« If Not Now, When? | Main | Americans Do Not Feel Safer »
Anne Applebaum, Idiot-At-Large
Is there no end to the idiocy of this woman?
A few years ago I spent several days sitting in the back of a library in London, reading through newsletters, pamphlets and other accounts of Soviet prison conditions published in the 1970s and '80s by Amnesty International. Sometimes these reports were remarkably detailed, testifying to the extraordinary ability of prisoners to smuggle out their stories. One included the memorable observation that on Sept. 13, 1979, the prisoner Zhukauskas "found a white worm" in his soup. A more harrowing 1987 news release told the story of the hunger strike and prison death of dissident writer Anatoly Marchenko. His widow, denied a death certificate or a proper funeral, wrote his name in ballpoint pen on his makeshift grave.
What, like there aren't going to be any stories like that coming out of Gitmo and Abu Ghraib? They are already coming out now--they just don't get published in the US any more than Solzynhitzen and Sacharov did.
But Amnesty also published more general information about the Soviet political system, the whole of which -- the state-run media, the courts, the secret police -- was geared to the suppression of political dissent. This was important work, not least because most Soviet citizens were too frightened to do it. After all, during Joseph Stalin's lifetime, still a recent memory, some 25 million people had been arrested in the Soviet Union, mostly arbitrarily, and placed in thousands of forced-labor camps and exile villages all over the country. Millions died of starvation and overwork. This prison camp system, known as the gulag, cast such a horrific shadow that people were still afraid of it, 30 years after Stalin's death.
Anne, dear, is it not "30 years later". Stalin's rule ended over 50 years ago and it is hardly recent memory.
As Anne herself points out, it is the prison camp system that came to be known as a Gulags, so named after the secret police. It was that people were sent there to stifle political dissent, and that people were treated without consideration of human rights and in violation of international law, that IA is pointing to in comparison. And in comparing the Gulags to Gitmo, it's also comparing that statistically a disproportionate number of prisoners died while in US Detention, and one-fifth of them due to homocide. That's different from Gulags how, Anne?
She goes on to opine that she doesn't really agree with the Bush Administration's policy of torture being okey-dokey--but then straighten's us out immediatly by identifying the source of her misery. It's not that torture is bad, per se--she thinks we should we stop torturing prisoners because it doesn't work for us.
Most of all, though, I hate them because they are counterproductive.
She characterizes Amnesty International as just some more people who hate America.
I don't know when Amnesty ceased to be politically neutral or at what point its leaders' views morphed into ordinary anti-Americanism. But surely Amnesty's recent misuse of the word "gulag" marks some kind of turning point. In the past few days, not only has Amnesty's secretary general, Irene Khan, called the U.S. prison for enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "the gulag of our times," but Amnesty's U.S. director, William Schulz, has agreed that U.S. prisons for enemy combatants are "similar at least in character, if not in size, to what happened in the gulag." In an interview, Schulz also said that foreign governments should prosecute U.S. officials, as if they were the equivalent of the Soviet Union's criminal leadership.
So to sum up, Amnesty International hates America, and should shut up, because by calling the Bush government names, like "criminals", and "torturers", and comparing Gitmo to Gulags, they are stopping all of the Arabs from liking us and wanting to be just like us.
Sure.
Look, Anne needs to take a litle trip out of the United States. Perhaps she can join Tom Friedman on his reality tour of "What the world thinks of the United States."
If she seriously thinks that Amnesty International are the only ones out there calling America torturers and comparing Gitmo to Gulags, she needs to get her head out of her Applebaum.
From Howard Fineman...
Just as the unveiling of Deep Throat brought forth echoes of the Vietnam Era, so does the bleak news about Iraq. The rhetorical parallels are becoming eerie, even suffocating. The White House issues upbeat assessments deemed absurd by critics; senators return from “fact-finding” tours full of glum and frightening tales. The president declares that we can’t “cut and run” – not so subtly implying that anyone who suggests withdrawal is a traitorous weakling.
Did Someone Say Withdrawal?
The Nation
Rather than prepare an exit strategy, the US military is instead planning to consolidate its forces in four massive American bases in Iraq. The move is not part of a plan to establish a permanent US military presence, officials assured the Washington Post. But the structures have distinctly permanent characteristics, replete with blast-proof barracks. The funding came as part of the $82 billion supplemental approved a few weeks back. Congress, to be sure, raised nary a peep.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/060105F.shtml
Yes, Monkey--not only traitorous, but Applebaum calling AI not merely UN-American, but ANTI-American...
"Memories, like the corners of my mind..."
(with marc trager's permission...song lyrics posted)
In Defense of Amnesty International
by Matthew Rothschild June 8, 2005 by The Progressive
I'm sick of the attacks on Amnesty International, one of the noblest and most effective organizations in the world.
For the last four decades, it has bravely exposed the most horrific acts of repressive governments across the globe. And it has successfully campaigned to free many political prisoners.
For its work, day in and day out, it deserves our thanks.
And I applaud it now for having the courage to blow the whistle on the Bush Administration.
But the Bush Administration can't stand criticism. And so it is attacking the messenger, as it has in the past with Richard Clarke or Paul O'Neill.
The Administration wheeled out its three biggest guns: Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Bush himself.
Each of them seized on the word "gulag," which Amnesty International had used to describe the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay.
Cheney said he was "offended" by it. Isn't he offended by the reports of torture there?
Rumsfeld said it was "reprehensible" and "cannot be excused." But what is really reprehensible and inexcusable is Rumsfeld's memo that gave the green light to specific torture techniques. (See "Stripping Rumsfeld and Bush of Impunity.")
