were currently holding 52 Americans hostage in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran after the Iranian revolution overthrowing the Shah.  

Later it came out that a meeting was held in early March including Reagan campaign manager William Casey. At this meeting were Cyrus and Jamshid Hashemi. Casey made it clear that he wanted to prevent Carter from gaining political advantage from freeing the Iranian hostages.

There was also a second meeting in July 1980 in Madrid. The July meeting included Mehdi Karrudi, who would go on to become the speaker of the Iranian Parliament. At this meeting it has been believed that promises were made of arms and unfreezing of assets in return for release of the 52 American hostages after the November election.

A number of reports have come out documenting a third meeting in Paris. This is the meeting that from time to time it has been alleged that George H.W. Bush was part of.

It took place from Oct 15 to Oct. 20, 1980. Other Reagan campaign people in this meeting were Robert McFarlane later a Reagan Administration national security adviser, Lawrence Silberman, and Richard Allen also the first Regan national security adviser.

The Iranians were represented at these meetings by M. Ghorbonifer, Parvis Sabati or both. Ghorbonifer was alleged to be a Mossad agent and arms dealer. At this meeting the final details of the release of the hostages after Reagan's election in exchange for arms and an unfreezing of Iranian assets were finalized.

It is beyond treason to have plotted and actually negotiated an extension of the holding of Americans as hostages. What role has the press had in this potentially treasonous affair? Did they enable the truth to come out or did they suppress it because they were and always have been part of the propaganda arm of the Corporate takeover of America. Is Obama's Change we can believe in manipulation a piece of the same story despite being from a different political party? Is this difference part of the camouflage to enable the system to pretend that we still have Democracy?

What is known is that Reagan won  the election. As he was taking the oath of office the American hostages were being released.  Reagan immediately lifted the arms embargo and Israel began delivering weapons to Iran.  Shortly after that the greatest transfer of wealth from the Middle Class to the Richest 1% of the population began in earnest and has never stopped. We have seen more and more elections we believed were rigged and now we no longer have a government of the people we have Corporate Totalitarianism. But as we wake up to this Orwellian reality is it too late or has 1984 come to pass in 2010?

Advertisement

By

Philadelphia Progressive Examiner

A special education teacher who teaches English and government, Tim has run for Congress twice and has been involved in local D.C area politics for...

Don't miss...