from the Realist
How Nixon Actually Got Into Power
by Mae Brussell
The rise of Adolph Hitler and fascism in Germany was carefully planned.
It began with the illegal rearmament of a covert army following defeat in World War I, which was an intentional, secretive breaking of the Versailles Treaty disarmament agreements. American munition manufacturers and industrialists aided the clandestine military leaders of Germany in their rearmament.
Over FOUR HUNDRED POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS of legitimate government officials from various agencies in Germany took place during that period. These murders were necessary for the desired power and position the hidden German government needed.
German law courts, plus their Supreme Court, assisted the growing military regime from 1920-1933. Two governments, one official and legal, one clandestine and secretive, existed side by side. Hitler, front man and leader of the illegal arms, mistaken for comical by the intellectuals, was administered the oath as Chancellor of the German Reich January 30, 1933.(1)
The rise of Richard Nixon in the United States was carefully planned. read
from World Net Daily:
Eligibility remains focus of Supremes' conferences
Dispute posted on docket twice after Electoral College votes in
Posted: December 26, 2008
10:40 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A second conference has been posted on the docket for the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue of Barack Obama's eligibility to occupy the White House, this one scheduled a week after Congress is to review the Electoral College vote tabulation.
The latest issue posted is a request for an injunction on the election results pending the resolution of a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by attorney Philip J. Berg, a case that is docketed for a similar conference among the justices on Jan. 9.
Berg's original case raises questions about Obama's eligibility and his injunction request first was filed early in December. It was submitted to and rejected by two different justices before it came before Justice Antonin Scalia on Dec. 18. Then just before Christmas the docket was updated to reflect that the motion had been "distributed for conference of January 16, 2009." read
Eligibility remains focus of Supremes' conferences
Dispute posted on docket twice after Electoral College votes in
Posted: December 26, 2008
10:40 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
A second conference has been posted on the docket for the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue of Barack Obama's eligibility to occupy the White House, this one scheduled a week after Congress is to review the Electoral College vote tabulation.
The latest issue posted is a request for an injunction on the election results pending the resolution of a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by attorney Philip J. Berg, a case that is docketed for a similar conference among the justices on Jan. 9.
Berg's original case raises questions about Obama's eligibility and his injunction request first was filed early in December. It was submitted to and rejected by two different justices before it came before Justice Antonin Scalia on Dec. 18. Then just before Christmas the docket was updated to reflect that the motion had been "distributed for conference of January 16, 2009." read
from RMN:
CIA EMBEDDED IN EVERY STATE GOVERNMENT SAYS JESSE VENTURA
Former Governor Jesse Ventura exposes he was interrogated by more than 20 CIA agents during his term of office in Minnesota. Despite the CIA's mission statement which states they are not to be operational within the Unites States, Ventura stated that he had embedded CIA agents working in high level positions of the Minnesota state government. Ventura also said that when these agents retired, their replacements were already chosen for him by the CIA read
CIA EMBEDDED IN EVERY STATE GOVERNMENT SAYS JESSE VENTURA
Former Governor Jesse Ventura exposes he was interrogated by more than 20 CIA agents during his term of office in Minnesota. Despite the CIA's mission statement which states they are not to be operational within the Unites States, Ventura stated that he had embedded CIA agents working in high level positions of the Minnesota state government. Ventura also said that when these agents retired, their replacements were already chosen for him by the CIA read
Season Of Giving Or Season Of Killing
By Mohammed Daud Miraki, PhD
12-5-8
With the Christmas around the corner, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (Peace Be upon Him) as a period of benevolence and giving. Indeed, as some Christians practice the season of giving and benevolence, others turned it into a season of killing. I called it a season of killing as thousands of Afghans face death and destruction from US-NATO bombing and forced to abandon their villages and become internally displaced only to face imminent death. read
By Mohammed Daud Miraki, PhD
12-5-8
With the Christmas around the corner, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus (Peace Be upon Him) as a period of benevolence and giving. Indeed, as some Christians practice the season of giving and benevolence, others turned it into a season of killing. I called it a season of killing as thousands of Afghans face death and destruction from US-NATO bombing and forced to abandon their villages and become internally displaced only to face imminent death. read
Article I
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.
Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.
Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.
Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.
Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.
Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.
Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.
Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.
Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor
Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources
Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries
Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency
Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq
Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors
Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives
Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture
Article XX
Imprisoning Children
Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws
Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act
Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment
Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens
Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements
Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice
Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare
Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency
Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.
Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001
Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.
Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.
Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.
Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.
Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.
Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.
Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.
Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.
Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor
Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources
Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries
Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency
Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq
Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors
Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives
Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy
Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to "Black Sites" Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture
Article XX
Imprisoning Children
Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government
Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws
Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act
Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment
Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens
Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements
Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply
Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice
Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare
Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency
Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.
Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001
Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders
From Rumaor Mill News
JET WITH RON PAUL & SIX OTHER CONGRESSMEN MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING
Posted By: Guarded_Optimist
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 8:34 p.m.
At the bottom of the Houston Chronicle article, a reader complains that there were actually a total of seven Texas congressmen aboard, including Rep. Ron Paul. The Chronicle story only listed three. Some have noted that the story seems to be downplayed. This AP article link lists the names of all seven congressmen who almost got wiped out today.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdFehzqpv5i-WJ6iFr6DrB6C9UWwD9236J2G0
----------------------------
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5901926.html
July 22, 2008, 6:16PM
Jet with Texas lawmakers makes emergency landing
Continental inspects plane after flight to D.C. is cut short;
there are no injuries
By MIKE GLENN
Continental Airlines maintenance crews are examining one of their planes after it was forced to make an emergency landing Tuesday while carrying several members of Texas' congressional delegation to Washington.
