Crossing the Rubicon

The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil by Michael Ruppert

best book for the how and why of 9/11

related page: Michael Ruppert, From the Wilderness

I got the term "Crossing the Rubicon" from the fact that in 49BC Julius Caesar having just won a battle in northern Italy took his legions and crossed a stream called the Rubicon, and under the Constitution of the Roman Republic the military was forbidden from entering the capital city, but as soon as Julius Caesar took his legions into Rome the Roman Republic died and the Roman Empire was born.

-- Michael Ruppert, interview with Sue Supriano, August 31, 2004
http://globalpublicmedia.com/transcripts/74

 

Crossing the Rubicon: Simplifying the case against Dick Cheney
by Michael Kane

www.fromthewilderness.net/free/ww3/011805_simplify_case.shtml

  • Means - Dick Cheney and the Secret Service: Dick Cheney was running a completely separate chain of Command & Control via the Secret Service, assuring the paralysis of Air Force response on 9/11. The Secret Service has the technology to see the same radar screens the FAA sees in real time. They also have the legal authority and technological capability to take supreme command in cases of national emergency. Dick Cheney was the acting Commander in Chief on 9/11.
  • Motive - Peak Oil: At some point between 2000 and 2007, world oil production reaches its peak; from that point on, every barrel of oil is going to be harder to find, more expensive to recover, and more valuable to those who recover and control it. Dick Cheney was well aware of the coming Peak Oil crisis at least as early as 1999, and 9/11 provided the pretext for the series of energy wars that Cheney stated, "will not end in our lifetime."
  • Opportunity - 9/11 War Games: The Air Force was running multiple war games on the morning of 9/11 simulating hijackings over the continental United States that included (at least) one "live-fly" exercise as well as simulations that placed "false blips" on FAA radar screens. These war games eerily mirrored the real events of 9/11 to the point of the Air Force running drills involving hijacked aircraft as the 9/11 plot actually unfolded. The war games & terror drills played a critical role in ensuring no Air Force fighter jocks - who had trained their entire lives for this moment - would be able to prevent the attacks from succeeding. These exercises were under Dick Cheney's management.

Michael Ruppert gave a groundbreaking speech at the "Commonwealth Club" in San Francisco on Tuesday, August 31, 2004. The PDF file of the speech is downloadable at www.fromthewilderness.com/PDF/Commonwealth.pdf (if you don't have a PDF file reader, you can download a free reader from adobe.com for Macintosh or Windows operating systems). The speech is long, but a must read for anyone interested in the future of the United States, Peak Oil, 9/11, the 2004 election, and related topics. There are very few journalists digging up credible new information about 9/11, but this speech is full of critical information that should be on the front page of every newspaper on the planet. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of this information.

Listen to an interview with Mike that aired on KPFA-FM on September 1, 2004 on the "Stepping Out of Babylon" show at www.suesupriano.com (12 megabytes, a half hour long - very concise and profound work).


"Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil" by Michael C. Ruppert

ISBN #0-86571-540-8
(approx 600 pages with illustrations)
New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada)
$22.95 (US)

After two and a half years of research and writing, Ruppert said:

"In my new book I will be making several key points:
1. I will name Vice President Richard Cheney as the prime suspect in the mass murders of 9/11 and will establish that, not only was he a planner in the attacks, but also that on the day of the attacks he was running a completely separate Command, Control and Communications system which was superceding any orders being issued by the FAA, the Pentagon, or the White House Situation Room;
2. I will establish conclusively that in May of 2001, by presidential order, Richard Cheney was put in direct command and control of all wargame and field exercise training and scheduling through several agencies, especially FEMA. This also extended to all of the conflicting and overlapping NORAD drills -- some involving hijack simulations -- taking place on that day.
3. I will also demonstrate that the TRIPOD II exercise being set up on Sept. 10th in Manhattan was directly connected to Cheney's role in the above.
4. I will also prove conclusively that a number of public officials, at the national and New York City levels, including then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, were aware that flight 175 was en route to lower Manhattan for 20 minutes and did nothing to order the evacuation of, or warn the occupants of the South Tower. One military officer was forced to leave his post in the middle of the attacks and place a private call to his brother - who worked at the WTC - warning him to get out. That was because no other part of the system was taking action.
5. I will also show that the Israeli and British governments acted as partners with the highest levels of the American government to help in the preparation and, very possibly, the actual execution of the attacks."
"There is more reason to be afraid of not facing the evidence in this book than of facing what is in it."

