Illegitimi non Carborundum

C'mon, Really

2007-12-09T12:41:00.000-06:00

(originally a guerilla blog on Hillary)

From a Hillary campaign email:
<>
(How expensive ARE those plans?)

'K, I can't let this one go.

Y'know, when the talk about Hillary running for Prez started, which was when Bill&Hill left the White House, I was enthusiastic. Good, Gods, a woman in the White House, and the wife of a man I admired, as well.

Well, I've actually been listening to Hillary over the last few months, especially the health care, and I can't help but feel that we are being mislead.

It's all in the wording, folks. "Health care" translates into "health insurance". Hillary is on the insurance industry's TOP FIVE recipients for campaign contributions.

I don't think the tax credits are going to help any family trying to comply with a new federal law saying they must have health insurance, as most insurance premiums are due on a monthly basis; families will receive their credits yearly.

Also, the potential notion of providing proof to an employer of health insurance is not going to do anything to help small businesses; they will still have to offer their health plans, which the employee will be free to take advantage of. The only possible beneficiary of this plan is big business; large corporations, manufacturing businesses (whatever's left in the country after Bill Clinton's NAFTA sent most of those jobs overseas.)

It IS a good effort, but Hillary hasn't evolved from her 1998 ideas, or her 1998 understanding of the problem.

The problem is not that people WON'T provide insurance for their families. The problem is that the insurance industry is corrupt; the very bedrock platform on which HMOs were built was non-payment of benefits. The second problem is that the industry has made quality insurance for the common family with an income under 80,000.00 a year nearly unaffordable, and nearly unattainable, with its layers of beaurocracy employed solely to find a reason NOT to pay benefits, and a labyrinthine system of qualification that cuts holes in the insurance certificate that excludes pre-existing conditions, "experimental" treatments, "elective" or "medically unnecessary" treatments.

As long as ANY health care plan allows the insurance industry to play, the game will be rigged. I don't care whether it's Hillary, Obama, or Edwards, any reliance on the insurance industry to drive their health plans will perpetuate the corruption and hardship to common families to protect their families facing medical hardships.

I'd ask Hillary to seriously re-think her plan; and again ask her to stop taking money from the insurance lobby. At the very least, taking money from that industry will perpetuate the view that the industry is driving Hillary's interests, not Hillary looking out for families interests.

BTW, I see you have changed your Terms of Service to give you the right to remove any content. Fair enough. But your right to remove content that critisizes you does not trump my right to express that content. I'm still claiming my 1st Amendment right to speak and express my views in a peaceful manner in any forum. This would be no different from standing outside your campaign headquarters with a bullhorn. It also suggests you can't take any critisism of your policies if it doesn't come from a campaign opponent.

BTW, Happy Yule

Psych ward drama

2007-12-03T17:27:00.001-06:00

Has Hillary ever heard of the psychological term "projection"? That is the mental mechanism by which a person shields herself from the realities of her flawed personality and premises by projecting those flaws onto someone else, ususally a perceived enemy or nemesis.

Yes, Hillary met with countless foreign leaders in the 8 years she occupied the office of First Lady. Did she negotiate treaties? Cement trade agreements? Aid in bringing peace anywhere, including the Balkans and the Middle East?

NO. She was a goodwill ambassador. No First Lady, even the esteemed Eleanor Roosevelt (and you're NO Eleanor Roosevelt, Ms Clinton), who Hillary claims to admire, and seems to think she gained equal status with, ever claimed that happening to be married to the President of the United States qualified her for ANY public office, let alone the highest office in the land.

And ambition? Maybe she DID love him enough to forgive him and stay with him. But we all know for damned sure, if Hillary had divorced Bill, there would be no Presidential bid. No chance.

So, Hillary, just stop with the same tired crap about Obama. The same applies to you. You are no more qualified, and just as ambitious as he is. Truly, in today's policial climate, truckloads of ambition have to be a key factor for anyone submitting her/himself to this dog-and-pony show.

Get over yourself, dear. I'm think you may be in for an unhappy surprise come January 3rd. We Iowans are not fond of posers, stuffed shirts and we definitely want a change in Washington, not just a change of dynasties. That kind of ambition we don't like, and have no use for.