Flight 458 left Houston and was heading to Reagan National Airport about 3:15 p.m. when the pilot of the 737 was forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans, officials said.
Among the 118 passengers on board were Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble; Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, said DeeAnn Thigpen, Poe's spokeswoman.
"It took a pretty drastic dive," Thigpen said. "All of a sudden they dropped and the (oxygen) masks deployed."
Full article:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5901926.html
JET WITH RON PAUL & SIX OTHER CONGRESSMEN MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING
Posted By: Guarded_Optimist
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 8:34 p.m.
At the bottom of the Houston Chronicle article, a reader complains that there were actually a total of seven Texas congressmen aboard, including Rep. Ron Paul. The Chronicle story only listed three. Some have noted that the story seems to be downplayed. This AP article link lists the names of all seven congressmen who almost got wiped out today.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdFehzqpv5i-WJ6iFr6DrB6C9UWwD9236J2G0
----------------------------
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5901926.html
July 22, 2008, 6:16PM
Jet with Texas lawmakers makes emergency landing
Continental inspects plane after flight to D.C. is cut short;
there are no injuries
By MIKE GLENN
Continental Airlines maintenance crews are examining one of their planes after it was forced to make an emergency landing Tuesday while carrying several members of Texas' congressional delegation to Washington.
Flight 458 left Houston and was heading to Reagan National Airport about 3:15 p.m. when the pilot of the 737 was forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans, officials said.
Among the 118 passengers on board were Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble; Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, said DeeAnn Thigpen, Poe's spokeswoman.
"It took a pretty drastic dive," Thigpen said. "All of a sudden they dropped and the (oxygen) masks deployed."
Full article:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5901926.html
The Mightiest Nation
Arthur Hoppe
Once upon a time there was a country that was very small and, on the whole, very good. Its citizens were proud and independent and self-reliant and generally prosperous. They believed in freedom and justice and equality. But, above all, they had faith. They had faith in their religion, their leaders, their country and themselves. And, of course, they were ambitious. Being proud of their country, they wanted to make it bigger. First they conquered the savage tribes that hemmed them in. Then they fought innumerable wars on land and sea with foreign powers to the east and west and south. They won almost all the battles they fought and conquered foreign lands.
It took many generations, but at last the good, little country was the richest, mightiest nation in the whole, wide world -- admired, respected, envied and feared by one and all. "We must remain the mightiest nation," said its leaders, "so that we can insure universal peace and make everyone as prosperous and decent and civilized as we are."
At first, the mightiest nation was as good as its word. It constructed highways and buildings and pipelines and hygienic facilities all over the world. And for awhile, it even kept the peace. But being the mightiest nation in the world, its leader was the mightiest man in the world. And, naturally, he acted like it.
He surrounded himself with a palace guard of men chosen solely for their personal loyalty. He usurped the powers of the Senate, signing treaties, waging wars and spending public funds as he saw fit.
When little countries far away rebelled, he sent troops without so much as a by-your-leave. And the mightiest nation became engaged in a series of long, costly, inconclusive campaigns in far away lands. So some disillusioned soldiers refused to obey orders and some sailors mutinied, even though the leader raised their pay. And in some places the mightiest nation hired mercenaries to do its fighting.
And because it was the richest nation, it worshiped wealth and the things wealth bought. But the rich grew richer and the poor grew poorer through unfair tax laws. And in the capital 1 in 5 were idle and on welfare.
When the poor grumbled, they were entertained by highly paid athletes and the firing of expensive rockets into the air which sometimes fizzled. But the poor often rioted and looted and burned in their frustrated rage. Many citizens lost faith in their old religion and turned to Oriental mysticism. And the young, wearing long hair and sandals, became Jesus freaks. Bare-breasted dancers, lewd shows and sex orgies were increasingly common. And the currency was debased again and again to meet the mounting debts.
Worst of all, the citizens came to learn their leaders were corrupt -- that the respected palace guard was selling favors to the rich and sending spies among the people, creating fear and distrust. So it was that the people lost faith. They lost faith in their leaders, their currency, their rockets, their postal system, their armies, their religion, their laws, their moral values, their country and, eventually, themselves.
And, thus, in 476 A.D., Rome fell to the barbarians and the Dark Ages settled over Western civilization. Moral: For what is a nation profited if it shall gain the whole world and lose its own soul.
Arthur Hoppe
Once upon a time there was a country that was very small and, on the whole, very good. Its citizens were proud and independent and self-reliant and generally prosperous. They believed in freedom and justice and equality. But, above all, they had faith. They had faith in their religion, their leaders, their country and themselves. And, of course, they were ambitious. Being proud of their country, they wanted to make it bigger. First they conquered the savage tribes that hemmed them in. Then they fought innumerable wars on land and sea with foreign powers to the east and west and south. They won almost all the battles they fought and conquered foreign lands.
It took many generations, but at last the good, little country was the richest, mightiest nation in the whole, wide world -- admired, respected, envied and feared by one and all. "We must remain the mightiest nation," said its leaders, "so that we can insure universal peace and make everyone as prosperous and decent and civilized as we are."
At first, the mightiest nation was as good as its word. It constructed highways and buildings and pipelines and hygienic facilities all over the world. And for awhile, it even kept the peace. But being the mightiest nation in the world, its leader was the mightiest man in the world. And, naturally, he acted like it.