Bush said it's "absurd," but the absurdity is Bush's claim that his Administration has not exported detainees for torture.
continue~
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0608-24.htm
This day is making me want to go out and slap a few diSassemblers or something. (you know, that means truth)
(posted w/ good intentions -- not-a-spammer -- delete post if unacceptable)
*** Download "Tour of Duty" *** Free ***
While updating Acrobat Reader, I stumbled across this offer on the Adobe site:
Title: Tour of Duty
By: Douglas Brinkley
Publisher: HarperCollins / William Morrow
ISBN: 0060750146
Format: High-fidelity PDF eBook
Size: 1038313 bytes
Our price: $0.00 Free!
http://ebookstore.adobe.com/store/product.asp?bookid=280 ~OR~
http://ebookstore.adobe.com/store/default.asp
Apparently Adobe discontinued its eReader software, but moved some of the functionality to Acrobat Reader (also free). The book offer included this note:
Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat Version 6.0 or later is required to read this eBook and all the eBooks in the Bookstore. If you have not already installed the Adobe Reader on your computer, please click here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
If all y'all knew already, just consider me embarassed :-p
Here's an interesting initiative that just came across my Inbox:
http://draftprado.org/home
Judge Prado is a Reagan appointee from Texas who Dubya subsequently nominated to another court in 2003, and was approved by the Senate 97-0.
Posted by: Cyrano at June 8, 2005 02:33 PM
Cyrano,
I looked at the site you listed. Funny, but I couldn't find anything about any actual decisons this judge handed down. I did not do a search, as I am sure there are multiple decisions. Yet, I am thoroughly skeptical about anybody who has a web site promoting themselves (even though it claims to be independent) to the Supreme Court. If anything that site will cause people to go over his judicial decisons with a fine toothed comb.
BTW, I am sure that I can find a judge appointed by Clinton who received near unanimous approval when their name was originally submitted. I bet dollars to doughnuts that person would be deemed unacceptable because Clinton originally appointed them.
Well, this explains everything...
Turns out the facts and intelligence waren't FIXED AROUND the Iraq Policy, they were "BOLTED ON."
I'm not kidding. Read the latest desperate plea from the White House Damage Control Room.
From Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=1051
I looked at the site too Cyrano, and I have to wonder something. Wouldn't you think the guy would object to people starting a web site like this? If he wants a SCOTUS job, this doesn't seem like the correct way to go about getting it.
Oncall - I think the Prado movement is an attempt to end the partisan bickering, and get a moderate on the bench.
The original email I received follows, and I did look through the website - he seems to have supported Roe v Wade in the past, if that means anything to you.
Here's the text of the email I got form a group called StartChange.org:
Tell President Bush to Appoint a Uniter, not a Divider, to the Supreme Court.
Dear Carol,
Thank you for helping Start Change in the past few months. We are writing to announce an extraordinary new initiative we are launching today:
DraftPrado.org
DraftPrado is a nationwide campaign to urge President Bush to nominate – and the Senate to confirm – an experienced moderate for the Supreme Court. We have been researching judges for months and are pleased to announce our campaign to draft Judge Edward C. Prado for the next vacancy on the Supreme Court.
Judge Prado is a unique candidate:
He is highly experienced: Judge Prado has been a federal judge for 21 years and in that time has earned the respect of lawyers who practiced before him. The American Bar Association has given him a unanimous "Well Qualified" rating – the highest grade the organization gives to judicial nominees.
He is a fair-minded moderate: Judge Prado is a uniter, not a divider. A Reagan appointee to the District Court, President Bush nominated him to the Fifth Circuit in 2003 – and the Senate unanimously confirmed him for this position. Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York, has recommended Prado to President Bush as one of five people particularly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.
He would be an historic nominee: The first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.
We believe we can have a Supreme Court nominee that Americans from across the political spectrum can support. A Supreme Court justice that all Americans could be proud of. We believe that person could be Judge Prado.
Please visit us today at DraftPrado.org to learn more about Judge Prado and take action. Let’s start change and make history.
Thank you,
Arkadi, Marc, Tim, and the entire StartChange team
By the way...
"StartChange.org is the successor to the StopSinclair Campaign."
I think these are the good guys.
Turns out the facts and intelligence waren't FIXED AROUND the Iraq Policy, they were "BOLTED ON."
Posted by: KerryOn62 at June 8, 2005 03:09 PM
First thing I thought of when I read your post was "Bolton" then I went to the link and read other people thought the same thing. I don't if I hope that they keep this kind of thing up in the same manner they used to justify going to war (are we on reason 12, 13?) or not.
On the draftprado.org site, look on the left at "A uniter, not a divider" for info on his rulings.
Carol: why in the world should we take seriously the thought of Bush appointing a pro choice judge? "he seems to have supported Roe v Wade in the past, if that means anything to you."
My fear is that Bush's appointment will not only be firmly for overturning Roe v Wade but will oppose every other principle we cherish like civil rights,consumer rights and civil liberties. Someone in the mold of Janice Rogers Brown or Pryor.
There is 0 reason to believe that Bush will select anyone in the next 3 1/2 years that is moderate in any sense and especially to the Supreme Ct. He has no use for Dems or moderates.
If Prado is moderate, and supports Roe v. Wade he has about as much of a chance of being nominated by shrubbie as any one of us has. Dobson, et al would be all over that before you could unfreeze an embryo. Their feeding tubes would melt from the outrage.
Shrubbie has his Scotus nominee all lined up, I'd stake my life on that, and it's going to be one of the faithful. It's already been cleared as a go with the fundies, and the Rangers and Pioneers and the rest of big pharma and big oil.
It may be true that Bush would be unlikely to nominate Prado.
But by demonstrating that both Republicans and Democrats can unite around a judge like Prado, it positions us as supporting "reasonable" candidates - and demonstrates how the President and his core supporters are the true extremists. Rather than simply opposing judges we don't like, we would be taking a positive stand for someone who happens to be a solid Reagan and Bush appointee.