Power and Peace to the People (P3)

Private Security Forces

2007-11-25T13:48:00.000-06:00

November 25
Private Security Forces
Finally, someone taking some serious action against these thugs-for-hire. The US needs to keep their hands off this one. They want the Iraqi government to govern themselves, take responsibility, and produce an effective Iraqi security force? Then hands off, Condi. No brow-beating Al-Maliki in this one. Let the Iraqis sort this out and take the necessary action. There have been plenty of times when the US Government has refused to intervene when an American citizen has gotten himself in hot water overseas. It's time to let the out-of-control mercenaries take the heat for their own actions.

Power and Peace to the People (P3)

"Peace" Conference

2007-11-22T18:21:00.000-06:00

It is not surprising and typical of Bush's "cowboy" diplomacy that Iran is a glaring omission from the list of invitations for his upcoming Mideast "Peace" Conference.

I'll tell you exactly what will be discussed at this "peace" conference. They will continue a dialogue concerning the continuing privatization of Iraq's oil reserves. Every nation in the area EXCEPT Saudi Arabia will be brow-beaten into making concessions to Israel, and to issue policy against Hezbollah and Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority.

There will be other brow-beatings concerning cooperation for Bush's attack on Iran, including military staging, temporary AND permanent bases, and more sanctions for those states that refuse to cooperate or support Bush's continuing imperial conquest of the Middle East. They will also open bidding on Iran's oil fields and other ripe contracts to be had there when the bombings stop.

It's not surprising the administration has excluded Iran from its list, but it is unconscionable that the media has failed to report this omission.

I'm getting sick and tired of the media reporting only half-truths and incomplete facts. And the FCC is looking at relaxing regulations more to allow the accumulation of more media outlets in fewer corporate hands.

Bush's world conquest continues unabated with the silent support of the media. It is up to us bloggers to take the reporting responsibility on. Hopefully most of the more popular bloggers post on more than one site. If you don't already, I suggest you do the same; triple and quadruple your exposure, and coverage.

We have to do anything possible to stop Bush and Cheney.

Power and Peace to the People (P3)

2007-09-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

...They already are.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20884696/site/newsweek/

Lobbyists and lawyers are putting the screws to the Congress to pass a law stopping all suits against telecommunications companies who worked with the NSA in their illegal lawsuits. Lobbyists have threatened Congressment with "dire consequences" (we're not told what they are) if they do not pass this bill. Aides say some form of law is set to be passed soon.

Where the hell did these cretins come from? How did they manage to get elected? Why did they lie to us when we needed their integrity and their strength to carry out what we passionately want to see done?

They are liars and traitors. Any Congressman that votes for this bill is voting for every illegal action Bush has ever taken while in office. They are the lowest of the low; intriguing but disgusting specimens with no spine and no guts. I'm ashamed of each and every one of them.

Time for another round of calls to your Congressmen, children. As if it will do any good.

Peace

The Origins of Bush's Oil War

2007-09-17T18:55:00.000-05:00

We've all heard about the Benchmarks that Bush has been pushing so hard for Al-Maliki's government to complete before we leave.

How many of us have heard all 18? So I went looking for them, and when I found them, found some interesting stuff. Combined with information from AlterNet, NY Times and Iraq PowerNet, even more light is shed on Bush's Oil War.

I'm not going to list all the Benchmarks; but here's the URL where you can find them:
http://frankwarner.typepad.com/free_fran k_warner/2007/05/i_think_i_found.html

There are only 2 I'm concerned with right now. But first, a small history lesson regarding US policy concerning Iraq.

First, it's important to realize something about the sectarian violence in Iraq. It's not just about religion, and the media and government have been doing us a grave disservice by portraying it as such. This is not a religious civil war.

The Iraqis are fighting over the form of government it will have, how soon the occupation will end, and who will control Iraq's oil.

There are two main forms of political thought; separatists and nationalists. Separatists favor 3 regional zones with strong governments; they will tolerate, for now, foreign influence in their affairs, and favor privatization of oil reserves, with control of that region's oil to the regional authorities.

Nationalists reject any foreign influence; they want a strong central government that will not be based on sectarian blocs, and they oppose the privatization and proposals of the Bush administration's terms of distribution, believing Iraq's oil and gas reserves should be controlled by the central government.

When Paul Bremer first rolled into town and helped set up the provisional government, and then the elections were held, the tensions were almost wholly sectarian. But as the occupation drags on, and Bush's intentions regarding Iraq becomes clearer, the divisions between nationalists and separatists have grown more to the forefront of Iraqi politics, and Iraqi violence.

