Iraq "War" equivalent to WWII?

Like most of you, I am all consumed by the news coverage on hurricane Katrina. I was in New Orleans just a few months ago and I'm shocked by the flood photos. But I trust that you can find complete coverage at other outlets like CNN. In the meantime Bush is talkin' crazy again.

Invoking the spirit of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Tuesday, President Bush described the war in Iraq as the modern-day moral equivalent of the struggle against Nazi fascism and Japanese imperialism in World War II.

Let me start by saying Bush is no Roosevelt. HE was a great American, thinking outside the confines of a capitalist mentality to create social programs unparalleled in modern American history. Roosevelt took this country out of the Depression, party through WWII and party through his New Deal by creating social programs like Public Works, Social Security, the FDIC, mandatory availability of meals for children in school, on and on. If it did not suit his particular agenda, ideologically Bush would have nothing to do with Roosevelt and would probably consider him a leftwing Socialist, but that's besides the point I guess.

Bush used a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the victory over Japan to try to fortify public will at a time of unremitting violence in Iraq. It was third time in the last week that he has delivered a stay-the-course speech to counter an energized antiwar sentiment. Speaking at a naval base near the docked USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, Bush characterized Iraqi insurgents as every bit a "ruthless" enemy as the Germans and the Japanese.

"He knew that it was the lack of democracy in Japan that allowed an un-elected group of militarists to take control of the state, threaten our neighbors, attack America and plunge an entire region into war," Bush said of Roosevelt. "And he knew that the best way to bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to Japan."

I guess Truman decided the best way to give Japan freedom was to drop two atomic bombs on its civilians. Enjoy the freedom!

Let's back track, how can you equate the necessity of World War II with this pseudo-war? Has Bush ever formally declared war? To which leader? Remember we are fighting "insurgence" not warring against a military, right? If I remember my H.S. American history correctly, it took Roosevelt a hell of allot of convincing in order to get involved in the war, whereas Bush pre-emptively attacked a sovereign country without just provocation (proven that we went to war under false pretences). World War II is probably the last legitimate war this country has been involved in. Let's not compare it to this bloody fiasco. Then we were heroes, now we are thugs.

Greene Sreet (Between Spring & Broome) SoHo, NYC

The Silver Ring Thing UPDATE!

Back in May I posted a story about The Silver Ring Thing. Basically, it's a group that serves abstinence-only sex education with a suspiciously Evangelical Christian coating. Finally, yesterday, the Bush Administration suspended The Silver Ring Thing's federal grant saying that the organization is using tax money for religious activities. A big no no if we are to uphold the separation of Church and State.

In a letter to the program director, Harry Wilson, associate commissioner of the Family and Youth Services Bureau, concluded that the project funded with federal dollars "includes both secular and religious components that are not adequately safeguarded."

The action comes three months after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against HHS, accusing the administration of using tax dollars to promote Christianity. In documents filed in federal court in Boston, the ACLU alleged that the activities, brochures and Web site of Silver Ring Thing were "permeated with religion" and use "taxpayer dollars to promote religious content, instruction and indoctrination."

Julie Sternberg, senior staff attorney said, "It's improper for the federal government to underwrite a national roadshow designed to convert teenagers to a particular faith."

Pat Robertson, the Voice of Christianity

You know Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America, evangelical televangelist on The 700 Club? That kindly looking white haired older gentleman with a soft spoken voice, smiling while spewing out the most vile, contemptible hate. Yes, that's the one! He's the guy who asked his viewers to pray for the deaths of several supreme court justices. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." The same "Christian" is now calling for a man's assassination.

He said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, must stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism." How does one stop the opposition? Well according to Robertson death and murder seem to be the only way.

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop... We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

And this douchbag actually has followers. I shudder to think that a good chunk of Americans probably agree with his philosophy. But what am I saying, Jesus did say kill thine enemy, right? Nothing about give to Caesar what is Caesar's, or turning the other cheek, or loving your enemies...

Shot in cold blood

I saw this on CNN last night and because I have become so jaded in government (not only our own) it didn't surprise me in the least. A leaked report into Menezes' death made public by Britain's ITV television suggested the initial police statements about what happened that day were filled with false claims. Mr. de Menezes was shot eight times in the head by police who wrongly thought he was a suspected suicide bomber in a London subway. He was the unfortunate victim of mistaken identity.

The report showed that police were following Menezes because he left a building that was under surveillance because they believed one of the July 21 attackers, Hamdi Isaac, also known as Osman Hussein, lived there. Officers tailing him concluded that he matched the description, according to the leaked documents cited by ITV. However, a surveillance officer had failed to record Menezes leaving the property in Tulse Hill because he had gone to take a leak and so was unable to switch on the video recording device.

