#3 TELL-A-VISION
Hold Your Breath
A Journey Into Cross-Cultural Medicine
http://medethicsfilms.stanford.edu/holdyourbreath/
Ken Schneider, over at PatchWorks Films http://www.patchworksfilms.net/, wrote:
Hi folks,
Here is a film I edited recently, that will screen on various PBS stations over the next few weeks. The film explores a cross-cultural conflict in a life-and-death situation.
Blind Spot
Update 200705.26: The Lakeside Pub has been sold.
According to Doug, the new owners will not continue with Music and the band will no longer be playing there. Look for them playing around the county in the near future.
As an acknowledgement of the band, I'll keep this mention up.
Hi Curtis,
Just a note to tell you that I've been playing with a local band called "Blind Spot" at the Lakeside Pub in Soda Bay (Kelseyville), California.
We've been playing there every Friday night, from 7-11, for about a year now. It's unpredictable and just fun to hang out & enjoy friendship.
Hope to see you soon, Doug
Dreamstreets
The last Dreamstreets with Steven Leech, of the Season, will be aired Tuesday 29 May 2007 at 11:30 AM (East Coast) - 8:30 AM (West Coast) on WVUD 91.3 University of Delaware radio.
WVUD - http://www.wvud.org/
WVUD LISTEN - http://www.wvud.org/listen_online.htm
BOPTIME - http://www.flyingsnail.com/boptime.html
Steven Leech - http://www.flyingsnail.com/Scrapbook/Steven_Leech.html
Addicted to War
Image Source: http://www.addictedtowar.com/images/atwfrontsmall.jpg
ADDICTED TO WAR takes on the most active, powerful and destructive military in the world. It tells the history of U.S. foreign wars - from the Indian Wars to the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - in a comic book format.
Online Ebook Source: http://www.addictedtowar.com/atw1a.html
An arrest warrant for George Bush
Dear Mr. Bush,
In the name of justice, I arrest you. There is no Department of Justice anymore, thanks to you. In its place, I arrest you.
In the name of more than 3,000 dead U.S. soldiers, who died in a war that only you wanted, pursuing a cause only you understood even to this day, I arrest you.
These soldiers died in a war fraudulently justified by your misrepresentations to Congress to obtain a Congressional War Powers Resolution, a war of aggression prohibited under international law and by our Constitution.
Tell us what this war is about. Don't say freedom, you've destroyed that. Don't say Democracy, you've ruined that, too. Don't say peace, you've smashed that to smithereens. And don't say for oil, we don't need to bleed for oil. In the name of truth, I arrest you.
In the name of the victims of thousands of tons of Depleted Uranium weaponry, many of these victims not yet born, I arrest you.
In the name of honesty about Global Warming and Nuclear Power, I arrest you, and Al Gore, too, who claims to be "from Tennessee and immune to radiation." The rest of us are NOT immune to it (nor is he, he just professes not to know it).
Iran's PEOPLE (and her leaders) desperately want nuclear weapons because of you. North Korea's leadership does, too -- who knows what their people want (perhaps they are aware of the dangers of nuclear proliferation, but I doubt it). The double-standard for nuclear haves and have-nots isn't working; the only standard that WILL ever work is abolition.
You deny the deaths you cause -- perhaps A MILLION IRAQI PEOPLE ALREADY. And don't say it's much less than that, and don't say you just don't know, but at least they have freedom. They don't have freedom, and nobody's free in a coffin. You can't apologize to a dead person.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES TRUMP POLITICS
Just type the number "655,000" into "the Google" (as you call it) and see what comes up, Mr. President -- a peer-reviewed epidemiological study conducted by Johns Hopkins University public health scientists, published in the United Kingdom's leading medical journal, Lancet, and sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies. And, the death RATE has probably increased DRAMATICALLY since that study was published last year (if only due to the "sectarian violence" you caused to flare up). So, Mr. President, you've probably caused close to a million deaths in Iraq, maybe more, not counting soldiers. And the dying is getting more frequent, not less. Over 500 bodies were recovered in Baghdad this month (May 2007) alone, many with clear signs of torture or mutilation. Our soldiers saved 42 today, but that's a drop in the bucket. But give those soldiers some medals anyway -- they deserve them.
I arrest you for starting a bloodbath. I arrest you for destabilizing Iraq despite being carefully and accurately warned what sorts of things would happen, and THEN, to make matters worse, you let our soldiers -- bad seeds under worse command -- violate rules against torture, be callous about civilian deaths, and use overkill as a tool of war, conveniently renamed "shock and awe," to destroy the minds and hearts of a people. You even let some forms of torture be institutionalized unilaterally by our forces. Under whose authority did you do this? Alberto Gonzales's? He's no authority! He's the one that should be arresting you RIGHT NOW! But he's your friend, so he won't do his sworn duty. Perhaps he thinks he serves a higher authority than his own word of honor. God only knows what that might be, but it seems to be you.
Before your father's war, the Iraqi people had no quarrel with, and many even loved, the American people. Somehow, even through the sanction years, we kept many friends there. But good luck finding Iraqis who love us now, and would dare to admit it. I arrest you for making "loving America" an object of ridicule around the world. The shining star on the hill turned out to be the scattered light of gamma rays, x-rays, alpha-particles, and beta particles.
Let's talk about the future. I can't arrest you for what you will do in the future, but I can arrest you for those who MUST die in the future because of what you've ALREADY DONE.
Let's see the notes from Dick Cheney's vile energy plan. It's vile because it's a secretly-arranged bailout for the nuclear industry. It's the source of the nuclear industry's self-proclaimed "Nuclear Renaissance" and sets the stage for future MELTDOWNS which will kill thousands, perhaps even MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, and continue a grave mistake.
Many of the dead will be children -- perhaps your own, Mr. President, and those of the reporters who fawn over you. I arrest you for killing the media in America. Corporate conglomerates ate them for lunch.
I arrest you for not educating yourself about the evil you create. I arrest you for not understanding that science trumps not only politics, but economics, too. The dying and the sick will drown the heathy in sorrow, in hard work caring for the ill and suffering, and in debts unpayable, for the cost of medical care IS prohibitive. I arrest you for that, too, for you have made even basic health care a service for the elite.
The poor are relegated to clinics operating with pennies on the dollar compared to what they need, as you declare "faith-based" community service sufficient. As our nation's President, YOU have to help the poorest of the poor, and the most abused prisoner (whether a political prisoner of conscience, or a convicted criminal). Sir, YOUR job is NOT to tell the churches to do YOUR JOB! That's abdicating responsibility in the first degree. Blatant and immoral. I arrest you for that.
The buck, and the blame, stops with you. I arrest you, Mr. Bush, for failure to do your duty, for damaging this nation's pride and reputation, for lying, cheating, and stealing. For Haditha and for the rest of the wanton destruction of the cradle of civilization.
And for singing and dancing and having a good time while you should have been Googling the Internet and learning the truth about yourself, for yourself. I call you Nero and arrest you for that, too. I also call you a Luddite and hereby serve you papers (electronically) on that, as well.
Sincerely,
Ace Hoffman
Carlsbad, CA
White House Reply:
Note that the author received the following email from
the White House after sending it in with another arrest warrant from Jack
Dresser ( below).
=============
On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.
We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.
Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.
Thank you again for taking the time to write.
Source: http://mwcnews.net/content/view/14800/26/
The Lies Return
Bush: bin Laden ordered non-Iraq attacks
The morning news [200705.23] presented the following article: Bush: bin Laden ordered non-Iraq attacks by Deb Reichmann and says, bin Laden laid plans in 2005 to set up Iraq base for international attacks.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070523/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_terrorism
Notice, the date (2005). Bush Republicans and Democrats attacked Iraq in 2003 and the worst part is evil corporate media refuses to review the past. For example:
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/DahArc/daharc20.html
YOU ARE LOOKING AT A US GOVERNMENT LIE
On Friday 14 December 2001 a videotape of Osama bin Laden "confessing" to the 9/11 attacks was released. The tape was supposedly found in a house in Qandahar, Afghanistan. The recording was of very poor audio and visual quality and the authenticity of the tape was questioned.
This annoyed President Bush who said:
"[It is] preposterous to think this tape was doctored".
Okay, let's have a look.
Here's 5 Osama's - which is the odd one
out?
Marine Corps Attempts to Stifle IVAW Free Speech
I am writing to let you know about an urgent issue that is affecting several of our IVAW members. Adam Kokesh and Liam Madden are both very active members and former Marines. Because of their outspoken opposition to the war, the Marine Corps is threatening to revoke their honorable discharges and change them to other than honorable.