When Bush instead tries to force a nutjob on the nation, we can use our advocacy of Prado to illustrate how deliberately partisan and divisive Bush and his supporters truly are. If we're to start winning national elections, we're going to have make friends with middle-of-the-road voters. We're going to have to start winning the war for public opinion.
sorry cyranno that is not the way it works in the Senate.We don't get a say as the choice, period.
One more thing. As far as I'm concerned, Dubya can nominate one nutjob to replace Rehnquist, and elevate Scalia. There's not much that Democrats can do about between now and 2006, and that kind of move will not alter the current balance of power.
But if the Democrats can win a few Senate seats in 2006, a judge like Prado would be ideal to replace Sandra Day O'Connor or Stevens. And if Bush is either in deep political trouble, or suddenly lacks the support to push through a judge who would shift the balance on Roe v. Wade, then a judge like Prado becomes much more likely.
Ira, we get a say if we can turn the polls against Dubya - who, lest we forget, will be a lame duck President (and possibly one under investigation) someday soon.
How long til Bu$hCo. start spouting this one...
Gasoline: One of the best bargains around
Fuel is cheaper, by volume, than many other household items
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8146652/
June 8, 2005
NEW YORK - U.S. drivers might feel like their being robbed at the gas pumps, but a gallon of gasoline may be one of the best bargains around, a recent study from an oil industry research firm found.
John S. Herold, Inc. said the price of gasoline is cheaper by volume than many other household products, and the cost has not risen as quickly over the years.
"On a per-barrel basis, gasoline is America's bargain liquid: 10 percent cheaper than bottled water, a third the cost of milk, a fifth the cost of beer, and less than 2 percent the cost of a bottle of Jack Daniels," the study said.
So a 50 cent increase in gasoline costs the average driver an extra $5 a week — about the cost of a glass of Pinot Grigio or a healthy shot of Jack Daniels.
DRINK UP!
Wow - what's with the hostility on the Prado thing gang? This is a group that is trying to do something. Are we really going to ridicule them for their efforts at uniting people? I know it's hot, but let's back off a little folks.
these people helped stop sinclair.
Cut them a little slack.
"But if the Democrats can win a few Senate seats in 2006, a judge like Prado would be ideal to replace Sandra Day O'Connor or Stevens."
Again, I am thrilled with your enthusiasm cyrano but Dems don't get a say about the choice of any judges on the federal level until January '09. Maybe, maybe if Dems control 60 votes in the Senate in '07 Bush 'might' listen, but that is just not going to happen.
Downing Street Memo Not the First British Bombshell to be Ignored by American Press -
From Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?p=1055
Ira,
I see you're holding down the fort as our resident realist...
But I think both Cyrano and Carol have points as well. It's not just the end result. It's how many hearts and minds we can win along the way so that we can change the administration to one more to our liking in 2008.
But you just keep calling 'em like you see 'em.
dwahzon
there they go again, playing good cop, bad cop for the sheeple ...
bu$h mouthing words on Faux tv, meanwhile they have no intention of closing Gitmo...grrr
Bush Open to Possibly Closing Gitmo Camp
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday left open the possibility that the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be shut down following mounting criticism from former President Carter and others.
"We're exploring all alternatives as to how best to do the main objective, which is to protect America," Bush said when asked in an interview with Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto if he would close the detention center.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, however, said he did not know of anyone in the administration who was considering closing Guantanamo. He defended the military's operation of the camp.
http://tinyurl.com/buor8
Ira, if the Democrats can get to 51, or even 48, they can block an anti Roe judge in 2007. Once Roe becomes the issue with the retirement of any of the swing judges, the pressure on the so-called Republican moderates goes through the roof.
One more thing. The deal between the Senate moderates includes a plan to send a list of easily confirmable judges to Bush. So, if Dubya tells John Warner to shove his list, and Dubya's approval rating is somewhere in the low 40s, things could get very, very interesting.
Basically, our strategy has to be to turn Dubya into a damaged, lame-duck President sooner rather than later. He's certainly given us plenty of ammunition to do just that. And once that happens, all things are possible.
carol/cyrano: as a lawyer I care deeply about the kinds of people chosen for our courts. I think our efforts would be better spent by helping folks like Tim Kaine win elections as governor in Va this Nov. to keep activists judges like Rogers,Pryor and Owens off of our state supreme cts. Folks Va is a potential swing state with a Dem Gov. Anything we can do to help with that election (phone banking, contributing etc)will help Va from having judges like Rogers, Pryor and Owens selected on their cts. State Cts and State Supreme Cts are the right's training grounds for the federal bench and that is the time and place to put a stop to them. We should also let the 7 Dems Senators that bent over for Frist know that this so called compromise was a sell out to some radical judges.
Thanks for enlightening me about the organization behind the draft Prado sight. However it doesn't change my original opinion about a site that is actively campaigning for a person to be nominated to the Supreme Court. I think it is unlikely to be successful, but I understand the strategy. This is obviously a political move just in case Bush does pick a wacko (which he is likely to do anyway).
I liken this to the "head them off at the pass" strategy. Bush is less likely to pick a judge based on a coordinated campaign. He is more likely to pick an extremist. By using this strategy, the attempt is to portray Bush's picks outside of the recognized acceptable judicial candidates. Still I don't think it is likely to be helpful as Bush will pick anybody he damn well pleases.
Like I said, I understand the strategy, and I do not think they are wrong for their attempt to promote a moderate judge.
"This administration's climate policy is a menace to humanity."