In August, five parties representing Sunni, Shiite Arabs and Kurds, signed a "unity accord". Al-Maliki said that was a major sign that things were moving towards reconciliation. The White House strongly "approved".

What we haven't been told about this group who signed the accord is that they had long been allied since 2000, and were all allies in the London Conference.

The London Conference? What is that, you ask? Ah, I am so glad you asked.

The London Conference was one more meeting in a plot to sectarianize and divide Iraq. This policy stretched back to 1991, during the presidency of George H W Bush, who began funding and supporting and organizing sectarian groups. He then encouraged the Kurds and Shiites to rebel against the central government (read: "Saddam Hussein") I remember hearing on TV that Bush was encouraging and aiding the Kurds and Shiites in rebelling against Hussein and his "supporters" (the idea then spreading that the Sunnis were in power over and oppressing the Kurds and Shiites under Hussein's direction). The rebellion failed, and many of the rebels fled the country; the Kurds suffered particularly from Hussein's retaliation.

The US continued to promote the idea of sectarian competition within Iraq, and then began funding and those sectarians' militias. The US sponsored an opposition conference illegally on Iraqi soil, beginning to solidify their ideas of a replacement for the Baath Party (Saddam Hussein's party), and set up sectarian quotas for the new government. For nearly a decade, the US tried to unify opposition to its plans to divide Iraq. Coincidentally, when Paul Bremer took control, he immediately outlawed the Baath party, firing all Baathists in the government. He later relented and allowed back some lower-echelon officials when he believed the increasing violence was based in part on this purge. However, one of the "benchmarks" reads:
(ii) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification.

Literally, the administration is single-handedly responsible for almost completely destroying an entire political party, simply because it was Saddam Hussein's party.

In 1998, Representative Benjamin A Gilman introduced a bill called the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998. Based on several findings, including Saddam's invasion of Iran and Kuwait, his attacks on Iraqi Kurds and an unsuccessfulattempt on the life of George H W Bush, the bill states in Sec. 3: It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime. At that point, the official US Policy toward Iraq was one of "regime change".

Less than 2 months after signing HR 4655, Clinton, using the justification of Saddam's non-compliance with UNSCOM, bombed several targets in Iraq.

Fast-forward to 2001; George W Bush has been elected to office, and now bends to completing the task his father began. We know from the testimony of Richard Clarke, and from the memoirs of Paul O'Neill, that from day one, George W Bush and Dick Cheney were obsessed with invading Iraq.

Now, 6 years later, George W. is very close to completion of the mission began almost 15 years ago.

There's just this little problem getting in the way...those pesky Nationalists in Iraq are interfering. And not just by shooting up the streets of Baghdad. Nationalist partisans are actively resisting several of George W's "benchmarks", including:
(iv) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
(iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
As you may recall, these are two of the main points of dissent among the Nationalists; they want a strong central government, and they want THAT government to control their resources. (iii) is deliberately vague; Al-Maliki has probably been given very detailed instructions on what constitutes "equitable".

Another LARGE obstacle to the completion of (iii) is that those pesky, independently-minded Kurds have gone off and decided they're already semi-autonomous and signed contracts with at least 2 foreign oil companies; Hunt Oil of Dallas, and Dana Gas of the United Arab Emirates. The Nationalists are crying foul, and there is a good deal of tug-rope back and forth over the issue. Some feel this could be seen as a Kurdish "Declaration of Independence", which would really screw things up for the Nationalists. In fact, Dana Gas' press release identifies the Kurds as the "Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq".

Bush should be happy with the Hunt contract; after all, he is good buddies with the owner, Ray Hunt. And it goes a bit towards establishing the "Regional" form of government which Bush wants, that will allow him to control the allocation of Iraq's resources. Really, this development works beautifully for him; he probably had Hunt waiting in the wings since 3/2003, and the UAE ready to pounce on the gas fields as well.

So now we see a bit more of the real story of Bush's Oil War. This war has been in the making since 1991, and will continue until the entire country's oil reserves are conquered and claimed for the US and its allies. The information and motives that continue to emerge into the public domain make the Bush dynasty's actions more and more heinous. Our government is exploiting an entire nation, slaughtering their leaders, killing tens of thousands of them, displacing hundreds of thousands, wiping out or marginalizing entire political parties or ideological sects, using a puppet government of their own countrymen, to further their own gain. Al-Maliki is no better than Bush; willing to watch his people be slaughtered for Bush's Oil War.