We cannot allow this suppression of free speech to occur! Adam and Liam need our help to pay for legal defense and travel to their hearings.
Adam just found out his hearing is in Kansas City on June 4th, less than two weeks away!
Attached below is a letter from Adam, describing his situation and asking for your help. Besides financial contributions, we also need people who are in the Kansas City area to gather support for Adam before his June 4th hearing.
Please contact me at Kelly@... if you are in the area and would like to find out how you can help. I will keep you updated on both Adam and Liam's cases as they unfold.
Thank you so much for your time and support, it really means everything to our veterans who dare to speak the truth.
In Peace,
Kelly Dougherty
Former Sergeant Army National Guard
Executive Director
Iraq Veterans Against the War
http://www.ivaw.org/
May 22, 2007
Dear Friend of Iraq Veterans Against the War,
My name is Adam Kokesh and I need your help. Because of my involvement in IVAW, I have been singled out and called for a military hearing to be made an example of for those of us who have spoken out against the war. I have been an active member of IVAW for a mere four months, but have already garnered enough attention to be perceived as a threat by those using our military to maintain political support for the occupation of Iraq.
Because my second activation as a reservist extended past my six-year obligation, I am only in the Inactive Ready Reserve from my honorable discharge from active duty last November to June 18th. After my discharge, I moved to Washington, DC to get a Master’s in Political Management at GWU, and joined IVAW. I have since appeared on behalf of IVAW speaking at concerts, universities, and high schools. I have written about my views on the occupation and my military experience for the IVAW website and on my blog.
Most notably, I participated in Operation First Casualty on March 19th. This was a mock combat patrol through Washington, DC in order to bring home the truth of the occupation of Iraq, because the first casualty of war is the truth. I appeared in my uniform, without my name, without rank, and without the patch that says US MARINES. I received an email of warning about possible violations of the UCMJ for appearing in uniform at a political event. Instead of ignoring it like everyone I know who has received similar emails, I wrote a strongly worded reply admonishing the Major who was “investigating” me for wasting time on such trivial matters. The text of that email is posted here.
I soon received a package from the Marine Corps informing me of a separation hearing to re-separate me with an Other Than Honorable Discharge. A scan of the complete package can be seen below. I have sought private counsel for this hearing, as is my right. I intend to bring as many witnesses as possible to testify to both the character of my service and the nature of my involvement with IVAW. The Marine Corps only made it known to us today that the hearing will be held on June 4, in a mere 13 days. They have also decided to activate me for the hearing and hold it in Kansas City, home of the Marine Corps Mobilization Command.
This case is important because the intimidation of servicemen who speak out will suppress the truth about Iraq. With the help of IVAW, I intend to fight this to the end and stand up for the rights of all members of our armed forces. Please support this effort by mailing a check made out to IVAW with “Adam Kokesh Legal Defense Fund” in the memo to PO Box 8296, Philadelphia, PA 19101 or by going here, clicking on “Donate Now” and including “Adam Kokesh Legal Defense Fund” in the Special Project Support window. Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Adam Kokesh
adam@ivaw.org
Adam's BLOG: http://kokesh.blogspot.com
Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prez_usa_exile/message/1480
Duality Sucks: The Good Gonzalez vs. The Bad Gonzales
We all know about the Bad Gonzales (spelled with a S):
Gonzales denied any political involvement under oath
Lied to God
Admits Pleasuring Bush
(13 March 2007 Press Conference)
Few are aware of the Good Gonzalez (spelled with a Z).
This article is from the early '1990s and
proof,
"Things don't change, People do!"
Bush Administration Uses CIA To Stonewall Iraqgate Investigation
by Jack Colhoun
In House floor speeches, Rep. Henry Gonzalez has documented how pre-Gulf War U.S. policy helped Iraq develop weapons of mass destruction. But President George Bush, taking a page from one of the darkest chapters of the Nixon presidency, has enlisted the CIA as part of his campaign to derail the Texas Democrat's Iraqgate investigation. The CIA is investigating Gonzalez for revealing allegedly secret intelligence information, which it claims has harmed U.S. national security interests.
Involving the CIA in domestic political affairs is one of the few remaining taboos in U.S. politics, and so far, Bush has gotten away scot-free with it. His predecessor, Richard Nixon, was forced to resign a few days after the infamous "smoking gun" tape revealed that he had instructed White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman to tell CIA Director Richard Helms to refuse to cooperate with the FBI's investigation of Watergate.
While the media and the Washington pundits have duly reported the CIA's investigation of Gonzalez, they have failed to note the resemblance between the way Bush and Nixon instigated domestic involvement of the CIA to protect their administrations. Nor have the media explored the ominous political implications of Bush-the first former CIA director elected president using the Agency to discredit his political foes.
The House Banking Committee, which Gonzalez chairs, began looking into pre-Gulf War U.S. policy toward Iraq in 1990. "We have determined that your statements in the Congressional Record on July 7, 1992, included information from a Top Secret compartmented and particularly sensitive document dated September 4, 1989, to which we gave your staff access," CIA Director Robert Gates wrote in a July 24 letter to Gonzalez.
"Because of the sources and methods underlying that information, I will ask for a damage assessment to determine the impact of the disclosure." Adm. William O. Studeman, acting CIA director while Gates was abroad, informed Gonzalez in a July 28 letter that the CIA's Office of Security would also assess Gonzalez's House floor speeches of July 21 and July 27, 1992. Studeman claimed that Gonzalez revealed other Top Secret intelligence information in these speeches. The maverick Mexican-American lawmaker from San Antonio, Texas, angrily denied the CIA's charges. "Your insinuation that I have revealed Top Secret, compartmented information is inflammatory and without merit," Gonzalez declared in a July 30 letter to Gates. "In fact, I have taken great pains to ensure that all information I have placed in the Congressional Record is of the broadest nature and readily available from public sources."
Gonzalez added he was "extremely disappointed that the CIA was allowing itself to be used to build a smokescreen around the president's flawed policies. The CIA should be above involving itself in the political problems of the administration." Gonzalez also charged that since spring, the CIA has not cooperated with the House Banking Committee. Attorney General William Barr, in a May 15, 1992, letter to the Texas Democrat, announced that the administration would no longer turn over classified documents to Gonzalez's committee without "specific assurances" that he won't make the information public.
Gonzalez, who has made public more classified U.S. documents than anyone since Daniel Ellsberg leaked the "Pentagon Papers," believes Bush is using the CIA to taint the Iraqgate investigation. Again the parallel is clear. In 1971, Nixon's White House "plumbers," led by CIA operative E. Howard Hunt, launched a campaign to discredit former Pentagon analyst Ellsberg and even broke into his psychiatrist's office to search for incriminating dirt.
Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill escalated their vilification campaign against Gonzalez. House Minority Leader Robert Michel (R-Ill.) introduced a resolution in the House on August 4 that calls on the House Ethics Committee to investigate Gonzalez's release of documents, citing the CIA probe of the 32-year House veteran. Michel charged that Gonzalez has violated the House code of conduct, but he failed to note that lawmakers who disclose classified information on the House or Senate floor are exempted from the federal law against making intelligence secrets public. Although the attacks against Gonzalez continue, the growing body of evidence he is disclosing makes it increasingly difficult for the Bush administration to dismiss the allegations. And that, Gonzalez believes, is why Bush unleashed the CIA.
THE SUBSTANCE OF GONZALEZ'S CHARGES
Gonzalez rejects Bush's contention that U.S. policy was designed "to encourage Saddam Hussein to join the family of nations." "The Bush administration," Gonzalez charged in a July 27 speech, "sent U.S. technology to the Iraqi military and to many Iraqi military factories, despite overwhelming evidence showing that Iraq intended to use the technology in its clandestine nuclear, chemical, biological, and long-range missile programs." He quoted U.S. intelligence documents which show the administration knew that the Cleveland, Ohio, Matrix Churchill Corporation and the Atlanta branch of the Italian Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) were the cornerstones of a secret Iraqi arms technology procurement network in the U.S.
The administration's pro-Baghdad policy, spelled out in National Security Directive-26, adopted on October 2, 1989, was based on promoting U.S. trade with Iraq. The Commerce Department routinely approved applications from U.S. companies for the export to Iraq of "dual-use" technology, which has civilian and military applications.
"While the [Bush] policy did not permit the sale of bombs or something of that nature that would blow up," Gonzalez declared in a July 21 speech, "it clearly allowed the sale of the equipment needed to make them. The administration knew what Saddam Hussein was doing.... The head of Iraq's ambitious military industrialization efforts was Saddam's brother-in-law, ...Hussein Kamil, who directed the flow of over $2 billion in BNL commercial loans to various high-profile Iraqi weapons projects."