Revealed: How Oil Giant Influenced Bush
White House sought advice from Exxon on Kyoto stance
by John Vidal Published on Wednesday, June 8, 2005 by the Guardian/UK
President's George Bush's decision not to sign the United States up to the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world's most powerful oil company, and other industries, according to US State Department papers seen by the Guardian.
President Bush tells Mr Blair he's concerned about climate change, but these documents reveal the alarming truth, that policy in this White House is being written by the world's most powerful oil company. This administration's climate policy is a menace to humanity.
The documents, which emerged as Tony Blair visited the White House for discussions on climate change before next month's G8 meeting, reinforce widely-held suspicions of how close the company is to the administration and its role in helping to formulate US policy.
continue~
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0608-02.htm
sorry cyrano but that so called compromise was a joke and Frist and Dobson know that. You must be watching a different Bush then I have seen down here as governor and pres. if you think that either Bush or Dobson have any regard for either Warner or Chafee unless of course they are the 50th vote. There are dozens of radicals like Brown and Owens and Ted Olsen for Bush to choose from. Pick your poison for the S. Ct. One selection will be marginally better than the next. Again cyrano Dobson has more influence than any moderate US Senator on Bush's appointments. Our only hope is for a massive sweep by Dems in '06 by large numbers in the House and Senate. Even that won't stop Bush it will only cause him a little hesitation and seal his lame duck status.That is why I felt that the so called compromise was so dangerous. It sent a message to Bush that Dems were unwilling to stand up to his efforts to destroy the US Senate and handed him lefetime appointments for every activists judge he wanted. It was a mistake that some in Congress are now waking up and understanding.
Oncall,
You raise good points on Prado. It looks like Prado is being pushed as an alternative to a possible Supreme Court nomination of Alberto Gonzales. If Prado were to gain support from the Hispanic community and Republican moderates, it is possible to influence Bush's decision when that time comes.
Ira, you can stand up to Bush all you want, but if you ain't got the votes or the support in the streets - and I'm talking millions of Americans taking it to the streets in DC - you'll end being be pushed back down with extreme prejudice. Americans, and even mainstream Democrats, were not riled up enough about this issue, and these judges, to change the equation.
Robert Byrd, a Senator who has earned every Democrat's respect, made the best deal that was there to be made. Elections do have consequences, and if we don't start winning Senate races, the situation will only get worse. And as the Dean campaign demonstrated, outrage and emotion will only get a candidate so far.
[its official, all Republicans + 1 DEM, Sen. Ben Nelson, Neb. voted for JRBrown, Frist is crowing, I fail to see how this was a good move for Dems]
Liberals Rethinking Senate Filibuster Deal
By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 8, 2005; Page A04
Democrats generally cheered, and Republicans groused, when a bipartisan group of senators crafted a compromise on judicial nominations last month. But with the Senate now confirming several conservative nominees whom Democrats had blocked for years, some liberals are questioning the wisdom of the deal and fretting about what comes next.
http://tinyurl.com/bmlpl
Posted by: on.to.victory4Dems at June 8, 2005 06:12 PM
I agree, and never liked the deal. There should have been NO deal, period. We should have blocked everything and brought things to a crawl... it would be better than swinging virtually all power to BushCo.
It was nothing more than a stay of execution, and demonstrates once again how unwilling the Dem's are to truly take a stand on something big. It's that kind of wishy-washy posture that makes the average voter think twice (some of them hardly think once).
How many feet do we have Left to shoot?
....but if you ain't the votes or the support in the streets - and I'm talking millions of Americans taking it to the streets in DC - you'll end being be pushed back down with extreme prejudice. Americans, and even mainstream Democrats, were not riled up enough about this issue, and these judges, to change the equation.
Posted by: Cyrano at June 8, 2005 06:08 PM
Cyrano,
That is precisely the problem. There is not enough public outrage. I wonder why I am surrounded by uninformed pod people (Couldn't be the Bushco Propaganda machine, could it?). As I said before, I understand the strategy, but the successful opposition to Sinclair should have been followed up with calls for mass protests, not a political strategy that was unlikely to be successful. Howard Zinn's book highlighted that these efforts generally start small and evolve into larger movements. However, I am not seeing it happen. I am seeing intellectual protests on the web. Those are all fine and good, but they do little to stimulate a popular protest. Our movement needs a kick start to energize people to protest what is clearly the elimination of the middle class by corporate dominionists.
Cyrano I am a chamion for compromise in Congress but Dems won absolutely nothing with Byrd's agreement. Frisk has already stated that he is ready to use the nuclear option if Dems dare try and block a Bush Supreme Ct. nomination so exactly what did we win. I think its called a pyric victory, of style not substance. Bush got exactly the judges he wanted.
And to our relying on Warner or Chafee to get to the 51 Senate votes let me relay what our fine Moderate Va Senator had to say about Brown and remind you that Chafee is voting for Bolton.
"I believe she'll make an outstanding jurist," said Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia. Mr. Warner reminded his colleagues that, as a young lawyer, he was a clerk for Judge E. Barrett Prettyman, who served on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for 26 years. Justice Brown's "outstanding qualifications" justify her elevation to that court, Mr. Warner said.
I agree with you 100% regarding the need to take the Senate back. I just don't believe we can do that with mushy compromises like the judicial compromise led by Byrd. I would have rather we had gone down in flames on the filibuster which has been otherwise emasculated and become a relic of the past. At least then we would have had an election year rallying cry. Compromise gets you absolutely nothing but your head handed to you by this crowd.
oncall as you remember many of us were calling to shut down D.C. with protests and taxi boycotts on the day of the infamous nuclear compromise.
".. but the successful opposition to Sinclair should have been followed up with calls for mass protests, not a political strategy."