London police were authorized to shoot and kill suspects they believed might try to set off more subway bombs. Shortly after de Menezes' death, police justified their actions by saying he was acting suspiciously and tried to run from officers, forcing detectives to make a split-second decision to shoot him.

ITV News, citing documents and photographs, reported that de Menezes was not carrying any bags when he entered the Stockwell Tube station and was wearing a denim jacket, rather than a bulky coat as police had previously said. (Take a look at the pictures on CNN.)

De Menezes walked at a normal pace, did not vault any barriers and even stopped to pick up a newspaper.

According to surveillance footage, he descended to the train slowly on an escalator, then ran toward the open subway car and took a seat.

At about the same time, armed officers were provided with positive identification that de Menezes was either Hamdi Issac, also known as Osman Hussain, one of the suspected bombers from the day before, or another suspect, at which point he was shot, ITV News reported.

A member of the surveillance team is quoted in the report, "I heard shouting which included the word `police' and turned to face the male in the denim jacket... He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the CO19 officers. I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been previously sitting. I then heard a gun shot very close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage."

ITV News also reported that an autopsy showed that de Menezes was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder -- and that three other bullets missed.

Looks like the London police are going for a cover-up by asking to carry on the investigation as to what happened in-house rather than letting a outside investigator look into the matter. A play right out of our own fine NYPD handbook, also known as "Operation Blue Shield".

[Update 8/18]
Here's another link to a BBC article about how "Scotland Yard 'initially resisted' the investigation into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes."

Vigil for Cindy Sheehan

Here's a visible way you can show your support for Cindy Sheehan, even if you're not near the Crawford Texas Ranch area. MoveOn.org, True Majority and Democracy for America is sponsoring a candelight vigil in a town near you: TONIGHT August 17th at 7:30 p.m. Over 1530 gatherings are planned in various communities to show support for Cindy and her call for an end to the war.

Cindy has asked supporters to start the candelight vigil and according to their website: Our vigils will be simple and dignified. Together, we'll acknowledge the sacrifices made by Cindy Sheehan, her son, Casey and the more than 1,800 brave American men and women who have given their lives in Iraq and their moms and families.

To find out where one is located near you go to the MoveOn Political Action site. I found nine locations in Brooklyn alone. If you're in the NYC area a good place is Washington Square Park in the Village, gathering at the foot of the arch.

Having Successfully Blocked Cocks, Conservatives Now Trying to Block Clones

Here's an oldie from last week's Wash Post. In the continuing fight for broader stem cell research, both sides are using every tactic possible to promote or block progress.

Advocates in Missouri and beyond expect the outcome [of the struggle] to have broad implications for politics and science as states struggle to define the limits of medical inquiry. This is true whether the research money comes from private pockets, as in Kansas City, or the public treasury, as in California, where $3 billion approved by voters has been blocked by lawsuits and legislative maneuvers.

Just last month, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) announced that he had helped hide $10 million in the state budget that will now be used for embryonic stem cell research. Several leading Republicans criticized him for the move, and the Catholic Conference of Illinois said he "betrayed his own office, both morally and politically."

South Dakota forbids research on all embryos, yet New Jersey is bankrolling an embryonic stem cell program. In New York City, a private foundation recently gave $50 million to three medical institutions for early stem cell work to sustain the city's research credentials.

"The blue states have been rushing to embrace opportunities in stem cell research," said Patrick M. Kelly, vice president of state government relations at the Washington-based Biotechnology Industry Organization. "California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, now Illinois. That has not been a phenomenon that has swept through the red states."

C'mon people, even crazy Bill Frist is behind making more stem cell lines eligible for funding.

Parliament is in Assembly, Veto Free

I didn't realize the historic implications of this, but Bush, now five years in office, has yet to issue a single veto. It's a streak unmatched in modern American history, one that throws into question traditional notions of checks and balances.

The Bush era thus far underscores a historically high-water mark of collegial cooperation between Congress and the White House, experts say. "We're pretty close to a parliamentary government," says G. Calvin Mackenzie, professor of government at Colby College in Watervillle, Maine, referring to Congress's close alignment with the executive branch.

The last time a president's party dominated Capitol Hill was in 1993 and 1994, the first two years of President Clinton's term. That period was also marked by zero vetoes, but for a very different reason. Unruly House and Senate Democrats failed to toe the line on Clinton's big-ticket proposals, such as nationalized healthcare, leaving him with few major bills to sign. Lack of party discipline nearly scuttled the North American Free Trade Agreement and his budget. By the end of his second term, Mr. Clinton had issued 37 vetoes.

