I have no comment as the content of this editorial says it all:
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December 31, 2007
Editorial
Looking at America
There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.
It was not the first time in recent years we’ve felt this horror, this sorrowful sense of estrangement, not nearly. This sort of lawless behavior has become standard practice since Sept. 11, 2001.
The country and much of the world was rightly and profoundly frightened by the single-minded hatred and ingenuity displayed by this new enemy. But there is no excuse for how President Bush and his advisers panicked — how they forgot that it is their responsibility to protect American lives and American ideals, that there really is no safety for Americans or their country when those ideals are sacrificed.
Out of panic and ideology, President Bush squandered America’s position of moral and political leadership, swept aside international institutions and treaties, sullied America’s global image, and trampled on the constitutional pillars that have supported our democracy through the most terrifying and challenging times. These policies have fed the world’s anger and alienation and have not made any of us safer.
In the years since 9/11, we have seen American soldiers abuse, sexually humiliate, torment and murder prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq. A few have been punished, but their leaders have never been called to account. We have seen mercenaries gun down Iraqi civilians with no fear of prosecution. We have seen the president, sworn to defend the Constitution, turn his powers on his own citizens, authorizing the intelligence agencies to spy on Americans, wiretapping phones and intercepting international e-mail messages without a warrant.
We have read accounts of how the government’s top lawyers huddled in secret after the attacks in New York and Washington and plotted ways to circumvent the Geneva Conventions — and both American and international law — to hold anyone the president chose indefinitely without charges or judicial review.
Those same lawyers then twisted other laws beyond recognition to allow Mr. Bush to turn intelligence agents into torturers, to force doctors to abdicate their professional oaths and responsibilities to prepare prisoners for abuse, and then to monitor the torment to make sure it didn’t go just a bit too far and actually kill them.
The White House used the fear of terrorism and the sense of national unity to ram laws through Congress that gave law-enforcement agencies far more power than they truly needed to respond to the threat — and at the same time fulfilled the imperial fantasies of Vice President Dick Cheney and others determined to use the tragedy of 9/11 to arrogate as much power as they could.
Hundreds of men, swept up on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, were thrown into a prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, so that the White House could claim they were beyond the reach of American laws. Prisoners are held there with no hope of real justice, only the chance to face a kangaroo court where evidence and the names of their accusers are kept secret, and where they are not permitted to talk about the abuse they have suffered at the hands of American jailers.
In other foreign lands, the C.I.A. set up secret jails where “high-value detainees” were subjected to ever more barbaric acts, including simulated drowning. These crimes were videotaped, so that “experts” could watch them, and then the videotapes were destroyed, after consultation with the White House, in the hope that Americans would never know.
The C.I.A. contracted out its inhumanity to nations with no respect for life or law, sending prisoners — some of them innocents kidnapped on street corners and in airports — to be tortured into making false confessions, or until it was clear they had nothing to say and so were let go without any apology or hope of redress.
These are not the only shocking abuses of President Bush’s two terms in office, made in the name of fighting terrorism. There is much more — so much that the next president will have a full agenda simply discovering all the wrongs that have been done and then righting them.
We can only hope that this time, unlike 2004, American voters will have the wisdom to grant the awesome powers of the presidency to someone who has the integrity, principle and decency to use them honorably. Then when we look in the mirror as a nation, we will see, once again, the reflection of the United States of America.
Monday, December 31, 2007
globeandmail.com - Military's influence stifling democracy
An historical summary of Pakistan and its leadership problems from its inception. Many think tank analysts and experts on Pakistani politics weigh in and offer sound advice. This is the Cliff Notes version of History of Pakistan.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Giuliani has brass B***s if nothing else.....See if this makes you nauseous:
From NY Times story this morning..
His campaign began re-branding Mr. Giuliani as the candidate of religious conservatives, or values voters, handing out glossy pamphlets featuring the endorsement from the Rev. Pat Robertson and a quotation from Mr. Giuliani in large letters: “My belief in God and reliance on His guidance is at the core of who I am.”
Gee, if God's guidance is at the core of Rudy's behavior, then God must be a two bit thug from Queens.