The progressive Texas Democrat contends that at a No- vember 8, 1989, meeting, the Bush administration used a secret CIA report in an internal battle. The issue was whether to provide Iraq with $1 billion in loan guarantees to buy U.S. farm exports issued by the Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). Previously, the Export-Import Bank and other federal agencies opposed full funding for Iraq because its deteriorating economy made Baghdad a poor credit risk.
"This time the CCC program for Iraq was approved," Gonzalez said in a July 7 speech. "The CIA report shows that unless the full $1 billion CCC program was approved, the president's goal of improving relations with Saddam Hussein as spelled out in NSD-26 would be frustrated." BNL-Atlanta made financial arrangements for the CCC program for Iraq.
The CIA report, Gonzalez pointed out, "indicates that BNL loans were used to fund Iraq's clandestine military procurement network...in the U.S. and Europe. The report indicates that several of the BNL-financed front companies in the network were secretly procuring technology for Iraq's missile programs and nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs."
The House Judiciary Committee, after several hearings, called on Barr July 9, 1992, to appoint an independent counsel to investigate Iraqgate. This move had been boosted when Frank DeGeorge, inspector general for the Commerce Department, admitted at a June 23, 1992, House Judiciary Committee hearing that Commerce Department officials altered information on 66 export licenses for Iraq which were turned over to congressional investigators. The export licenses were changed from "VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR MILITARY USE" to "COMMERCIAL UTILITY CARGO TRUCKS."
But Barr took a hard line when, on August 1 - for the first time since the Ethics in Government Act created the independent councel mechanism -- he rejected a request for an appointment. Instead, the Justice Department, he asserted, would continue its investigation of Iraqgate. Barr called the charges outlined by the House Judiciary Committee too "vague" to justify an independent counsel.
"First the attorney general denounces and obstructs congressional investigations and now blocks inquiries by a special counsel," Gonzalez responded the same day. "Barr is playing a dangerous game in a desperate effort to protect the Bush administration."
http://mediafilter.org/MFF/BushCIAstonewall.html
Permalink at: http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/index.html
Breaking News by Dahbud Mensch: Ending at approximately 2:50 PM, May 24, 2007, on the Senate floor, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky and the Republican Party, using Immigration as an excuse, called for a bill establishing a National Public Identification or something I prefer to call, The Mark of the Beast. Ministers of Satan - Are Republicans Bad? - Bi-Partisanship
Captive shark had 'virgin birth'
Female hammerhead sharks can reproduce without having sex, scientists confirm.
The evidence comes from a shark at Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska which gave birth to a pup in 2001 despite having had no contact with a male. [Continue Reading At]:
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6681793.stm
Bomb plot thwarted at Falwell funeral
Police have arrested an American university student over a bomb plot connected to the funeral of controversial American evangelist Jerry Falwell, US media reports say.
The arrested man, 19-year-old Mark D Uhl, reportedly told police he had made the bombs to prevent protesters from disrupting Mr Falwell's funeral, held in Virginia yesterday.
The reports said Uhl is a student at Liberty University, a Christian institution founded by Mr Falwell, who referred to it as a "Bible boot camp".
The undergraduate student had allegedly stored several homemade bombs in his car, and police were hunting three other suspects, including a soldier and a high school student, the ABC News report said.
The bombs were "slow burn" devices made of gasoline and detergent, and would not have been very destructive, a law enforcement official told ABC News.
"There were indications there were others involved in the manufacturing of these devices and we are still investigating these individuals with the assistance of ATF [Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms], Virginia State Police and FBI. At this time it is not believed that these devices were going to be used to interrupt the funeral services at Liberty University," local police said. [Continue Reading At]:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bomb-plot-thwarted-at-falwell-funeral/2007/05/23/1179601448549.html
Where Have All the Bees Gone?
Click to read: Are mobile phones wiping out our bees?
"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, man would only have four years of life left... No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." - Albert Einstein - Thanks to Tim Murphy for the reminder - Click to read more about Cellular Phone Radiation.
The Sopranos Meet The Hippies
by Paul Krassner
I usually watch The Sopranos at 9 p.m. on HBO, but this time I watched the East Coast feed at 6 p.m., so that I could also catch a two-hour documentary about hippies on the History channel at 8 p.m.
Paul Brownfield, one of the best TV critics around, wrote in his review of The Sopranos in the Los Angeles Times:
"Tony Soprano offed his nephew Christopher [in the wake of a car wreck, by squeezing his nose so that he would choke on his own blood], and in the nephew's dying eyes our beloved protagonist became, finally, despicable and lost, beyond empathy....He dialed the numbers 9 and 1 on his cellphone before deciding that his own life would be easier, all in all, without the kid, whose drug addiction was bound to get them all ensnared by the feds....Sunday night's episode concluded with Tony in the Nevada desert, loaded on peyote after an all-nighter with one of Christopher's goomahs, screaming, 'I did it!' His face was a riot of tears, torment and unbidden glee."
"That's funny," I e-mailed Brownfield. "I thought Tony performed a mercy killing, putting Christopher out of his misery, as well as getting him out of the way. At least he did it BEFORE taking peyote."
"Yeah," he replied. "By the way I fucked up: Tony screams 'I get it!' at the end, not 'I did it!' I think 'I get it!' is probably more in the spirit of peyote buttons."
"I agree," I responded, "although I also thought it was 'I did it!' and in fact I compared it to the time when Abbie Hoffman was in a Las Vegas hotel room while he was on the lam, shouting 'I'm Abbie Hoffman!'--when 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' was a practice if not yet an advertising slogan."
As for The Hippies, I asked a couple of fellow participants for their reactions.
Ken Babbs, sidekick of Ken Kesey in the roving band of Merry Pranksters:
"The reviews are in. The show sucked. I'm glad we don't get that channel so I don't ever have to watch the show. Zane [Kesey's son] said he was ashamed to have had anything to do with it. Further disinformation--that picture of a bus, calling it the Ken Kesey prankster bus. I suppose it doesn't do any good to point out that it is not Further but someone else's bus, for as time goes on whatever anyone portrays as reality works just fine, for anyone who was there is probably dead by now, if not in body then probably in mind. Or as that girl shouted for a couple of hours at the Watts acid test, 'Who cares?' Yes, who. Who indeed."
And Carolyn Garcia aka Mountain Girl, former wife of the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia:
"Peter Coyote should be publicly stoned for participating [as narrator] in this bash-fest. Could more negative terms be found? I must have turned it off 5 times. Having it sponsored by AARP is additional irony, hard to digest. If I had known the bias of the piece I would have abstained. Well, what can one do? I hate being blamed for Manson and riots and people bleeding. What a nasty raft of crap."
The History channel presented a blatant slur on countercultural history. I had been interviewed for a few hours and was dismayed to see that the one quote they used--beginning "It was fun"--immediately followed a scene of police indiscriminately beating young demonstrators at an antiwar rally.
The Sopranos and The Hippies--ordinarily on opposite ends of the subculture spectrum--now had something in common. They were both engulfed in a context of sadistic violence. You'd think you were watching the evening news. But allow me to be the first to wish you a merry sweeps month and happy ratings.
More information on Paul Krassner is located at:
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Scrapbook/Paul_Krassner.html
Unplugging the War
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html?uc_full_date=20070515
by Laura Snedeker
Because the Iraq War isn't shrouded in quite enough secrecy, the Pentagon wishes to remind its men and women in uniform that loose lips...blow up Humvees.
The U.S. Army has set new guidelines for soldiers and contractors who write military blogs about the situation in Iraq, out of concerns that soldiers might inadvertently reveal sensitive information, such as details of firefights or reviews of body armor.
Officially banning internet communications might raise some eyebrows in Washington about Army secrecy, so the Army has just made it impossible for soldiers to publish blogs or comment on internet forums without the approval of their commanding officers. Because very few of the overextended officers stuck in Iraq want to spend time censoring their subordinates' writing, many will probably ban blogging altogether.
The progression of the Pentagon's press restrictions points to increasing panic and paranoia over the direction of the war, which the public increasingly sees as a hopelessly muddled disaster. First the military enforced a ban on publishing photos of the flag-draped coffins of American soldiers, what the Pentagon feared would be this war's version of the nightly body count. Then the wounded were brought in under cover of the night when the Pentagon and White House realized that the thousands of maimed soldiers did nothing to support their claim of a quick military victory.