Even FTW's most devoted readers will be surprised at what Mike has revealed.

Advance Praise for Crossing the Rubicon

Astounding! Alarming! ... And yet at last, with this -- Mike Ruppert's beyond-courageous offering -- we gain sight of the whole of corporate-managed, government-assisted, bank-laundered, drug-funded plunder. And a jolt to spur our movements to take back the world. -- Chellis Glendinning, PhD, author of Chiva: A Village Takes on the Global Heroin Trade and Off the Map: An Expedition Deep into Empire and the Global Economy

Mike Ruppert was one of the first journalists to understand the concept and importance of Peak Oil. What is more important, he has connected the dots: he understands the relationships between this historic watershed and the geopolitical events of our time. Mike still has the instincts of a cop (which he once was), but the criminals he is tracking these days are no small-time hoodlums; they are some of the most powerful people on the planet. If you want to understand the dynamics of the oil-money-drugs-and-war imperial system in which we are all embedded, start with this book. -- Richard Heinberg, author of The Party's Over and Powerdown

Mike Ruppert represents, from top to bottom, the best tradition of an independent thinking, open-minded, incorruptible, humorous, prudent, American Cop. After running during his police career into conflicts with the drug dealing part of the CIA, Mike knows that government information seldom equals its disinformation. The doubt about the official 9/11 story brought us together. From the first day after 9/11, I could follow his scouting into the real world behind government propaganda. I firmly believe at the end of three years of conducting a really independent investigation, that Ruppert is not only heading in the right direction, but also touching the inner sanctum of the hidden government agenda. -- Andreas Von Bulow, former German Cabinet Minister and Parliamentary Secretary, author of The CIA and September 11

Fasten your thinking caps! Something is clearly terribly wrong at the heart of American politics. The same is true of the mainstream media. Reporters just aren't asking enough difficult and dangerous questions. Michael Ruppert has been asking disconcerting but critical questions for more than two decades, even when it meant confronting unpleasant truths that challenge the very basis of industrial society. His unflinching reporting on the facts behind the coming decline of global petroleum has been an extraordinary service to the world. Whatever you think of Ruppert's bold hypotheses about the geopolitics of oil, this provocative book will force you to confront the contradictions of our increasingly unsustainable global economy. -- Julian Darley, author of High Noon for Natural Gas: The New Energy Crisis, founder and director of The Post Carbon Institute, and founder of www.globalpublicmedia.com

I'm proud Mike asked me to appear in his seminal film, The Truth and Lies of 9/11. Mike has traveled and studied the Peak Oil issue with world renowned experts, and he and I share an abiding shock at the rampant despoilment of our planet, through fake stoked resource wars that have real consequences in real lives. Mike has something to say and I'm going to listen. -- US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Georgia

Mike Ruppert's work should be a household item for any American Muslim, Jew or Christian looking to understand the difference between authentic religious piety versus the criminality that occupies much of the headlines these days. He brings this home for every American by exposing the perpetrators here within our own government, most notably using 9-11 as a paradigm. All folk of religion must have the courage to expose the agendas that use 'religion' as a guise, be these agendas in the name of 'Islamic resurgence' or 'Securing the Jewish State.' Kudos to Mike, one of the last of the true-blooded Americans around. -- Faiz Khan M.D., Triage Emergency Physician on 9-11, Assistant Imam, New York

In a sector rife with disinformation and ill-informed comment, Michael Ruppert's work stands out as a conspicuous beacon of valuable well-informed analysis. His claims are bold and contrarian and have dramatic implications for the global oil price should the global economy experience a sustained recovery while Iraqi oil supplies are curtailed. Ruppert believes (with ample documentation to justify his view) that depletion dynamics will fuel energy price appreciation more in this cycle than any prior one. If he is anywhere near correct, as we believe, the oil market will begin an historic cyclical upmove with a tighter supply demand balance than at any prior cycle. For anyone wishing to understand the full ramifications of this for the energy markets and global economy, Ruppert's work is invaluable. -- Marshall Auerback, international portfolio strategist for David W. Tice & Associates, Inc., and weekly contributor to www.prudentbear.com