As I recall we didn't stop the Vietnam war or promote civil rights w/o massive demonstrations seen on our nightly news. Maybe it dates us oncall, but oncall you are absoultely right on how we can stop this insanity of allowing radicals like Brown to take over our courts. Signs, protests, and demonstrations which I had hoped we had generated prior to the compromise.
ontovictory: if you are correct that means that Snowe, Collins,Voinovich, Chafee and Warner all so called MODERATES supported the most radical judge ever placed on our federal bench.
Chafee should never ever be trusted on any vote.
Rumsfeld really really does not know what he's doing, according to retired military officers:
Prescient insurgency experts want tactical changes
BY STEPHEN J. HEDGES Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Nearly 16 years ago, a group of four military officers and a civilian predicted the rise of terrorism and anti-American insurgencies with chilling accuracy.
The group said U.S. military technology was so advanced that foreign forces would be unlikely to challenge it directly, and it forecast that future foes would be non-state insurgents and terrorists whose weapons would be suicide car bombs, not precision-guided weapons.
"Today, the United States is spending $500 million apiece for stealth bombers," the group wrote in a 1989 article that appeared in a professional military journal. "A terrorist stealth bomber is a car with a bomb in the trunk - a car that looks like every other car."
The five men dubbed their theory "Fourth Generation Warfare" and warned that the U.S. military had to adapt. In the years since, the original group of officers, joined by a growing number of officers and scholars within the military, has pressed Pentagon leaders to acknowledge this emerging threat.
But rather than adopting a new strategy, the generals and civilian leaders in the Defense Department have continued to support conventional, high-intensity conflict and the expensive weapons that go with it. That is happening, critics say, despite ongoing, lethal insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They don't understand this kind of warfare," said Greg Wilcox, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, Vietnam veteran and an open critic of Pentagon policies. "They want to return to war as they envision it. That's not going to happen."
snip~
Although they differ on the particulars of changing the military, the mavericks agree that the U.S. effort in Afghanistan and Iraq has become a lost opportunity. At best, they say, the outcome of both conflicts is uncertain. Some say they are doomed.
"There's nothing that you can do in Iraq today that will work," said Lind, one of the original Fourth Generation Warfare authors. "That situation is irretrievably lost."
continue~
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/politics/11834604.htm
Why did the Justice Dept suddenly drop their $130 billion dollar demand for damages to smokers, down to $10 billion against Phillip Morris today?
Isn't this curious... check the difference between the questions on CNN.com International edition vs US edition.
CNN International Edition
Do you agree with Jimmy Carter's call for the U.S. to close down Guantanamo Bay prison?
Yes ....69% ....7734 votes
No .....31% ....3395 votes
Total: 11129 votes
CNN US Edition
Are Howard Dean's comments about Republicans appropriate?
Yes ....51% ....85993 votes
No .....49% ....82381 votes
Total: 168374 votes
ira,
WASHINGTON — Two years after President Bush first nominated her, the Senate voted 56-43 Wednesday to confirm Janice Rogers Brown as a judge on the court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
One Democrat — Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska — joined Republicans in voting for confirmation.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8146038/
Posted by: dwahzon at June 8, 2005 06:51 PM
Why are we not surprised?
its exactly stuff like this that flies under the radar, except for eagle eyes like yours...is it any wonder this country is kept in the dark???
Posted by: dwahzon at June 8, 2005 06:51 PM
shoot.me.now.
Why did the Justice Dept suddenly drop their $130 billion dollar demand for damages to smokers, down to $10 billion against Phillip Morris today?
Posted by: Ira at June 8, 2005 06:46 PM
ira~
Sen Lautenberg spells it out:
Judge queries tobacco remedy cut reasons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The judge in the racketeering case against cigarette makers on Wednesday questioned whether "additional influences" prompted the government to drastically reduce a sanction it is seeking against the industry.
During a second day of closing arguments in the trial, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler speculated about the Justice Department's decision to seek a $10 billion, 5-year quit-smoking program, far smaller than a $130 billion, 25-year program proposed last month by a government witness.
"Perhaps it suggests that there are some additional influences being brought to bear on the government's position in this case," Kessler said.
The government's reduced request, outlined in court on Tuesday, has provoked speculation by tobacco analysts and some lawmakers that politics played a role in the decision.
"Big Tobacco is one of the top donors to Republicans, and it is getting what it paid for," New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg said in a statement.
more~
http://tinyurl.com/av7um
"Big Tobacco is one of the top donors to Republicans, and it is getting what it paid for," New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg said in a statement.
Republicans= culture of life?
... huh
"It's the media, stupid."
Shoot me next.
Word Jumble...
the media It's stupid
I have been reading with interest over the last two days, the blog here.
I sense from the tone here, that there are ALOT of fed up people.
Please know, if any of you are feeling frustrated and isolated, you ain't alone. Not by a LONG chalk.
All over left blogostan is this permeating sense of FED UP-ness, and right now, my heart is doing the happy dance, because I am listening to some signs of life from the White House media corpse GRILL and ROAST Scottie McClellan over the oil lobbyist-turned-global warming policy expert. They have him on the floor and he has begun whining.
Sorry, back to my point here--which is this: people should come here to bitch, that's part of what the blog is for, but also, if anyone knows of any protests coming up, hear about folks taking to the streets in your town, or someone else's please POST IT HERE.
This afternoon, there was a HUGE protest here about Recruiters on Campus. My son and I stopped on our way home from the pool. Now I thought the truly interesting part, was the reason WHY they were protesting--not over IRAQ. They were protesting because they don't want recruiters on campus because the military discriminates against gays. Interesting, no?
So anyway, I get the sense that people are ready to take to the streets, in a BIG BIG way. They are just waiting for someone in leadership to give the day and time, and please god, three weeks notice would be nice for us organizer types, too.
Am I right on the readiness of people to take to the streets?