"For fiscal conservatives, it's frustrating to watch," says David Keating, executive director at the Club for Growth, a Washington group that advocates fiscal responsibility and lower taxes. "He's beginning to lose all credibility with these veto threats."

Baby Terrorist on Board

Here's a very scary thought. Your government is compiling a list that YOU may be on. This list may grant air security the authority to strip search you, detain you for questioning, and bar you from flying altogether. And now we know that babies are on The List.

Ingrid Sanden's 1-year-old daughter was stopped in Phoenix, Arizona, before boarding a flight home to Washington at Thanksgiving. Why? Her daughter was on a "no-fly list" because her name was the same or similar to someone on that list.

Sarah Zapolsky and her husband had a similar experience last month while departing from Dulles International Airport outside Washington. An airline ticket agent told them their 11-month-old son was on the government list. They were able to board their flight after ticket agents took a half-hour to fax her son's passport and fill out paperwork.

The government's lists of people who are either barred from flying or require extra scrutiny before being allowed to board airplanes grew markedly since the September 11, 2001. The lists have swelled from a dozen or so names to more than 100,000 names, according to people in the aviation industry who are familiar with the issue.

Critics including the American Civil Liberties Union say the government doesn't provide enough information about the people on the lists, so innocent passengers can be caught up in the security sweep if they happen to have the same name as someone on the lists. ACLU lawyer Tim Sparapani said the problem of babies stopped by the no-fly list illustrates some of the reasons the lists don't work. "There's no oversight over the names," Sparapani said. "We know names are added hastily, and when you have a name-based system you don't focus on solid intelligence leads. You focus on names that are similar to those that might be suspicious."

So far 89 children have submitted their names to a registry of those mistakenly added to the no-fly lists. Of those, 14 are under the age of 2.

Hurry up and finish our, I mean your constitution already!

So, Iraqi leaders failed to meet their arbitrary deadline this week for completing their constitution. Iraq's parliament agreed on Monday to allow an extra week for negotiations on the constitution after politicians asked for more time to reach a deal and postponed a Monday deadline. They just can't decide on the little things, like oh, granting more than 50% of their population (their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters) equal rights.

But experts warned that too much pressure from the U.S. could backfire and undermine the leadership's credibility of Iraq. "Clearly the deadline is not working as there are still such big issues outstanding and putting pressure on them to meet the timetable is probably causing more division among the Iraqis than consensus," said Iraq expert David Phillips of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Middle East specialist Shibley Telhami said he thought the United States was playing too big a role in helping draft the constitution and this posed a credibility problem for the current Iraqi leaders. "The U.S. ambassador there is very visible in his meetings over the constitution. There is the impression that the United States is driving this, and that is not a good thing," said Telhami of the Brookings Institution.

I am picturing our forefathers, sitting around drafting our Constitution, with oh let's say the French hovering over their shoulders: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Empire?... No, um Sovereignty? No... ahh yes Union (good one Thomas, thank you George). Ok where were we, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of..." Monsieurs, hâte et le finissent! Sorry sorry, I'll speed it up, almost done, give me another week.

Eye on New York City

Here's an article on how the NYCLU is trying to count the number of security cameras installed in Manhattan to raise awareness on how easily our privacy can be violated. While their count includes cameras from private entities as well as government agencies, the numbers are still rather scary. A rough estimate would put the number of security cameras in Manhattan alone @ over 15,000.

The [NYCLU] interns have spent the summer stalking Big Brother - collecting data for an upcoming NYCLU report on the proliferation of cameras trained on streets, sidewalks and other public spaces.

At last count in 1998, the organization found 2,397 cameras used by a wide variety of private businesses and government agencies throughout Manhattan. This time, after canvassing less than a quarter of the borough, the interns so far have spotted more than 4,000.

The preliminary total "only provides a glimpse of the magnitude of the problem," said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. "Nobody has a clue how many there really are."

But aside from sheer numbers, the NYCLU says it's concerned about the increasing use of newer, more powerful digital cameras that - unlike boxy older models - can be controlled remotely and store more images.

The group expects to eventually publicize its findings to convince the public that the cameras should be regulated to preserve privacy and guard against abuses like racial profiling and voyeurism. Privacy advocates have cited a case earlier this year in which a police videotape that captured a suicide at a Bronx housing development later turned up on a pornographic Web site.
...
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to spend up to $250 million to install new surveillance cameras in the city's vast subway system. The New York Police Department also has requested funding for about 400 digital video cameras to help combat robberies and burglaries in busy commercial districts.