 

a few media profiles

Most of the major media bought copies of Crossing the Rubicon, but none dared to review the book, not even to attack it. The "alternative" media also were united in their silent treatment, since few dare to discuss the implications of Peak Oil and fewer are willing to discuss the best evidence that 9/11 was allowed to happen. In May 2004, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! privately said it was "good" that Rubicon was being published, but her program did not dare mention the book's existence to the many listeners and viewers of the show. Harper's Magazine also considered doing a story on it, but changed their mind and stayed silent. Here are a couple of exceptions to this rule:

 

www.eugeneweekly.com/2005/05/26/news.html#news1

Stuck on Oil
Michael Ruppert on the messy decline of the oil age
BY KERA ABRAHAM


www.politicalstrategy.org/archives/000875.php
An Intimate View of the Cheney-Bush Junta and 9-11
By William Hare 11/30/04

Mike Ruppert uses the operative word to describe the Cheney-Bush regime, that of Empire, an all-encompassing octopus-like power grab at world preeminence at the expense of international order. With "Crossing The Rubicon" Ruppert has clearly established himself alongside the venerable essayist and political critic Gore Vidal as articulate voices decrying the rush to Empire and the tragic consequences of such dictatorial actions. ....


www.netrequisite.com/%7Ekai/ruppert.html
Who is Michael C. Ruppert?

"This is the man who cost CIA Director Deutch his guaranteed appointment as Secretary of Defense after confronting him at Locke High School with hard facts about CIA dealing drugs." - Dick Gregory, publisher of Global Watch.

In 1992 People Magazine wrote: "...in the course of investigations in the mid 70's he came across information that the CIA was trading drugs in order to fund covert operations in the Middle East...Perot called him back to offer encouragement...Ruppert says that his main objective is to see that the country gets a leader worthy of its people. Even for Ross Perot those will be tough shoes to fill."
"Mike Ruppert is a one man crusade trying to expose America's bogus war on drugs. From the time we met on the campaign trail in 1992 while filming THE LAST PARTY, through his challenge to John Deutch, Mike Ruppert has been on the front line trying to get the story out." - Marc Levin, - Emmy award winning Director of PBS's The Secret Government, THE LAST PARTY and Producer of Bill Moyers' 1998 series on Addiction.
Mike Ruppert, 51, is the Publisher/Editor of From the Wilderness or FTW, a newsletter he founded in March 1998 by mailing out 68 copies to friends and researchers. Some folks might also know this by his mirror site copvcia.com. FTW is now read by more than 4,000 subscribers in 32 countries including 20 members of the US Congress and professors at 15 universities in the US and Canada. Through the newsletter and his website at www.copvcia.com, Mike has pioneered innovative analysis and groundbreaking original stories on the impact of $5-600 billion per year in drug money moving through the US economy and the illegal covert operations which maintain control of that cash flow for US economic interests.
An Honors graduate of UCLA in Political Science (1973), Mike is a former LAPD narcotics investigator who discovered CIA trafficking in drugs in 1977. After attempting to expose this he was forced out of LAPD in 1978 while earning the highest rating reports possible and having no pending disciplinary actions. In 1996, after 18 years of struggle, he finally achieved one of his deepest wishes in a face to face public encounter with then CIA Director John Deutch on national television. Washington sources later told Mike that Deutch's mishandling of the encounter cost him a guaranteed appointment as Secretary of Defense.
Mike's stories, which have expanded to include economic analysis and detailed exposés of the CIA and the American political system, have been reprinted in 12 countries. Now a popular lecturer on the college circuit, Mike has given dozens of lectures on "The Truth & Lies of 9-11" in three countries. He is a regular guest on talk radio shows at major stations throughout the country.
In the wake of the September 11th attacks Mike was among the first to be publicly critical of a number of transparent flaws in the official story presented by the US government. In more than sixty stories since 9-11 he has followed his tested strategy of using only government documents, official statements or verifiable press reports as the basis for his work. As a result he has been openly received by several members of Congress and maintains open lines of communication with congressional and committee staffs.
On November 28, 2001 Mike gave his first post 9-11 lecture at Portland State University, which was attended by more than 1,000 and resulted in a standing ovation. FTW's video, The Truth and Lies About 9-11, has sold more than 4500 copies. It includes special exclusive interviews with Representatives Ron Paul (R-TX), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Professor Peter Dale Scott, (UC, Berkeley), Professor John Metzger (Michigan State) and Catherine Austin Fitts (former Assistant Secretary of Housing and Managing Director, Dillon Read).
Mike is soon to be publishing a book based on his experiences and researches called "Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil". An excerpt, Chapter 23, of the book can be read online. http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/022803_chap_23.html
To learn more about Mike, click here http://www.fromthewilderness.com/about_Mike_part_one.html to read a two part, 1981 Herald Examiner series on Michael C. Ruppert.