Now the Army has convinced itself that U.S. soldiers might accidentally aid the enemy, as if they weren't aware of the personal danger of revealing sensitive information. With the apparent failure of the so-called "surge" and the commanding general in charge of operations in northern Iraq already calling for more troops, the Pentagon has become desperate to censor anything and everything that might suggest that things aren't going as well as hoped.
The real reason for censoring soldiers' and contractors' blogs has nothing to do with operational security and everything to do with preventing the revelation of another Haditha or Abu Ghraib scandal. Once out, that kind of information travels fast, especially when one of the official reasons for continuing the Iraq War is the establishment of a democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law.
In the Army's frenzy to prevent the publication of any information, it has silenced some of the war's strongest advocates. Even if some commanders do allow their soldiers to continue blogging, their stories won't have the same effect if readers suspect that they're being fed regurgitated Pentagon talking points, especially if soldiers are pressured to keep in line with the official story of the day.
The U.S. has a bright pupil in the Iraqi government: The Interior Ministry has banned photographers from bomb sites, allegedly out of concern for preserving evidence and protecting the rights of victims. Are photojournalists really that destructive and disrespectful, or does the ministry want time to remove some of the bodies before pictures of the carnage make their way around the globe?
(Editor's Note: The Pentagon has also announced a new policy to block troops from the following websites: MySpace; YouTube; Pandora; ifilm; BlackPlanet; Photobucket; Metacafe; Hi5; Live365; 1.FM; StupidVideos; and Filecabi.Net. To see a Doonesbury cartoon related to this subject, please check here.)
(The graphic is from radicalgraphics.org, which offers its material for free.)
Source and Links: http://ivorytowerz.blogspot.com/2007/05/unplugging-war.html
A High Price to Pay for Ignorance
by Philip Giraldi
The Pentagon and White House continue to argue that they are not planning a war against Iran in spite of the continuing buildup of naval forces in the Persian Gulf, which will peak with the arrival of a third carrier group at the end of May. The naval aviation and missile resources available, which are not being used to support combat operations in neighboring Iraq, far exceed any reasonable level required to send Iran a warning or to reassure Gulf Arab allies. The carrier concentration has even weakened U.S. ability to respond militarily elsewhere, most particularly in the Western Pacific, where an unpredictable North Korea continues to pose a genuine threat. Multiple carrier groups in the Persian Gulf can only mean that another preemptive war, this time against Iran, is either about to take place or is being viewed as a serious option. [Continue Reading At]:
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/giraldi.php?articleid=10900
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/index.html
Gonzales: A stain on the Blue Dress of Justice
Alberto Gonzales is the liar behind torture and tapping United States Citizen's telephones. He is not a good example of JUSTICE.
During Jury Selection, if one mentions the lies Gonzales told Congress, one can usually be taken off the Jury roll because, "If Gonzales, who is supposed to represent justice can get away without telling the truth, why should I tell the truth?"
Gonzales rebuked by law school classmates
[JURIST] Fifty-six former Harvard Law School classmates of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST news archive] have signed an open letter published Tuesday, rebuking Gonzales for his "failure to stand for the rule of law" and failure at doing "the tough job of providing independent counsel" and urging Gonzales "to restore respect for the rule of law." The letter, published in an advertisement [text, GIF] on A13 of Tuesday's Washington Post, was delivered to Gonzales' office prior to its publication.
Gonzales graduated from Harvard Law School [academic website] in the class of 1982. The Harvard Crimson has more.
Source and Links:
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/05/gonzales-rebuked-by-law-school.php
Gonzales Allows Karl Rove-Protege To Remain As U.S. Attorney, Even Though His Term Has Expired
On Jan. 18, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee, under oath, that he never intended to take advantage of a Patriot Act provision that allows the President to appoint “interim” U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without Senate confirmation:
I am fully committed, as the administration’s fully committed, to ensure that, with respect to every United States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney.
Similarly, on Dec. 15, 2006, Gonzales personally assured Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) that Karl Rove-protege Tim Griffin would face Senate confirmation.
Before the Patriot Act was changed in 2005, the Attorney General could appoint interim U.S. attorneys to serve for a maximum of 120 days. After that time period, they needed to receive Senate confirmation or the federal district court in the vacant office’s district would name a replacement.
As emptywheel notes at Firedoglake, Griffin’s 120 days were up on April 20. Griffin has announced that he had “made the decision not to let my name go forward to the Senate.” Yet the Bush administration has not named a replacement candidate.
In early March, Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) said that he was “interviewing candidates to recommend as replacements for Griffin.” ThinkProgress spoke with Boozman’s office today, which confirmed that on March 30, Boozman submitted three names to the White House to replace Griffin. His office said that it has not heard from the administration on the state of the process.
Griffin remains as U.S. attorney in Arkansas and has stated that he is ready and willing to serve until the end of Bush’s term. If Gonzales was serious about installing “a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney,” he would have replaced Griffin by now. Evidently, he instead plans to “gum to death” the process.
UPDATE: The Arkansas Blog notes that Griffin was appointed under the Patriot Act, and therefore is legally allowed to serve indefinitely. Yet nevertheless, Gonzales still promised senators that he never intended to take advantage of the provision.
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/17/griffin-120-days/
Sing Out for Seva!
Friday May 18th 8:00 PM
Wavy Gravy's Birthday Party
featuring: Mickey Hart and Friends - Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and his Wooden Family - Tea Leaf Green - Zero with Steve Kimock and Melvin Seals - Sikiru Adepoju - Wavy Gravy and surprise guests!
http://www.seva.org/specialevents/upcomingevents.html
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAVY!
Nobody for President Media
Nobody's Print Media from 1976, 1980, and 1984:
http://www.nobodyforpresident.org/media/index.html
Nobody for President: http://www.nobodyforpresident.org/
Tuesday May 15 = National Buy No Gas Day
"There's no denying that this is an oil administration, you can't talk about the career of any George Bush -- father or son -- without talking about oil." - Peter Eisner
October 4, 2001 - Ted Rall Cartoon
Anonymous Cartoon
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/dahgasprices.html
Remembering May 15, 1969 - Bloody Thursday
Stoned Out of Their Minds - Updated
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/dahstoned.html
Antidepressant prescribing soars
The number of prescriptions for antidepressants in England has hit a record high despite national guidance advocating alternative treatments.
More than 31 million prescriptions for drugs such as Prozac were issued in 2006 - a 6% rise on the year before.
The figures come as two studies showed "startling" benefits of country walks in people with depression.
Mind, the charity that reported the findings, said GPs should consider "ecotherapy" as a valid alternative.
The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence issued guidance in 2004 recommending that antidepressants should not be used as first-line therapy for mild to moderate depression.
Instead patients should be offered guided self-help and psychological therapies in the first instance.
But figures from the Information Centre indicate the number of prescriptions for antidepressants are still on the rise.
In particular prescriptions for a group of drugs known as SSRIs, which include Prozac, rose by 10% last year from 14.7m to 16.2m.
There have been fears that the drugs are linked to suicidal thoughts and self-harm in some cases.
In 2003, experts said SSRI antidepressants should not be given to teenagers after experts' concerns they made some patients suicidal.
However, Prozac is still recommended for under-18s, as it is thought that the benefits of taking this particular drug outweigh any potential risk, but only for those with severe depression.
Alternative therapies
Mind, the mental health charity, say the UK is trailing behind other countries in the use of other therapies.
In the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Slovenia, patients with depression are prescribed agricultural work.
Holland has 600 care farms that are part of the health service compared with 43 in the UK none of which are aimed at mental health.
In a report on ecotherapy, Mind said 93% of GPs have prescribed drugs due to lack of alternatives.
Ecotherapy, described as getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment, should be considered as a treatment option they said.
Researchers at the University of Essex compared a walk in a country park with a walk in a shopping centre in a study of 20 people.
They found 71% reported decreased levels of depression after a country walk compared with 45% after a shopping centre walk.
Participants also felt much less tense and reported greatly increased self esteem after a green walk.
But after a walk in a shopping centre, 50% said their feelings of tension increased and 44% said their self-esteem decreased after the walk in a shopping centre.
A separate survey of 108 people who regularly take part in green activities run by local Mind associations found 90% said it was the combination of nature and exercise that had the greatest effect on them and 94% said green activities had lifted their depression.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind said ecotherapy was a credible, clinically-valid treatment option and needs to be prescribed by GPs especially as access to treatments other than antidepressants was extremely limited.
"We're not saying that ecotherapy can replace drugs but the debate needs to be broadened."
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "GPs are now encouraged to diagnose depression yet without the availability of qualified counsellors and therapists they have little choice but to hand out a prescription - or send the patient away empty-handed, leaving them with less hope of treatment and recovery."