Police officers already watch live feeds from hundreds of cameras in city housing projects throughout the five boroughs, where "they are a proven deterrent," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

While cameras did help law enforcement identify those behind the recent London bombings, do we need one on every street corner? I can see the desire for the MTA to have them on subway platforms and the like but what happens when that footage of you picking your nose is posted on a fetish site (see the full article).

Justice Sunday II: God Save the United States and this Honorable Court

No, I didn't just make that up. It's the title of this Sunday's rally in Nashville, Tennessee. The second televised church event co-sponsored by prominent Christian conservative groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family to rally for U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Liberal religious leaders are criticizing the event and saying its organizers should not drag religion into his confirmation fight.

"There is no one religious position on the Roberts nomination, no one religious view on the future of the court or the cases it will hear," Rev. Bill Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, told reporters in a conference call.

The first "Justice Sunday" rally in April attacked Democrats filibustering against Bush's judicial nominees, saying the Democrats were opposed to people of faith (God loves the right). It featured an appearance by Senate Republican leader Bill Frist but now that he's taken the position for stem-cell research his been uninvited to this one.

Liberal religious groups criticized the organizers' emphasis on religion in the evaluation of Roberts and called it a threat to the principle of separation of church and state. "A senator or a congressman's faith should never be called into question based on their support or opposition to a particular nominee," said Rev. Robert Edgar, general secretary to the National Council of Churches.

The rally will be broadcast live to churches around the country and carried on hundreds of radio stations and the Internet. Yuk! Sorry, call me old fashion but sermoning should be done in a church not a stadium. Do you feel the spirit through your Wi-Fi receiver? Maybe Podcast it so you can listen on your iPod while working out.

[8/15/06 Update]
So, how'd the event go? I was too busy sacrificing lambs to mighty Hades to watch, but here's what Reuter's reported:

Organizers of the rally, which featured a packed audience at a Baptist church swaying and singing hymns beneath two huge American flags, said they hoped to use the gathering as a "launching pad" to mobilize Christians against judges they say are overriding the Constitution with their decisions.

"Catholics and other Christians together, we are going to move to the front of the bus and take command of the wheel," Catholic League's Bill Donohue said.

Oh poor Christians! Shall we pity these poor dear souls who only control 99.8% of the government?

Dr. James Dobson, the head of Focus on the Family, said in a videotaped address projected onto a giant screen above the altar that Democrats such as Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy and other "minions on the left" would try to turn Roberts' upcoming senate confirmation process into a "circus."

Count me in as a "minion" (and by that I assume he means us godforsaken devil-worshipping left).

From the voice of reason comes Baptist minister Rev. Bill Sherman from nearby Fairview, Tennessee. "We live in a complex society and theirs is a simplistic approach... To identify your church with a party, to push your agenda is not the proper function of the church. I don't like for any church to try to manipulate a political party. Politicians should be elected, not chosen by the church. There are plenty of Baptists who feel as I do and do not feel this is appropriate." Amen.

America Supports You Freedom... by taking away our civil rights

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced plans for a free country music concert, "America Supports You Freedom Walk" on September 11 "to remember the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, to honor U.S. troops and veterans, and to highlight the value of freedom... [it] will be preceded by a private ceremony for the families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon." Donald Rumsfeld announcement the event in the middle of an Iraq war briefing yesterday. Air America's website makes the connection that the event implicitly links the war in Iraq with the attacks in 2001.

From the New York Daily News - Word of the event startled some observers. "I've never heard of such a thing," said John Pike, who has been a defense analyst in Washington for 25 years and runs GlobalSecurity.org.

A state sponsored march through the city square? I think its happened once or twice, usually accompanied by soldiers marching in unison, waving nationalistic flags, followed by tanks yelling something patriotic to their fearless leader. But I don't think it was ever done to the smooth sounds of Clint Black.

The article continues, "That piece of it is disturbing since we all know now there was no connection," said Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq veteran who heads Operation Truth, an anti-administration military booster. Rieckhoff suggested the event was an ill-conceived publicity stunt. "I think it's clear that their public opinion polls are in the toilet."

"How about telling Mr. Rumsfeld to leave the memories of September 11 victims to the families?" said Monica Gabrielle, who lost her husband in the attacks.

A Mother's Protest

A mother whose son was killed in Iraq says she is prepared to continue her protest outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch through August until she is granted an opportunity to speak with him, evoking images that were commonplace during the Vietnam War.

Cindy Sheehan's 24-year-old son -- Army Spc. Casey Sheehan of Vacaville, California -- was killed in Baghdad's Sadr City on April 4, 2004. The Humvee mechanic was one of eight U.S. soldiers killed there that day by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. They are among the 1,829 American troops, including 31 this month, who have died in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

The president, who is spending a nearly five-week-long working vacation at his Texas ranch, said in a speech Wednesday that "the sacrifices of U.S. troops were made in a noble cause."