www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/wellen12062004/

Monday, December 06, 2004
Fueling a Profitable Future: 9/11 and U.S. Energy Policy
By Russ Wellen
A Review of Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil by Michael C. Ruppert (New Society, 674 pages, $22.95).

By marching his forces across that most infamous of rivers, the Rubicon, and into Rome, Julius Caesar not only trampled on its constitution, but sowed the seeds for fascism centuries later. Now, with Crossing the Rubicon, Michael Ruppert, founder of FromTheWilderness.com, implores us to make an about-face on our own march toward the system of governance on which even Mussolini bestowed the alias, “corporatism.” ....

While many of us have heard about the Project for a New American Century’s lust for a new Pearl Harbor to open the floodgates for military intervention, we know little about Dick Cheney’s US National Energy Policy Development Group. Extrapolating from the few documents the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch was able to secure under the Freedom of Information Act, Ruppert maintains that in April 2001 the NEPDG signed off on plans to cross the Rubicon -- that is, secure what oil remains by facilitating attacks on the US.
Next Cheney was placed in charge of all response to a terror attack, including control of FEMA. A month later most of the decision-making power to scramble NORAD fighter jets was taken out of the hands of commanders and remanded to the secretary of defense. Then when the depth of the Caspian Basin’s inadequacy became known, engendering fears of a market crash, plans for the attack were put in action before they were finalized, thus accounting for mistakes in execution and cover-up.
While Ruppert provides no smoking gun, you watch with lurid fascination as the pieces fall into place with such precision that the tumbler in your brain clicks, the lock opens, and the scenario is admitted. Ruppert’s coup is discovering, as many now know, that it’s the war games, stupid.
On September 11, NORAD, the FAA, the Canadian Air Force, and the National Reconnaissance Office were conducting as many as five war-game drills. Not only were fighters diverted from the northeast US, but the insertion of blips simulating emergencies onto radar screens bewitched air traffic controllers’ lost in the fog of war games. Ruppert discounts the likelihood of a stand-down order to fighter pilots, because, as he reminds us, they’re constitutionally incapable of remaining in a holding pattern while their country is attacked.
As for the hijackers, Ruppert theorizes that, other than the “muscle,” they were CIA assets too valuable to lose. Lest you think that the remote control he suggests guided the planes is the realm of fantasy, refer to the unmanned X-43A jet with which, as of this writing, NASA is attempting to set a speed record.
By exploring the links between Wall Street and the CIA and emphasizing the influence of overlords like the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations, Ruppert encourages us to look beyond the current administration. For this alone we owe him a debt of gratitude: Four more years of hating the dynamic duo could have almost as debilitating an effect on us as their policies. Besides, as Ruppert says, “... you will change nothing until you change the way money works.” ....

Crossing the Rubicon is one of those rare books capable of ruining a reviewer’s credibility by seducing the superlatives out of him. It is, however, open to another interpretation. Sure, Cheney accords Halliburton hallowed-ground status. But to many, the American way of life, which Cheney declares is “not negotiable,” is an end that more than justifies the means, however untidy. In other words, he cares, he really cares.