He surrounded himself with a palace guard of men chosen solely for their personal loyalty. He usurped the powers of the Senate, signing treaties, waging wars and spending public funds as he saw fit.
When little countries far away rebelled, he sent troops without so much as a by-your-leave. And the mightiest nation became engaged in a series of long, costly, inconclusive campaigns in far away lands. So some disillusioned soldiers refused to obey orders and some sailors mutinied, even though the leader raised their pay. And in some places the mightiest nation hired mercenaries to do its fighting.
And because it was the richest nation, it worshiped wealth and the things wealth bought. But the rich grew richer and the poor grew poorer through unfair tax laws. And in the capital 1 in 5 were idle and on welfare.
When the poor grumbled, they were entertained by highly paid athletes and the firing of expensive rockets into the air which sometimes fizzled. But the poor often rioted and looted and burned in their frustrated rage. Many citizens lost faith in their old religion and turned to Oriental mysticism. And the young, wearing long hair and sandals, became Jesus freaks. Bare-breasted dancers, lewd shows and sex orgies were increasingly common. And the currency was debased again and again to meet the mounting debts.
Worst of all, the citizens came to learn their leaders were corrupt -- that the respected palace guard was selling favors to the rich and sending spies among the people, creating fear and distrust. So it was that the people lost faith. They lost faith in their leaders, their currency, their rockets, their postal system, their armies, their religion, their laws, their moral values, their country and, eventually, themselves.
And, thus, in 476 A.D., Rome fell to the barbarians and the Dark Ages settled over Western civilization. Moral: For what is a nation profited if it shall gain the whole world and lose its own soul.
From Huffington
Sorry, Mr. President, But Your Legacy Is More Awful Than You Think
Rest assured, Mr. President, that despite what you told the Times Online today you won't be remembered solely as a war mongering president.
"Look, I think that in retrospect, you know, I could have used a different tone."
Different tone? Ya think?
War mongering is a significant aspect of your legacy, but I think we can conclude, and without much debate, that your legacy will also be one of criminality, failure and a degree of incompetence rarely achieved by any American president, much less one whose deficit of character is rivaled only by his nearly unprecedented lack of humility in the face of his unprecedented roster of inadequacies.
Sorry.
As it turns out, you won't have much control over your legacy and the history of your administration anyway. You might have some cursory input, but no-one really takes you seriously anymore and anything you put forth will be taken as just another work of fiction; another bit of propaganda.
Your legacy will ultimately be written by those of us who have been actively documenting your presidency in real time -- millions of voices authoring the narrative of your awful regime and preserving it with digital clarity one trespass at a time.
And everywhere we look, we can plainly observe your smirking, affectless footprint.
Death, poverty, war, pain, ignorance, blind patriotism, joblessness, and abandoned homes. And guess what? We're writing it down on the Internets. Your history, Mr. President, is being written at this very moment by those of us who are watching our homes collapse in value and our friends and relatives sent to places like Ramadi and Fallujah and, in some cases, Walter Reed or worse. Your history, Mr. President, isn't going to be settled and published decades from now. It's being published immediately and without the fog of memory to obscure the ugly details.
These ugly details are exhaustively researched and easily accessible.
And as they congeal into a single eight-year narrative, it's my hunch that every tragedy experienced during this dark ride will be regarded as a means to a specific end: your election to a second term and the election of successors who will carry on with your sinister tradition. The centerpiece of this tradition -- the throughline of your presidential narrative -- has been, simply put, endless war for the sake of re-election.
In fact (and contrary to your present lamentation) you wanted war even before you took office. War, by your own definition, would all but guarantee a second presidential term. You told your pre-2000 autobiographer, Mickey Herskowitz:
"One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief... My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it...If I have a chance to invade...if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency."
Four years later, as you ramped up your re-election campaign, you told Tim Russert:
"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind."
You didn't sound ashamed of your tone back then -- when you were running for your second term. Everything you managed to accomplish during your presidency was directed towards maintaining this manufactured "war president" façade. Without it, you would have been either defeated in 2004 or impeached a long time ago.
So how did you do it? History will show that you bought off the American people with $300 checks and massive tax cuts for Paris Hilton and Dick Cheney. You ruthlessly exploited the deadliest foreign attack on American soil and, subsequently, terrorized this nation and its corporate media into giving you more latitude than you otherwise deserved. You attempted to dumb down our public schools because, in your view, an educated electorate is a dangerous electorate -- less susceptible to war mongering and propaganda, right? You ignored the destruction of an entire American city because the majority of its residents probably didn't vote for you or contribute to your campaign for war in the first place. And your entire foreign policy has been constructed around deliberately inciting anti-American sentiment, thus fueling more war.
It turns out, Mr. President, that your only success is something which you appear to be walking back: your war mongering -- your cynical, self-serving and bloody "bring 'em on" legacy -- and, with it, your re-election in 2004.
If you were half the man your dwindling supporters claim that you are, you would own this actual legacy of yours, Mr. President.
If you were a better man, you would own the horror you've created for yourself and generations of Americans to come. You would take responsibility for more than your pathetic "tone" and "rhetoric" -- you would take responsibility for all of it: the lies, the casualties, the mistakes, the crimes and the cover-ups. Instead you're presently flying around the world saying that you "wanted to solve this ... in a diplomatic fashion" when we all know, based on numerous reports from insiders ranging from Scott McClellan to Richard Clarke that this is simply not true.