What do all of you think?
And, do you think this would make a good thread topic for an afternoon/evening discussion that could lead to an action perhaps?
I would love to hear what all of you think.
If i don't respond right away, it because I had to go downstairs, we are on tornado watch.
Oy.
From msnbc.com
Is Janice Rogers Brown a good pick for a lifetime post on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals? * 3476 responses
Yes. She's demonstrated her competence as a California Supreme Court justice.
33%
No. She's proven herself to be a judicial activist with a strict conservative bent.
58%
Unsure.
8%
THAT'S IT
our new slogan::
Democrats cite=
GOP 'culture of corruption'
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050608/NEWS24/306080011
Casey,
I too have been thinking about the "take the streets readiness meter."
In the past, we have had organized EFFORTS--a day or two of protests, well-constructed and staffed with good speakers.
We have not had a MOVEMENT since the late 1960s/early 1970s, however.
I wonder what people are prepared to do over the next few months and into the fall.
Please let me know. I am curious.
Republican party== Culture of Corruption
Republican party== Culture of Corruption
Republican party== Culture of Corruption
Republican party== Culture of Corruption
Say it again...and again...and again
With apologies to marc:
Taking it to the Streets
Michael Mcdonald and the Doobie Brothers.
You don’t know me but I’m your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don’t know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things you’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty’s despair
You, telling me the things you’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
this is about the army missing its recruitment numbers again.
These 2 video clips are from the MSNBC daytime show with Ron Reagan. He had Cindy Sheehan on, she's the mom whose son died in Iraq, so she founded "Gold Star Families for Peace" and is publically speaking out against the Iraq war.
The other guest is Gen. Patton's granddtr., who's son is in the Army...
watch both video clips...
'nuff said...
MSNBC's 'Connected' Discusses Recruiting Crisis
http://www.dembloggers.com/story/2005/6/8/151436/4703
correction, she is the great niece of Gen Patton, and her son IS an army recruiter
Democrats say have votes to delay Bolton vote
Tue Jun 7, 6:33 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats back from a weeklong recess said on Tuesday they were holding firm against allowing a vote to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations until the Bush administration turns over more information on him.
"I think the support is just as strong as it was," Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate minority whip, said after a meeting of Democratic senators.
--snip--
Republicans who hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate, need to pick up two more Democrats to vote to end the debate on Bolton and go to the confirmation vote. A simple majority was needed to confirm him, which Republicans expected to get.
One of the Democrats the White House is trying to enlist, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, said he was sticking with his colleagues' demands for the information.
--snip--
Lieberman and Ben Nelson of Nebraska were the only Democrats considering supporting Bolton for confirmation. George Voinovich of Ohio and John Thune of South Dakota were the only Republicans who said they intended to vote against him.
Democrats insist the administration turn over e-mails and other internal communications leading up to testimony Bolton gave Congress on Syria's weapons. They also want some access to classified National Security Agency intercepts sought by Bolton that contain the names of Americans.
"This is now beyond Mr. Bolton. It's about whether the Senate should have a right to certain information pertaining to a nominee," said Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), a Connecticut Democrat.
Dodd offered a compromise in which the administration would confirm whether certain names were on the NSA intercepts Bolton asked to see. Democrats said they were trying to determine whether Bolton requested the classified intercepts to exact retribution on his opponents.
Dodd said the administration rejected the offer.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050607/pl_nm/bush_bolton_dc
For those who want a great graphic showing the president's approval rating over time...
http://www.hist.umn.edu/~ruggles/Approval_files/Approval_27267_image001.gif
Corruption
by Iggy Pop
From the drip drip drip of the teardrops
To the chink chink chink of the cash
To the end end end of the friendships
To the wack wack wack of the bash
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
From the tick tick tick of your time's up
To the yes yes yes of "I'll sell"
From the fact fact fact of the souless
To the pact pact pact with hell
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
From the scream scream scream of the babies
To the retch retch retch of the youth
From the lie lie lie of the righteous
To the lost lost lost way I feel
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption
Corruption
Order in the court
Decision to abort
The monkey wants to speak
So speak, monkey speak
Speak monkey, speak
Speak monkey, speak
Speak monkey, speak
Everything leads to corruption
Everything leads to corruption
Corruption
And since we're talking about takin' it to the streets, this piece "On Resistance" by the late great Susan Sontag seems a propos.
Here is but a small piece of this very relevant speech:
Acting on principle is, we're told, a good in itself.
But it is still a political act, in the sense that you're not doing it for yourself. You don't do it just to be in the right, or to appease your own conscience; much less because you are confident your action will achieve its aim. You resist as an act of solidarity. With communities of the principled and the disobedient: here, elsewhere. In the present. In the future.
--snip--
The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.
Please take time to read the rest. I don't think you'll be sorry.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?emx=x&pid=3175
Regarding Recruiting this story makes telemarketers seem like pussy cats:
When Marine recruiters go way beyond the call
With early and late calls ringing in their ears, Marcia tried using call blocking. And that's when she learned her first hard lesson. You can't block calls from the government, her server said. So, after pleas to "Please stop calling" went unanswered, the family's "do not answer" order ensued
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/paynter/227497_paynter08.html
Posted by: madame defarge at June 8, 2005 09:05 PM
Madame,
You might find this story interesting.
The Fall of the House of Bush
Ernest Partridge, Co-Editor
The Crisis Papers
June 7, 2005
http://www.crisispapers.org/essays-p/fallofbush.htm
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going directly the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Thus Charles Dickens begins his novel A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859 almost a century and a half ago…though written about the French Revolution, these now famous words speak eloquently to our current experience as Americans.