The NHS is currently rolling out a programme of providing people with access to computerised CBT and the government has set up 10 pilots to explore ways of speeding up access to talking therapies.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: "Central to our efforts is the ability for people who are ill to be able to quickly get the right kind of therapy, instead of being prescribed medication."
They added the demonstration sites were showing early signs that quick access to therapy reduced the time that patients are ill and helps individuals to regain their independence.
Professor Mayur Lakhani, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "We reject the suggestion that GPs prescribe antidepressants too readily.
"GPs consider the need for antidepressants only after a careful assessment of the patients? clinical condition.
"The real story is the lack of access to services such as talking therapies and the long waiting lists for these. GPs find themselves in a difficult position because of limited services."
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6653013.stm
Save Internet Radio
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on May 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Internet radio needs your help! H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL ) to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060 by clicking below.
http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9679516&type=TA
Home Page: http://www.savenetradio.org/index.html
Chandra sees most powerful supernova ever
Posted: Tue, May 8, 2007, 7:10 AM ET (1110 GMT)
Astronomers using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory have detected what they believe to be the most powerful supernova explosion ever, one that outshone its host galaxy. Astronomers said Monday that they believe a supermassive star, 150 times as massive as the Sun, exploded in a supernova 100 times as powerful as a typical supernova. The event, designated SN 2006gy, took place in a galaxy 240 million light-years away, and may be similar to the supernovae that ended the lives of the first generation of stars that formed after the Big Bang. Astronomers said that a star in our own galaxy, Eta Carinae, only about 7,000 light-years from the Earth, could explode in a similar spectacular fashion in the relatively near future.
http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/3757
Reminder: Monday is [Was] Wiretap the Internet Day
Posted by Kevin Poulsen 1:46:34 PM
May 14th is the official deadline for cable modem companies, DSL providers, broadband over powerline, satellite internet companies and some universities to finish wiring up their networks with FBI-friendly surveillance gear, to comply with the FCC's expanded interpretation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.
Congress passed CALEA in 1994 to help FBI eavesdroppers deal with digital telecom technology. The law required phone companies to make their networks easier to wiretap. The results: on mobile phone networks, where CALEA tech has 100% penetration, it's credited with boosting the number of court-approved wiretaps a carrier can handle simultaneously, and greatly shortening the time it takes to get a wiretap going. Cops can now start listening in less than a day.
Now that speed and efficiency is coming to internet surveillance. While CALEA is all about phones, the Justice Department began lobbying the FCC in 2002 to reinterpret the law as applying to the internet as well. The commission obliged, and last June a divided federal appeals court upheld the expansion 2-1. (The dissenting judge called the FCC's position "gobbledygook." But he was outnumbered.)
So, if you're a broadband provider (separately, some VOIP companies are covered too) … Hurry! The deadline has already passed to file an FCC form 445 (.pdf), certifying that you're on schedule, or explaining why you're not. You can also find the 68-page official industry spec for internet surveillance here. It'll cost you $164.00 to download, but then you'll know exactly what format to use when delivering customer packets to federal or local law enforcement, including "e-mail, instant messaging records, web-browsing information and other information sent or received through a user's broadband connection, including on-line banking activity."
There are also third party brokers who will handle all this for you for a fee.
It's worth noting that the new requirements don't alter the legal standards for law enforcement to win court orders for internet wiretaps. Fans of CALEA expansion argue that it therefore won't increase the number of Americans under surveillance.
That's wrong, of course. Making surveillance easier and faster gives law enforcement agencies of all stripes more reason to eschew old-fashioned police work in favor of spying. The telephone CALEA compliance deadline was in 2002, and since then the amount of court-ordered surveillance has nearly doubled from 2,586 applications granted that year, to 4,015 orders in 2006.
Source and Links: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/05/reminder_monday.html
Secret Bullshit
by Paul Krassner
I've been alternating between reading The Secret and The Truth About Bullshit. Funny how complementary these two disparate books can be, which has led me to the concept of Secret Bullshit, based on a psychological notion that in order to deceive others you need to deceive yourself.
So, take the CBS lawyers who agreed to the stipulation in Don Imus' contract that he be given a warning before being fired for doing what they hired him to do in the first place, known as the "dog has one bite" clause. Well, their secret bullshit--bound to become their defense in court--is that although Imus wasn't warned after referring to Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz as a "boner-nosed, beanie-wearing Jewboy," they still had the right to fire him for saying "nappy-headed hos."
Now there's Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the D.C. Madam, who wants all those former clients to follow the lead of ex-Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias and testify that they also hired those gals only for a massage, never for sex. OK, everybody say, "Yeah, right." Ironically, once they're outed, won't they gladly reinforce Palfrey's secret bullshit with their own in order to correspond with what they must now tell their wives?
And finally, the spectacle of ten white male Republican presidential candidates all vying to become the leader of the western world by competing to see which one most disbelieves in evolution, has itself become the Dinosaur Follies. Their utter disdain for stem cell research and their unquestioning support of the invasion-turned-occupation of Iraq are two sides of that same secret bullshit.
You can watch secret bullshit becoming public bullshit as the language becomes increasingly perverted, ranging from the Bush doctrine that the new winning is not winning, to the cavalier morphing of the word debate to mean that candidates are not permitted to ask each other any questions--the very antithesis of what a debate originally meant.
"They should call it an AA meeting," my wife Nancy observed. "No cross-talk allowed." She is an instinctive detector of secret bullshit when expressed publicly, that transcends political correctness. As the pundits discuss the merits of stiffer sentences for hate crimes, Nancy wonders aloud, "And what are the others--love crimes?"
More information on Paul Krassner is located at:
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Scrapbook/Paul_Krassner.html
United States Could Learn Something From Italy?
Italy row over high office bill
By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Rome
A row is brewing in Italy as parliament prepares to debate new laws to stop anyone with businesses worth more than 15m euros (£10m) from holding office.
A new "conflict of interest" law would be particularly damaging for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Critics of Mr Berlusconi, now leader of the opposition and Italy's richest man, maintain his media holdings are incompatible with high office.
He says the reform bill is tantamount to "political assassination".
Huge media interests
"It's further proof," he says, "of the left's desire to eliminate its most dangerous political adversary."
But since he came into politics in 1993, Silvio Berlusconi has been criticised both at home and abroad for his dual role as Italy most powerful businessman and leading politician.
He has huge media interests. His family holding company, Fininvest, is an unlisted group worth an estimated $12bn (£6bn), and while holding office, he directly or indirectly exercised control over six out of seven of Italy's national television networks.
In 2004, while prime minister, Mr Berlusconi's government passed a law which ensured he could remain in high office while retaining ownership of his companies, so long as he was not managing them himself.
The centre-left want to go much further. If this bill is successful it would mean in future, rich businessmen who want to pursue political careers here would have to sell their businesses or put them into a blind trust.
But the government is facing a titanic battle - already the opposition is rallying behind its leader.
And Mr Prodi knows that with only a two seat majority in the upper house Senate, he will need all his political resolve to force this through.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6631803.stm
Rich: Is Condi hiding the smoking gun?
RAW STORY
Published: Saturday May 5, 2007
"George Tenet is just the latest to join this blame game," writes Frank Rich in his Sunday New York Times op-ed piece.
Three years ago it was General Tommy Franks laying the blame for the bungled Iraq war at the feet of Douglas Feith. Last year it was "neocon cheerleader" Kenneth Adelman pointing the finger at Tenet, Franks and L. Paul Bremer. Richard Perle called out Bush, Ahmad Chalabi placed the burden on Paul Wolfowitz.
"And of course nearly everyone blames Rumsfeld," says Rich. "This would be a Three Stooges routine were there only three stooges."
But the highest level Bush confidant who was around when the war was being conceived, and is still on the payroll, is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Last week Rice made the rounds on the morning talk show circuit, just days after rebuffing a subpoena from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about the intelligence that was used to make a case for war with Iraq.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Rice_appears_to_reject_Waxmans_subpoena_0426.html
"Rice was dispatched to three Sunday shows last weekend to bat away Tenet's book before '60 Minutes' broadcast its interview with him that night. But in each appearance her statements raised more questions than they answered," writes Rich. "She was persistently at odds with the record, not just the record as spun by Tenet but also the public record. She must be held to a higher standard -- aka the truth -- before she too jumps ship."
For video of Rice's appearance on ABC's This Week, see RAW STORY's coverage here.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Rice_backs_away_Iraq_imminent_threat_0429.html
But dodging questions on morning talk shows is not where Rich things Rice should be talking.