The historical record of your presidency has unequivocally verified that, even now as you attempt to Windex the crap off your legacy, you're lying about the war. But what's worse is that your administration's objective of fostering endless American warfare continues in Iraq and elsewhere while being endorsed by Senator McCain who has hugged-out any conflicts he might have had with your policies. And, if you and Senator McCain are lucky, the corporate media will crack open its Election Year Mad Libs script and paint Senator Obama as somehow more dangerous to the future of America than you ever were.
Your legacy, Mr. President, isn't just about war mongering. We're going to see to it that your legacy is almost entirely about how you lied us into an unnecessary war as part of an almost unspeakably horrible strategy for re-election -- as a way to mask over your inadequacies as a leader and to somehow delude future Americans into believing that your two-term presidency deserves special renown.
So good luck with all of that "different tone" crap. It's not going to work. Sorry.
Sorry, Mr. President, But Your Legacy Is More Awful Than You Think
Rest assured, Mr. President, that despite what you told the Times Online today you won't be remembered solely as a war mongering president.
"Look, I think that in retrospect, you know, I could have used a different tone."
Different tone? Ya think?
War mongering is a significant aspect of your legacy, but I think we can conclude, and without much debate, that your legacy will also be one of criminality, failure and a degree of incompetence rarely achieved by any American president, much less one whose deficit of character is rivaled only by his nearly unprecedented lack of humility in the face of his unprecedented roster of inadequacies.
Sorry.
As it turns out, you won't have much control over your legacy and the history of your administration anyway. You might have some cursory input, but no-one really takes you seriously anymore and anything you put forth will be taken as just another work of fiction; another bit of propaganda.
Your legacy will ultimately be written by those of us who have been actively documenting your presidency in real time -- millions of voices authoring the narrative of your awful regime and preserving it with digital clarity one trespass at a time.
And everywhere we look, we can plainly observe your smirking, affectless footprint.
Death, poverty, war, pain, ignorance, blind patriotism, joblessness, and abandoned homes. And guess what? We're writing it down on the Internets. Your history, Mr. President, is being written at this very moment by those of us who are watching our homes collapse in value and our friends and relatives sent to places like Ramadi and Fallujah and, in some cases, Walter Reed or worse. Your history, Mr. President, isn't going to be settled and published decades from now. It's being published immediately and without the fog of memory to obscure the ugly details.
These ugly details are exhaustively researched and easily accessible.
And as they congeal into a single eight-year narrative, it's my hunch that every tragedy experienced during this dark ride will be regarded as a means to a specific end: your election to a second term and the election of successors who will carry on with your sinister tradition. The centerpiece of this tradition -- the throughline of your presidential narrative -- has been, simply put, endless war for the sake of re-election.
In fact (and contrary to your present lamentation) you wanted war even before you took office. War, by your own definition, would all but guarantee a second presidential term. You told your pre-2000 autobiographer, Mickey Herskowitz:
"One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief... My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it...If I have a chance to invade...if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency."
Four years later, as you ramped up your re-election campaign, you told Tim Russert:
"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind."
You didn't sound ashamed of your tone back then -- when you were running for your second term. Everything you managed to accomplish during your presidency was directed towards maintaining this manufactured "war president" façade. Without it, you would have been either defeated in 2004 or impeached a long time ago.
So how did you do it? History will show that you bought off the American people with $300 checks and massive tax cuts for Paris Hilton and Dick Cheney. You ruthlessly exploited the deadliest foreign attack on American soil and, subsequently, terrorized this nation and its corporate media into giving you more latitude than you otherwise deserved. You attempted to dumb down our public schools because, in your view, an educated electorate is a dangerous electorate -- less susceptible to war mongering and propaganda, right? You ignored the destruction of an entire American city because the majority of its residents probably didn't vote for you or contribute to your campaign for war in the first place. And your entire foreign policy has been constructed around deliberately inciting anti-American sentiment, thus fueling more war.
It turns out, Mr. President, that your only success is something which you appear to be walking back: your war mongering -- your cynical, self-serving and bloody "bring 'em on" legacy -- and, with it, your re-election in 2004.
If you were half the man your dwindling supporters claim that you are, you would own this actual legacy of yours, Mr. President.
If you were a better man, you would own the horror you've created for yourself and generations of Americans to come. You would take responsibility for more than your pathetic "tone" and "rhetoric" -- you would take responsibility for all of it: the lies, the casualties, the mistakes, the crimes and the cover-ups. Instead you're presently flying around the world saying that you "wanted to solve this ... in a diplomatic fashion" when we all know, based on numerous reports from insiders ranging from Scott McClellan to Richard Clarke that this is simply not true.
The historical record of your presidency has unequivocally verified that, even now as you attempt to Windex the crap off your legacy, you're lying about the war. But what's worse is that your administration's objective of fostering endless American warfare continues in Iraq and elsewhere while being endorsed by Senator McCain who has hugged-out any conflicts he might have had with your policies. And, if you and Senator McCain are lucky, the corporate media will crack open its Election Year Mad Libs script and paint Senator Obama as somehow more dangerous to the future of America than you ever were.
Your legacy, Mr. President, isn't just about war mongering. We're going to see to it that your legacy is almost entirely about how you lied us into an unnecessary war as part of an almost unspeakably horrible strategy for re-election -- as a way to mask over your inadequacies as a leader and to somehow delude future Americans into believing that your two-term presidency deserves special renown.