His campaign began re-branding Mr. Giuliani as the candidate of religious conservatives, or values voters, handing out glossy pamphlets featuring the endorsement from the Rev. Pat Robertson and a quotation from Mr. Giuliani in large letters: “My belief in God and reliance on His guidance is at the core of who I am.”
Gee, if God's guidance is at the core of Rudy's behavior, then God must be a two bit thug from Queens.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
John Edwards on Face the Nation 12/30/07
Edwards discusses Pakistan, corporate lobbyists and differences between himself and Clinton/Obama.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
La. Village Drops 666 From Its Number
666 is an "evil" number? In 2007, almost 2008, there are people who still believe in superstitions like this. No wonder red state Republicans when polled, state that they are satisfied with their financial situation under Republican rule, EVEN when they admit to not having enough money to pay their bills! It's a logic disconnect! Is it in the water down South or what??
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Hey Media!! Pencils UP For John Edwards!!
A note to mainstream media: How about dropping the curtain on the Clinton-Obama drama, and setting the stage for John Edwards? THE PEOPLE are done with your theatre of the absurd. If your punditz must do theatre, then make them do it legit!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, December 28, 2007
With Bhutto gone, does Bush have a Plan B?
Juan Cole in Salon:
Bush's failed policies in Pakistan, a nuclear power that al-Qaida still uses to plot against the West, threatens U.S. security more than Iraq ever did.
My comments: I read Juan Cole's "Informed Comment" blog on a pretty regular basis. Juan Cole has his finger on the pulse of the Middle East and never fails to offer lucid, factual information on the on-going situation from day to day. Today I find his article in Salon Mag a must-read for anyone who cares to dig further and past the United States' MSM's descriptions of the catastrophe occurring in Pakistan.
While I'm at it, I'd like to state that once again, JOE BIDEN IS RIGHT! When commenting on the situation in Pakistan and the remarks made by presidential candidates, Joe stated that what has been said does not make a lot of sense. Richardson, for example said that Musharraf should step down and let a coalition government take over. Biden said. "But what coalition? There isn't any. What's he talking about?" Exactly!
I don't have much faith in any Plan B that Bush might come up with, but I sure would like to hear more about Joe Biden's Plan B. With the current MSM choosing FOR us, who the leading candidates are (by virtue of the airtime they give their favorite picks) don't look to hear alot from Joe. I've liked the guy ever since I listened to the gavel to gavel coverage of the Senate Judiciary Confirmation Hearings in 1988. He has always asked tough, fair questions and stays away from hyperbole. But this post is about Juan Cole....and his reasoned, articulate assessment of the current Pakistani (and therefore US) crisis. If you care to partake of the wisdom:
read more | digg story
Bush's failed policies in Pakistan, a nuclear power that al-Qaida still uses to plot against the West, threatens U.S. security more than Iraq ever did.
My comments: I read Juan Cole's "Informed Comment" blog on a pretty regular basis. Juan Cole has his finger on the pulse of the Middle East and never fails to offer lucid, factual information on the on-going situation from day to day. Today I find his article in Salon Mag a must-read for anyone who cares to dig further and past the United States' MSM's descriptions of the catastrophe occurring in Pakistan.
While I'm at it, I'd like to state that once again, JOE BIDEN IS RIGHT! When commenting on the situation in Pakistan and the remarks made by presidential candidates, Joe stated that what has been said does not make a lot of sense. Richardson, for example said that Musharraf should step down and let a coalition government take over. Biden said. "But what coalition? There isn't any. What's he talking about?" Exactly!
I don't have much faith in any Plan B that Bush might come up with, but I sure would like to hear more about Joe Biden's Plan B. With the current MSM choosing FOR us, who the leading candidates are (by virtue of the airtime they give their favorite picks) don't look to hear alot from Joe. I've liked the guy ever since I listened to the gavel to gavel coverage of the Senate Judiciary Confirmation Hearings in 1988. He has always asked tough, fair questions and stays away from hyperbole. But this post is about Juan Cole....and his reasoned, articulate assessment of the current Pakistani (and therefore US) crisis. If you care to partake of the wisdom:
read more | digg story
You're Damn Right I'm Angry. Why Isn't Everybody?
Professor Green produces a stultifying laundry list of the woes the Bush Administration has unleashed on this country. Undeniable facts are used and convincingly so to ask the challenging question "Why Isn't Everybody?" (Angry!)