"As long as U.S. troops are dying in Iraq, the secretary of state has an obligation to answer questions about how they got there and why they stay. If accountability is ever to begin, it would be best if those questions are answered not on '60 Minutes' but under oath," he concludes.
Excerpts follow:
#
On CBS' "Face the Nation," she claimed that intelligence errors before the war were "worldwide" even though the International Atomic Energy Agency's Mohamed ElBaradei publicly stated there was "no evidence" of an Iraqi nuclear program and even though Germany's intelligence service sent strenuous prewar warnings that the CIA's principal informant on Saddam's supposed biological weapons was a fraud.
Of the Sunday interviewers, it was George Stephanopoulos who went for the jugular by returning to that nonexistent uranium from Africa. He forced Rice to watch a clip of her appearance on his show in June 2003, when she claimed she did not know of any serious questions about the uranium evidence before the war. Then he came as close as any Sunday host ever has to calling a guest a liar. "But that statement wasn't true," Stephanopoulos said. Rice pleaded memory loss, but the facts remain. She received a memo raising serious questions about the uranium in October 2002, three months before the president included the infamous 16 words on the subject in his State of the Union address. Her deputy, Stephen Hadley, received two memos as well as a phone call of warning from Tenet.
#
DEVELOPING...
Source: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Rich_Is_Condi_hiding_smoking_gun_0505.html
II CORINTHIANS, 11: 12, 13, 14, 15
What Is the Truth?
by Balzac
Mr. Bush says Quakers and People Who Hand Out Peanut-Butter Sandwiches Are "cold-blooded killers who will kill on a moment's notice."
QUAKER TERRORISTS
The first accounts of DOMESTIC SPYING surfaced when Corporate Media reported:
"Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?
Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks suspicious' domestic groups.
By Lisa Myers, Douglas Pasternak, Rich Gardella and the
NBC Investigative Unit
Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2005
WASHINGTON - A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a small group of activists met to plan a protest of military recruiting at local high schools. What they didn't know was that their meeting had come to the attention of the U.S. military.
A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth meeting as a “threat” and one of more than 1,500 “suspicious incidents” across the country over a recent 10-month period.
“This peaceful, educationally oriented group being a threat is incredible,” says Evy Grachow, a member of the Florida group called The Truth Project.
Continue reading at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10454316/
PEANUT-BUTTER and JELLY TERRORISTS
The Other Big Brother
The Pentagon has its own domestic spying program. Even its leaders
say the outfit may have gone too far.
By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek
Jan. 30, 2006 issue - The demonstration seemed harmless enough. Late on a June afternoon in 2004, a motley group of about 10 peace activists showed up outside the Houston headquarters of Halliburton, the giant military contractor once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney. They were there to protest the corporation's supposed "war profiteering." The demonstrators wore papier-mache masks and handed out free peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches to Halliburton employees as they left work. The idea, according to organizer Scott Parkin, was to call attention to allegations that the company was overcharging on a food contract for troops in Iraq. "It was tongue-in-street political theater," Parkin says.
But that's not how the Pentagon saw it. To U.S. Army analysts at the top-secret Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA), the peanut-butter protest was regarded as a potential threat to national security.
Continue reading at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10965509/site/newsweek/
Bush Authorized Domestic Spying - Post-9/11 Order
Bypassed Special Court
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 16, 2005; Page A01
President Bush signed a secret order in 2002 authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, despite previous legal prohibitions against such domestic spying, sources with knowledge of the program said last night. Continue reading at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/16/AR2005121600021.html
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Ed.
Q Mr. President, with this program, though, what can you say to those members of the public that are worried about violations of their privacy?
THE PRESIDENT: Ed, I can say that if somebody from al Qaeda is calling you, we'd like to know why. In the meantime, this program is conscious of people's civil liberties, as am I. This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America. And I repeat, limited. And it's limited to calls from outside the United States to calls within the United States. But they are of known -- numbers of known al Qaeda members or affiliates. I think most Americans understand the need to find out what the enemy is thinking. And that's what we're doing.
We're at war with a bunch of cold-blooded killers who will kill on a moment's notice. And I have a responsibility, obviously, to act within the law, which I am doing. It's a program that's been reviewed constantly by Justice Department officials, a program to which the Congress has been briefed, and a program that is, in my judgment, necessary to win this war and to protect the American people. Continue reading at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060101.html
By the pResident's own words, QUAKERS and PEOPLE WHO HAND OUT PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY SANDWICHES are "cold-blooded killers who will kill on a moment's notice".
What I would like to know is how do we defend ourselves from these new "evil doers" or is this another REPUBLICAN LIE like WMD ?
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/Balzac/20060307balz.html
Do You Feel Safe and Happy?
"whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness" - Declaration of Independence
End the War: Republicans and Democrats Are Murdering Our Troops
~@~ here... Having gone through "Extensions" during the Vietnam Conflict/War, I can honestly say our CHICKENHAWK government is abusing the United States Military.
The main reason (imo) for this ABUSE is political, because Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, and the CHICKENHAWK SCUM running the country know there will be public protest if a DRAFT is re-established. Did I mention war crimes?
The war in Iraq is based on Republican Neocon Lies and was supported by Democrats (2000-2004) who lacked bollocks or intestinal fortitude [with exception to a courageous Barbara Lee].
Strained Army Extends Tours To 15 Months
Move Is Needed for Iraq Troop Increase
By Ann Scott Tyson and Josh White
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
NOBODY FOR PRESIDENT
NONE OF THE ABOVE ON
VOTER BALLOTS
http://www.nobodyforpresident.org/
Operator: Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your national ID number?
Customer: Hi, I'd like to place an order.
Operator: I must have your NIDN first, sir.
Customer: My National ID Number, yeah, hold on, eh, it's 6102049998-45-54610.
Operator: Thank you Mr. Sheehan. I see you live at 1742 Meadowland Drive, and the phone number is 494-2366. Your office number over at Lincoln Insurance is 745-2302 and your cell number is 266-2566. Email address is sheehan@home.net . I see your calling me from home.
Customer: Huh? Where'd you get all this information?
Operator: We're wired into the HSS, sir.
Customer: The HSS, what is that?
Operator: We're wired into the Homeland Security System, sir. This will add only 15 seconds to your ordering time.
Customer: (sighs) Oh well, I'd like to order a couple of your All-Meat Special pizzas.
Operator: I don't think that's a good idea, sir.
Customer: Whaddya mean?
Operator: Sir, your medical records and commode sensors indicate that you've got very high blood pressure and extremely high cholesterol. Your National Health Care provider won't allow such an unhealthy choice.
Customer: What?!?! What do you recommend, then?
Operator: You might try our low-fat Soybean Pizza. I'm sure you'll like it.
Customer: What makes you think I'd like something like that?
Operator: Well, you checked out 'Gourmet Soybean Recipes' from your local library last week, sir. That's why I made the suggestion.
Customer: All right, all right. Give me two family-sized ones, then.
Operator: That should be plenty for you, your wife and your four kids. Your 2 dogs can finish the crusts, sir. Your total is $49.99.
Customer: Lemme give you my credit card number.
Operator: I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to pay in cash. Your credit card balance is over its limit.
Customer: I'll run over to the ATM and get some cash before your driver gets here.
Operator: That won't work either, sir. Your checking account is overdrawn also.
Customer: Never mind! Just send the pizzas. I'll have the cash ready. How long will it take?
Operator: We're running a little behind, sir. It'll be about 45 minutes, sir. If you're in a hurry you might want to pick'em up while you're out getting the cash, but then, carrying pizzas on a motorcycle can be a little awkward.
Customer: Wait! How do you know I ride a bike?
Operator: It says here you're in arrears on your car payments, so your car got repo'ed. But your Harley's paid for and you just filled the tank yesterday.
Customer: Well, I'll be a #%#^^&$%^$~@~#
Operator: I'd advise watching your language, sir. You've already got a July 4, 2003 conviction for cussing out a cop and another one I see here in September for contempt at your hearing for cussing at a judge. Oh yes, I see here that you just got out from a 90 day stay in the State Correctional Facility. Is this your first pizza since your return to society?
Customer: (speechless)
Operator: Will there be anything else, sir?
Customer: Yes, I have a coupon for a free 2 liter of Coke.
Operator: I'm sorry sir, but our ad's exclusionary clause prevents us from offering free soda to diabetics. The New Constitution prohibits this. Thank you for calling Pizza Hut.
GO SHOPPING
Why We Feel The Christian Right Supports Bush's War
by Dahbud Mensch
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/index.html
Being privy to a group of folks who work for think tanks, I sometimes have access to information most are not aware of and although I am not allowed to give specifics, I am able to 'paint a word picture'.
