News -- March 19, 2006

Rumsfeld: leaving Iraq like giving Nazis Germany - "Leaving Iraq now would be like handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a column published on Sunday, the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. ... Rumsfeld said "the terrorists" were trying to fuel sectarian tensions to spark a civil war, but they must be "watching with fear" the progress in the country over the past three years."

The farcical end of the American dream - "Now quite apart from the fact that many Iraqis - along, I have to admit, with myself - have grave doubts about whether Zarqawi exists, and that al-Qai'da's Zarqawi, if he does exist, does not merit the title of "insurgency mastermind", the words that caught my eye were "US authorities say". And as I read through the report, I note how the Los Angeles Times sources this extraordinary tale. I thought American reporters no longer trusted the US administration, not after the mythical weapons of mass destruction and the equally mythical connections between Saddam and the international crimes against humanity of 11 September 2001. Of course, I was wrong."

Protests mark Iraq war's third anniversary - "The third anniversary of the U.S.-led war in Iraq drew tens of thousands of protesters -- shouting chants of "Stop the War" and calling for the withdrawal of troops -- in demonstrations across the globe."

Anti-war protesters in SLC, elsewhere lament apathy - ""There's just about more policemen here than people," said the Democratic candidate for the Utah House of Representatives in District 40, nodding to the squadron of eight motorcycle officers parked alongside 400 South. "I guess the longer the war goes on, the more people accept it."" -- Just like in the novel 1984.

Terrorists, or Resistance Fighters? - "In his latest book, “Hegemony or Survival,” Noam Chomsky raises provocative questions about America’s role in the world, and not just in our current crisis in the reign of Bush II. Ever since World War II America has assumed the role of the world’s super power, particularly so after the fall of the Soviet Union. One critical question he raises is the difference between terrorism and resistance."

Uranium bombing in Iraq contaminates Europe - " Nine days after the start of the American president's 2003 "shock and awe" uranium bombing campaign in Baghdad, an invisible radioactive uranium oxide gas cloud swept through Britain's towns and countryside and throughout Europe."

Americans want Democrats to control Congress: poll - "Most Americans want Democrats to take control of Congress in November mid-term elections, while 34 percent prefer a Republican Congress, a Newsweek Poll said." -- Will it make much difference?

Where's the Opposition? - "Nancy Pelosi says No Plan for Iraq is a good thing. Does this make any sense coming from the "opposition" "leader"? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday (~Jan 06) that Democrats should not seek a unified position on an exit strategy in Iraq ... differing positions within the caucus are a source of strength for the party. That's the opposition leader in the house.

Far rightist: Bird flu pullout punishment - "The bird flu outbreak in southern Israel is God's punishment for the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank disengagement, National Jewish Front Chairman Baruch Marzel says."

What a tangled Web we weave - "Using Google, the wildly popular Internet search engine, as an action verb has been a part of our cultural fabric for years now. Daily, millions use it to "Google" old flames, long-lost friends and even ourselves in hopes of digging up dirt. But who would have thought this addictive habit could stand in the way of landing your next job? But it's not your Googling another person that starts the trouble: the danger occurs when a potential boss Googles you."

Patriot Act Game Pokes Fun at Government - "In this send-up of "Monopoly," players don't pass "Go" and they don't go directly to jail _ they go to Guantanamo Bay. Instead of losing cash for landing on certain squares, they lose civil liberties. And the "Mr. Monopoly" character at the center of the board is replaced by a scowling former Attorney General John Ashcroft. "Patriot Act: The Home Version" pokes fun at "the historic abuse of governmental powers" by the recently renewed anti-terrorism law, according to its creator's Web site. But while it may be fun, creator Michael Kabbash, a graphic artist and Arab civil rights advocate, is serious about how he feels the law has curtailed Americans' freedom. The object of the game is not to amass the most money or real estate, but to be the last player to retain civil liberties."

Federal penalties often go unpaid - "The amount of unpaid federal fines has risen sharply in the past decade. Individuals and corporations regularly avoid large penalties for wrongdoing -- sometimes through negotiations, sometimes because companies go bankrupt, sometimes because of officials' failure to keep close track of who owes what."

Ads offer to swap rent for sex - "Such postings -- a type of bartering of homes for sex -- are not only worrisome because they target young women who may be desperate for affordable housing in South Florida's harsh real estate climate. They may also be illegal."

This Essay Breaks the Law - "Elevated homocysteine is linked to B-12 deficiency, so doctors should test homocysteine levels to see whether the patient needs vitamins. ACTUALLY, I can't make that last statement. A corporation has patented that fact, and demands a royalty for its use. Anyone who makes the fact public and encourages doctors to test for the condition and treat it can be sued for royalty fees. Any doctor who reads a patient's test results and even thinks of vitamin deficiency infringes the patent. A federal circuit court held that mere thinking violates the patent. All this may sound absurd, but it is the heart of a case that will be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday. ... For example, the human genome exists in every one of us, and is therefore our shared heritage and an undoubted fact of nature. Nevertheless 20 percent of the genome is now privately owned. The gene for diabetes is owned, and its owner has something to say about any research you do, and what it will cost you. The entire genome of the hepatitis C virus is owned by a biotech company. Royalty costs now influence the direction of research in basic diseases, and often even the testing for diseases. Such barriers to medical testing and research are not in the public interest. Do you want to be told by your doctor, "Oh, nobody studies your disease any more because the owner of the gene/enzyme/correlation has made it too expensive to do research?""

Man, 21, jailed for having disorderly house - "But Pokorny didn’t say three days in jail. He said 30. ... Frustrated and changed by the experience, he talks to people serving 7- to 10 day sentences for driving drunk. He doesn’t think it’s right."


Again, no bumper sticker.


Quote of the Day
"I want to scare the hell out of the rest of the world."
~ US General Colin Powell