So good luck with all of that "different tone" crap. It's not going to work. Sorry.
From Al-Jezeera
Arabs shocked by Obama speech
Barack Obama said he spoke as a "true friend" of Israel [EPA]
Arab leaders have reacted with anger and disbelief to an intensely pro-Israeli speech delivered by Barack Obama, the US Democratic presumptive presidential nominee.
Obama told the influential annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Council (Aipac): "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."
His comments appalled Palestinians who see occupied East Jerusalem as part of a future Palestinian state.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told Al Jazeera on Thursday: "This is the worst thing to happen to us since 1967 ... he has given ammunition to extremists across the region". read
Arabs shocked by Obama speech
Barack Obama said he spoke as a "true friend" of Israel [EPA]
Arab leaders have reacted with anger and disbelief to an intensely pro-Israeli speech delivered by Barack Obama, the US Democratic presumptive presidential nominee.
Obama told the influential annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Council (Aipac): "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."
His comments appalled Palestinians who see occupied East Jerusalem as part of a future Palestinian state.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told Al Jazeera on Thursday: "This is the worst thing to happen to us since 1967 ... he has given ammunition to extremists across the region". read
Bush and McCain - Much Alike on the Issues
Sen. John McCain has spent decades burnishing his public relations persona as a political maverick. But much of the veneer of that image seems to be wearing away as reporters and others look for the real John McCain.
Public school employees have long known that the two shared similar beliefs on federal education policy. They both support vouchers - using public money to pay for private schools. They both support No Child Left Behind - especially its flawed one-size-fits-all testing provisions. And they both opposed expanding the federal program that provides health care coverage to America's most at-risk youngsters. Now their lockstep political beliefs are showing up in lots of areas - the economy, taxes, Iraq, and health care.
"Their positions are virtually indistinguishable," says Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution, in a story posted on the Web site of Bloomberg News. Visit this link to learn "the rest of the story."
Sen. John McCain has spent decades burnishing his public relations persona as a political maverick. But much of the veneer of that image seems to be wearing away as reporters and others look for the real John McCain.
Public school employees have long known that the two shared similar beliefs on federal education policy. They both support vouchers - using public money to pay for private schools. They both support No Child Left Behind - especially its flawed one-size-fits-all testing provisions. And they both opposed expanding the federal program that provides health care coverage to America's most at-risk youngsters. Now their lockstep political beliefs are showing up in lots of areas - the economy, taxes, Iraq, and health care.
"Their positions are virtually indistinguishable," says Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution, in a story posted on the Web site of Bloomberg News. Visit this link to learn "the rest of the story."
From Yahoo News:
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan reveals truth about IRAQ war
WASHINGTON - Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, and that the decision to invade pushed Bush's presidency "terribly off course.'
The Bush White House made "a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed" — a time when the nation was on the brink of war, McClellan writes in the book entitled "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception."
The way Bush managed the Iraq issue "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option."
"In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage," McClellan writes.
White House aides seemed stunned by the scathing tone of the book, and Bush press secretary Dana Perino issued a statement that was highly critical of their former colleague. read
Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan reveals truth about IRAQ war
WASHINGTON - Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, and that the decision to invade pushed Bush's presidency "terribly off course.'
The Bush White House made "a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed" — a time when the nation was on the brink of war, McClellan writes in the book entitled "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception."
The way Bush managed the Iraq issue "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option."
"In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage," McClellan writes.
White House aides seemed stunned by the scathing tone of the book, and Bush press secretary Dana Perino issued a statement that was highly critical of their former colleague. read
From RINF:
Over 60% of People Do Not Trust the Government
Monday, May 26th, 2008
By Mick Meaney - RINF Breaking News | A poll conducted by the World Public Opinion (WPO) has found that over 60% of the population of Great Britain and the United States do not trust their governments. The poll showed that 67% of Brits have low levels of trust in the Labour Government while 60% of Americans feel the same way about the Bush Administration.
Overall dissatisfaction of government responsiveness was much higher with 77% of Brits and an even higher percentage, 83% of Americans.
With each passing year, we see Western Governments becoming more brazen with lies and imposing limits on our freedoms and privacy.
The poll also asked “Whose Benefit is Country Run For?”
Unsurprisingly, 60% of Brits perceive their government as serving powerful special interests rather than the interests of the people as a whole, likewise 80% of Americans said the same. read
Over 60% of People Do Not Trust the Government
Monday, May 26th, 2008
By Mick Meaney - RINF Breaking News | A poll conducted by the World Public Opinion (WPO) has found that over 60% of the population of Great Britain and the United States do not trust their governments. The poll showed that 67% of Brits have low levels of trust in the Labour Government while 60% of Americans feel the same way about the Bush Administration.
Overall dissatisfaction of government responsiveness was much higher with 77% of Brits and an even higher percentage, 83% of Americans.
With each passing year, we see Western Governments becoming more brazen with lies and imposing limits on our freedoms and privacy.
The poll also asked “Whose Benefit is Country Run For?”
Unsurprisingly, 60% of Brits perceive their government as serving powerful special interests rather than the interests of the people as a whole, likewise 80% of Americans said the same. read
From The Raw Story:
Clinton invokes RFK assassination in summer 1968 among reasons to stay in race; later apologizes!
Sen. Hillary Clinton, in defending her decision to continue running for the Democratic nomination that almost certainly will go to rival Sen. Barack Obama, invoked the shooting death of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in the summer of 1968.
