The Raw Story | Police abandoned security posts before Bhutto assassination: "Police abandoned their security posts shortly before Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination Thursday, according to a journalist present at the time, and unanswerable questions remain about the cause of her death, because an autopsy was never performed."
I knew that details like this were going to start coming out. The whole thing just seems fishy.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Decline in Iraq news may have boosted U.S. opinion | Reuters
Decline in Iraq news may have boosted U.S. opinion | Reuters: "A recent decline in U.S. news coverage from Iraq coincides with improved public opinion about the war just as the 2008 presidential campaign heads to an early showdown, a study released on Wednesday said.
The study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism said the volume of coverage from Iraq fell from 8 percent of all news stories in the first six months of 2007 to 5 percent between June and October due mainly to a decline in news accounts of daily attacks.
The falloff coincided with a 14 percentage point climb -- from 34 to 48 percent -- in the number of Americans who believe the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going either fairly or very well, according to Pew."
Out of sight, out of mind. This article shows how easy it is for the mass media to influence public opinion. Last night, my jaw dropped during an MSNBC report about the current unrest in Pakistan. The comment made was comparing Pakistan's attempts to return to democracy to the Democracy in Afghanistan. The anchor actually said that in Afghanistan, democracy is working, and that Pakistan should strive for that kind of progress. Meanwhile, warlords are taking back Afghanistan, including groups led by the Taliban. In addition, coalition forces are actually trying to negotiate with the Taliban. The government has almost no money for reconstruction, and other countries are not really helping in that regard. There is a lack of electricity, safe water, and sanitation facilities. Children are going to school in bombed-out buildings. Yeah, Democracy is working, according to MSNBC.
The study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism said the volume of coverage from Iraq fell from 8 percent of all news stories in the first six months of 2007 to 5 percent between June and October due mainly to a decline in news accounts of daily attacks.
The falloff coincided with a 14 percentage point climb -- from 34 to 48 percent -- in the number of Americans who believe the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going either fairly or very well, according to Pew."
Out of sight, out of mind. This article shows how easy it is for the mass media to influence public opinion. Last night, my jaw dropped during an MSNBC report about the current unrest in Pakistan. The comment made was comparing Pakistan's attempts to return to democracy to the Democracy in Afghanistan. The anchor actually said that in Afghanistan, democracy is working, and that Pakistan should strive for that kind of progress. Meanwhile, warlords are taking back Afghanistan, including groups led by the Taliban. In addition, coalition forces are actually trying to negotiate with the Taliban. The government has almost no money for reconstruction, and other countries are not really helping in that regard. There is a lack of electricity, safe water, and sanitation facilities. Children are going to school in bombed-out buildings. Yeah, Democracy is working, according to MSNBC.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The Raw Story | New government-transparency database will decrease available info about intel agencies
The Raw Story | New government-transparency database will decrease available info about intel agencies: "A new online government spending database -- designed to increase transparency as to how taxpayer dollars are spent -- will actually allow intelligence agencies to keep more secrets about their private contracts than before."
Orwell is slapping his forehead... Transparency=Secrecy
Orwell is slapping his forehead... Transparency=Secrecy
Police academy class slogan: Cause PTSD - Yahoo! News
Police academy class slogan: Cause PTSD - Yahoo! News: "A state police academy leader has disavowed the slogan of the most recent graduating class urging one another to 'go out and cause' post-traumatic stress disorder.
Each class at the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy is allowed to choose a slogan that is printed on its graduation programs, and the class of 43 graduates came up with 'Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it.'"
To protect and serve...
Each class at the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy is allowed to choose a slogan that is printed on its graduation programs, and the class of 43 graduates came up with 'Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it.'"
To protect and serve...
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
My Christmas message...
I do not believe that Christmas should be celebrated as the birth of Christ. It should be a day of mourning for all of the people for which the desire to spread Christianity to has resulted in their premature deaths, in the past, present, and future.
When you start to open your presents that support the corporate-controlled government of the United States, think of the Native Americans, the Mayans, the Africans, and all others who have died in the name of spreading Christianity.
Think of the Right-Wing, Christian Fundamentalists who have started a war on Islam in Afghanistan and Iraq, for the simple reasons that we need their oil, and that they are brown people in a far-away place that do not worship Christ.
Think of the fact that these same Neo-Cons have eliminated nearly all of the remaining rights we Americans take for granted in the United States.
Think of the corporations that are sending your jobs overseas.
Think of the future of the United States, in which the dollar will be worth nothing, and our children will be responsible for a debt they can never repay.
Finally, think of the fact that revolution is the only way out of this miserable crisis.
Merry Christmas...
When you start to open your presents that support the corporate-controlled government of the United States, think of the Native Americans, the Mayans, the Africans, and all others who have died in the name of spreading Christianity.
Think of the Right-Wing, Christian Fundamentalists who have started a war on Islam in Afghanistan and Iraq, for the simple reasons that we need their oil, and that they are brown people in a far-away place that do not worship Christ.
Think of the fact that these same Neo-Cons have eliminated nearly all of the remaining rights we Americans take for granted in the United States.
Think of the corporations that are sending your jobs overseas.
Think of the future of the United States, in which the dollar will be worth nothing, and our children will be responsible for a debt they can never repay.
Finally, think of the fact that revolution is the only way out of this miserable crisis.
Merry Christmas...
Monday, December 24, 2007
U.S. Officials See Waste in Pakistan Aid - New York Times
U.S. Officials See Waste in Pakistan Aid - New York Times: "After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over the money. The strategy to improve the Pakistani military, they said, needs to be completely revamped."
That is what happens when Bushco trusts a dictatorship...
That is what happens when Bushco trusts a dictatorship...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Iraq, Afghanistan War Costs Top Vietnam - Yahoo! News
Iraq, Afghanistan War Costs Top Vietnam - Yahoo! News: "California (OneWorld) � Congress' approval Wednesday of $70 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan mean the twin conflicts are now more costly to American taxpayers than the war in Vietnam.
According to a study by the Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Congress has now approved nearly $700 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
'Using inflation-adjusted dollars, the total cost of those wars has now surpassed the total cost of the Vietnam war (which ran to $670 billion),' the group�s Travis Sharp told OneWorld. 'It's also more than seven times larger than the Persian Gulf War ($94 billion) and more than twice the cost of the Korean war ($295 billion).'
As a result of Wednesday�s vote, Sharp said, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will become the second costliest conflict in American history, trailing only World War II."
And Damn what a success it is...
According to a study by the Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Congress has now approved nearly $700 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
'Using inflation-adjusted dollars, the total cost of those wars has now surpassed the total cost of the Vietnam war (which ran to $670 billion),' the group�s Travis Sharp told OneWorld. 'It's also more than seven times larger than the Persian Gulf War ($94 billion) and more than twice the cost of the Korean war ($295 billion).'
As a result of Wednesday�s vote, Sharp said, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will become the second costliest conflict in American history, trailing only World War II."
And Damn what a success it is...
Is Your Cash Safe at the Banks? (Consumer Action: Personal Finance) | SmartMoney.com
Is Your Cash Safe at the Banks? (Consumer Action: Personal Finance) | SmartMoney.com: "For consumers who just want to park their savings somewhere, it seems perfectly rational to have a case of the jitters. Not only that, but the whole situation can be extremely confusing. Are the typically safe choices — money-market mutual funds, bond funds and bank savings accounts — really safe? Or are you better off leaving your cash stashed under the mattress?
The good news: Your savings or investments are most likely secure (savings accounts, for example, are FDIC-insured). But that doesn't mean you should blindly stow your money in one of these accounts without taking some precautions first. Here's what you need to know:
Bank savings, money-market savings and CDs
Bank savings and money-market accounts are the safest places to stow your cash for one simple reason: Through FDIC insurance, the government guarantees your money."
Yes, the Government insurance may protect us when a few banks fail... But if/when massive bank runs start happening, we may as well consider money stored in banks to be gone...
The good news: Your savings or investments are most likely secure (savings accounts, for example, are FDIC-insured). But that doesn't mean you should blindly stow your money in one of these accounts without taking some precautions first. Here's what you need to know:
Bank savings, money-market savings and CDs
Bank savings and money-market accounts are the safest places to stow your cash for one simple reason: Through FDIC insurance, the government guarantees your money."
Yes, the Government insurance may protect us when a few banks fail... But if/when massive bank runs start happening, we may as well consider money stored in banks to be gone...
The Raw Story | DHS finalizing plans for domestic spy satellite program
The Raw Story | DHS finalizing plans for domestic spy satellite program: "Civil liberties concerns delayed the program after lawmakers and outside activists wondered how the program would be structured to protect Americans from unconstitutional surveillance from the powerful satellites, which can see through cloud cover, trees and even concrete buildings.
The program's charter remains unfinalized, but Chertoff said it will use clear language to explain legal restrictions on the data's use. Warrants will be obtained when required before collecting satellite intelligence, and the program won't use technology to intercept verbal communications, according to the Journal."
Ah yes, the spy satellite program is back on the table. I find it disturbing that they can see through concrete, or can even possibly record audio. I am so sure that the government will get the required warrants... Time to paint F**K YOU on our rooftops.
The program's charter remains unfinalized, but Chertoff said it will use clear language to explain legal restrictions on the data's use. Warrants will be obtained when required before collecting satellite intelligence, and the program won't use technology to intercept verbal communications, according to the Journal."
Ah yes, the spy satellite program is back on the table. I find it disturbing that they can see through concrete, or can even possibly record audio. I am so sure that the government will get the required warrants... Time to paint F**K YOU on our rooftops.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Police State America - A Look Back And Ahead
Police State America -: "It's not with jackboots in the streets but by a steady 'process of erosion' with the public largely unaware and distracted by media mind manipulators. It's happening today, and Wolf sounds the alarm with the words of James Madison saying 'The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands....is the definition of tyranny,' and that's the condition now in America. This article reviews the record for the past seven years. It's not pretty."
This is an excellent article that depicts the grim details of the Administration's unchallenged, and illegal, power grab that has taken place since 9/11. When you add up all of the executive orders, signing statements, illegal programs, and congress-backed legislation, as this article does, it paints a very grim picture of the future of the United States.
This is an excellent article that depicts the grim details of the Administration's unchallenged, and illegal, power grab that has taken place since 9/11. When you add up all of the executive orders, signing statements, illegal programs, and congress-backed legislation, as this article does, it paints a very grim picture of the future of the United States.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Preemptive Terror Trials: Strike Two - Yahoo! News
Preemptive Terror Trials: Strike Two - Yahoo! News: "The entire situation was concocted by the government. The warehouse was paid for by the FBI, and the defendants moved their operations there at the suggestion of an undercover informant who was also paid by the FBI. The swearing-in ceremony was led by the informant - who at another point also suggested a plan to bomb FBI offices in Miami. 'The case was written, produced and directed by the FBI,' defense attorney Albert Levin said in his closing arguments.