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Answer to Joe Bageant
I like Joe Bageant. I like to read his blog now and again. Recently Joe posed a question about what it would take to have a revolution. What needs to occur in consciousness for people to turn things around in this country. I emailed Joe the following and if anyone is interested in reading Joe's blog, the link is in favorites.
Here's my say to Joe;
Joe,
What needs to happen in my view is for people, everywhere to understand that it is not a Left-Right dichotomy. It is not the Republicans or Democrats ruining America it is the Corporatists of any stripe.
The first thing good old boy, hard-working middle Americans need to get, really get as in their bones.....IS that Corporations are NOT patriotic. There are no such things as "American" corporations. The corporations have found the global economy is to be exploited as follows: Go to the crummiest, lowliest wasteland in the world and set up a factory there. Pay dirt wages but a slight cut above what is generally the income there and soon these folks will indeed have a higher standard of living than the general population NOT working for the corporation. Pretty soon your employees are getting to put some money back into their economy and YOU get to parade around the world talking about how your corporation raises the standards of living for the employees and benefit their communities. You might even throw a little money at a school here or there. Great photo-ops in that.
Once the standard of living rises in this country to an extent that can be exploited to the max by you and your PR team; you shut down those factories and move to the next lowly s**thole and repeat formula.
Meanwhile back at the American ranch, our standard of living is stagnating or declining and the reason we don't feel the pinch is because of the credit card economy which keeps us afloat and awash in all of those products which our fearless leaders want us to keep on consuming. We are no longer a producing, manufacturing nation, we are a consumer nation. How long can this last?
Middle Americans who STILL think the political parties of any stripe serve their interests (and the parties TELL them what their interests are) are patsies. It is the Corporatists who run the government by dictating what tax deals they want, what legislation they want from the government and the government takes care of bizness......like the good corporate lackeys they are. The message told to the masses is that this is the government who will keep gay marriage away from you, keep those illegals from taking your job etc. just don't look too closely at the real economics or the real legislation....you know, the fine print.
The public gets the Advertising big print to read and the corporatists write all the fine print which nobody reads but which spells their doom.
till Middle America wakes up to this Joe, there won't be any revolution.
Here's my say to Joe;
Joe,
What needs to happen in my view is for people, everywhere to understand that it is not a Left-Right dichotomy. It is not the Republicans or Democrats ruining America it is the Corporatists of any stripe.
The first thing good old boy, hard-working middle Americans need to get, really get as in their bones.....IS that Corporations are NOT patriotic. There are no such things as "American" corporations. The corporations have found the global economy is to be exploited as follows: Go to the crummiest, lowliest wasteland in the world and set up a factory there. Pay dirt wages but a slight cut above what is generally the income there and soon these folks will indeed have a higher standard of living than the general population NOT working for the corporation. Pretty soon your employees are getting to put some money back into their economy and YOU get to parade around the world talking about how your corporation raises the standards of living for the employees and benefit their communities. You might even throw a little money at a school here or there. Great photo-ops in that.
Once the standard of living rises in this country to an extent that can be exploited to the max by you and your PR team; you shut down those factories and move to the next lowly s**thole and repeat formula.
Meanwhile back at the American ranch, our standard of living is stagnating or declining and the reason we don't feel the pinch is because of the credit card economy which keeps us afloat and awash in all of those products which our fearless leaders want us to keep on consuming. We are no longer a producing, manufacturing nation, we are a consumer nation. How long can this last?
Middle Americans who STILL think the political parties of any stripe serve their interests (and the parties TELL them what their interests are) are patsies. It is the Corporatists who run the government by dictating what tax deals they want, what legislation they want from the government and the government takes care of bizness......like the good corporate lackeys they are. The message told to the masses is that this is the government who will keep gay marriage away from you, keep those illegals from taking your job etc. just don't look too closely at the real economics or the real legislation....you know, the fine print.
The public gets the Advertising big print to read and the corporatists write all the fine print which nobody reads but which spells their doom.
till Middle America wakes up to this Joe, there won't be any revolution.
We got a Herd 'o Winnebagos - We're Givin' 'em away!
Come ONNNNNN down to Smokey Joe's car lot! We've got one for little Shiva, little Kamlesh, little Sat Singh, bring the whole family!