Every last one of you; Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rove, Al-Maliki; all of you should be mortified and aghast at what you've allowed yourselves to become; dictators and perpetrators of colonialism.
Whatever it takes, whatever needs to be done, I swear to make it my duty and my work to perpetuate this information, spread it throughout the World Wide Web, until EVERYONE knows what despicable people are running our country.
Peace
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/ getdoc.cgi?dbname=105_cong_public_laws&a mp;docid=f:publ338.105
http://iraq.powerfoundation.org/2007/07/ 10/notes-on-genocide-in-iraq-part-ii-the -destruction-of-the-iraqi-state-and-nati onal-identity/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/world/ middleeast/13baghdad.html
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1 998/12/16/transcripts/clinton.html
http://www.emarat.ae/about/fullstory.php ?id=284&currentItem=true
http://www.danagas.ae/press/kurdistanAgr eement-en.html
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/62042/

The appearance of integrity...there's an oxymoron

2007-09-09T09:09:00.000-05:00

Petraeus and Crocker Prep...both with and without Prez?
In another astounding specimen of doublespeak, Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Centurion Petraeus say they are not going to meet with the President or their immediate supervisors in order to "preserve the independence and integrity" of their testimony to Congress on Monday and Tuesday.

How very interesting, considering that during Bush's 6 hr surprise Labor Day visit to Iraq, both Crocker and Petraeus met with Bush, Rice, and Gates. Apparently, their plotting, and Petraeus' marching orders, as well as his script, occurred on Labor day, in order to "preserve the (appearance of) independence and integrity" of their report.

They KNOW the American people don't trust the report, because we know there are nothing but sycophants in Bush's administration. We know Labor Day wasn't the only opportunity for Bush to communicate with Petraeus; hell, from the day Petraeus took over observation, he knew what his report was going to be. The only reason the White House told us the Administration was going to write the report was because they knew it would come out, and they wanted to avert another "coverup". But it's still a scandal.

As if it were a surprise, Petraeus' and Crocker's report will tell Congress and the American people, "Stick it." er... "Stick with it."

Y'see, folks, this has been one huge propaganda project since Petraeus was brought on board. There was never any intent to seriously study the situation; this bought time for Bush & Co to sell Petraeus and Crocker as legitimate, independent observers, while at home, Bush continued his tireless litany of stay-the-course, if-we-don't-fight-them-there-we'll-be-fighting-them-here, the-surge-is-working bullshit.

Meanwhile, the Dems, already spineless jellyfish, weakened further in their resolve, falling for the lines like children at Mardi-Gras falling over each other for candy and beads.

As one of my favorite bloggers and blog radio talkers said, (I'm paraphrasing) "In any other country, there would be tanks circling the government offices to keep the protesters from dragging them into the streets and having their way with them."

Presumably, Larry Craig would be in the crowd.

I know I'm starting to sound like a parront with one bad line, but PLEASE call or email your rep and congressmen, and Reid and Pelosi. Y'know, we called Rove "Bush's Brain". We, the American people, are Congress' Brain. Let's give them the benefit of our wisdom, since they clearly have none of their own.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20661699/
Peace

Hillary Unveils her Presidential Style

2007-09-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

We have it straight from the horse's mouth; A Vote for Hillary is a Vote for A Washington Insider.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20569458/

With plans for "principled compromises" and "working within the system", Hillary is telling the United States that they can expect more of the same in another Clinton White House.
Her fall push is called "The Change we Need"

Leave it to a Clinton to be able to speak out of both sides of her mouth. Janus Himself (Themselves?) couldn't do any better than this.

She's finally pulled the gender card, saying she would represent change because she is a woman (OMG, CALL THE PRESS!!!)

Yes, I know, I didn't add the part where she called herself the ideological opposite of Bush. For two reasons...
1) WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE IDEALOGUES IN OFFICE
2) Nothing could be further from the truth.

After her statements of "Preparing for the New War", declaring she won't stop taking lobbyist's money (and apparently also from fugitives from justice involved in her husbands first pres. election), that if Bush won't listen to the American people and bring the troops home, then...."as President, I will". (As far as I can tell, she's made no public statement for or against impeachment, which is CLEARLY the will of the people), "It's not just about the dream, it's about the results", can we really expect change from this woman? She drops names like Teddy Roosevelt and FDR and Lyndon Johnson; somehow hoping magically to be associated with them, at least in name. Well, Ms Clinton, You're no Franklin D Roosevelt.