Since 9/11, the FBI has begun using legions of Muslim or Arabic informants in hopes of rooting out radicals before they strike. The main informant in this case was a Middle Eastern man named Elie Assad. He had worked for the FBI for years before he approached Batiste, posing as an al-Qaeda operative named 'Brother Mohammad.' He earned about $80,000 for his services."
Can you say entrapment??? 80,000 dollars is a lot of good reasons to encourage people to turn against the U.S. When I was in high school, sometimes I was amazed at the willingness of younger students to follow my every lead. Some people are just eager to be part of a group, and will follow any suggestion made. It seems to me that many of the "terror" cases in the United States, since 9/11, have been just that. A paid government informant, probably getting a deal for his or her crimes, finds a group of disorganized people with a vague dislike of the U.S., and then organizes them.
Since 9/11, the FBI has begun using legions of Muslim or Arabic informants in hopes of rooting out radicals before they strike. The main informant in this case was a Middle Eastern man named Elie Assad. He had worked for the FBI for years before he approached Batiste, posing as an al-Qaeda operative named 'Brother Mohammad.' He earned about $80,000 for his services."
Can you say entrapment??? 80,000 dollars is a lot of good reasons to encourage people to turn against the U.S. When I was in high school, sometimes I was amazed at the willingness of younger students to follow my every lead. Some people are just eager to be part of a group, and will follow any suggestion made. It seems to me that many of the "terror" cases in the United States, since 9/11, have been just that. A paid government informant, probably getting a deal for his or her crimes, finds a group of disorganized people with a vague dislike of the U.S., and then organizes them.
War funding bill heads to Bush - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com
War funding bill heads to Bush - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com: "The Democratic-led Congress authorized more Iraq war spending on Friday, sending President Bush a defense bill requiring no change in strategy after failing again to impose a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals.
The defense policy bill, approved 90-3 by the Senate, also expanded the size of the U.S. Army and set conditions on the Bush administration’s plan to build a missile defense system in Europe."
Good job congress!!! You have proven once again that you will do exactly the opposite of what the majority desires...
The defense policy bill, approved 90-3 by the Senate, also expanded the size of the U.S. Army and set conditions on the Bush administration’s plan to build a missile defense system in Europe."
Good job congress!!! You have proven once again that you will do exactly the opposite of what the majority desires...
The Associated Press: GOP Seeks to Restore Harsh Interrogation
The Associated Press: GOP Seeks to Restore Harsh Interrogation: "Senate Republicans blocked a bill Friday that would restrict the interrogation methods the CIA can use against terrorism suspects.
The legislation, part of a measure authorizing the government's intelligence activities for 2008, had been approved a day earlier by the House and sent to the Senate for what was supposed to be final action. The bill would require the CIA to adhere to the Army's field manual on interrogation, which bans waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods."
No big surprise there...
The legislation, part of a measure authorizing the government's intelligence activities for 2008, had been approved a day earlier by the House and sent to the Senate for what was supposed to be final action. The bill would require the CIA to adhere to the Army's field manual on interrogation, which bans waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods."
No big surprise there...
The Raw Story | New Attorney General stonewalls Senate over CIA tapes
The Raw Story | New Attorney General stonewalls Senate over CIA tapes: "Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy said Friday he is disappointed at the Justice Department for its outright refusal to hand over any information about the interrogation videotapes destroyed by the CIA two years ago.
Leahy, and the Judiciary Committee's top Republican Arlen Specter, wrote to Attorney General Michael Mukasey after news broke last week that the CIA destroyed several hundred hours of recordings depicting harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists."
Yes, this is what happens when the Attorney General cannot decide if water boarding is torture. More torture cover-ups...
Leahy, and the Judiciary Committee's top Republican Arlen Specter, wrote to Attorney General Michael Mukasey after news broke last week that the CIA destroyed several hundred hours of recordings depicting harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists."
Yes, this is what happens when the Attorney General cannot decide if water boarding is torture. More torture cover-ups...
Judge urged not to ask about CIA tapes - Yahoo! News
Judge urged not to ask about CIA tapes - Yahoo! News: "The Bush administration told a federal judge it was not obligated to preserve videotapes of CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists and urged the court not to look into the tapes' destruction.
In court documents filed Friday night, government lawyers told U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy that demanding information about the tapes would interfere with current investigations by Congress and the Justice Department.
It was the first time the government had addressed the issue of the videotapes in court.
Kennedy ordered the administration in June 2005 to safeguard 'all evidence and information regarding the torture, mistreatment, and abuse of detainees now at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.'
Five months later, the CIA destroyed the interrogation videos. The recordings involved suspected terrorists Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri"
"Move on, Nothing to see here..."
In court documents filed Friday night, government lawyers told U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy that demanding information about the tapes would interfere with current investigations by Congress and the Justice Department.
It was the first time the government had addressed the issue of the videotapes in court.
Kennedy ordered the administration in June 2005 to safeguard 'all evidence and information regarding the torture, mistreatment, and abuse of detainees now at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.'
Five months later, the CIA destroyed the interrogation videos. The recordings involved suspected terrorists Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri"
"Move on, Nothing to see here..."
Friday, December 14, 2007
"w00t" crowned word of year by U.S. dictionary - Yahoo! News
"w00t" crowned word of year by U.S. dictionary - Yahoo! News: "Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said 'w00t' -- typically spelled with two zeros -- reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text-messaging."
And the dumbing-down of the American people continues...
And the dumbing-down of the American people continues...
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Talking Points Memo | Waterboarding = Swimming
Talking Points Memo | Waterboarding = Swimming: "GWEN IFILL: I just would like to -- but do you think that waterboarding, as I described it, constitutes torture?
SEN. KIT BOND: There are different ways of doing it. It's like swimming, freestyle, backstroke. The waterboarding could be used almost to define some of the techniques that our trainees are put through, but that's beside the point. It's not being used."
It's like swimming, when you are handcuffed and shackled, with some dude holding your head underwater, until you are nearly drowning.
SEN. KIT BOND: There are different ways of doing it. It's like swimming, freestyle, backstroke. The waterboarding could be used almost to define some of the techniques that our trainees are put through, but that's beside the point. It's not being used."
It's like swimming, when you are handcuffed and shackled, with some dude holding your head underwater, until you are nearly drowning.
The Raw Story | MSNBC examines how Bush became 'a government unto himself'
The Raw Story | MSNBC examines how Bush became 'a government unto himself': "Bush has issued 1100 signing statements -- almost twice as many as all previous presidents put together -- often completely reversing the intended effect of legislation. For example, when Congress voted overwhelmingly to ban torture, Bush announced that this would 'make it clear to the world that this government does not torture.' Two weeks later, he added a signing statement to the bill that allowed him to ignore it. Similarly, when a bill required the Justice Department to report to Congress on the use of the Patriot Act, Bush added a proviso that he could override this requirement any time he thought necessary."
Checks and Balances? Not in Amerika...
Checks and Balances? Not in Amerika...
ABC News: Bush Candidly Discusses Quitting Whiskey
ABC News: Bush Candidly Discusses Quitting Whiskey: "'I doubt I'd be standing here if I hadn't quit drinking whiskey, and beer and wine and all that,' the president disclosed Tuesday to ABC News' Martha Raddatz during an exclusive tour of the White House residence."
Ok, let's all send the moron a bottle of whiskey for Christmas then, and pray he gives in to temptation...
Ok, let's all send the moron a bottle of whiskey for Christmas then, and pray he gives in to temptation...
The Raw Story | Spy court wont release US wiretap docs
The Raw Story | Spy court wont release US wiretap docs: "The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, in a rare on-the-record opinion, said the public has no right to view the documents because they deal with the clandestine workings of national security agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union asked the court to release the records in August. Specifically, the organization asked for the government's legal briefs and the court's opinions on the wiretapping program. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, who sits on the national security court, refused. Releasing the documents would reveal closely guarded secrets that enemies could used to evade detection or disrupt intelligence activities, he said. Sources could be outed, targets could be tipped off and diplomatic relations could be damaged."
Interesting, even their opinions on whether or not the program is legal are guarded secrets. Where is the accountability to the public? There is none.
Interesting, even their opinions on whether or not the program is legal are guarded secrets. Where is the accountability to the public? There is none.
Truthdig - Reports - Waterboarding Our Democracy
Truthdig - Reports - Waterboarding Our Democracy: "When the CIA destroyed those prisoner interrogation videotapes, was it also destroying the truth about 9/11? After all, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, the basic narrative of what happened on that day—and the definition of the enemy in this war on terror that George W. Bush launched in response to the tragedy—comes from the CIA’s account of what those prisoners told their torturers. The commission was never allowed to interview the prisoners, or speak with those who did, and was instead forced to rely on what the CIA was willing to relay."
Ah yes, we relied on the CIA for the official story... No red flags there.
Ah yes, we relied on the CIA for the official story... No red flags there.
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Raw Story | Intel report: Iran halted nuclear weapons work in 2003
The Raw Story | Intel report: Iran halted nuclear weapons work in 2003: "A new US intelligence report indicates that Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program four years ago -- but the White House on Monday nevertheless urged global powers to 'turn up the pressure' on the country. Newly declassified portions of the National Intelligence Estimate find that Iran abandoned its nuclear program in the fall of 2003 and does not currently possess a nuclear weapon. The country is still enriching uranium, however, and could still develop a weapon between 2010 and 2015, according to senior intelligence officials."
Big surprise, the administration has been pushing more false intelligence.
Big surprise, the administration has been pushing more false intelligence.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Tasers a form of torture, says UN | The Daily Telegraph
Tasers a form of torture, says UN | The Daily Telegraph: "'The use of these weapons causes acute pain, constituting a form of torture,'' the UN's Committee against Torture said.
'In certain cases, they can even cause death, as has been shown by reliable studies and recent real-life events,'' the committee of 10 experts said.
Three men, all in their early 20s, were reported to have died in the United States this week, days after a Polish man died at Vancouver airport after being Tasered by Canadian police."
The verdict is in, the UN considers Tasers torture, and therefore, US citizens are being tortured everyday. It is just too bad that the United States chooses when, and when it will not, listen to advice from the UN.