"I want to ask the president, why did he kill my son?" Sheehan told reporters. "He said my son died in a noble cause, and I want to ask him what that noble cause is. He wouldn't look at the pictures of Casey. He didn't even know Casey's name," she told CNN Sunday. "Every time we tried to talk about Casey and how much we missed him, he would change the subject."

Sheehan said she was so distraught at the time that she failed to ask the questions she now wants answered. "I want him to honor my son by bringing the troops home immediately," Sheehan told reporters Saturday. "I don't want him to use my son's name or my name to justify any more killing."

Approval of Bush's handling of Iraq dipped to 38 percent, its lowest level yet according to an AP-Ipsos. In a Newsweek poll released Sunday, 64 percent of those asked said they do not believe the war in Iraq has made Americans safer.

[8/11/05 UPDATE]

Cindy Sheehan's War protest is drawing some attention. About 50 people have joined her cause, pitching tents of their own and hanging anti-war banners. Trucker Craig Delaney was in Georgia on Monday when he heard numerous radio shows discussing Sheehan, most probably criticizing her because lets face it, the radio is filled with hate-spewing conservatives. He altered his route to California, heading for Texas, and got to Sheehan's site Wednesday morning. "I felt compelled to come and tell her I support her. The way they were bad-mouthing a mother whose son was killed in the war is un-American."

"Cindy Sheehan has become the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement," said Rev. Lennox Yearwood, leader of the Hip Hop Caucus, an activist group. "She's tired, fed up and she's not going to take it anymore, and so now we stand with her."

Kristinn Taylor, co-leader of D.C.'s Free Republic is saying that her protest is "hurting troop morale." A grieving mother is hurting troop morale?! Are you kidding me? The only thing it will do is remind troops overseas of their own mothers, who are waiting anxiously at home for them to return. What an F*ing surprise that a right winger would take that stance. This woman lost a son in a pointless war. She wants answers and all this cold hearted bitch can say is that Sheehan has "a political agenda that goes way beyond her son's death in combat." No, but your agenda is completely neutral.

The Unfeeling President

by E.L. Doctorow

“I fault this president for not knowing what death is. He does not suffer the death of our 21-year-olds who wanted to be what they could be. On the eve of D-Day in 1944 General Eisenhower prayed to God for the lives of the young soldiers he knew were going to die. He knew what death was. Even in a justifiable war, a war not of choice but of necessity, a war of survival, the cost was almost more than Eisenhower could bear.

But this president does not know what death is. He hasn't the mind for it. You see him joking with the press, peering under the table for the weapons of mass destruction he can't seem to find, you see him at rallies strutting up to the stage in shirt sleeves to the roar of the carefully screened crowd, smiling and waving, triumphal, a he-man.

He does not mourn. He doesn't understand why he should mourn. He is satisfied during the course of a speech written for him to look solemn for a moment and speak of the brave young Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

But you study him, you look into his eyes and know he dissembles an emotion which he does not feel in the depths of his being because he has no capacity for it. He does not feel a personal responsibility for the 1,000 dead young men and women who wanted to be what they could be...” Read the rest here

E. L. Doctorow is an American novelist. His works are noted for their mingling of American history and literary imagination through the interaction of fictional and real-life characters.

Thanks to a fellow bloger The Martian Anthropologist for this essay link.

2005 Is Really 1984 Again

Here's an interesting item from news.com on a case that made it to the Montana Supreme Court. "Believe it or not, it's perfectly legal for police to rummage through your garbage for incriminating stuff on you -- even if they don't have a warrant or court approval." The case revolved around the usability of evidence obtained from a person's garbage which made it obvious he was running a meth lab. The court ultimately deemed the evidence permissible in the prosecution of the defendant. What's included in the news.com items is one of the concurring judge's opinions. While he ruled against the defendant, he hypocritically laments that we're living in George Orwell's 1984 and he doesn't like it.

The opinion is really well written and is an interesting summary of the rights we are giving up in the U.S. but is ultimately disappointing because the judge allowed the evidence. What isn't clear is why the police were in the defendant's garbage to begin with. Was their some type of suspicion? Did his customers or neighbors rat him out? If so, why wasn't a warrant obtained? Similar to the point that Kat made in her comment about NYC Subway searches, how can we let the police do this? I know the case was complex but if the judge sees the absurdity in it, why didn't he use the power he has to stand up for basic civil rights? Watching someone with the ability to effect change but refusing to do so is unbelievably frustrating. Arrrgggg!