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?" Clinton said to the editorial board of the Sioux Falls, S.D. Argus Leader. "We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.
"I don't understand" the calls to exit the race, she added. read
Clinton invokes RFK assassination in summer 1968 among reasons to stay in race; later apologizes!
Sen. Hillary Clinton, in defending her decision to continue running for the Democratic nomination that almost certainly will go to rival Sen. Barack Obama, invoked the shooting death of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in the summer of 1968.
"My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?" Clinton said to the editorial board of the Sioux Falls, S.D. Argus Leader. "We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California.
"I don't understand" the calls to exit the race, she added. read
Saddam’s Exile Deal Could Have Saved $6 Trillion
Iraqi leader offered to go to Egypt for a paltry $1 billion; Bush should have accepted Hussein’s plan By Ralph Forbes
How did we get from a “profitable” war against Iraq to a $6 trillion swirling black hole that threatens to flush the United States and the world down the drain? Follow the dollars. Follow the lies:
One month before the invasion of Iraq, Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar met with President Bush in Crawford, Tex., Feb. 22, 2003, to beg him, on behalf of European leaders, not to start a war.
The Egyptians made a deal with Saddam Hussein to go into exile to avoid a devastating war against Iraq. Saddam wanted a payment of $1 billion and, for insurance, to keep all the information about how the neocons had supplied him with his weapons of mass destruction. Bush quipped that sending Saddam into exile would save the American people $50 billion for the costs of the war.
That “$50 billion” was a lie. White House economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey was fired in 2002 for daring to predict the war might cost $200 billion. read
From ICH: Carter Calls Gaza Blockade a Crime and Atrocity
By Jonathan Wright
18/04/08 "Reuters" -- -- -CAIRO - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the blockade of Gaza a crime and an atrocity on Thursday and said U.S. attempts to undermine the Islamist movement Hamas had been counterproductive.
Speaking at the American University in Cairo after talks with Hamas leaders from Gaza, Carter said Palestinians in Gaza were being “starved to death”, receiving fewer calories a day than people in the poorest parts of Africa.
“It’s an atrocity what is being perpetrated as punishment on the people in Gaza. it’s a crime… I think it is an abomination that this continues to go on,” Carter said.
Israel has been blockading Gaza most of the time since Hamas took control of the impoverished coastal strip in June last year, allowing only basic supplies to enter. read more
By Jonathan Wright
18/04/08 "Reuters" -- -- -CAIRO - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the blockade of Gaza a crime and an atrocity on Thursday and said U.S. attempts to undermine the Islamist movement Hamas had been counterproductive.
Speaking at the American University in Cairo after talks with Hamas leaders from Gaza, Carter said Palestinians in Gaza were being “starved to death”, receiving fewer calories a day than people in the poorest parts of Africa.
“It’s an atrocity what is being perpetrated as punishment on the people in Gaza. it’s a crime… I think it is an abomination that this continues to go on,” Carter said.
Israel has been blockading Gaza most of the time since Hamas took control of the impoverished coastal strip in June last year, allowing only basic supplies to enter. read more
From Rense: Senate Finally Angry With Bush Ignoring America Or, Will refusing to grant the decider's Emergency $108 Billion request result in another false flag attack?
By Ted Twietmeyer 4-20-8
Do we hear anger instead of snoring in the senate? Apparently this is the case with one powerful group of senators in a recent budget hearing. As you shall see in this report, they fed up with being ignored by the self-appointed "decider." more
By Ted Twietmeyer 4-20-8
Do we hear anger instead of snoring in the senate? Apparently this is the case with one powerful group of senators in a recent budget hearing. As you shall see in this report, they fed up with being ignored by the self-appointed "decider." more
So, you don't think we have political prisoners in the U.S.?
Former Alabam Governor Singleman jailed. Now that he's on bail (after a year trying to even GET bail), he wants to know WHO HIJACKED THE DOJ, and USED IT TO WIN ELECTIONS? read more
Former Alabam Governor Singleman jailed. Now that he's on bail (after a year trying to even GET bail), he wants to know WHO HIJACKED THE DOJ, and USED IT TO WIN ELECTIONS? read more
From RMN: Congresswoman Says America Run By Criminal Syndicate more
Congress-woman, McKinney illustrated the nature of a corrupt occupational government, stating that the administration was "stolen in 2000 and stolen again in 2004." McKinney said that it was doing the government a favor to describe them as a "criminal syndicate."
I beg to differ.. the Criminal Syndicate began during the Reagan Administration with the CONTRA AFFAIRS of Iran and Latin America.. THE CONTRAS actually worked A CONTRACT ON AMERICA
which consisted of DRUG AND MONEY LAUNDERING authorized by PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN which you can read about here http://www.theantechamber.net/XArchives/Contra.htm
Congress-woman, McKinney illustrated the nature of a corrupt occupational government, stating that the administration was "stolen in 2000 and stolen again in 2004." McKinney said that it was doing the government a favor to describe them as a "criminal syndicate."