Recently some new information surfaced regarding George W. Bush's support base and some amazing things were revealed. For example, The Christian Right Are Maxed Out On Credit and Need Rapture followed by Armageddon, so they don't have to pay the guy who comes in their mailbox (Bill).
Email from ~@~ to Paul Krassner
there are many fundos up here and right after 'shock ing awe full' i noticed a LOT of new cars and new motorcycles on the road, and a lot of new houses being bought and sold (local christian community) and that did not compute, so i started watching for 'signs'.
the first thing i seem to remember was gaither (big fundo) making all those end of days/rapture movies, which (imo) 'painted the mood'.
the next thing i saw was at the grocery stores and gas stations and was a shocker to me because i have seen this continue until today and i started watching during the summer of 2003.
in the past, at the gas station and food store i always saw people pull cash out of their pocket and pay...and what caught my attention was now, i was standing in lines, while cashiers rang up credit card sales. so... i dug up what i could about credit card debt and discovered that 80 percent of the people who have cards, have at least one 'maxed out', to the general average tune of about 10 thousand dollars per person. i also discovered if one stopped charging and paid the minimum payment, it would take approximately 46 to 49 years to pay off the debt.
in turn, the bank lobbyists push congress into passing a bill that went into effect last year that doubled the consumers monthly credit card payment, which meant all of those 80 million people went from a min. payment of 200 dollars per month to about 400 dollars a month.... on top of this, gas and food prices went up.
about 4 months ago the papers were full of "low mileage" cars and motorcycles for sale; along with big screen tv sets...and it appears as if there is a financial crunch in most of the fundo folks around here.
here is what we assume has happened. we feel the fundos were expecting rapture about two years ago and decided to lay some luxury on themselves before arriving in heaven, naked, to watch the rest of us go through 7 years of misery, and now that it has not happened, yet, and the bills are piling up and becoming due, a state of nervous anticipation is at hand and they are trying to advance their concept of armageddon.
in the meantime, anyone that challenges their reality becomes the enemy and they are very good, like others i know, at 'messing with other peoples' lives.
if one were able to stand out far enough, i would assume they are now becoming what the "brown shirts" were, and if you recall, the artists, poets, artists, intellectuals, gays, and abnormal people were the first to go in that old reality.... and (sigh/smile) it would appear some fundogelicals will do anything to avoid paying bills.
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Scrapbook/Paul_Krassner.html
The Harris Poll #36
According to "The Harris Poll #36", dated April 26, 2007, 28 percent of U.S. adults view George W. Bush's performance as positive and seven out of ten adults view his job performance as negative.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/
Misguided Christian Right
The first question that needed some light was 'who are those 28 percent of U.S. adults who view his performance as positive' and the answer is, the misguided Christian Right, but before the statistics, perhaps it is necessary to explain "misguided Christian Right"
GOD said, "thou shall not kill" and JESUS extended this concept when he said,
Christians are to no longer execute sinners, so they should not wage carnal war, but spiritual warfare (John 18:36; 2 Corinthians 10:1-6; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 6:11-14; 2 Timothy 2:3-5; 4:6-8)
Christians must be peacemakers forgiving those who do them harm treating their enemies with love and not seeking revenge (Matthew 5:9, Romans 14:19), (Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12-14; Matthew 6:9-15; Mark 11:25-26), (Luke 6:27-36) (Romans 12:17-21; 1 Peter 3:8-12).
Hatred which is the same as murder is unforgiving, vengeful and hostile towards one's enemies (1 John 3:15)
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/ministersofsatan.html
Percent of voting-age population: 12.6%
Percent of 2004 voters: 15%
Who are they: Highly orthodox white evangelical Protestants: 88% believe the Bible is literally true; 87% report attending worship once a week or more; 44% live in the South.
Ideology: Conservative: 66%, Moderate: 25%, Liberal: 9%
Party: Republican: 70%, Independent: 10%, Democratic: 20%
Political trend: Strongly Republican and getting more so each year.
How they voted: 88% of the Religious Right voted for Bush, accounting for 26% of his total votes in the election. Just 12% voted for Kerry, making up 4% of his total votes received.
What they care about: Compared to other groups, more likely to care about cultural issues (40% compared to 20% nationally); 84% are pro-life and 89% oppose marriage or civil unions for gays; very strong supporters of Israel (64% say the U.S. should back Israel over the Palestinians). Four-fifths claim that religion is important to their political thinking. This group strongly supports the political involvement of religious organizations.
In the 2004 election, the Religious Right cited social issues as the most important factor in their vote. Those who voted for Bush placed far more emphasis on this than Religious Right Kerry voters, who cited the economy and foreign policy as most important to their decision.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/153/story_15355_1.html
If one is interested in "How the Twelve Tribes Voted on the Issues, a Two-Party Breakdown", click the following link:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/167/story_16769_1.html
Go Shopping
The above raises another question, "Why Are They Supporting Bush?" and the answer is quite sad.
I've been told that some fear to leave; some don't want to go shopping for their families; some don't want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they're afraid they'll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.
Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior. - George W. Bush, September 17, 2001
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html
The unemployment rate has remained low, at 4.5 percent. A recent report on retail sales shows a strong beginning to the holiday shopping season across the country -- and I encourage you all to go shopping more. - George W. Bush, December 26, 2006
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061220-1.html
Rapture
The concept was popularized since the 1830s, and recently since the 1970s, by proponents of the premillenialist, and in particular the dispensationalist interpretations of scripture. According to these theories, world events indicate that the fulfillment of prophecies of the end times is imminent, and that the rapture could take place at any moment.
The origins of the doctrine of the rapture are hotly debated. The Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and Roman Catholic churches, which represent the majority of Christians worldwide, have no tradition of such a teaching and reject the doctrine, in part because they cannot find any reference to it among any of the early Church fathers and in part because they do not interpret the scriptures the way that Rapture-believers do.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
The Truth About Credit
Over half of Americans carry total credit card debt averaging $10,000 each and totaling over $800 billion. On April 24, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a report finding that over half (57 percent) of consumers who carry credit card debt want customized disclosures on their monthly bills explaining how many years it will take to pay off the card if only the requested minimum payment is made.
Until recently, a consumer who owed credit card debt of $5,000 at a common 16 percent APR, who only made the typical 2 percent minimum payment, would take 26 years to pay off the card, even if it was cut up and never used again. Even the federal regulators finally took notice, and recently ordered banks to increase minimum payments by a modest amount.
http://www.uspirg.org/financial-privacy-security/the-truth-about-credit
Steve Bell
Many nations will recognize that he is evil, but his own people will be inclined to believe his deceptions.
Addendum: Thanks to Dizzy Dayz http://dizzydayz.blogspot.com/ for the lead to Mark Fiore's Veto Accomplished animation. Please click the below link to view:
http://www.markfiore.com/animation/veto.html
A POSITIVE FUTURE
IMPEACHMENT DO-IT-YOURSELF: Code Pink initiates powerful campaign to call Pelosi about impeachment
Speaker Pelosi is taking a tally for IMPEACHMENT:
From a Code Pink list:
PLEASE CALL Nancy Pelosi's office right now. Here's the deal as forwarded to me:
House Speaker Pelosi's office is taking calls voting for Impeachment of Bush/Cheney at 202-225-0100. For toll free numbers to Congress: (800) 828 - 0498, (800) 459 - 1887, (800) 614 - 2803, (866) 340 - 9281, (866) 338 - 1015, (877) 851 - 6437
Folks, each of you who have been wanting impeachment need to commit right now to ask at least 10 others to call and ask each person to commit to asking 10 others to call and so on. It needs to happen fast and NOW. [Continue Reading At]:
http://peaceinspace.blogs.com/campaign_for_a_positive_f/
http://www.codepink4peace.org/section.php?id=24
http://www.codepink4peace.org/
Text of CA Democratic Party Impeachment Resolution
April 30, 2007, San Diego, CA
CALLING FOR FULL INVESTIGATION INTO ABUSES OF POWER BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND RICHARD B. CHENEY
WHEREAS, George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney have acted in a manner contrary to their trust as President and Vice President, subversive of the Constitution, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of California and the United States of America, by intentionally disseminating and propagating knowingly false and fabricated evidence regarding the threat from Iraq in order to wage a tragic, bloody war with the loss of thousands of brave American troops and Iraqi civilians, and
WHEREAS, it is clear that since September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have abused their powers of office by:
1) using information they knew to be false as justification for the U.S. invasion of Iraq;
2) condoning and authorizing the torture of prisoners of war;
3) authorizing wiretaps on U.S. citizens without obtaining a warrant;
4) disclosing the name of an undercover CIA operative contrary to law in order to harm her for her husbands opposition to the Iraq War;
5) having suspended and denied the historic Writ of Habeas Corpus by ordering the indefinite detention of so-called enemy combatants without charge and without access to legal counsel; and
6) overstepping Presidential authority by signing statements used to ignore or circumvent portions of over 750 Congressional statutes he brought into law; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party supports vigorous investigation of these charges by the Congress of the United States, including the full use of Congressional subpoena power authority to completely disclose the actions of the Administration to the American people and to take necessary action to call the Administration to account with appropriate remedies and punishment, including impeachment.