Lesson learned: Incinerate your garbage, chumps. A portion of the Judge's closing below:

If this Opinion is used to justify a sweep of the trash cans of a neighborhood or community; or if a trash dive for Sudafed boxes and matchbooks results in DNA or fingerprints being added to a forensic database or results in personal or business records, credit card receipts, personal correspondence or other property being archived for some future use unrelated to the case at hand, then, absent a search warrant, I may well reconsider my legal position and approach to these sorts of cases--even if I have to think outside the garbage can to get there.

Unpopular Opinion

Here's an interesting article on this crazy minority party politician from the UK saying some pretty radical things. "The Respect MP accused the UK and America of "raping" Baghdad and said the US was losing the war." Call me provincial but I don't even know what an "MP" is.

Anyway, yeah, this guy is a little off but the inflammatory way in which he describes the US and UK is probably representative of those hating on us.

He told Syrian Television: "Two of your beautiful daughters are in the hands of foreigners - Jerusalem and Baghdad.

"The foreigners are doing to your daughters as they will.

"The daughters are crying for help and the Arab world is silent. And some of them are collaborating with the rape of these two beautiful Arab daughters."

ACLU Says You Gotta Fight... For Your Right... To Ride the Subway

Given that 2 elected New York officials are backing racial profiling when the NYPD searches the bags of subway riders, it's about time someone is taking a real stab at ending this travesty. The ACLU is suing the NYPD to stop the searches on the grounds that they're simply unconstitutional.

Critics not aligned with civil liberties activists also say the searches are ineffective but say they want police to begin racial profiling of passengers to emphasize searches of young men of Middle Eastern or Asian descent.

Civil liberties advocates said searches that are not based on suspicion do little to protect the public, particularly when mass-transit riders who refuse to submit to the searches are allowed to enter the subway system at another station.

"People are allowed to walk away, ensuring that only innocent people are searched," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU, who called the searches a "civil liberties surcharge on a Metrocard."

Here's an additional Daily News link on the advocacy of racial profiling.

Bush Takes 319th "Sick" Day

I wish the headline was an exagerration (like they usually are) but this is no joke. The president is taking a 5 week vacation away from the White House. My favorte line is in bold below.

The president departed Tuesday for his longest stretch yet away from the White House, arriving at his Crawford ranch in the evening to clear brush, visit with family and friends, and tend to some outside-the-Beltway politics. By historical standards, it is the longest presidential retreat in at least 36 years.

The August getaway is Bush's 49th trip to his cherished ranch since taking office and Tuesday was the 319th day that Bush has spent, entirely or partially, in Crawford -- roughly 20 percent of his presidency to date, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS Radio reporter known for keeping better records of the president's travel than the White House itself. Weekends and holidays at Camp David or at his parents' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, bump up the proportion of Bush's time away from Washington even further.

Bush's long vacations are more than a curiosity: They play into diametrically opposite arguments about this leadership style. To critics and late-night comics, they symbolize a lackadaisical approach to the world's most important day job, an impression bolstered by Bush's periodic two-hour midday exercise sessions and his disinclination to work nights or weekends. The more vociferous among Bush's foes have noted that he spent a month at the ranch shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when critics assert he should have been more attentive to warning signs.

Your Big Brother Will Protect You From the Truth

Here's a good article from Reuters drawing comparisons between the blunting of reality after the use of atomic bombs in Japan and what's happening in the present day. The author notes how the U.S. government didn't allow footage of the aftermath of the atomic bomb blasts to be released to the public and points out how the Pentagon is using similar tactics today to protect people from the harsh realities of war. I think people should be constantly reminded about the horrors of war and hopefully remember that they elected the people who started this fantastic fuckfest. To forget or pretend that war is anything less than that only denigrates the value of all the lives lost and destroyed by the war.

"There's a mixture of censorship and self-censorship. In an information age, unfortunately what is missing is truthful and factual information," said Yahya Kamalipour, a communications professor at Purdue University in Indiana and author of "Bring 'Em On: Media and Politics in the Iraq War."

Examples of overt censorship are the Pentagon's ban on filming the coffins of dead servicemen and women being brought back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, as well as its continuing legal fight to prevent the publication of photographs and videos of detainee abuse in Abu Ghraib prison.

Self-censorship happens when individual editors decide not to run photographs or footage of casualties because they deem them "too shocking" for readers or because they wish to avoid controversy or criticism.

"So much of the media is owned by big corporations and they would much rather focus on making money than setting themselves up for criticism from the White House and Congress," said Ralph Begleiter, a former CNN correspondent, now a journalism professor at the University of Delaware.

I initially thought this was just another case of thoughtblock encouraged by the current administration and just chose a silly picture. After writing this up and thinking more about it, it really doesn't match my mood cause I'm just hella pissed off now but oh well... Hope this link to Reuters lasts.