'In certain cases, they can even cause death, as has been shown by reliable studies and recent real-life events,'' the committee of 10 experts said.
Three men, all in their early 20s, were reported to have died in the United States this week, days after a Polish man died at Vancouver airport after being Tasered by Canadian police."
The verdict is in, the UN considers Tasers torture, and therefore, US citizens are being tortured everyday. It is just too bad that the United States chooses when, and when it will not, listen to advice from the UN.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
AP IMPACT: Firefighter help on terrorism - Yahoo! News
AP IMPACT: Firefighter help on terrorism - Yahoo! News: "Firefighters in major cities are being trained to take on a new role as lookouts for terrorism, raising concerns of eroding their standing as American icons and infringing on people's privacy.
Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.
But there are fears that they could lose the faith of a skeptical public by becoming the eyes of the government, looking for suspicious items such as building blueprints or bomb-making manuals or materials.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Americans have given up some of their privacy rights in an effort to prevent future strikes. The government monitors phone calls and e-mails; people who fly have their belongings searched before boarding and are limited in what they can carry; and some people have trouble traveling because their names are similar to those on terrorist watch lists.
The American Civil Liberties Union says using firefighters to gather intelligence is another step in that direction. Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now national security policy counsel to the ACLU, said the concept is dangerously close to the Bush administration's 2002 proposal to have workers with access to private homes — such as postal carriers and telephone repairmen — report suspicious behavior to the FBI.
Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.
But there are fears that they could lose the faith of a skeptical public by becoming the eyes of the government, looking for suspicious items such as building blueprints or bomb-making manuals or materials.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Americans have given up some of their privacy rights in an effort to prevent future strikes. The government monitors phone calls and e-mails; people who fly have their belongings searched before boarding and are limited in what they can carry; and some people have trouble traveling because their names are similar to those on terrorist watch lists.
The American Civil Liberties Union says using firefighters to gather intelligence is another step in that direction. Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now national security policy counsel to the ACLU, said the concept is dangerously close to the Bush administration's 2002 proposal to have workers with access to private homes — such as postal carriers and telephone repairmen — report suspicious behavior to the FBI.
'Americans universally abhorred that idea,' German said.
The Homeland Security Department is testing a program with the New York City fire department to share intelligence information so firefighters are better prepared when they respond to emergency calls. Homeland Security also trains the New York City fire service in how to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities. If it's successful, the government intends to expand the program to other major metropolitan areas.
As part of the program, which started last December, Homeland Security gave secret clearances to nine New York fire chiefs, according to reports obtained by The Associated Press.
'They're really doing technical inspections, and if perchance they find something like, you know, a bunch of RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) rounds in somebody's basement, I think it's a no-brainer,' said Jack Tomarchio, a senior official in Homeland Security's intelligence division. 'The police ought to know about that; the fire service ought to know about that; and potentially maybe somebody in the intelligence community should know about that.'
Even before the federal program began, New York firefighters and inspectors had been training to recognize materials and behavior the government identifies as 'signs of planning and support for terrorism.'
When going to private residences, for example, they are told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States; unusual chemicals or other materials that seem out of place; ammunition, firearms or weapons boxes; surveillance equipment; still and video cameras; night-vision goggles; maps, photos, blueprints; police manuals, training manuals, flight manuals; and little or no furniture other than a bed or mattress.
The trial program with Homeland Security opens a clear information-sharing channel — which did not exist before — between the fire service and Homeland Security's intelligence division.
'We're there to help people, and by discovering these type of events, we're helping people,' said New York City Fire Chief Salvatore Cassano. 'There are many things that firefighters do that other law enforcement or other agents aren't able to do." He added, 'A normal person that doesn't have this training wouldn't be looking for it.'
Cassano would not discuss specifics, but he did say that some terrorism-related information has been passed along to law enforcement since firefighters and officers began the training three years ago. 'They've had some hits,' Cassano said. 'It's working.'"
Hate or discontent for the United States? I hate what the US is now, a police state. And now we have government agents searching your house when you call 911. I have my elderly father living with me. The last time he had a stroke, I called 911, and let them in my house, because I could not get him down the stairs by myself. Do I need to reconsider that now? That is the thing, when someone is having a medical emergency, you will not think twice about letting these spies into your house. And you sure will not think about taking down anything that can be construed as anti-American. This is a DIRECT ASSAULT on the constitution. This is ABSOLUTE PROOF for those that do not believe we are a police state. This is an attack on not only the 4th amendment, that protects against unreasonable searches, but it is a direct attach on the 1st amendment, freedom of speech. Don't you dare be anti-American in your own home. This is another incantation of the THOUGHT POLICE.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
The Raw Story | Honey, I doomed the universe
The Raw Story | Honey, I doomed the universe: "'Incredible as it seems, our detection of the dark energy may have reduced the life expectancy of the universe,' said Mr. Krauss.
'We may have snatched away the possibility of long-term survival for our universe and made it more likely it will decay.'"
Not only are the United States and the Earth on the verge of spontaneous destruction, but, as it turns out, the universe may be as well. Physics is an interesting realm of science, because the truth is, in reality, we still do not understand the basic underpinnings of our universe and our lives. Much of the study is based on theories, and if something is not understood, an imaginary thing, such as dark matter or dark energy, is invented to explain the inconsistencies in the theory.
'We may have snatched away the possibility of long-term survival for our universe and made it more likely it will decay.'"
Not only are the United States and the Earth on the verge of spontaneous destruction, but, as it turns out, the universe may be as well. Physics is an interesting realm of science, because the truth is, in reality, we still do not understand the basic underpinnings of our universe and our lives. Much of the study is based on theories, and if something is not understood, an imaginary thing, such as dark matter or dark energy, is invented to explain the inconsistencies in the theory.
The Raw Story | Dems bill on Iraq wouldnt end war
The Raw Story | Dems bill on Iraq wouldnt end war: "This reality — readily acknowledged by Democrats who say it's still their best shot at curbing the nearly five-year war — has drawn the ire of anti-war groups and bolstered President Bush's prediction that the United States will most likely wind up maintaining a hefty long-term presence in Iraq, much like in South Korea.
For those who want troops out, 'you've got more holes in here than Swiss cheese,' said Tom Andrews, national director of the war protest group Win Without War and a former congressman from Maine.
The Democratic proposal would order troops to begin leaving Iraq within 30 days, a requirement Bush is already on track to meet as he begins reversing this year's 30,000 troop buildup. The proposal also sets a goal of ending combat by Dec. 15, 2008.
After that, troops remaining in Iraq would be restricted to three missions: counterterrorism, training Iraqi security forces and protecting U.S. assets, including diplomats."
What a surprise, the bill will not really do anything, even if it passes. Go Democrats!
For those who want troops out, 'you've got more holes in here than Swiss cheese,' said Tom Andrews, national director of the war protest group Win Without War and a former congressman from Maine.
The Democratic proposal would order troops to begin leaving Iraq within 30 days, a requirement Bush is already on track to meet as he begins reversing this year's 30,000 troop buildup. The proposal also sets a goal of ending combat by Dec. 15, 2008.
After that, troops remaining in Iraq would be restricted to three missions: counterterrorism, training Iraqi security forces and protecting U.S. assets, including diplomats."
What a surprise, the bill will not really do anything, even if it passes. Go Democrats!
For Thanksgiving...
This video is on the long side, nearly an hour, but it is well worth the watch. The speaker, Naomi Wolf, explains exactly how the country is being transformed into a fascist state. I know this, and have known this, but when someone puts it all together in such a way, I always get a renewed feeling of dread. It truly is amazing exactly how much the US, in its current state, resembles Germany before the rise of Hitler, or any other country just before a dictator took over.
Then think about the recent advice from the TSA, informing air travelers how to avoid delays: They actually advised people to pack their bags in an orderly way, to make the luggage searches easier and quicker... Welcome to the Fascist States of America...
[This is the link to the video on YouTube]
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Wounded soldiers asked to return signing bonuses - The Carpetbagger Report
Wounded soldiers asked to return signing bonuses - The Carpetbagger Report: "Last week, the Pentagon sent him a bill: Fox owed the government nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus.
'I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they’re telling me they want their money back,' Fox said.
Look, if a soldier signed a contract, collected a signing bonus, and then quit, I can understand the military asking for the signing bonus back.
But we’re talking about troops who volunteered, served, and were seriously injured. It’s not their fault they got hurt.
How on earth is the Pentagon justified in asking for a refund?
In Jordan Fox’s case, he doesn’t have $3,000 lying around to give the government, and his injuries are such that he had to give up on his goal of becoming a police officer."
Only the government would be capable of this... I think the only thing that is worse is when the military bills soldiers for items lost or cut off them when they are shot or bombed...
That's right, support the troops.
'I tried to do my best and serve my country. I was unfortunately hurt in the process. Now they’re telling me they want their money back,' Fox said.
Look, if a soldier signed a contract, collected a signing bonus, and then quit, I can understand the military asking for the signing bonus back.
But we’re talking about troops who volunteered, served, and were seriously injured. It’s not their fault they got hurt.
How on earth is the Pentagon justified in asking for a refund?
In Jordan Fox’s case, he doesn’t have $3,000 lying around to give the government, and his injuries are such that he had to give up on his goal of becoming a police officer."
Only the government would be capable of this... I think the only thing that is worse is when the military bills soldiers for items lost or cut off them when they are shot or bombed...
That's right, support the troops.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Raw Story | Boston cops seek invites to search homes
The Raw Story | Boston cops seek invites to search homes: "Boston police will ask parents in high-crime areas to let detectives search their children's bedrooms for guns without warrants in a new anti-crime program.
Police believe parents are so worried their teenagers will be caught up in gun violence that they'll be willing to allow police into their homes. If the parents say no, the police will leave.
'They don't know what to do when faced with the problem of dealing with a teenage boy in possession of a firearm,' police Commissioner Edward Davis said of parents. We're giving them an option in that case.'
Davis announced the program Friday in a meeting with community leaders.
During the next two weeks, teams of three plainclothes officers assigned to schools will go to homes where they believe teens have guns and ask their parents or legal guardians for permission to search."
I hope that the residents of Boston have the courage to say no to these searches... Otherwise, it will not be long before this program spreads to other cities...
Police believe parents are so worried their teenagers will be caught up in gun violence that they'll be willing to allow police into their homes. If the parents say no, the police will leave.
'They don't know what to do when faced with the problem of dealing with a teenage boy in possession of a firearm,' police Commissioner Edward Davis said of parents. We're giving them an option in that case.'
Davis announced the program Friday in a meeting with community leaders.