There are those within our American family who suffer the loss of a decent job to provide the most basic needs of their children. There are those within our American family who suffer the loss of the ability to get a decent education, whether in primary schools or those yearning to improve their lives…to lift up their loved ones and their communities by working hard…to go to college so that some day they can attain the American dream and contribute to our society with the blessings of their individual talents and ingenuity. There are those within our American family who suffer the loss of their health insurance leaving them unable to afford a visit to the doctor so they might heal even the smallest of infirmities that afflict us all. There are those within our American family who suffer the loss of human dignity through mindless bigotry and intolerance and hatred all but for the color of their skin, the nature of their relations, the gender of their bodies or the culture of their creed. There are those within our American family who suffer the loss of a mother…a father…a son…a daughter…a husband…a wife…a friend…sacrificed to nourish the sickness of human greed or to fuel the fires of war…and to what end?
We the People do indeed suffer the loss of the liberties and freedoms guaranteed to us by our natural rights, The Constitution and our shared Heritage as Americans and yet, what else have we lost?
There are times when words, which are the orator’s stock in trade, seem utterly inadequate…this is indeed such a time in our Nation's history. After the unimaginable events of September 11, 2001, we were united by the devastation wrought upon the innocent citizens and iconic structures of our beloved America. We stood united in suffering and took comfort in the virtuous compassion of the entire world…and for one brief moment in time…a time we could not have ever dared to dream would come to pass…We the People were cradled within the loving arms of all of humanity….in that one horrifying instance…nearly every human being upon this Earth proudly proclaimed with love and loyalty and conviction, "On this day…we are all Americans!"
It has been said throughout the ages: "It takes the worst of times to bring out the best in mankind..."
What a priceless moment has been squandered…but do not fall prey to darkness and despair…instead allow the light of truth to shine from within each of us, for we have seen but a glimpse of the promise our future holds.
Loss shows us the value of that which we hold precious, while unconditional love and indeed suffering teaches us who we are, and who we may become as individuals, as a community and as a civilization. The shadows of suffering exist to teach us this compassion…to emphasize and hold in contrast to the bounty of light that shines from the promise of freedom and prosperity within tolerance.
Although we cannot change the past, we have been blessed to live during such an era… for through our compassion …which by its very definition means “to suffer with”… we feel the pain experienced by our fellow human beings…be they on the battlefields of the Middle East, embroiled within the increasing apathy and decay upon our city streets…within our communities or those prisoners of conscience throughout our world. From our smallest village to our most grand and glorious metropolis…we as a species understand that pain is inevitable, but war and desolation is not. Our nation must remain strong in the broken places of the world, if but only for the chance that We the People can alleviate the suffering of others Let us not measure our compassion by what evils have been inflicted upon us, but rather by what can be achieved through us as citizens…for though we have survived the most treacherous and terrifying times in recent memory…we have also witnessed the hope of lasting peace shown through the compassion that has welled up across our diverse humanity.
The will exists to bring this truth to our people…and when we succeed…to our brethren of the world, we shall bring a just and lasting peace.
Imagine it…live it…be it!
If we fight for freedom…for peace…for the truth, as is our natural right, we shall see the infinite bounty of ingenuity possessed by our civilization overcome what previously seemed impossible…the dream that was America will once again become a reality.
Dare to Create a Better World.
Posted by: ___ at June 8, 2005 09:47 PM
Hey ____... new in town???
xxoo
Loretta
Divorce rates among Army families rise:-
The divorce rate among active-duty U.S. soldiers continues to rise sharply as more of them are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The worst affected are Army officers whose ranks accounted for 3,325 divorces last year, the USA Today reported Wednesday. That is up 78 percent from 2003, and more than 31 times the number in 2000, the report said.
For enlisted personnel, the 7,152 divorces last year were 28 percent higher than in 2003 and up 53 percent from 2000. The Army has no comparable data for previous wars.
Army officials say the stress of combat, long separations and difficulty in re-adjusting to family life are key reasons for the surge in divorces, the report said.
Rising through the ranks, every subsequent job gets more difficult, more intense and more demanding, says Army spokeswoman Col. Pamela
Hart.
University of North Carolina's Dennis Orthner, who has studied military families for 28 years, says, If the numbers are right, then we have more to worry about than just fighting a war.
Posted by: ___ at June 8, 2005 09:47 PM
Half my mind is drawing a blank.
_______, you are so dashing
___,
Great post. Living without healthcare, and seeing my mom unable to go to the hospital to get herself checked out even for a minor headache, reminds me that I indeed do live in a culture of death... only to satisfy the lust of the ideologues.
This is unacceptable. We must fight so that the very people who make up the American society - us - can live under decent conditions.
Posted by: ___ at June 8, 2005 09:47 PM
Agreed!
By golly, a game of clue.....
My guess is the former New Awwlin, in Texas with the drafting table in the wet bar area!!!
Am I close?
Tutterfly,
I didn't tell you but I liked your idea on the other thread.
thanks bird.
Call me crazy, but I think the blog report on CNN could use a little jolt of progressive unity in action.
Imagine the same blog header up on every blog, and all posters asked to commit to one day of focused commenting.
It's an idea, but it need bigger peeps than me to bring it off.
Posted by: Casey Morris at June 8, 2005 07:47 PM
Interesting thoughts, Casey.
What we have with the BushCo administration is an embarassment of reasons to take to the streets. This administration has managed to splinter the electorate by creating one crisis after another - some folks are most upset about the fact that we invaded a country unprovoked and now terrorism is increasing exponentially; some are angriest about the staggering amount fiscal irresponsibility; some cry out most loudly against the false christians' attempted coup; still others are most outraged at the corporate control of all of public life, including the MSM.... and there are many things that don't get talked about much. My daughter, who studied business and now is studying American politics, says that the worst this administration has done is in the area of international trade as it effects the global environment....
