Justice Dept Vs. CIA ---
The Justice Department is pressing for the CIA to release information on how they have been interrogating top Al Quaeda suspects. Read it here, from Reuters. Is Justice washing their hands of the whole prisoner torture thing, since, after all, these prisons are run by the CIA? It always amazes me the level of rivalry between different factions of our intelligence outfits. CIA and Justice are like Red Sox and Yankees.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Iraq Pipeline Down ---
A crucial oil pipeline feeding southern ports in Iraq has been damaged by saboteurs, halving Iraq's oil flow. Read it here, from Reuters. This is in line with driving oil prices up and then having the Saudis increase output in October to help Bush. Prince Bandar of the Saudi royal family has already agreed to this. How do ya like them apples?
A crucial oil pipeline feeding southern ports in Iraq has been damaged by saboteurs, halving Iraq's oil flow. Read it here, from Reuters. This is in line with driving oil prices up and then having the Saudis increase output in October to help Bush. Prince Bandar of the Saudi royal family has already agreed to this. How do ya like them apples?
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Portugal in Final
Portugal beat Holland 2-1 in Wednesday's Euro 2004 match. Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo headed in the first, and Luis Figo slammed in the second. Read about it here, Washington Post. Portugal will face either Greece or the Czech Republic in Sunday's final.
Portugal beat Holland 2-1 in Wednesday's Euro 2004 match. Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo headed in the first, and Luis Figo slammed in the second. Read about it here, Washington Post. Portugal will face either Greece or the Czech Republic in Sunday's final.
Your Email Is Not Safe ---
The US Court Of Appeals in Massachusetts has ruled that companies providing email services have the right to store, read and use email content without the recipient's consent or knowledge. Read about this here, from Washington Post. Email will not get the same protections as phone conversations or mail. Imagine having to watch what you say, even online. Is this the arrival, at last, of Big Brother?
The US Court Of Appeals in Massachusetts has ruled that companies providing email services have the right to store, read and use email content without the recipient's consent or knowledge. Read about this here, from Washington Post. Email will not get the same protections as phone conversations or mail. Imagine having to watch what you say, even online. Is this the arrival, at last, of Big Brother?
Monday, June 28, 2004
Ron Arnold Is A Terrorist ---
The rightwing's attack dog Ron Arnold has nearly succeeded in branding environmentalists as "terrorists." Arnold's tactics include trying to label any action, even sit-ins, demonstrations, and non-violent protests, as "terrorism." Stifling debate, attempting to criminalize legitimate protest, and using fear to keep people quiet while the public lands are used without regulation, THAT is terrorism. Bill Berkowitz, in TomPaine.org's opinion pages, here, explains why people like Arnold are just thugs and bullies. From Arnold's own self-loving hole:
[as told to Outside magazine in 1991], "Facts don't matter; in politics, perception is reality." The same year Arnold also told The New York Times : “We [CDFE] created a sector of public opinion that didn't used to exist. No one was aware that environmentalism was a problem until we came along.”
It's something Orwell warned about. How could a person like Arnold do these things? Has he no soul? No conscience?
The rightwing's attack dog Ron Arnold has nearly succeeded in branding environmentalists as "terrorists." Arnold's tactics include trying to label any action, even sit-ins, demonstrations, and non-violent protests, as "terrorism." Stifling debate, attempting to criminalize legitimate protest, and using fear to keep people quiet while the public lands are used without regulation, THAT is terrorism. Bill Berkowitz, in TomPaine.org's opinion pages, here, explains why people like Arnold are just thugs and bullies. From Arnold's own self-loving hole:
[as told to Outside magazine in 1991], "Facts don't matter; in politics, perception is reality." The same year Arnold also told The New York Times : “We [CDFE] created a sector of public opinion that didn't used to exist. No one was aware that environmentalism was a problem until we came along.”
It's something Orwell warned about. How could a person like Arnold do these things? Has he no soul? No conscience?
George "Milhouse" Bush ---
Bush had his Nixon moment last week when he announced, "I have never ordered torture," and Marianne Means makes the case that this is an awful lot like Nixon's "I am not a crook" statement. Of course history proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nixon was, indeed, a crook, but also a liar, thief, paranoid delusional, and all-round shitweasel. Read Means' piece here, from TomPaine.org. The only way Bush is weaseling out of this one is if Rush can get enough people to believe Abu Ghraib was just a fraternity prank and that thinking you're being murdered doesn't actually equal torture.
Congressor Jane Harman, the ranking democrate on the House Intelligence Committee, "...echoes the accusations of former Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill and former CIA agents who claim the president and civilian Pentagon officials plotted recklessly to invade Iraq. On a party-line vote, however, Senate Republicans rejected Democratic calls for an independent investigation and the release of more documents... The Republicans are blocking an independent investigation, even though in the Clinton years they often complained that no administration can fairly investigate itself.
So if they've done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, why are the Republicans stonewalling efforts to get at the truth? Anyone smell a rat? Means concludes with an ominous paragraph:
So far there's no smoking gun. But there is a strong sense that Bush and his colleagues operated as though they were above the law. Inevitably, they will discover they are not. This is, after all, still America.
Bush had his Nixon moment last week when he announced, "I have never ordered torture," and Marianne Means makes the case that this is an awful lot like Nixon's "I am not a crook" statement. Of course history proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nixon was, indeed, a crook, but also a liar, thief, paranoid delusional, and all-round shitweasel. Read Means' piece here, from TomPaine.org. The only way Bush is weaseling out of this one is if Rush can get enough people to believe Abu Ghraib was just a fraternity prank and that thinking you're being murdered doesn't actually equal torture.
Congressor Jane Harman, the ranking democrate on the House Intelligence Committee, "...echoes the accusations of former Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill and former CIA agents who claim the president and civilian Pentagon officials plotted recklessly to invade Iraq. On a party-line vote, however, Senate Republicans rejected Democratic calls for an independent investigation and the release of more documents... The Republicans are blocking an independent investigation, even though in the Clinton years they often complained that no administration can fairly investigate itself.
So if they've done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, why are the Republicans stonewalling efforts to get at the truth? Anyone smell a rat? Means concludes with an ominous paragraph:
So far there's no smoking gun. But there is a strong sense that Bush and his colleagues operated as though they were above the law. Inevitably, they will discover they are not. This is, after all, still America.
Constructive Dissent
The State Department's professional association last week gave awards to several envoys and diplomats for their attempts to register opinions seemingly ignored or unaired by the Bush White House. Read about it here, from The Washington Post. Challenging the Bush doctrine, the handling of Iraq, and the US stance in regards to Israel-Palestine are not signs of being a "traitor" as Rush/Hannity/O'Reilly/Coulter would have you believe.
Laingen said Schlicher and Mines represent the best tradition of the Foreign Service, in which "we signed on for a career that has a larger cause, whoever is the occupant of the White House. Frankness is a form of dissent."
Now it's time to give an award to Michael Moore...
The State Department's professional association last week gave awards to several envoys and diplomats for their attempts to register opinions seemingly ignored or unaired by the Bush White House. Read about it here, from The Washington Post. Challenging the Bush doctrine, the handling of Iraq, and the US stance in regards to Israel-Palestine are not signs of being a "traitor" as Rush/Hannity/O'Reilly/Coulter would have you believe.
Laingen said Schlicher and Mines represent the best tradition of the Foreign Service, in which "we signed on for a career that has a larger cause, whoever is the occupant of the White House. Frankness is a form of dissent."
Now it's time to give an award to Michael Moore...