During the next two weeks, teams of three plainclothes officers assigned to schools will go to homes where they believe teens have guns and ask their parents or legal guardians for permission to search."
I hope that the residents of Boston have the courage to say no to these searches... Otherwise, it will not be long before this program spreads to other cities...
Saturday, November 17, 2007
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal: "Foreign tourists to many of India's most famous landmarks will no longer be able to pay the entrance fee in dollars, the government says. The ruling is aimed at safeguarding tourism revenues following the recent falls in the dollar. Until now, foreign tourists to sites such at the Taj Mahal have had the option of paying in dollars or rupees. The ruling will affect nearly 120 sites of interest run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Of these, at least 27 are World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal."
India is running from the dollar as well...
India is running from the dollar as well...
Al Jazeera English turns one
Al Jazeera has been broadcasting in English for a year now, and it still is not offered by most American cable outlets. I guess our American propaganda outlets, especially Fox news, cannot take the competition...
BBC NEWS | UK | England | West Yorkshire | Terror police 'shot' man in coma
BBC NEWS | UK | England | West Yorkshire | Terror police 'shot' man in coma: "Mr Gaubert said he was on his way to meet friends when he suffered a fit on the bus and slipped into a coma which left him slumped on his seat clutching his rucksack.
Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser.
He said as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head. He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van.
He said it was only then that the officers realised it was a medical emergency, despite him wearing a medical tag round his neck to warn of his condition, and took him to hospital.
Mr Gaubert said he was told the police believed he looked 'Egyptian'."
And then we have this guy, who was passed out in a diabetic coma and got tasered. I am betting that he is very thankful the cops had tasers, otherwise he may have been shot to death, and for "looking" Egyptian, no less.
Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser.
He said as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head. He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van.
He said it was only then that the officers realised it was a medical emergency, despite him wearing a medical tag round his neck to warn of his condition, and took him to hospital.
Mr Gaubert said he was told the police believed he looked 'Egyptian'."
And then we have this guy, who was passed out in a diabetic coma and got tasered. I am betting that he is very thankful the cops had tasers, otherwise he may have been shot to death, and for "looking" Egyptian, no less.
Video of Taser Death in Canada Sparks Probe - CommonDreams.org
Video of Taser Death in Canada Sparks Probe - CommonDreams.org: "A video of a Polish man dying while being restrained with a taser by Canadian policemen sparked a diplomatic protest and controversy on Thursday over the use of stun guns. Canada’s public safety minister ordered a review of Taser stun guns one day after the release of a tourist’s video of the death of Robert Dziekanski.
The 40-year-old immigrant died on October 14 about 10 hours after he arrived at western Canada’s biggest airport here.
Dziekanski, who had traveled to Canada to live with his mother, died after a bizarre series of events that culminated in police approaching him and, in less than one minute, zapping him repeatedly with a Taser stun gun."
This is a good example of why I hate to see unnecessary use of tasers... They can and do kill people. In the recent case of Meyers at the Kerry rally, there was absolutely no reason to use the taser, when there were several cops surrounding the kid already. The police view it as a non-lethal device, so they use it more than it is really necessary. I am sure it puts a smile on their faces to see someone writhing around on the ground, in intense pain...
The 40-year-old immigrant died on October 14 about 10 hours after he arrived at western Canada’s biggest airport here.
Dziekanski, who had traveled to Canada to live with his mother, died after a bizarre series of events that culminated in police approaching him and, in less than one minute, zapping him repeatedly with a Taser stun gun."
This is a good example of why I hate to see unnecessary use of tasers... They can and do kill people. In the recent case of Meyers at the Kerry rally, there was absolutely no reason to use the taser, when there were several cops surrounding the kid already. The police view it as a non-lethal device, so they use it more than it is really necessary. I am sure it puts a smile on their faces to see someone writhing around on the ground, in intense pain...
Dump the Dollar: Chinese State TV - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com
Dump the Dollar: Chinese State TV - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "Chinese lunchtime television on Friday gave ordinary people a basic tip on how to play the currency markets: sell the dollar! A state news program, quoting unnamed 'wealth management experts,' told residents with dollar accounts on the mainland to convert their holdings into yuan or a range of other foreign currencies, including the pound and the euro."
More trouble for the failing economy of the United States...
Meanwhile, the Government just raided the Liberty Dollar offices, stealing all the gold, silver, and other metals that back their currency. Think of this as foreshadowing. During the great depression, the government seized all the gold from private citizens, and made it illegal to own gold.
More trouble for the failing economy of the United States...
Meanwhile, the Government just raided the Liberty Dollar offices, stealing all the gold, silver, and other metals that back their currency. Think of this as foreshadowing. During the great depression, the government seized all the gold from private citizens, and made it illegal to own gold.
Court Deals Blow to Wiretapping Case
Court Deals Blow to Wiretapping Case: "A federal appeals court dealt a near-fatal blow Friday to an Islamic charity's lawsuit alleging federal investigators illegally wiretapped it, saying a key piece of evidence the charity planned to use is a protected state secret.
A top secret call log that the Treasury Department accidentally turned over to the now-defunct U.S. arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation's lawyers can't be used as evidence, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Al-Haramain, which the U.S. government labeled a terrorist organization, alleged it had been wiretapped by the Bush administration without a warrant. But without the call log, the court said, the foundation has little proof it was wiretapped."
Sorry, you cannot use the secret evidence we accidentally turned over to you in your defense...
State secrets, secret evidence, warrantless wiretapping... Welcome to America...
A top secret call log that the Treasury Department accidentally turned over to the now-defunct U.S. arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation's lawyers can't be used as evidence, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Al-Haramain, which the U.S. government labeled a terrorist organization, alleged it had been wiretapped by the Bush administration without a warrant. But without the call log, the court said, the foundation has little proof it was wiretapped."
Sorry, you cannot use the secret evidence we accidentally turned over to you in your defense...
State secrets, secret evidence, warrantless wiretapping... Welcome to America...
The Raw Story | House to telecoms: Fight your own lawsuits
The Raw Story | House to telecoms: Fight your own lawsuits: "On a 227-189 vote, the House passed its FISA update, known as the RESTORE Act, which reinstates judicial oversight that was eliminated from a temporary update passed in August and pointedly does not include language granting immunity to telecommunications companies.
Thursday also saw the Senate Judiciary Committee consider companion legislation. Although an amendment offered by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) to strip an immunity provision from that bill failed on a 12-7 vote (with three Democrats voting with Republicans), the panel's chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) avoided that setback by moving to discharge from the committee only the part of the bill that did not include immunity. That vote passed along party lines.
To be sure, the fight over immunity is far from over, as activists expect Senate Republicans to try to re-insert an immunity provision during the Senate floor debate over the FISA update."
Wow, I am surprised that the congress made it that far. There is still a good chance, however, that immunity will still make it into the bill...
Thursday also saw the Senate Judiciary Committee consider companion legislation. Although an amendment offered by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) to strip an immunity provision from that bill failed on a 12-7 vote (with three Democrats voting with Republicans), the panel's chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) avoided that setback by moving to discharge from the committee only the part of the bill that did not include immunity. That vote passed along party lines.
To be sure, the fight over immunity is far from over, as activists expect Senate Republicans to try to re-insert an immunity provision during the Senate floor debate over the FISA update."
Wow, I am surprised that the congress made it that far. There is still a good chance, however, that immunity will still make it into the bill...
Friday, November 16, 2007
Iran wants Western apology after IAEA report | International | Reuters
Iran wants Western apology after IAEA report | International | Reuters: "Iran called on its Western foes on Friday to apologize to the Islamic Republic after the release of a U.N. nuclear agency report which Tehran said showed it had been telling the truth about its atomic plans, according to state media.
The United States, which accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, said Thursday's report showed Tehran still defying the international community and that Washington would proceed with allies to draft broader United Nations sanctions against it."
In other words, the Bush administration really does not care if Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, it is just a great excuse to bomb the hell out of them. Forget the apology, Iran, only bunker-busters are coming your way...
The United States, which accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear bombs, said Thursday's report showed Tehran still defying the international community and that Washington would proceed with allies to draft broader United Nations sanctions against it."
In other words, the Bush administration really does not care if Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, it is just a great excuse to bomb the hell out of them. Forget the apology, Iran, only bunker-busters are coming your way...
The Raw Story | Senate blocks Iraq war money
The Raw Story | Senate blocks Iraq war money: "The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal to pay for the Iraq war but require that troops start coming home. The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war without strings attached. The Republican measure failed 45-53, 15 short of the number of votes needed to go forward."
Big surprise, the impotent Democrats failed to get their non-binding withdrawal version of the bill through the senate. I guess the only real surprise is that the withdrawal version got more votes than the non-withdrawal version. Too bad it will never make it past the king.
Big surprise, the impotent Democrats failed to get their non-binding withdrawal version of the bill through the senate. I guess the only real surprise is that the withdrawal version got more votes than the non-withdrawal version. Too bad it will never make it past the king.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Raw Story | US, Israel refuse to cooperate with inquest into Syria strike
The Raw Story | US, Israel refuse to cooperate with inquest into Syria strike: "The International Atomic Energy Agency - the United Nations nuclear watchdog - has not been able to conduct an investigation into the events surrounding the Sept. 6 Israeli bombing of a Syrian military installation because neither the Bush administration nor Israel are cooperating.
A diplomatic source close to the Vienna based IAEA told Raw Story that both the United States and Israel have been approached by the organization requesting supporting evidence of a nuclear reactor which media sources have cited, based on anonymous sources in both governments, as the reason for the Israeli strike.
The source also explained that the satellite footage, which the IAEA obtained through commercial channels for lack of any “credible evidence,” does not show a nuclear reactor in the early construction phase.
Another source, close to the IAEA, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told RAW STORY last week that based on satellite imagery, evidence that 'it was nuclear related is shaky' and pointed out that even basic security for such a facility - such as 'security fences' - is missing."
You have to wonder what they are hiding here... A prelude to war?
A diplomatic source close to the Vienna based IAEA told Raw Story that both the United States and Israel have been approached by the organization requesting supporting evidence of a nuclear reactor which media sources have cited, based on anonymous sources in both governments, as the reason for the Israeli strike.
The source also explained that the satellite footage, which the IAEA obtained through commercial channels for lack of any “credible evidence,” does not show a nuclear reactor in the early construction phase.
Another source, close to the IAEA, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told RAW STORY last week that based on satellite imagery, evidence that 'it was nuclear related is shaky' and pointed out that even basic security for such a facility - such as 'security fences' - is missing."
You have to wonder what they are hiding here... A prelude to war?
CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker New Attorney General opposes changes to wiretap law «
CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker New Attorney General opposes changes to wiretap law «: "In his second day on the job, Attorney General Michael Mukasey leaped into the political fray, telling a key Democratic senator he opposes his electronic surveillance plan and would recommend the president veto it if it is passed.
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on the eve of crucial committee votes to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Mukasey was adamant in opposing Leahy's plan for changing the law."
Big surprise, Mukasey supports the administration's spying program... Thanks again Democrats for confirming this guy who cannot decide if waterboarding is torture(can you say red flag?). It is too bad the power to impeach lies solely in the congress, because the entire administration, congress included, should be impeached, found guilty, and thrown in jail. Congress has failed again, and they will continue to fail us when the FISA and the war funding bills come up for a vote. But then again, that is their plan, now isn't it? Show enough opposition to the administration to say "we tried."
In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on the eve of crucial committee votes to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Mukasey was adamant in opposing Leahy's plan for changing the law."
Big surprise, Mukasey supports the administration's spying program... Thanks again Democrats for confirming this guy who cannot decide if waterboarding is torture(can you say red flag?). It is too bad the power to impeach lies solely in the congress, because the entire administration, congress included, should be impeached, found guilty, and thrown in jail. Congress has failed again, and they will continue to fail us when the FISA and the war funding bills come up for a vote. But then again, that is their plan, now isn't it? Show enough opposition to the administration to say "we tried."
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Harris County's adjusted votes stir security worry | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Harris County's adjusted votes stir security worry | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Behrman said he was shocked when he saw German use a series of passwords and an 'encryption key' — a series of numbers on a nail file-size computer memory storage device — to reach a computer program that said 'Adjustment.'
'A hundred percent of precincts reporting, and everything had been distributed to the press,' he said. 'Then and only then did I see how they were going to do this, and frankly I never thought it was possible.
'Basically it turns out, without regard to any ballots that have been cast, you can enter arbitrary numbers in there and report them out in such a way that, unless you go back to these giant (computer) logs and interpret the logs, you wouldn't know it has been done.'"
Yeah, I just cannot wait until the presidential "election." I am sure they will have all the problems fixed by then...
'A hundred percent of precincts reporting, and everything had been distributed to the press,' he said. 'Then and only then did I see how they were going to do this, and frankly I never thought it was possible.
'Basically it turns out, without regard to any ballots that have been cast, you can enter arbitrary numbers in there and report them out in such a way that, unless you go back to these giant (computer) logs and interpret the logs, you wouldn't know it has been done.'"
Yeah, I just cannot wait until the presidential "election." I am sure they will have all the problems fixed by then...
AlterNet: Health and Wellness: Moody Is the New Bipolar
AlterNet: Health and Wellness: Moody Is the New Bipolar: "The reality is that when patients report Prozac, Paxil, or Zoloft as 'working,' it is not because these drugs are correcting any kind of chemical imbalance. These drugs can temporarily 'take the edge off' -- as is the case with many psychotropic drugs, legal or illegal. But for a significant number of people, these drugs produce extremely unpleasant side effects, while for many others, these drugs have little or no effect. So, overall, the difference in effectiveness between antidepressants and a sugar-pill placebo is 'clinically negligible.' This was the conclusion of University of Connecticut professor of psychology Irving Kirsch, who used the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to 47 antidepressant studies sponsored by drug companies on Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, and Serzone that had been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (but many of which had not been published). Kirsch discovered that in the majority of the trials, the antidepressant failed to outperform a sugar-pill placebo."
A very good article about the farce we call "Mental Health Care." Millions of people are getting doped up with drugs that are no better than a sugar pill, and the pharmaceutical industries, Government policy makers, and metal health "professionals" are laughing all the way to the bank... Meanwhile, they are working feverishly to manufacture new diseases and drugs to sell to the unwitting public.
A very good article about the farce we call "Mental Health Care." Millions of people are getting doped up with drugs that are no better than a sugar pill, and the pharmaceutical industries, Government policy makers, and metal health "professionals" are laughing all the way to the bank... Meanwhile, they are working feverishly to manufacture new diseases and drugs to sell to the unwitting public.
When did we become like Syria? | Salon.com
When did we become like Syria? | Salon.com: "Arar's story is chilling. A Syrian-born Canadian citizen and high-tech worker, Arar was detained in 2002 at JFK Airport while he was on his way back to Canada after a vacation. He was questioned about alleged links to al-Qaida. He was denied access to counsel and access to a court. Twelve days later he was sent in chains and shackles to Syria. There he was tortured for nearly a year and coerced into making a false confession, before being released after the tireless campaigning of his wife.
Under pressure from Canadian human rights organizations and citizens, Canada announced a commission of inquiry into Arar's case, which cleared Arar of all terrorism allegations. Now Arar seeks damages from the U.S. government for its role.
The story is already disturbing, surreal, Kafkaesque. It also left me with this realization: The sharp line I had drawn as a child -- between what could happen to a person under a dictatorship like Syria's and what could never happen to a person under a constitutional democracy like that of the U.S. -- seemed to be disappearing."
This account is written by a Syrian-American... Very telling.
Under pressure from Canadian human rights organizations and citizens, Canada announced a commission of inquiry into Arar's case, which cleared Arar of all terrorism allegations. Now Arar seeks damages from the U.S. government for its role.
The story is already disturbing, surreal, Kafkaesque. It also left me with this realization: The sharp line I had drawn as a child -- between what could happen to a person under a dictatorship like Syria's and what could never happen to a person under a constitutional democracy like that of the U.S. -- seemed to be disappearing."
This account is written by a Syrian-American... Very telling.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Police kill unarmed man who was holding hairbrush - CNN.com
Police kill unarmed man who was holding hairbrush - CNN.com: "After officers arrived at the mother's Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment, the teen refused to stop as he approached police with a black object in his hand hidden under his shirt, Browne said. Police then fired 20 shots at the teen, killing him, said Browne. But he said Coppin was found unarmed and only carrying a black hairbrush."
To protect and serve. With our gung-ho, militarized police in this nation, you must be absolutely sure that you have nothing in your hands and make no sudden moves as the cops are barking orders at you. Otherwise, you will end up looking like swiss cheese before you can get two words out of your mouth...
To protect and serve. With our gung-ho, militarized police in this nation, you must be absolutely sure that you have nothing in your hands and make no sudden moves as the cops are barking orders at you. Otherwise, you will end up looking like swiss cheese before you can get two words out of your mouth...
Vets' Suicide Rate "Stunning", Armen Keteyian: Analysis Reveals What Some Are Calling "Hidden Epidemic" - CBS News
Vets' Suicide Rate "Stunning", Armen Keteyian: Analysis Reveals What Some Are Calling "Hidden Epidemic" - CBS News: "The five-month CBS News probe, based upon a detailed analysis of data obtained from death records from 2004 and 2005, found that veterans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide in 2005 as non-vets.
A recent Veteran Affairs Department estimate says some 5,000 ex-servicemen and women will commit suicide this year, largely as a result of mental health issues, and Keteyian says, 'Our numbers are much higher than that, overall.'
He says the numbers in the CBS News study shocked everyone from Sen. Patty Murray (D, Wash.) to veterans' rights advocate Paul Sullivan."
Disgusting... How much is oil worth? Even if our soldiers make it back to the states with no physical injuries, they may have serious mental injuries that will last forever.
Here is a very sad story from the LA Times about the way the war changed one soldier's life...
A recent Veteran Affairs Department estimate says some 5,000 ex-servicemen and women will commit suicide this year, largely as a result of mental health issues, and Keteyian says, 'Our numbers are much higher than that, overall.'
He says the numbers in the CBS News study shocked everyone from Sen. Patty Murray (D, Wash.) to veterans' rights advocate Paul Sullivan."
Disgusting... How much is oil worth? Even if our soldiers make it back to the states with no physical injuries, they may have serious mental injuries that will last forever.
Here is a very sad story from the LA Times about the way the war changed one soldier's life...
Kelpie Wilson | Energy Bill to Sacrifice Renewables
Kelpie Wilson | Energy Bill to Sacrifice Renewables: "Last Thursday, Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid said that they would jettison the renewable energy provisions in both the House and Senate versions of the 2007 energy bill in the interest of passing a bill before the Thanksgiving recess begins on November 17."
Another vacation is coming, and the democrats are already starting to fold to the republicans. Can't wait to see what happens to the FISA bill over this holiday season. Continued domestic spying, with full immunity for the telecoms will surely be the result...
Another vacation is coming, and the democrats are already starting to fold to the republicans. Can't wait to see what happens to the FISA bill over this holiday season. Continued domestic spying, with full immunity for the telecoms will surely be the result...
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Raw Story | Hitler's globe goes under hammer, 62 years on
The Raw Story | Hitler's globe goes under hammer, 62 years on: "For more than 60 years, one of Adolf Hitler's most prized possessions has been gathering dust in the attic of John Barsamian's home in a sleepy suburb overlooking San Francisco Bay. On Tuesday, however, Barsamian will part company with the unique World War II relic taken from Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' retreat 62 years ago, a desktop globe upon which the Fuhrer may well have once plotted world domination."
Sounds like the perfect present for either Bush or Cheney...
Sounds like the perfect present for either Bush or Cheney...
The Raw Story | Intel official: Say goodbye to privacy
The Raw Story | Intel official: Say goodbye to privacy: "As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States changed their definition of privacy. Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information."
Yes, they already have a great track record of safeguarding our information... Forget all of the spying, just think about what happens when some moron from some big corporation leaves a laptop in plain view in their car... Thousands of social security numbers stolen... Yes, let's trust the government and the corporations with our privacy...
Yes, they already have a great track record of safeguarding our information... Forget all of the spying, just think about what happens when some moron from some big corporation leaves a laptop in plain view in their car... Thousands of social security numbers stolen... Yes, let's trust the government and the corporations with our privacy...
U.S. Digs In to Guard Iraq Oil Exports - WSJ.com
U.S. Digs In to Guard Iraq Oil Exports - WSJ.com: "KHAWR AL AMAYA OIL TERMINAL, Iraq -- The U.S. Navy is building a military installation atop this petroleum-export platform as the U.S. establishes a more lasting military mission in the oil-rich north Persian Gulf."
Sure, the Iraq war is not about the oil... Meanwhile we are turning the oil terminal into a U.S. military base...