When visiting China you can count on a great deal from Cho's! Come visit the brand new showroom, bring Grandfather and Grandmother!
Better hurry up and buy those LED lightbulbs quick as a bunny Americans.....and you'd better get cracking on all of those other "green" projects ahead of you.....cause it's soon going to be getting real HOT around here.
From the NY Times:
EXPORTING THE CAR CULTURE In the West, “going green” may be all the rage, but in China and India, the automobile is being discovered all over again. The two countries each have populations of more than a billion, booming economies and rapidly expanding middle classes, and an unsated appetite for Western goodies — including cars. In India, Tata Motors is introducing the People’s Car, with a sticker price of $2,500. Over the next 12 years, some economists predict, more than 150 million Indians will buy cars. China, meanwhile, may have 140 million cars on its roads by 2020.
If this all comes to pass, climate experts say, it will be impossible to make meaningful, worldwide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China and India already account for 70 percent of the worldwide increase in energy demand over the last two years. “This is a very worrying message,” said Fatih Birol, chief economist for the International Energy Agency, which provides policy advice to industrialized nations. “China and India are transforming our energy markets. We have a window of opportunity of 5 to 10 years before it becomes unsustainable and irreversible.” In other words, get used to praying for rain.
When visiting China you can count on a great deal from Cho's! Come visit the brand new showroom, bring Grandfather and Grandmother!
Better hurry up and buy those LED lightbulbs quick as a bunny Americans.....and you'd better get cracking on all of those other "green" projects ahead of you.....cause it's soon going to be getting real HOT around here.
From the NY Times:
EXPORTING THE CAR CULTURE In the West, “going green” may be all the rage, but in China and India, the automobile is being discovered all over again. The two countries each have populations of more than a billion, booming economies and rapidly expanding middle classes, and an unsated appetite for Western goodies — including cars. In India, Tata Motors is introducing the People’s Car, with a sticker price of $2,500. Over the next 12 years, some economists predict, more than 150 million Indians will buy cars. China, meanwhile, may have 140 million cars on its roads by 2020.
If this all comes to pass, climate experts say, it will be impossible to make meaningful, worldwide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China and India already account for 70 percent of the worldwide increase in energy demand over the last two years. “This is a very worrying message,” said Fatih Birol, chief economist for the International Energy Agency, which provides policy advice to industrialized nations. “China and India are transforming our energy markets. We have a window of opportunity of 5 to 10 years before it becomes unsustainable and irreversible.” In other words, get used to praying for rain.
Benazir Bhutto Assassinated
Truly, I am sick at heart to learn of this. Two days after Christmas. Coming off of the personal high of spending time with my dear, loving family....and then getting slapped with this. I feel nauseated-sick and my heart feels like an ache.
I am SICK over this. It never ends! This is why I am at the point of saying F**k Religions!! They may have helped a few but they are food/justification/rationale for creating "others". In group, out group. Is it any different than Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets?? Or any different than the rules/ regs/ codes of behavior that is set up by the Mafioso? Huh? Is it?
Sharif, another opposition party leader in Pakistan had this to say:
Sharif arrived at the hospital and sat silently next to Bhutto's body.
"Benazir Bhutto was also my sister, and I will be with you to take the revenge for her death," he said. "Don't feel alone. I am with you. We will take the revenge on the rulers."
REVENGE! That's what it's all about. Most of the hominids walking around on this planet today are sub-human.....I'm sorry. They are sub-human automatons who MISUSE religion. Do Biologists blow up Physicists? Do Earth Scientists blow up Astronomers??
NO it is these godforsaken religionists....
I'm sorry, I'm sick over Bhutto right now.
I am SICK over this. It never ends! This is why I am at the point of saying F**k Religions!! They may have helped a few but they are food/justification/rationale for creating "others". In group, out group. Is it any different than Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets?? Or any different than the rules/ regs/ codes of behavior that is set up by the Mafioso? Huh? Is it?
Sharif, another opposition party leader in Pakistan had this to say:
Sharif arrived at the hospital and sat silently next to Bhutto's body.
"Benazir Bhutto was also my sister, and I will be with you to take the revenge for her death," he said. "Don't feel alone. I am with you. We will take the revenge on the rulers."