You want proof? I got your proof right here!

For those who refuse to believe in global warming or the general destruction humans are having on the environment (ahem, I am refer to you Libertarians and other Laissez-faire Capitalists), here is some visual and first hand evidence.

Commander Eileen Collins said the astronauts on shuttle Discovery can seen widespread environmental destruction on Earth and warned on Thursday that greater care was needed to protect natural resources.

"Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world," Collins said in a conversation from space with Japanese officials in Tokyo, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

"We see storms, we see droughts we've seen hurricanes and of course in the view at night you see cities lit up in populated parts of the world," Commander Culbertson said. "There is smoke and dust in wider spread areas than we have seen before, particularly as areas like Africa dry up in certain regions."

"The atmosphere almost looks like an eggshell on an egg, it's so very thin," she said. "We know that we don't have much air, we need to protect what we have."

And here were are, sitting around debating about gays getting married and why Brad left Jennifer when our eggshell is ready to POP hurling us into space!

Lo and behold, the world IS round!

Do It Our Way or Else!

In an example of American Legislative Imperialism, the entertainment lobby has managed to sneak some pretty significant clauses into CAFTA that would force signees to alter their copyright laws to mirror those in the U.S.

[Update 11:30am - Ok, it's obvious I fell asleep last nite while posting this so here's the meat:]

Specifically, CAFTA calls for civil and criminal penalties to punish anyone who "circumvents" copy-protection technology or "provides" such tools to anyone else. Like the DMCA, that could cover everything from DeCSS (which removes copy-protection from DVDs) to products that do the same for e-books.

The Central American nations participating in CAFTA must also:

• Permit software patents
• Extend copyright protection to "70 years after the author's death"
• Ban the "manufacture" or "export" of any hardware or software that could decode encrypted satellite TV signals
• Offer "online public access to a reliable and accurate" WhoIs database of domain name registration details

It's true that these may be ideas beloved by the Bush administration and business lobbyists, but they have far more to do with special-interest lobbying than traditional notions of free trade.

The Beginning of the End

Continuing with our theme of citing portentous movies as obvious lessons on what NOT to do, didn't anyone see the Terminator movies? How about The Matrix series? For humankind's sake, stop right now! The armies of humanity will be overrun as we're seduced by these luscious robots. We'll be defeated overnight as we remain blissfully oblivious in the arms of our pleasure-bot conquerors.

[Thanks to Kat for the movie reference]

Someone Still Cares About the Environment

The EU is trying to get serious on pollution and has got some serious hate for us. In reaction to a new pact signed by the United States, Australia, China, India, South Korea and Japan, the EU is pushing for "legally binding global restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions." The pact signed by the US and fellow free polluters calls for member countries to "set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions individually, with no enforcement mechanism."

If you recall, "both the US and Australia have refused to ratify [the Kyoto treaty], which came into effect earlier this year - partly, they say, because big developing countries like India and China escape emissions limits." This type of logic sounds straight retarded but such is the theme of the current administration.

The signatories argue it complements, rather than weakens, the 1997 Kyoto agreement, which imposes targets on industrialised countries to cut their emissions.
...
But environmental groups argue that the new agreement undermines the Kyoto Protocol, and will make the process of agreeing a successor treaty more difficult. The Geneva-based Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said: "A deal on climate change that doesn't limit pollution is the same as a peace plan that allows guns to be fired."
...
[The European Commission's environment spokeswoman Barbara Helferrich said] "If it is simply technology and clean coal, it is no substitute for agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and we do not expect it to have a real impact on climate change."

Here's a link to the Australian side of the news. Ok, did any of these people watch The Day After Tomorrow? C'mon!

The Gift Economy

Here's a rambling essay from wired.com about the impact of the internet on content production and consumption. It's a little nerd oriented but it does manage to summarize and highlight the rise of the internet and how it's enabled the dissemination of vast amounts of information to countless people. Part of this information is conveyed via blogs and you know how those are near and dear to our hearts.

The Web extends my passion to a far wider group for no extra cost or effort. In this way, my site is part of a vast and growing gift economy, a visible underground of valuable creations - text, music, film, software, tools, and services - all given away for free. This gift economy fuels an abundance of choices. It spurs the grateful to reciprocate. It permits easy modification and reuse, and thus promotes consumers into producers.
...
The electricity of participation nudges ordinary folks to invest huge hunks of energy and time into making free encyclopedias, creating public tutorials for changing a flat tire, or cataloging the votes in the Senate. More and more of the Web runs in this mode. One study found that only 40 percent of the Web is commercial. The rest runs on duty or passion.