Sure, the Iraq war is not about the oil... Meanwhile we are turning the oil terminal into a U.S. military base...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | U.S. Plan Envisioned Nuking Iran, Syria, Libya
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | U.S. Plan Envisioned Nuking Iran, Syria, Libya: "Despite years of denials, a secret planning document issued by the U.S. military's nuclear-weapons command in 2003 ordered preparations for nuclear strikes on countries seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction, including Iran, Saddam Hussein-era Iraq, Libya and Syria."
You want nukes? We'll show you what nukes can do...
I guess oil is oil, irradiated or not...
You want nukes? We'll show you what nukes can do...
I guess oil is oil, irradiated or not...
Monday, November 5, 2007
FBI reviewing Tasering of sleeping man; no charges file - News - PennLive.com
FBI reviewing Tasering of sleeping man; no charges file - News - PennLive.com: "Two North Braddock police officers won't face criminal charges for Tasering a man who was asleep at home. But the FBI will review the incident for possible civil rights violations.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. says county police determined Officers Gerard Kraly and Lukas Laeuricia (loo-REE'-see-uh) didn't commit a crime when they Tasered Shawn Hicks, who was sleeping on his couch. Police came to Hicks home because they were alerted by a silent security alarm at his home about 2 a.m.
Hicks says the officers Tasered him again after he woke up and showed them ID to prove he lived at the home. Hicks' attorney says he will pursue civil action."
You are not even safe from the police when sleeping in your own home...
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. says county police determined Officers Gerard Kraly and Lukas Laeuricia (loo-REE'-see-uh) didn't commit a crime when they Tasered Shawn Hicks, who was sleeping on his couch. Police came to Hicks home because they were alerted by a silent security alarm at his home about 2 a.m.
Hicks says the officers Tasered him again after he woke up and showed them ID to prove he lived at the home. Hicks' attorney says he will pursue civil action."
You are not even safe from the police when sleeping in your own home...
No email privacy rights under Constitution, US gov claims [printer-friendly] | The Register
No email privacy rights under Constitution, US gov claims| The Register: "This appears to be more than a mere argument in support of the constitutionality of a Congressional email privacy and access scheme. It represents what may be the fundamental governmental position on Constitutional email and electronic privacy - that there isn't any. What is important in this case is not the ultimate resolution of that narrow issue, but the position that the United States government is taking on the entire issue of electronic privacy. That position, if accepted, may mean that the government can read anybody's email at any time without a warrant."
Just lovely. I am sure the court will be swayed to the government's side...
Just lovely. I am sure the court will be swayed to the government's side...
Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon
Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon: "Only America-hating traitors believe in due process for journalists In 2001, Sami al-Haj was working as a camerman for Al Jazeera when he was detained by the U.S. military in Afghanistan and then transferred to Guantanamo, where he has remained for the last six years without ever being accused of any involvement in terrorism. Instead, as Washington Monthly editor Rachel Morris detailed in her superb cover story in Columbia Journalism Review a few months ago, virtually all of al-Haj's interrogations focused on Al Jazeera and his detention was fueled at least in part by the Bush administration's contempt for Al Jazeera's reporting. I wrote about Morris' story and al-Haj's plight here.
For obvious reasons, it is highly disturbing that the U.S. Government imprisons journalists for years without bothering to charge them with any crime. The U.S. is doing the same with A.P. photojournalist Bilal Hussein. These aren't 'prisoners of war' captured fighting on a battlefield, but rather, accredited journalists taking pictures and filming events that the U.S. Government dislikes."
Think of this case, and the other journalists locked up in GitMo, as we look in shock at what is going on in Pakistan, ignorantly thinking that it cannot happen here. Halliburton has already built the detention camps in the southern US, our police are militarized and ready to roll, the Posse Commitus act has been gutted to allow soldiers on our streets, habeas corpus has been nearly eliminated, and Bush already has given himself the ability to very easily declare martial law. I see Pakistan as an eerie vision of what may come to pass here.
And I am not the only one....
For obvious reasons, it is highly disturbing that the U.S. Government imprisons journalists for years without bothering to charge them with any crime. The U.S. is doing the same with A.P. photojournalist Bilal Hussein. These aren't 'prisoners of war' captured fighting on a battlefield, but rather, accredited journalists taking pictures and filming events that the U.S. Government dislikes."
Think of this case, and the other journalists locked up in GitMo, as we look in shock at what is going on in Pakistan, ignorantly thinking that it cannot happen here. Halliburton has already built the detention camps in the southern US, our police are militarized and ready to roll, the Posse Commitus act has been gutted to allow soldiers on our streets, habeas corpus has been nearly eliminated, and Bush already has given himself the ability to very easily declare martial law. I see Pakistan as an eerie vision of what may come to pass here.
And I am not the only one....
Martial Law in Pakistan: Could it Happen Here?
Sunday, November 4, 2007
500 Pakistani activists arrested - Focus on Pakistan - MSNBC.com
500 Pakistani activists arrested - Focus on Pakistan - MSNBC.com: "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Police rounded up hundreds of opposition leaders and rights activists Sunday after Pakistan’s military ruler suspended the constitution, ousted the top judge and deployed troops to fight what he called rising Islamic extremism."
This is a bad turn for the middle east. How this works out could mean the difference between a semi-stable middle east (unlikely) or World War 3. Keep in mind that Pakistan has the only nuclear weapons in the middle east.
This is a bad turn for the middle east. How this works out could mean the difference between a semi-stable middle east (unlikely) or World War 3. Keep in mind that Pakistan has the only nuclear weapons in the middle east.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
My Way News - Bush Tells Dems War Denial Is Dangerous
My Way News - Bush Tells Dems War Denial Is Dangerous: "President Bush compared Congress' Democratic leaders Thursday to people who ignored the rise of Lenin and Hitler early in the last century, saying 'the world paid a terrible price' then and risks similar consequences for inaction today.
Bush accused Congress of stalling important pieces of the fight to prevent new terrorist attacks by: dragging out and possibly jeopardizing confirmation of Michael Mukasey as attorney general, a key part of his national security team; failing to act on a bill governing eavesdropping on terrorist suspects; and moving too slowly to approve spending measures for the Iraq war, Pentagon and veterans programs."
WOW!!! Right on Bush, congress is ignoring the rise of a Hitler-like person, as you re-create America to resemble the 4th Reich. Wiretapping, torture, kidnapping, punishment of political enemies, quelling of public dissent, and let's not forget imperialism.
Bush accused Congress of stalling important pieces of the fight to prevent new terrorist attacks by: dragging out and possibly jeopardizing confirmation of Michael Mukasey as attorney general, a key part of his national security team; failing to act on a bill governing eavesdropping on terrorist suspects; and moving too slowly to approve spending measures for the Iraq war, Pentagon and veterans programs."
WOW!!! Right on Bush, congress is ignoring the rise of a Hitler-like person, as you re-create America to resemble the 4th Reich. Wiretapping, torture, kidnapping, punishment of political enemies, quelling of public dissent, and let's not forget imperialism.
The Raw Story | US courts routinely shackle teens accused of minor crimes
The Raw Story | US courts routinely shackle teens accused of minor crimes: "Many US juvenile courts routinely shackle teens accused of minor crimes and deny them adequate access to a lawyer, a study released Wednesday has found.
Most teens in the study did not get to meet with a lawyer before a hearing to determine whether they should be held in jail prior to trial. They also rarely got to adequately discuss their case with a lawyer prior to the trial date.
Anywhere from 70 to 100 percent of the teens ended up pleading guilty, many at their first court appearance."
Somehow this does not surprise me at all. It was not that long ago that the courts determined that a case cannot be thrown out simply because the "Miranda rights" were not read. This leads me to believe that the minors probably did not even know what their rights were, and even if they did, the totalitarian way things are done now probably scared the kids into doing whatever was told to them, without question.
Most teens in the study did not get to meet with a lawyer before a hearing to determine whether they should be held in jail prior to trial. They also rarely got to adequately discuss their case with a lawyer prior to the trial date.
Anywhere from 70 to 100 percent of the teens ended up pleading guilty, many at their first court appearance."
Somehow this does not surprise me at all. It was not that long ago that the courts determined that a case cannot be thrown out simply because the "Miranda rights" were not read. This leads me to believe that the minors probably did not even know what their rights were, and even if they did, the totalitarian way things are done now probably scared the kids into doing whatever was told to them, without question.
From the Desk of Donald Rumsfeld . . . - washingtonpost.com
From the Desk of Donald Rumsfeld . . . - washingtonpost.com: "In a series of internal musings and memos to his staff, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld argued that Muslims avoid 'physical labor' and wrote of the need to 'keep elevating the threat,' 'link Iraq to Iran' and develop 'bumper sticker statements' to rally public support for an increasingly unpopular war.
The memos, often referred to as 'snowflakes,' shed light on Rumsfeld's brusque management style and on his efforts to address key challenges during his tenure as Pentagon chief. Spanning from 2002 to shortly after his resignation following the 2006 congressional elections, a sampling of his trademark missives obtained yesterday reveals a defense secretary disdainful of media criticism and driven to reshape public opinion of the Iraq war.
Rumsfeld, whose sometimes abrasive approach often alienated other Cabinet members and White House staff members, produced 20 to 60 snowflakes a day and regularly poured out his thoughts in writing as the basis for developing policy, aides said. The memos are not classified but are marked 'for official use only.'
The memos, often referred to as 'snowflakes,' shed light on Rumsfeld's brusque management style and on his efforts to address key challenges during his tenure as Pentagon chief. Spanning from 2002 to shortly after his resignation following the 2006 congressional elections, a sampling of his trademark missives obtained yesterday reveals a defense secretary disdainful of media criticism and driven to reshape public opinion of the Iraq war.
Rumsfeld, whose sometimes abrasive approach often alienated other Cabinet members and White House staff members, produced 20 to 60 snowflakes a day and regularly poured out his thoughts in writing as the basis for developing policy, aides said. The memos are not classified but are marked 'for official use only.'
In a 2004 memo on the deteriorating situation in Iraq, Rumsfeld concluded that the challenges there are 'not unusual.' Pessimistic news reports -- 'our publics risk falling prey to the argument that all is lost' -- simply result from the wrong standards being applied, he wrote in one of the memos obtained by The Washington Post.
Under siege in April 2006, when a series of retired generals denounced him and called for his resignation in newspaper op-ed pieces, Rumsfeld produced a memo after a conference call with military analysts. 'Talk about Somalia, the Philippines, etc. Make the American people realize they are surrounded in the world by violent extremists,' he wrote.
People will 'rally' to sacrifice, he noted after the meeting. 'They are looking for leadership. Sacrifice = Victory.'"