Submitted by Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party; CDP Resolutions Co-Chairs; Emily Thurber; Bob Farran; Michael Barnett; Tim Carpenter, Joye Swan; Patrick Henry Demo Club; 69th AD Cmte.; The Hull-Richters; Alexandar, Mark and Natasha (Adopted April 29, 2007)
Project-Censored - http://projectcensored.org/
U.S. media haven't the will to dig deep
By Greg Palast
Special to the Los Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 04/30/2007 12:18:36 AM MDT
In an e-mail uncovered and released by the House Judiciary Committee last month, Tim Griffin, once Karl Rove's right-hand man, gloated that ''no national press picked up'' a BBC Television story reporting that the Rove team had developed an elaborate scheme to challenge the votes of thousands of African Americans in the 2004 election.
Griffin wasn't exactly right. The Los Angeles Times did run a follow-up article days later in which it reported the findings. But he was essentially right. Most major U.S. newspapers and the vast majority of television news programs ignored the story even though it came just weeks before the election. [Continue Reading At]:
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_5782380
GONZALES WANTS ARBITRARY POWER TO BLOCK GUN PURCHASES
SAF SAYS HE SHOULD RESIGN
For Immediate Release: 5/1/2007
BELLEVUE, WA - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' troubling support of legislation that would allow him and future attorneys general the arbitrary power to block firearms purchases without due process is cause for him to step down as the nation's highest ranking law enforcement officer, the Second Amendment Foundation said today.
The bill, S. 1237, was introduced last week at the Justice Department's request by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), one of the most extreme anti-gunners in Congress. Called the "Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2007," this legislation would give the Attorney General discretionary authority to deny the purchase of a firearm or the issuance of a firearm license or permit because of some vague suspicion that an American citizen may be up to no good.
"This bill," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "raises serious concerns about how someone becomes a 'suspected terrorist.' Nobody has explained how one gets their name on such a list, and worse, nobody knows how to get one's name off such a list.
"The process by which someone may appeal the Attorney General's arbitrary denial seems weak at best," Gottlieb suggested, "and there is a greater concern. When did we decide as a nation that it is a good idea to give a cabinet member the power to deny someone's constitutional right simply on suspicion, without a trial or anything approaching due process?
"We're not surprised that General Gonzales has found an agreeable sponsor in Frank Lautenberg," Gottlieb observed. "The senator from New Jersey has never seen a restrictive gun control scheme he did not immediately embrace, and S. 1237 is loaded with red flags. It would allow an appointed bureaucrat the authority to suspend or cancel someone's Second Amendment right without even being charged with a crime.
"Attorney General Gonzales has no business asking for that kind of power over any tenet in the Bill of Rights," Gottlieb said. "He took an oath to uphold the Constitution, not trample it. Perhaps it is time for him to go."
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nations oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.
http://www.saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=223
Mission Accomplished
A slide show with midi music to remind U.S.
of the manipulation accomplished
by Dahbud Mensch
http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/missionaccomplished/index.html
Source: http://www.flyingsnail.com/Dahbud/index.html
Tuesday News in a Nut Shell
Afghans protest over civilian deaths for third day
By Noor Rahman
ALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Burning an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush and chanting anti-U.S. slogans, hundreds of Afghans staged a third day of protests on Tuesday over the killing of civilians by U.S.-led coalition forces. [Continue Reading At]:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070501/ts_nm/afghan_protest_dc
Israelis clamour for Olmert to quit after war report
by Patrick Anidjar
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israelis clamoured for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign as his ruling coalition began to fray on Tuesday after a government probe blasted his leadership for serious failure in the Lebanon war.
One cabinet minister quit and newspapers shrieked for Olmert to follow suit over a scathing interim report into the conflict, although party faithful rallied around and pundits warned he could yet ride out the political storm.
"The public has lost its faith in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert," said minister without portfolio Eitan Cabel as he announced his resignation from the coalition cabinet, becoming the first casualty of the war report.
[Ed. Note: Substituting words on this article perhaps reveals the future of the current Bush Administration. For example: Americans clamour for Bush to quit after war report - etc.] [Continue Reading At]:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070501/ts_afp/mideastconflictisraelschedlead
U.S. Cites 91 Percent Rise In Terrorist Acts in Iraq
From: Citizens for Legitimate
Government
http://www.legitgov.org/
The number of [US] terrorist incidents in Iraq -- and resulting deaths, injuries and kidnappings -- skyrocketed from 2005 to 2006, according to statistics released by U.S. counterterrorism officials yesterday. Of the 14,338 reported terrorist attacks worldwide last year, 45 percent took place in Iraq, and 65 percent of the global fatalities stemming from terrorism occurred in Iraq. [Continue Reading At]:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/30/AR2007043001663.html
PEOPLES' PARLIAMENT and WORLD GATHERING
Saturday and Sunday, 25th and 26th August, 2007
We have hundreds of aircraft intentionally spraying a noxious mixture over half the countries in the world. Tens of millions know this bizarre phenomenon as either `Chemtrails', or `Chem Trails'. Have you noticed many people becoming weak and ill for no apparent reason during the past ten years? What do you think this thick mixture is doing. Next time you have an allergic-type hacking cough, think back over the past 48 hours and try to remember whether there had been thick and messy trails coming only from certain planes. [Continue Reading At]:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prez_usa_exile/message/1430
For Details Visit: http://www.michael-irving.com/gathering.html
Save Internet Radio
The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on May 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Internet radio needs your help! H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL ) to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060 by clicking below.
http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9679516&type=TA
Home Page: http://www.savenetradio.org/index.html
New law could save internet radio
Congress looks to overturn crushing royalty ruling
By OUT-LAW.COM
A law has been proposed in the US Congress that would overturn a recent ruling on internet radio royalty payments. The bill could save internet radio, according to activists.
Earlier this month the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which reports to the Library of Congress, increased the charges which internet radio stations will have to pay in order to broadcast music. Stations claim that the charges in many cases represent more than their total revenues, and that they make it impossible to build a business out of online radio.
The CRB is answerable to Congress, and two members of the House of Representatives have proposed a law which would withdraw the CRB's recent ruling and propose a compromise system of payments.
Internet radio activists say that the system is unfair because it penalises online radio stations unduly. Broadcast radio pays no royalty fees, they say, while satellite radio pays far less than internet radio's new charges.
The new law will charge the same fee to radio stations whether they are provided via satellite, cable, or the internet. It will offer stations the chance to choose to pay 7.5 per cent of their revenues or 33 cents per hour per listener.
The bill was introduced by Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Don Manzullo.
"Since the CRB's decision to dramatically and unfairly increase webcaster royalty rates, millions of internet radio listeners, webcasters and artists have called on Congress to take action," said Jake Ward of lobby group SaveNetRadio. "Today Congress took notice, and we thank Mr Inslee for leading the charge to save music diversity on the internet."
Speaking this month to OUT-LAW Radio's Joe Kennedy, chief executive of Pandora, one of the internet's largest radio-style services, said the threat to online radio was severe.
"The judges adopted the proposal to triple the rates for large webcasters, and for small webcasters it's actually closer to a 12 times increase in the rates that they pay," said Kennedy. "It's an extraordinary increase in the rates that will effectively kill internet radio as we know it today.
"Over 90 per cent of internet radio will simply be gone. The net result will be a huge loss of diversity, a huge loss for music artists and a loss of virtually all of the internet radio that exists."
"You can't put an economic chokehold on this emerging force of democracy," Inslee said, according to CNet News. "There has to be a business model that allows creative webcasters to thrive and the existing rule removes all the oxygen from this space."
Copyright © 2007, OUT-LAW.com
OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/30/internet_radio_law/
OUT-LAW.com: http://www.out-law.com/
The Declaration of Independence - (1776)
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. - Declaration of Independence
Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad. - President Dwight D. Eisenhower, The Military-Industrial [Corporate Media] Complex