Republicans praise her for working with them. I'm sorry, folks, but with a Democratic majority, it ought to be the Republicans working with the Dems, not the other way around.

I'm sick and tired of everything that comes from this woman's mouth being treated as some great nugget of wisdom. The ONLY advantage she'll have in the White House will be as the former First Lady to William Jefferson Clinton. He may not have been one of our greatest Presidents (a Republican congress was partly to blame for that...and, no I'm not talking about Monica. That was just a slime-dredging media circus.), but he would be head and shoulders above anything Hillary could accomplish...and she'll have a Democratic Congress to back her up! Pathetic.

BTW, if you wanna know why I'm so pissed @ Hillary today, it's 'cause she's going to be in town, and my partner won't let me go out with a bull horn. Jeez. I NEED a bullhorn, if I'm going to have to stay out of arm's reach!

So now we know we can expect a Kenny Rodgers-style of presidency. Great. While our men and women are dying bloody deaths; while children at home sicken and die because their parents can't afford insurance, while terrorists continue to breed and hatred for the US continues to grow, we can be confident that this Presidential hopeful plans to spend her time in the Oval Office whistling "The Gambler" while we continue to slide down the hillside to hell.

Forget the war on drugs. Just say no to Hillary.

Peace

Another Government Bailout

2007-08-31T23:51:00.001-05:00

It irritates me to no end that whenever companies face financial hardship because of government actions, said companies feel they are entitled to a bail-out from the government. (Now, please give me some leeway here; I know I've never accused this administration of doing anything for our good; I'm going to go into fantasy land and assume that the gov't actions I'll be talking about are truly for the "good of the nation"...*choke* anybody know Heimlich?)

We saw it with the billions shelled out to major airline companies after 9/11, (which Bush coupled with that ridiculous speech about traveling all over the US, enjoy her natural wonders, while Tom Ridge told us to seal ourselves into our homes with duct tape and plastic sheeting.) So confusion reigned supreme and nobody went nowhere and the airlines wept over lost profits.

We're seeing it again; AT&T and Verizon are bleating over the civil lawsuits piling up on their doorstep for cooperating with unlawful orders to comply with the illegal NSA wiretapping program. Bush, ever the vigilant shepherd of his constituents (Corporate America), is soothing his lambs with promises to shield them from the shearing about to commence; intending to grant them immunity.

The Republicans of course see this as a simple case of "good citizens" (Corporate America) doing their duty to help our fearless leader protect (Corporate America) from terrorism (in the form of radically dipping into their pockets).

Do I see a trend forming, here? But I'm not done.

Democrats are split on this issue! Some of them actually acted in good faith! Never mind that both violated their own Privacy policies:
*• Verizon must disclose information, as necessary, to comply with court orders or subpoenas. http://www22.verizon.com/about/privacy/customer/
*To comply with court orders, subpoenas, or other legal or regulatory requirements. http://www.att.com/gen/privacy-policy?pid=7666103

There were no court orders, because the NSA did not present any requests to the FISA court. Therefore, those orders were illegal and unconstitutional.
Therefore, AT&T and Verizon do not deserve immunity. At the very least, as some Dems state, their lawyers should have investigated the demands for information to be sure they were properly and legally issued.

The administration doesn't want to uncover the companies who cooperated, so Bush wants to give the Attorney General blanket authority to intervene, whether or not the entity or individual actually participated.

And the National Intelligence Director agrees with the proposed immunity; but the best reason he can give is "If you play out the suits at the value they're claimed, it would bankrupt these companies," McConnell told the El Paso (Texas) Times in an interview posted online last week. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20535385/

That's the purpose of civil action. It is a way for the "little guy" to protect himself from (you guessed it) Corporate America engaging in unfair and/or illegal practices. It has always been the American Way to punish Corporate America by hitting them in the wallet. And when it comes to such a grievous breach of trust and accountability, I don't think $1,000 per claim is too much to ask. If congress won't censure Bush for his actions, then let's censure his partners and enablers.

Government bailouts, especially from this government, needs to stop. Whether it is actual cash, or intervention in a potentially damaging action due to the company's own negligence, it's got to stop.