Here we have prime examples of the propaganda the administration uses to try and sway the people. Long before Bushco started openly linking Iran to Iraq violence, Rummy was ordering such evidence to be "found." Sounds a lot like the evidence that was "found" before we attacked Iraq, does it not?
SACRIFICE = VICTORY
Nov. 1 - Begin the Consumer Parade
Halloween is over...
Merry Xmas... Corporate America thanks you in advance... (And so does China)
Merry Xmas... Corporate America thanks you in advance... (And so does China)
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Officials: Boy With Matches Started Fire - Politics on The Huffington Post
Officials: Boy With Matches Started Fire - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Officials blamed a wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week on a boy playing with matches, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case. The boy, whose name and age were not released, admitted to sparking the fire on Oct. 21, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht said Tuesday. Ferocious winds helped it quickly spread. 'He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire,' Hecht said in a statement."
Well, FOX news, it was not Al Qaeda after all. Just a little boy who obviously ignored Smokey's advice. Then again, who knows, perhaps FOX will find (aka invent) some evidence that shows the boy regularly went to extremist mosques and discussed world domination with other little kids in their weekly sandbox meetings.
Well, FOX news, it was not Al Qaeda after all. Just a little boy who obviously ignored Smokey's advice. Then again, who knows, perhaps FOX will find (aka invent) some evidence that shows the boy regularly went to extremist mosques and discussed world domination with other little kids in their weekly sandbox meetings.
Free Speech? Probable Cause for Arrest?
And you thought you had free speech in America, and that there must be probable cause to arrest you? Think again. Here is another example of the police arresting peaceful protesters, and yet another example of the police fabricating charges and altering police reports in order to justify the arrests. Two words - Police State. Video from Hightower Lowdown.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
UN: Try or Release Enemy Combatants - CommonDreams.org
UN: Try or Release Enemy Combatants - CommonDreams.org: "UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. human rights expert is calling on the United States to prosecute or release suspects detained as 'unlawful enemy combatants' and to move quickly to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
Martin Scheinin, the U.N.’s independent investigator on human rights in the fight against terrorism, said in a report released Monday that he’s concerned about U.S. detention practices, military courts and interrogation techniques.
He urged the U.S. government to end the CIA practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects are taken to foreign countries for interrogation.
Scheinin said he was also concerned about what he termed 'enhanced interrogation techniques reportedly used by the CIA,' saying that under international law 'there are no circumstances in which cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment may be justified.'
The U.S. military defended the current process. 'Unlawful enemy combatants held at Guantanamo are afforded more due process than any other captured enemy fighters in the history of warfare,' U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman on Guantanamo, told The Associated Press. 'We will enforce the law as spelled out in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.'"
The Administration will continue to ignore the U.N., while it expects other countries to follow through with any U.N. recommendations. Another example of the rampant hypocrisy in the white house.
Martin Scheinin, the U.N.’s independent investigator on human rights in the fight against terrorism, said in a report released Monday that he’s concerned about U.S. detention practices, military courts and interrogation techniques.
He urged the U.S. government to end the CIA practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects are taken to foreign countries for interrogation.
Scheinin said he was also concerned about what he termed 'enhanced interrogation techniques reportedly used by the CIA,' saying that under international law 'there are no circumstances in which cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment may be justified.'
The U.S. military defended the current process. 'Unlawful enemy combatants held at Guantanamo are afforded more due process than any other captured enemy fighters in the history of warfare,' U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman on Guantanamo, told The Associated Press. 'We will enforce the law as spelled out in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.'"
The Administration will continue to ignore the U.N., while it expects other countries to follow through with any U.N. recommendations. Another example of the rampant hypocrisy in the white house.
Think Progress » Bush: ‘I Know I Would Respond’ If Iran Were To Attack Israel
Think Progress » Bush: ‘I Know I Would Respond’ If Iran Were To Attack Israel: "Before his press conference today, President Bush met exclusively with a group of GOP congressional leaders. According to Fox News, which spoke with some of the members at that discussion, Bush unequivocally promised that he would attack Iran if Iran 'were ever to attack Israel.'"
President Bush must have heard about the poll favoring the bombing of Iran, as he is getting bolder with his statements. Here comes the next quagmire....
President Bush must have heard about the poll favoring the bombing of Iran, as he is getting bolder with his statements. Here comes the next quagmire....
The Raw Story | Belmont, California: Anti-smoking capital of USA
The Raw Story | Belmont, California: Anti-smoking capital of USA: "The air will be cleaner when a broad smoking ban takes effect next month in this suburban enclave nestled between San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
But while some residents have breathed a sigh of relief over the decision, others are fuming.
The anti-smoking ordinance, one of the strictest in the nation, makes it illegal to smoke in parks, outdoor eateries, doorways, construction sites and even in private apartments."
The Fascists are at again. The residents of this town will no longer be able to smoke in their apartments, or within 20ft. of a window or door. It will not be long until this law migrates to the rest of California, then to other areas of the United States. "Sorry sir, we cannot allow you to destroy state property, and I mean your body, not just the park."
But while some residents have breathed a sigh of relief over the decision, others are fuming.
The anti-smoking ordinance, one of the strictest in the nation, makes it illegal to smoke in parks, outdoor eateries, doorways, construction sites and even in private apartments."
The Fascists are at again. The residents of this town will no longer be able to smoke in their apartments, or within 20ft. of a window or door. It will not be long until this law migrates to the rest of California, then to other areas of the United States. "Sorry sir, we cannot allow you to destroy state property, and I mean your body, not just the park."
The Raw Story | Bomb Iran, majority of Americans says in new poll
The Raw Story | Bomb Iran, majority of Americans says in new poll: "Despite President Bush's perpetually abysmal approval ratings, it appears his increasingly hostile rhetoric against Iran has drummed up enough fear of a 'nuclear holocaust' or a World War III that a majority of Americans are in favor of a US strike against the country aimed a curtailing its apparent nuclear ambitions, a new poll shows.
The Zogby International survey shows 52 percent of Americans would support a strike on Iran, while 53 percent expect President Bush to launch such an attack before the end of his second term. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is voters' No. 1 choice to deal with Iran, with 21 percent saying they would like to see her take on Tehran from the White House. Republican Rudy Giuliani was voters' second choice, with 15 percent.
Just 29 percent of Americans think the US should not attack Iran, with one in five people unsure about military action. Of those who would support a strike, 28 percent believe military action should wait until the next president is in office, while 23 percent want to see Bush let lose US missiles against Iran."
Well, that's it, consider the bombing a done deal now. How can the majority of people once again buy into the administration's propaganda? Have we not learned anything from the run-up to the Iraq war? Unbelievable...
The Zogby International survey shows 52 percent of Americans would support a strike on Iran, while 53 percent expect President Bush to launch such an attack before the end of his second term. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is voters' No. 1 choice to deal with Iran, with 21 percent saying they would like to see her take on Tehran from the White House. Republican Rudy Giuliani was voters' second choice, with 15 percent.
Just 29 percent of Americans think the US should not attack Iran, with one in five people unsure about military action. Of those who would support a strike, 28 percent believe military action should wait until the next president is in office, while 23 percent want to see Bush let lose US missiles against Iran."
Well, that's it, consider the bombing a done deal now. How can the majority of people once again buy into the administration's propaganda? Have we not learned anything from the run-up to the Iraq war? Unbelievable...
The Raw Story | Declassified: US spying could top $50 billion in 2007
The Raw Story | Declassified: US spying could top $50 billion in 2007: "The tab for US non-military spying in 2007 is a whopping $43.5 billion, according to figures released today by National Director of Intelligence Mike McConnell.
Disclosure of that amount marks the first time in nine years that funds budgeted for national intelligence activities have been publicly aired, and comes amid mounting pressure from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission to make the practice routine.
A more complete budget figure for US spying is actually even higher, according to sources cited in the Washington Post, who told the paper that if still-classified totals for military-based programs were factored in, that number would reach $50 billion."
So 50 billion to spy on Americans is fine, but 60 billion to provide health care to kids is not? Now we see where the administration's priorities are...
Disclosure of that amount marks the first time in nine years that funds budgeted for national intelligence activities have been publicly aired, and comes amid mounting pressure from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission to make the practice routine.
A more complete budget figure for US spying is actually even higher, according to sources cited in the Washington Post, who told the paper that if still-classified totals for military-based programs were factored in, that number would reach $50 billion."
So 50 billion to spy on Americans is fine, but 60 billion to provide health care to kids is not? Now we see where the administration's priorities are...
The Raw Story | US: No objection to Egyptian nuclear program
The Raw Story | US: No objection to Egyptian nuclear program: "The White House on Monday said it had little information about Egypt's plans to relaunch its nuclear power program but declared itself 'generally supportive' of civilian atomic power.
'I don't know a lot about it. In general, we are supportive of countries pursuing civil nuclear energy. It's clean burning. It provides electricity in a clean-burning and affordable way for citizens,' said spokeswoman Dana Perino."
That's OK, we don't know what Egypt is doing in their nuclear program, but we support it. Iran, sorry, no peaceful nuclear program for you... What hypocrisy.
'I don't know a lot about it. In general, we are supportive of countries pursuing civil nuclear energy. It's clean burning. It provides electricity in a clean-burning and affordable way for citizens,' said spokeswoman Dana Perino."
That's OK, we don't know what Egypt is doing in their nuclear program, but we support it. Iran, sorry, no peaceful nuclear program for you... What hypocrisy.
The Raw Story | Report: 'Bush the Decider' related to 'Vlad the Impaler'
The Raw Story | Report: 'Bush the Decider' related to 'Vlad the Impaler': "Most of Bush's ancestors came to America in colonial times, and through them he -- like tens of thousands of other Americans -- is related to a large number of earlier presidents, as well as to both Dick Cheney and John Kerry.
Bush also turns out to be related to Vlad the Impaler -- the medieval tyrant who was one of the inspirations for the fictional Count Dracula. Some critics might say that Bush has certain things in common with Vlad, who is still honored by many Romanians for having saved their country from invasion by the Muslim Ottoman Turks. Vlad was a paranoid and bloodthirsty despot, however, who ruled through torture and murder."
Yes, now this makes a whole lot of sense.... Just in time for Halloween, it turns out that Bush is related to the historical Dracula. That puts a little perspective on everything that has happened in the last several years, doesn't it?
Bush also turns out to be related to Vlad the Impaler -- the medieval tyrant who was one of the inspirations for the fictional Count Dracula. Some critics might say that Bush has certain things in common with Vlad, who is still honored by many Romanians for having saved their country from invasion by the Muslim Ottoman Turks. Vlad was a paranoid and bloodthirsty despot, however, who ruled through torture and murder."