The list is endless. The neocons know we are splintered in this way, and any attempted unity comes across as just a general grumbling or a personal grudge against Bush.
We need a single issue to unite over.... what is that single issue? We need a single leader and a single issue and a single voice.
Republican, the Mobil-Exxon party.
good grief charlie brown!
the Rep. in charge of the House "Ethics" (cough, cough) committee that will be "investigating" DeLay & DeLay's corrupt connections to lobbyist Abramoff....has ties to Abramoff too!!!!
Imagine that!
Lawmaker in DeLay Inquiry Tied to Lobbyist
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jun 8,
WASHINGTON - The lawmaker who will head a House inquiry into trips that lobbyist Jack Abramoff arranged for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has his own links to the lobbyist.
At one point, Abramoff touted Rep. Doc Hastings' relationship with his firm in a pitch to a prospective client.
As chairman of the House ethics committee, Hastings, R-Wash., could play a big role in determining DeLay's future. DeLay has asked the panel to review his travels, which include trips arranged by Abramoff when the lobbyist worked for the Seattle-based Preston Gates firm.
Abramoff cited close connections to Hastings in a 1995 letter to the Northern Mariana Islands government in which he urged the government to hire his firm. At the time, Hastings served on a House subcommittee that oversaw the Marianas and was considering Democratic proposals to impose minimum wage, immigration and other U.S. laws on the Pacific commonwealth, which opposed them.
continue~
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050608/ap_on_go_co/lobbyist_hastings
[ W.O.W
double W.O.W ]
Nixon's empire strikes back
Bush's imperial project has succeeded by learning the chief lesson of Watergate - muzzle the press.
Sidney Blumenthal
Thursday June 9, 2005
The Guardian
But now George Bush is building a leviathan beyond Nixon's imagining. The Bush presidency is the highest stage of Nixonism. The commander-in-chief has declared himself by executive order above international law, the CIA is being purged, the justice department deploying its resources to break down thewall of separation between church and state, the Environmental Protection Agency being ordered to suppress scientific studies and the Pentagon subsuming intelligence and diplomacy, leaving the US with blunt military force as its chief foreign policy.
The three main architects of Bush's imperial presidency gained their formative experience amid Nixon's downfall. Donald Rumsfeld, Nixon's counsellor, and his deputy, Dick Cheney, one after the other, served as chief of staff to Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford, both opposing congressional efforts for more transparency in the executive.
With perfect Nixonian pitch, Cheney remarked in 1976: "Principle is OK up to a certain point, but principle doesn't do any good if you lose." During the Iran-contrascandal Cheney, a republican leader in the House of Representatives, argued that the congressional report denouncing "secrecy, deception and disdain for the law" was an encroachment on executive authority.
The other architect, Karl Rove, Bush's senior political aide, began his career as an agent of Nixon's dirty trickster Donald Segretti - "ratfuckers" as Segretti called his boys. At the height of the Watergate scandal, Rove operated through a phoney front group to denounce the lynch-mob atmosphere created in this city by the Washington Post and other parts of the Nixon-hating media".
Under Bush, the Republican Congress has abdicated its responsibilities of executive oversight and investigation.
more~
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1502532,00.html
Posted by: on.to.victory4Dems at June 8, 2005 11:03 PM
They just don't even pretend anymore do they? They are just going to do whatever they want till they either get everything they want or until they all keel over from greed and gluttony.
We need a single issue to unite over.... what is that single issue?
Posted by: Amy at June 8, 2005 10:44 PM
Amy,
The single issue is: Vote for change.
UN Alert As Nuclear Plans Go Missing:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1502378,00.html
Posted by: Amy at June 8, 2005 10:44 PM
Posted by: oncall at June 9, 2005 12:12 AM
The single issue that ties each of these together all falls under the heading of corruption and abuse of power and abuse of our trust.
It all fits in.
They abuse their power when they accept money from big business and their lobbyest and they betray our trust in them.
They abuse their power when they create false reasons for going to war. Yeh, that little commandment "Thou shalt not lie..." they broke that.
They abuse their power when they take away the filibuster and approve judges who can't even get 60 votes to get appointed. When they demand one party rule instead of compromise!
They abuse their power when they spread government propaganda at tax payer expense. Once again, another betrayal of trust.
They abuse their power when they let donors create the laws or mangle the scientific evidence (as in the recent Exxon-Mobil treaty). ANd they allow big polluters to kill us more effectively through pollutants in the air and water. This is a betrayal of all mankind!
They abuse their power when they take over the media. Another betrayal!
They abuse their power by suppressing and stealing votes--rigging elections. And yet another betrayal of trust!
They are, as Dean said, the culture of corruption! And no matter which issue you look at, corruption rears its ugly head.
The remarks of Casey Morris, posted on June 8th
It is true that Amnesty International did more
to fight the terror of the GULAG than most other
international organizations. I have been a member
for nearly 33 years an I have no intentention to
give up my membership. But at the same time I am
deeply corncerned about the dominating spirit in this organizatation which I sometimes call NGOitis.
The main symptoms of this condition are a maniacal hatred against the governments of the USA and Israel which are blamed for most wrong in the world. I am afraid that the author of the most unfair attack on Anne Applebaum is suffering from the same condition.
I can only advise the more sensible visitors of this site to read Anne Applebaums magistral book
on the Gulag as well as her very critical articles
against the practices of the USA at Guantanamo Bay.
As to ms Morris, I have no psychiatric qualifications, so I will refrain from quasi-
diagnostic terms like 'idiocy' like she throws
to Anne Applebaum, but I still believe that anybody who writes stories like ms Morris did
on this site will benefit from seeing a good
shrink
will not use the word 'idiocy'which