Let freedom and class action suits ring!

Peace

Hillary's Fave "Hillraiser"

2007-08-31T23:10:00.000-05:00

Democrats turn from fugitive donor - The New York Times - MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20525307/
It's Bill all over again. The Chinese are buying up this country in chunks, including our elected officials, and Bush is "concerned about their military"??
Duh. It's only one of the largest in the world, with 2.5 million troops, compared to less than 1.5 in the US. Every college kid knows that.
But I digress.
Why are the Chinese trying to buy the Democrats? And why are they being bought? This guy is wanted from clear back to the 1992 Presidential election, which Clinton won; PLEASE don't tell me Hillary's campaign didn't know about this guy. This is complete and utter BS. Right there on the MSNBC page with this story is a very nice, very clear picture of a VERY happy Hillary with Mr. Hsu. While it's certainly correct that it may be impossible to vet every donor, I can't believe the campaign, and "our girl" herself, didn't know anything about this particular "Hillraiser".
Hillary has told us herself, she doesn't care where the money comes from. She just wants the money.
If this is the kind of president you want, then I have a suspicion the total population of Canada is going to rise dramatically in 2009.
Peace

Poor Michael Vick

2007-08-22T23:56:00.000-05:00

NAACP says NFL should give Vick 2nd chance - NFL - MSNBC.com
Please.
While I know people are going to jump on me and call me racist no matter what I say, this isn't about Vick being black or white, and I think, seeing as how the NAACP are the only ones calling for a "second chance" for this monster, they obviously do.
Vick trained innocent creatures to be killing machines. When they didn't kill to his satisfaction, he hung or drowned them.
He clearly knew what he was doing was wrong, morally as well as legally, or he would have admitted his crime from the beginning and taken his punishment like a man.
Instead he has hidden behind the excuse "They're just dogs, they're my property and I'll do what I want with them".
No, Vick, you have take the gods' creatures, turned them on one another and others, making it necessary for them in turn to be destroyed. You have shown an abhorrent lack of respect for life.
As for the NAACP, you say you are trying to save a life; to protect a life from being destroyed just because of bad judgment. I'll subit to you that you wouldn't be saying a thing if it were a white person.
And I would be saying the very same things if Vick were a white person. Any person who would profit from the unnecessary slaughter of innocent animals should themselves experience what those poor animals experienced. Since our law does not allow such retribution, then let Vick suffer the consequences that society CAN sentence him to.
There are consequences to every action, Vick, even if it does involve some "dumb" animals.
Peace

The Deconstruction of a Human Being

2007-08-18T00:31:00.000-05:00

Jose Padilla was held in a military brig in South Carolina for nearly four years.

His bed was a steel pallett. Sometimes he would have a pillow. Sometimes he would have a sheet. But eventually those things would be taken away.

His light would be left on for inteminable lengths of time, then suddenly go out. He would be left in utter darkness for another unknown length of time.

Clinicians have found that the sensory deprivation Jose Padilla suffered causes depression, psychotic episodes, suicidality, panic attacks and hallucinations...within days. Jose Padilla was in his 9x7 cell, with his only "outside" contact his interrigators, for four years.

There was no television, clocks or calendars. At times he would be in shackles, in such uncomfortable positions he could not lie down. Doors would slam over and over for hours, keeping him from sleep.

His interrogators made him sign his name "John Doe". They told him if he ever told anyone what happened to him, they would think he was crazy.

Jose Padilla would not be allowed to speak to or see his attorney for two years. Even then, he was not allowed to be alone with them for consultation, yet another violation of his rights.

There are other things that we will never know about what was done to Jose Padilla, because he was very uncooperative, even with the psychiatrist and lawyers who were trying to help him. The psychiatrist said he was utterly terrified, depressed. His reasoning skills were diminished,
his memory and attention-span impaired. He was, the psychiatrist concluded, brain damaged.

Jose Padilla was broken to the point that he angrily defended, whenever he heard them critisized, the very government and President who had broken him.

There is no telling how long he would have stayed in that hell, if a Supreme Court showdown had not forced Bush's hand. Rather than risk an adverse ruling that would cripple his power to torture other Americans similarly, Bush ordered that Jose Padilla be finally charged and sent to Miami to face trial for criminal conspiracy to commit murder abroad and to provide material support toward that goal.

Is Jose Padilla guilty? That is not my concern.