"Intelligent Design Theory" Endorsed by Village Idiot

Bush is yet again proving that he's not so bright. Yea I know its so cliché for us liberals to say that, but come on! Check this out:

President Bush invigorated proponents of teaching alternatives to evolution in public schools with remarks saying that schoolchildren should be taught about "intelligent design," a view of creation that challenges established scientific thinking and promotes the idea that an unseen force is behind the development of humanity.

"Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is about," he said, according to an official transcript of the session. Bush added: "Part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought. . . . You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes."

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought school was meant to teach students the truth; things grounded in fact like math, science, history, and literature. There is always room for "creationism" in your mythology class or by your kid-touching priest.

Noting Bush's Ivy League education, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), said, "People might cite George Bush as proof that you can be totally impervious to the effects of Harvard and Yale education." (In case your wondering, he graduated with a 2.35 GPA)

Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the president, by suggesting that students hear two viewpoints, "doesn't understand that one is a religious viewpoint and one is a scientific viewpoint" and that Bush showed a "low level of understanding of science."

[Thanks to anonymous tipper for the story. I see we are on the same page!]

I feel the cold breeze of old times

It appears that Russia is back to its old ways BIG TIME. Though I can't claim to be any sort of expert in the matter, it has to do with the Chechnya. On the one side you have Chechens, a recognized independent ethnic community who have fought with Russia for their independence since the early 20th century. Reports of Russia's persecution, abuse, and killing of the Chechen people are not uncommon. On the other side you have Shamil Basayev, a so-called freedom fighter who has terrorized unarmed Russian civilians, mainly in the Northern Caucasus region. Most notably and most heinously was the Beslan school hostage crisis of 2004 in which Chechen rebels took hundreds of children and adults hostage in a three day standoff resulting in the murder of 344 civilians, 172 of them children.

Last week ABC News' Nightline broadcast an interview with the outlaw Basayev. The Russian government so wholeheartedly opposed the airing that on Sunday Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said he was barring military personnel from contact with ABC and said the ministry now considered the network "persona non grata." The ministry called the broadcast a "clear fact supporting the propaganda of terrorism" and said it "resounded with direct calls for violence against Russian citizens."

Needless to say, Russia does not believe in a free press. A. Babitsky, the Russian journalist who interviewed Basayev is in violation of the Russian law by conducting the interview without a corresponding accreditation. The ministry said, "circumstances of organizing and receiving this interview are yet to be cleared with his employer." In the past Babitsky has focused on human rights abuses by Russian troops. Russian authorities have accused him of being a Chechen sympathizer. He explained to Nightline that had he come forward with this interview to Russian officials, his life would have been in danger.

ABC News had no immediate comment but Ted Koppel did offer this at the end of his broadcast:

"Freedom of speech is never an issue when a popular person expresses an acceptable point of view. It is of real value only because it guarantees us access to the unpopular espousing the unacceptable. Then we can reject or accept it, condemn it or embrace it. No one should have the authority to make that decision for us. Not our own government; and certainly not somebody else's."

[8/7/05 Update]
Here are some disturbing accounts of Russian abuse to Beslan and Chechen civilians. Village Voice article

Don't Print That Ransom Note at Home

Here's an interesting article from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. In case you don't know who they are and what they do, check out their About page here.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was created to defend our rights to think, speak, and share our ideas, thoughts, and needs using new technologies, such as the Internet and the World Wide Web. EFF is the first to identify threats to our basic rights online and to advocate on behalf of free expression in the digital age.

From the article:

Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer -- and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right?

Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In an effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. A communication tool you're using in everyday life could become a tool for government surveillance. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse.

Being All You Can Be Ain't What It Used to Be

Here's an article from last weeks NY Times on how the armed services are cracking down on abuse in training boot camps. One of the noted factors for this is that they are trying to keep their respective images nice and friendly looking for recruitment's sake. Surprisingly, they've come to the realization that negative reinforcement isn't as effective as tradition and movies have taught us.

To Every Reason, Spin, Spin, Spin

Yes, this is an oldie and it was already featured on the Daily Show but I'm only catching up now cause this whole job thing is getting in the way. As they say, better late than never.

It's amazing it took this long but the Bush Administration is describing what was once the "the global war on terror" as "a global struggle against violent extremism." The old term always evoked the concept of war fought against some uniformed army of some country but it's clear that's not what is going on. The fact the Bush Admin is making such a conscious and concerted effort to use this wondrously realistic term is a little sobering. Can we ever win this "struggle" with conventional wars and occupations like what we have in Afghanistan and Iraq? Maybe poorly justified and planned wars ain't the answer after all. D'oh!!