I beg to differ.. the Criminal Syndicate began during the Reagan Administration with the CONTRA AFFAIRS of Iran and Latin America.. THE CONTRAS actually worked A CONTRACT ON AMERICA
which consisted of DRUG AND MONEY LAUNDERING authorized by PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN which you can read about here http://www.theantechamber.net/XArchives/Contra.htm
Bush Replaced REX84 With New Martial Law
Once In Control - Martial Law Will Stay
In May 2007, Bush signed executive new orders NSDP51 and HSDP20 to replace REX84. The older order REX84 was an older directive to establish martial law in the event of a national emergency. Everything done in government is done for a reason, and these two new orders are no exception. read
Once In Control - Martial Law Will Stay
In May 2007, Bush signed executive new orders NSDP51 and HSDP20 to replace REX84. The older order REX84 was an older directive to establish martial law in the event of a national emergency. Everything done in government is done for a reason, and these two new orders are no exception. read
Sexual assaults are frequent, and frequently ignored, in the armed services.
By Jane Harman March 31, 2008
The stories are shocking in their simplicity and brutality: A female military recruit is pinned down at knifepoint and raped repeatedly in her own barracks. Her attackers hid their faces but she identified them by their uniforms; they were her fellow soldiers. During a routine gynecological exam, a female soldier is attacked and raped by her military physician. Yet another young soldier, still adapting to life in a war zone, is raped by her commanding officer. Afraid for her standing in her unit, she feels she has nowhere to turn. more..
By Jane Harman March 31, 2008
The stories are shocking in their simplicity and brutality: A female military recruit is pinned down at knifepoint and raped repeatedly in her own barracks. Her attackers hid their faces but she identified them by their uniforms; they were her fellow soldiers. During a routine gynecological exam, a female soldier is attacked and raped by her military physician. Yet another young soldier, still adapting to life in a war zone, is raped by her commanding officer. Afraid for her standing in her unit, she feels she has nowhere to turn. more..
23/03/08
School Girl in Baghdad: By BBC
Noor Salman is 16-year-old Iraqi girl living in Baghdad. She writes about her experiences of life in the five years since the US-led invasion.
LOST LIVES
The last five years have passed by so quickly and so much has happened. I can't believe it's been five years since this all began. Baghdad has changed so much and so has my life. Up until two years ago we had a big house and had plenty of money and my father looked after us.
Now we live in a small rented two-bedroom house with my mother, my brother and his wife and my seven sisters. But my dad is no longer with us. In August 2006 a group of militia men got out of a car and forcibly entered our home. I cannot describe these people, they are not human beings. They broke the front door of our home and stormed into the house and kidnapped my dad.
They pulled him while aiming their guns at him. When he tried to defend himself they knocked him unconscious and put him in the boot of the car. I was very frightened and I lost faith in everything and everyone. I wish they had taken everything, our car, our home, but left my father alive. The next morning we were informed by the police station that they had found his body, it had been dumped in a side street with his hands tied behind his back. He had been shot in the head.
I could not believe that I had lost him forever. Many other teenagers like me have also lost their fathers in Baghdad, killed for no apparent reason.
REFUGEES
My dad used to do everything for us. He used to turn on the generator so that we had electricity at home and he would do all the hard jobs. Even to this day we only have two hours of electricity a day so we need to get the extra energy from the generators. Now that my dad is gone we have to do these things ourselves. After my dad was murdered the violence meant we had to leave our home. In early 2003, when I was in school, everyone was talking about the possibility of war. As school children we did not understand the implications.
The day Baghdad fell, I started to understand. We saw many of our relatives and friends getting displaced. Many fled to neighbouring countries. My dad, however, was adamant. He said he would never leave his country and would prefer to die here rather than for us to live as refugees in another land. After my dad was murdered the violence meant we had to leave our home and we became displaced and other people came and squatted in our house.
I lost my home, my childhood memories, my bedroom, my toys and my beautiful garden with all its flowers. My dad used to call me Dr Noor when I was young - he wanted me to become a physician. I am still hoping to fulfil his dream. Our city is not what it once was and studying is not easy. Walking to school became a dangerous journey, although recently things are better. I wonder, how many school children in the world have to go to school fearing they may not make it home. That's what we had to do.
I'm so happy that things are better on that front - but we are all aware that they could easily change again.
COPING WITH FEAR
Today I had Dolma, one of my most favourite dishes, it's basically stuffed vegetables, it's a very traditional Iraqi dish. After the war began, getting food was very difficult and people were living off the basics. Even to the go to the market was very difficult. It's only recently that people feel it's a bit safer to go to the markets - there have been bombings in these places and that makes people think twice - but you have to live.
After the fall of Baghdad Iraqi children learned very quickly the meaning of destruction and war. I remember at dawn time, instead of hearing the call to prayer we woke up hearing the noise of blasts. Baghdad became like a ghost city. There was no law and order and an increase in crime so people were afraid to go out.
We learned to cope with fear and after time we started going back to school.
We got used to living in a city were violence was everywhere and random bombings could happen anytime and in every place. We experienced the brutal nature of this new Iraq when my father was murdered.
From Markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com
Political War Means Spraying Representative Boxer's Constituents!
BushCo dumping poison on Bay Area
Plan To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco
Announced (March 11, 2008) read
(NaturalNews) People of the world, the US Government is planning to poison more than two million people, in California, using an untested biological "pesticide" this summer. The chemical to be sprayed is classified by the EPA as a "pesticide" and the plan is to douse cities with this chemical designed to stick on everything for 90 days or longer. This application is not a one time event, but will continue every 1-3 months for as long as five years. The pesticide to be sprayed is not designed to harm the light brown apple moth's who it is designed for, but merely to confuse its mating habits. While harmless to moths, the pesticide has been documented to harm humans. Side effects range from vomiting and flu like systems, to male and female reproductive cycle disruption. One child nearly died from the exposure, and some people have developed asthma from being exposed to this chemical concoction. It is cause for alarm that a chemical being labeled as harmless and "safe" even in minute doses, causes severe health effects in some people. The government is racing to cover up and hide the dangerous health effects so that they can continue their aerial spray plans this summer. Your attention and action on this subject is needed in the most important way.