It is that an American citizen languished in a military prison, being subject to the most horrific psychological torture imagineable, without any regard for his rights, either as a citizen or a human being.

This is the legacy that George W. Bush is leaving us.

This is the monster that the American people are refusing to remove from office, by their failure to act.

This man's madness is on our heads.

May the gods, if they exist, forgive us and help us all.

Mainstream is a joke

2007-08-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

I am SOOOOO sick of the mainstream media marginalizing the "lower tier" candidates.

It isn't new this year; it's been happening through at least the last 8 election cycles. And there are three reasons this has been happening.

1. The Washington Press Corps believes it is the "elite" reporting mass. No one in the nation knows more, has more access, or writes better than they do. That is a load of BS. They report Buzz and Spin. They swallow what Bush, Cheney and Snow feed them, and regurgitate it back to the American public, who in turn are such a load of sheep that they'd believe Martians landed on the Mall if the WPC told them so. These reporters have become political hacks; there are less than a handful of true journalists among them.
Why? Because an appointment to the WPR is just as political as a Senate seat. It is a coveted prize, and they are thoroughly hashed for the "priveledge". Don't think that just anyone can become part of the Bush WPR. They are vetted not only by security background, but also by political background. They will do anything to hold onto that position, including raping the mission of the Fourth Estate.

2. Candidates are rated by their candidate coffers. It is no coincidence that the top 3 fund-raisers are also the "top tier" candidates. And that is sickening, because

3. These candidates are owned by the donations they have solicited. This is American Fascism at its worst; when corporations and multi-billionaires can buy the candidates.
Don't think I'm surprised by this; it's been going on almost as long as there have been political contests. But it got worse when TV hit its stride in the political arena; suddenly there was a premium on time for the candidates, and as the years progressed, and ad campaigning became more important than Congress, or Presidential campaigning for an increasingly short-attention-span audience, this premium became more and more expensive. Now we are at the height of influence-peddling, made stark reality by a Democratic candidate arrogantly proclaiming that she will not stop taking lobbyists contributions. Money and corporate influence now drives our electoral process; it has become the mainstream process that the mainstream media will not address.

If there was ever a time when we need to blow off the mainstream and knock over the conventional, it is with this 2008 election cycle.

Don't let the mainstream media limit your view of the possibilities. Learn to think for yourself.

Either that, or get the hell out of the way and let the rest of us do the work that needs to be done.

Peace

The Earth Cries Out

2007-08-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

I read today the Army reported suicides among soldiers are at the highest levels in 26 years. In 2006 there were 99 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers. 17.3% of our soldiers committed suicide in 2006

The report stated that Iraq was the most common deployment locations for suicides and attempts (note that 99 does not include the number of attempts). One-third of the 99 were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. There was a significant link between time served in war areas and suicides. The same applied to attempts. Twice as many women who were serving in either country committed suicide as those who were not sent to war.

The sons and daughters of the Earth are crying out for release. The ruler of this nation turns a stone ear to their cries. And the Earth cries with each drop of blood that soaks into the soil. Americans, Iraqis, Brits, Koreans, and so many others are dying by the hundreds. Every day the Earth must enfold more of her sons and daughters into her bosom.

How long will the sons and daughters of the Earth allow the slaughter to continue?

Inawin

Bush's Brain Scampers; Chief Executive Frantically Calls Neurologist

2007-08-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

So the tidbit of gossip I passed on to you all last month has come to pass. Rove is leaving the White House.

Go ahead and cheer. Get it out.

I'm afraid I have to burst your bubble.

My original thought, that Rove retiring would be the best thing to happen to America since Bush v. Gore, was very wrong.

This is entirely too convenient and too easy.

Look, folks, Bush and Cheney DO NOT BELIEVE THEY WILL BE IMPEACHED. But they do know that it's getting harder and harder for them to get away with crap. Sending Rove home is a smoke screen. It's a hopeful distraction for Bush and Cheney. Many in this country will think, as I did at first, "hey, the brains of the outfit is gone! The sh***head that was thinking up all this crap won't be around to think any more! We won a BIG round!"

This will not end his involvement with the administration in the least. After all, he IS "Bush's Brain". News reports said Bush appeared "Grim-faced". The prospect of even PRETENDING to lose his brain was painful.

At the very least, getting Rove out of the White House grants Rove plausible deniability. Usually it's the President that needs it, but Bush & Cheney know that if Rove falls, the whole house of cards comes down.