REVENGE! That's what it's all about. Most of the hominids walking around on this planet today are sub-human.....I'm sorry. They are sub-human automatons who MISUSE religion. Do Biologists blow up Physicists? Do Earth Scientists blow up Astronomers??
NO it is these godforsaken religionists....
I'm sorry, I'm sick over Bhutto right now.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Merry Christmas Baby
gotta love the Boss.
Xmas was just about perfect, cept for when my oldest daughter said "I don't see the big deal about Bruce Springsteen......I like Billy Joel better."
ACK! How can those two names be uttered in the same sentence?
I'm re-thinking my will....
Seriously though, Bruce is a consumate talent in my view.
Don't believe it. click on the video....and this isn't even the best version. Just the best version available on YouTube.
Martha Stewart Shows Off Nativity Scene She Built In Prison
My favorite comment to this story is "What a talented convict!" Ha!This gal has turned being imprisoned into a saavy career move. Can't keep a good capitalist down!This strikes me as so funny. How 'bout you?
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Family Planning Clinics fires in New Mexico....Terrorism?
It is interesting to note, as the Rude Pundit does, that when Islamists firebomb a target they consider, well........target-worthy, they are called Islamic terrorists. Yet when Christian extremists fire-bomb a target, their act is put down to "arson". Is there is a distinction? Rude Pundit's blog is linked in "Favorites" to your left.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The cutest otters ever.
Two little otters floating around, holding hands. MAN! Are they relaxed! Everything has the need for relationship......it's not just a human thang!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Nightmare Before Christmas
I got one of those emails; the ones that make the rounds to moan and groan about taxes and how we're taxed to death etc. The commentary was the kind that seems to blame all of the "entitlement" programs in our society.
Nowhere in these emails does the real analysis come into play. I wrote back to my cousin who sent it to me and said that even Warren Buffet is talking about the unfairness of taxes these days, only HE is truly illuminating and giving voice to the actual facts. I said to my cousin that the past thirty or forty years as seen "trickle up" economics with CEOs, corporate and Wall Street fat cats receiving outrageous pay packages, bonuses and profits while the middle class has essentially stagnated in real wage increases.
Today Bob Herbert in the NY Times wrote an Op Ed piece about just that, entitled "Nightmare Before Christmas" and he essentially described my family's economic situation. Depressing I know, but going into the 2008 elections, it might be a good idea to be armed with this information as you listen to the candidates. The only one who seems to be on this page is John Edwards (of course Dennis Kucinich as well but he'll be President when pigs fly).
Here's Herbert's article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/opinion/22herbert.html?ex=1356066000&en=76e47e9a38924d5a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Nowhere in these emails does the real analysis come into play. I wrote back to my cousin who sent it to me and said that even Warren Buffet is talking about the unfairness of taxes these days, only HE is truly illuminating and giving voice to the actual facts. I said to my cousin that the past thirty or forty years as seen "trickle up" economics with CEOs, corporate and Wall Street fat cats receiving outrageous pay packages, bonuses and profits while the middle class has essentially stagnated in real wage increases.
Today Bob Herbert in the NY Times wrote an Op Ed piece about just that, entitled "Nightmare Before Christmas" and he essentially described my family's economic situation. Depressing I know, but going into the 2008 elections, it might be a good idea to be armed with this information as you listen to the candidates. The only one who seems to be on this page is John Edwards (of course Dennis Kucinich as well but he'll be President when pigs fly).
Here's Herbert's article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/opinion/22herbert.html?ex=1356066000&en=76e47e9a38924d5a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Friday, December 14, 2007
Bombed If You Do, Bombed If You Don't by Ron Paul
The latest National Intelligence Estimate has been greeted by a mixture of relief and alarm. As I have been saying all along, Iran indeed poses no quantifiable imminent nuclear threat to us or her neighbors. It is with much alarm, however, that we see the administration continue to ratchet up the war rhetoric as if nothing has changed.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Briton Pardoned in Sudan Islam Insult
Sanity prevails in the case of the British teacher convicted of insulting a long dead prophet, by allowing her students to choose a name for teddy bear; the name they chose was Mohammed. For that some extremists were calling for her execution. However her sentence was merely 15 days in jail and exile from Sudan. She has been pardoned. No more teddy bears for her! What next, she might name one Moses??
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
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