Bush Administration to Blue-State California: Drop Dead!
By Paulina Borsook
Posted March 20, 2008 | 04:37 PM (EST)
In a joint action, the USDA (United States Department ofAgriculture) and the CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) have declared war on the home base of Senators Boxer and Feinstein, house speaker Pelosi, the founders of Moveon.org, gay-marriage-friendly Mayor Gavin Newsom, Code Pink, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
Aerial spraying with a pesticide which has never been tested for human or environmental safety is planned starting this summer, month after month, year after yeas, in an area stretching from Carmel to Marin County, San Francisco to Berkeley, in pursuit of the eradication of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), a rather wimpy exotic pest originally from Australia.
A state of emergency was declared for this pest on paper, abrogating the need for any kind of environmental impact --- when folks like James Carey, professor of entomology at UC-Davis and Dan Harder, director of the UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum, maintain eradication won't work; the LBAM is a nuisance at best; and this ill-conceived attack on the people, environment, and economy of California is about trade wars and not about actual threats to agriculture (Fodor's is already advising tourists to stay away from Santa Cruz, because of the spray).
Political War Means Spraying Representative Boxer's Constituents!
BushCo dumping poison on Bay Area
Plan To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco
Announced (March 11, 2008) read
(NaturalNews) People of the world, the US Government is planning to poison more than two million people, in California, using an untested biological "pesticide" this summer. The chemical to be sprayed is classified by the EPA as a "pesticide" and the plan is to douse cities with this chemical designed to stick on everything for 90 days or longer. This application is not a one time event, but will continue every 1-3 months for as long as five years. The pesticide to be sprayed is not designed to harm the light brown apple moth's who it is designed for, but merely to confuse its mating habits. While harmless to moths, the pesticide has been documented to harm humans. Side effects range from vomiting and flu like systems, to male and female reproductive cycle disruption. One child nearly died from the exposure, and some people have developed asthma from being exposed to this chemical concoction. It is cause for alarm that a chemical being labeled as harmless and "safe" even in minute doses, causes severe health effects in some people. The government is racing to cover up and hide the dangerous health effects so that they can continue their aerial spray plans this summer. Your attention and action on this subject is needed in the most important way.
Bush Administration to Blue-State California: Drop Dead!
By Paulina Borsook
Posted March 20, 2008 | 04:37 PM (EST)
In a joint action, the USDA (United States Department ofAgriculture) and the CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) have declared war on the home base of Senators Boxer and Feinstein, house speaker Pelosi, the founders of Moveon.org, gay-marriage-friendly Mayor Gavin Newsom, Code Pink, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
Aerial spraying with a pesticide which has never been tested for human or environmental safety is planned starting this summer, month after month, year after yeas, in an area stretching from Carmel to Marin County, San Francisco to Berkeley, in pursuit of the eradication of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), a rather wimpy exotic pest originally from Australia.
A state of emergency was declared for this pest on paper, abrogating the need for any kind of environmental impact --- when folks like James Carey, professor of entomology at UC-Davis and Dan Harder, director of the UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum, maintain eradication won't work; the LBAM is a nuisance at best; and this ill-conceived attack on the people, environment, and economy of California is about trade wars and not about actual threats to agriculture (Fodor's is already advising tourists to stay away from Santa Cruz, because of the spray).
Obama: Clinton lied about NAFTA more and here
WASHINGTON - White House documents reveal that Hillary Clinton lied to voters about her opposition to a trade pact blamed in industrial states for killing jobs, Barack Obama's campaign said Thursday. A trawl through more than 11,000 pages of schedules from Clinton's time as first lady fueled friction between the two Democratic White House contenders, as they also brawled over holding new contests in Florida and Michigan.
WASHINGTON - White House documents reveal that Hillary Clinton lied to voters about her opposition to a trade pact blamed in industrial states for killing jobs, Barack Obama's campaign said Thursday. A trawl through more than 11,000 pages of schedules from Clinton's time as first lady fueled friction between the two Democratic White House contenders, as they also brawled over holding new contests in Florida and Michigan.
What is Political Corruption? more
Three major areas of political corruption are worth noting. First, bribery is clearly an example. Second, some people claim that certain government practices such as patronage, while legal, might be suspect. This definition sets a very high standard for political propriety. The conflict-of-interest definition—use of public office for personal gain, usually money—is a third aspect of political corruption. This is an ethical issue dealing with the premise that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Corruption, therefore, is a catchall expression for illegal as well as ethically questionable behaviors. Ironically, the very nature of federalism contributed to the potential for corruption. Since power corrupts, the challenge is to require accountability at all levels of government and to create virtuous and ethical citizens.
Three major areas of political corruption are worth noting. First, bribery is clearly an example. Second, some people claim that certain government practices such as patronage, while legal, might be suspect. This definition sets a very high standard for political propriety. The conflict-of-interest definition—use of public office for personal gain, usually money—is a third aspect of political corruption. This is an ethical issue dealing with the premise that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Corruption, therefore, is a catchall expression for illegal as well as ethically questionable behaviors. Ironically, the very nature of federalism contributed to the potential for corruption. Since power corrupts, the challenge is to require accountability at all levels of government and to create virtuous and ethical citizens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)