Do not believe for a second that Rove's involvement with this administration is over. In fact, I think we should keep an eye out for some very possibly nasty crap to come down the line.

Rove said one of the first things he's going to do is go dove hunting. Let's hope he takes the Vice President along.

Peace

Church Cancells Veteran's Memorial

2007-08-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

Cecil Howard Sinclair was a Navy veteran of the first Gulf War.
His brother works as a janitor at High Point Church in Arlington, TX, so when Cecil died, the church offered to hold a memorial service for him.
People in the church worked with his sister, Kathleen Wright, to choose photographs for a video which they kindly volunteered to do. They planned food for over 100 people.
24 hours before the service, the Pastor of the 5,000-member church, Gary Simons, cancelled the memorial.
An unnamed person from the church called the family and said a string of errors was made, and the family would be unable to use the church for their memorial. When asked why, the person simply said a mistake had been made.
The next day, the niece called the church and demanded to know the reason for the cancellation. A procession of excuses followed, from blaming construction to forbidding outside food, to a scheduling conflict. When asked what event was scheduled, the call was disconnected.
Neither the minister, nor any member of the board, ever spoke to Cecil's family or his life partner, Paul Wagner.
Finally the family learned: while putting together the video, church members came to realize that Cecil Sinclair was gay. They claimed there were photos of men hugging and kissing. (Paul Wagner and Kathleen Wright says that was not the case; the photos were very carefully chosen and sister Kathleen went through the photos with the members responsible for the video.)
Paul also says that he was introduced to the member, who had offered the church for the memorial, as Cecil's "life partner". He says this member was fully aware that he and Cecil were a couple.
After this slap in the face, Gary Simons' dance with the press began. He said that if they held the memorial at High Point Church, they would seem to be condoning Cecil's lifestyle. They based their decision on "principle"-not out of hate or discrimination. He also said the church went "above and beyond" for the family, putting together a video, preparing food for 100 people and offering to pay for another location.
In other words, to do what they had already agreed to do. And the location they wanted to move Cecil's memorial to? A community center. The video? It had been edited. Is that "above and beyond"?
In further comments, Simons speculated, what if the mother of a murderer wanted to hold the service there? Of course the church would volunteer to hold the service. "But would the mother submit photos of her son murdering someone? That's a red light going off."
Once again, a Fundamentalist, Right-Wing, rabid hypocritical preacher chooses to equate gays with murderers and thieves. Once again, Fundamentalists choose to see only the part of Cecil's life that concerns the gender of his love. And once again, they come out of the bargain looking like the lying, petty, rabid hypocrites they are. Both Cecil and Paul served our country, fighting and working so that despicable specimens of humanity like Gary Simons and his church would have the right to do what they did. I'm sure that never entered Gary Simons' mind, when he was cowering behind a church member doing his dirty work, calling the family in the midst of their grief to lie about why they were being cut off.
It's interesting that, when it came to the press wanting answers, Simons came out of his hole into the limelight...which quickly turned sour.
A huge majority of news articles and blogs saw Simons and his church for exactly what they are; opportunistic, hypocritical, lying pieces of dirt daring to call themselves followers of Christ.
Please tell me how conducting a memorial service for one of your employees' relatives is condoning any type of lifestyle? According to Simons, they would have "certainly" done a memorial for a murderer; how, then, is that not condoning murder?
Simons is a megalomaniac whose stated mission is to "evangelize the world". He believes he was given a "mandate by God" to go to Arlington, TX and build his 423,000 sq foot facility which he calls "Jerusalem". The Arlington Metroplex is linked by 400 "touchpoints" (small groups) which he calls "Judea".
When creatures like Simons gets a "mandate from God", every principle of human behavior goes out the window. Suddenly, because he is "anointed", he is infallible, a demi-god, free to do and act as he pleases. Certainly right now Simons is weeping in the bosom of his congregation, wailing over the misunderstanding and persecution he has had to endure since treating Cecil Sinclair's family like murdering scum.
I'm tired of "Christians" like Gary Simons, and sick of the people who support them. And as long as the "true" Christian community (and I seriously doubt that any such thing exists) allows these demagogues to continue unchecked and unrebuked, there will always be persecution, and I tell you, if you refuse to cleanse your own house, you deserve it.
http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=3327
http://www.churchunusual.com/index.html
Peace