Yes, now this makes a whole lot of sense.... Just in time for Halloween, it turns out that Bush is related to the historical Dracula. That puts a little perspective on everything that has happened in the last several years, doesn't it?
Monday, October 29, 2007
Back-Talk #4 Here Comes Success!
A video detailing how the Administration's efforts to prevent terrorism are horribly unsatisfactory. Unfortunately, that is because preventing terrorism is not the goal, the real goal is to control Americans.
1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories' - Politics on The Huffington Post
1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories' - Politics on The Huffington Post: "WASHINGTON — It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: 'Dropout Factory,' a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That dubious distinction applies to more than one in 10 high schools across America.
'If you're born in a neighborhood or town where the only high school is one where graduation is not the norm, how is this living in the land of equal opportunity?' asks Bob Balfanz, the researcher at Johns Hopkins University who defines such a school as a 'dropout factory.'
There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That's 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either."
More proof that the public education system simply does not work as advertised. Home-schooling is the way to go.
'If you're born in a neighborhood or town where the only high school is one where graduation is not the norm, how is this living in the land of equal opportunity?' asks Bob Balfanz, the researcher at Johns Hopkins University who defines such a school as a 'dropout factory.'
There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That's 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either."
More proof that the public education system simply does not work as advertised. Home-schooling is the way to go.
AlterNet: Forget Impeachment, Put Bush and Cheney in a Straightjacket
AlterNet: Forget Impeachment, Put Bush and Cheney in a Straightjacket: "The U.S. is full of ordinary people with serious forms of mental illness -- delusional people with violent fantasies who think they're the president, or who think they get instructions from the CIA through their dental fillings.
The problem with Bush is that he is the president -- and he gives instructions to the CIA and military, without having to go through his dental fillings.
Impeachment's not the solution to psychosis, no matter how flagrant. But despite their impressive foresight in other areas, the framers unaccountably neglected to include an involuntary civil commitment procedure in the Constitution."
Well they do seem to exhibit many of the symptoms that would get the average Joe locked up in the psych ward. Perhaps some anti-psychotics can do away with their paranoid delusions about the WMD capabilities of middle eastern countries, as well as their driven-by-god fantasies.
The problem with Bush is that he is the president -- and he gives instructions to the CIA and military, without having to go through his dental fillings.
Impeachment's not the solution to psychosis, no matter how flagrant. But despite their impressive foresight in other areas, the framers unaccountably neglected to include an involuntary civil commitment procedure in the Constitution."
Well they do seem to exhibit many of the symptoms that would get the average Joe locked up in the psych ward. Perhaps some anti-psychotics can do away with their paranoid delusions about the WMD capabilities of middle eastern countries, as well as their driven-by-god fantasies.
AlterNet: Rumsfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest
AlterNet: Rumsfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest: "Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of 'ordering and authorizing' torture of detainees at both the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. military's detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unconfirmed reports coming from Paris suggest.
U.S. embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush's 'war on terror' for six years.
Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil."
This is very funny. As the report indicates, the story is unconfirmed, but I would not doubt that Rumsfeld's exit from France was due to the possibility of arrest. I would like to see the results if the government of France actually investigates the allegations.
U.S. embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush's 'war on terror' for six years.
Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil."
This is very funny. As the report indicates, the story is unconfirmed, but I would not doubt that Rumsfeld's exit from France was due to the possibility of arrest. I would like to see the results if the government of France actually investigates the allegations.
Sam Sedaei: The Biggest Lie Told To The American People: Ahmadinejad's Alleged Remarks On Israel - Politics on The Huffington Post
Sam Sedaei: The Biggest Lie Told To The American People: Ahmadinejad's Alleged Remarks On Israel - Politics on The Huffington Post: "As the Bush Administration beats the drums for another war of choice with another country that had nothing to do with 9/11, they are using another series of fabricated facts to indoctrinate the American people into thinking that Iran poses a serious threat to our security. At the core of these fabrications is the claim that on October 25, 2005, during a speech at the Ministry of Interior conference hall, the then newly-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remarked that 'Israel must be wiped off the map.' As someone who was born in Tehran, lived there for seventeen years and is a native Farsi speaker, I have read the original transcripts of the speech in Farsi and want to inform you that Ahmadinejad never said 'Israel must be wiped off the map,' but rather, his statement was grossly mistranslated and taken out of context, perhaps to help make a case for military action against Iran."
This is not the first time that I have heard that Ahmadinejad's speeches have been mistranslated, and surely it was not accidental. I just love the fact that the corporate media takes the mistranslation and runs with it every time. Whatever happened to research and fact-checking? Certainly the man is not a good person, but the government has chosen to make him look even worse with bad translations.
This is not the first time that I have heard that Ahmadinejad's speeches have been mistranslated, and surely it was not accidental. I just love the fact that the corporate media takes the mistranslation and runs with it every time. Whatever happened to research and fact-checking? Certainly the man is not a good person, but the government has chosen to make him look even worse with bad translations.
Immunity Deal Hampers Blackwater Inquiry - Politics on The Huffington Post
Immunity Deal Hampers Blackwater Inquiry - Politics on The Huffington Post: "WASHINGTON — The State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned. The immunity deal has delayed a criminal inquiry into the Sept. 16 killings and could undermine any effort to prosecute security contractors for their role in the incident that has infuriated the Iraqi government. 'Once you give immunity, you can't take it away,' said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation."
If the Iraq government gets its way, these people will be pulled from Iraq. Then Blackwater will probably be used by our government for national disasters, as contractors were used during Katrina. How would you like to be face to face with one of these thugs?
If the Iraq government gets its way, these people will be pulled from Iraq. Then Blackwater will probably be used by our government for national disasters, as contractors were used during Katrina. How would you like to be face to face with one of these thugs?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
We Have Been Ambushed ! >> Four Winds 10 - fourwinds10.com
We Have Been Ambushed ! >> Four Winds 10 - fourwinds10.com: "VERY QUIETLY AND WITHOUT ANY MEDIA ATTENTION, THE U.S. CONGRESS INTRODUCED THE 'VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM ACT' BACK IN APRIL THE BILL WENT QUIETLY THROUGH COMMITTEE - AND WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TODAY! The Bill creates a Commission which will study how to prohibit '. . . . .the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system . . . . .to advance political, religious, or social change.. . . .' Folks, they are trying to outlaw what people are able to BELIEVE. Outlaw what opinions people are able to utter! Ladies and Gentlemen, this Bill opens the first skirmish in what will become a direct legislative assault upon our most basic right to freedom of THOUGHT and the ability to speak those thoughts! Under this type of Legislative thinking, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers, would be jailed!!!!"
From the bill itself...
"(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.
From the Declaration of Independence:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
From the bill itself...
"(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.
`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.
`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
`(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs."
This is the end of liberty if this passes the senate and is signed into law. The broad language used truly will allow people to be arrested for simply speaking against the government. Saying "It is time for a revolution" will get you a one way pass to a detention center. Let's not forget that it is our duty to dissolve the government if the government has removed the power from the citizens. That is what they are trying to prevent. Forget terrorism, it is about complete and utter control over each and every one of us. [Also, think about the fact that Timothy McVeigh was brought to justice without such a law. The only reason they need this is control.]
From the Declaration of Independence:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Saturday, October 27, 2007
From CIA Jails, Inmates Fade Into Obscurity
From CIA Jails, Inmates Fade Into Obscurity: "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- On Sept. 6, 2006, President Bush announced that the CIA's overseas secret prisons had been temporarily emptied and 14 al-Qaeda leaders taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But since then, there has been no official accounting of what happened to about 30 other 'ghost prisoners' who spent extended time in the custody of the CIA.
Some have been secretly transferred to their home countries, where they remain in detention and out of public view, according to interviews in Pakistan and Europe with government officials, human rights groups and lawyers for the detainees. Others have disappeared without a trace and may or may not still be under CIA control."
Who knows how many people the CIA has made simply disappear. Very creepy.
Some have been secretly transferred to their home countries, where they remain in detention and out of public view, according to interviews in Pakistan and Europe with government officials, human rights groups and lawyers for the detainees. Others have disappeared without a trace and may or may not still be under CIA control."
Who knows how many people the CIA has made simply disappear. Very creepy.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Cool video...
My Sister ran across this video on You Tube.... There are now many songs out in every genre criticizing this administration. It is a good way to spread the word... [Warning, graphic language ]
The Raw Story | White House defends 'health benefits' of climate change
The Raw Story | White House defends 'health benefits' of climate change: "Asked to detail what the benefits would be, Perino replied: 'Look, this is an issue where I'm sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this. 'But it is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals,' she added. 'I'm not an expert.'"
Hey, it is kind of nice to be able to wear a T-shirt in Upstate New York during January, hang out on the front porch in February with a light sweatshirt on, like I did last winter, but the far-reaching consequences of global warming will not all be sunny warm days in the middle of winter. Try mosquitoes year-round carrying viruses, the migration of malaria and other tropical diseases to more northern regions, displacement of entire species of insects and animals. Let's not forget the possibility of mass extinctions, record droughts, and the sea claiming our coastal cities.
Hey, it is kind of nice to be able to wear a T-shirt in Upstate New York during January, hang out on the front porch in February with a light sweatshirt on, like I did last winter, but the far-reaching consequences of global warming will not all be sunny warm days in the middle of winter. Try mosquitoes year-round carrying viruses, the migration of malaria and other tropical diseases to more northern regions, displacement of entire species of insects and animals. Let's not forget the possibility of mass extinctions, record droughts, and the sea claiming our coastal cities.
Al Kamen - FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA - washingtonpost.com
Al Kamen - FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA - washingtonpost.com: "The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA's greatness.
Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by 'Mike' Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John 'Pat' Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.
Asked about this, Widomski said: 'We had been getting mobbed with phone calls from reporters, and this was thrown together at the last minute.' But the staff did not make up the questions, he said, and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. 'We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day.' Despite the very short notice, 'we were expecting the press to come,' he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing."
How freaking low can these people get? This sounds like something Stalin or Hitler would have done. Propaganda to the extreme...
Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by 'Mike' Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John 'Pat' Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.
Asked about this, Widomski said: 'We had been getting mobbed with phone calls from reporters, and this was thrown together at the last minute.' But the staff did not make up the questions, he said, and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. 'We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day.' Despite the very short notice, 'we were expecting the press to come,' he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing."
How freaking low can these people get? This sounds like something Stalin or Hitler would have done. Propaganda to the extreme...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
