News (Page 2) -- March 8, 2006

U.S. stuck with few options in Iraq - "Gary Hart said he thinks those troops are at serious risk. The Democratic ex-senator and onetime presidential candidate, a specialist on defense issues, talked about Iraq — and, in his view, the benefits of troop withdrawals — before a speech the other day at the National Constitution Center. "Our army is in danger," he said. "If all-out civil war breaks out, we could lose our army. If Sunnis and Shiites take to the streets by the thousands, it could literally be impossible to get [the soldiers] out. ... I know that sounds apocalyptic, but it's not out of the question. We need an exit strategy. We have no choice. We're making things worse. Ninety percent of the insurgents are Iraqis who don't like the fact that we have occupied their country. ... "I know we can't just pack up and leave right away, but we're still acting as if we hold all the cards over there. We don't. We're losing control of the situation. ... The British occupied Iraq for 35 years and finally had to leave because there was a constant insurgency against them. We haven't learned anything.""

Iraq: A cluster of torture prisons - "After the US's deliberate and unprovoked war on Iraq, "reconstruction" becomes one of the US's moral clichés to justify crimes against the Iraqi people and ongoing Occupation. In reality, the "reconstruction" of Iraq is the continuation of the destruction of Iraq and humiliation of Iraqi society. Countless prisons have been built where the practice of humiliation, sadistic torture, sexual abuse and rape of Iraqi men, women and children are used on daily basis to force the entire Iraqi population into submission."

Another Iraq Trophy Video Exposes Coalition of the Killing. Troops finish off Iraqi and laugh - "Following the popularity of Friday's piece, we decided to highlight another Coalition of the Killing 'trophy video' that underscores the fact that US troops are not in Iraq to liberate Iraqis. A significant portion are there to imprison, enslave and randomly kill, and it's all by design. ... As I stressed in the previous article, I am not for a moment suggesting that US troops should just lie down and be shot at. Of course it would be the reaction of any of us to defend ourselves. The problem is in the reaction of the troops and their orgasmic enjoyment of killing people. Riddle's response is that he enjoys indiscriminately killing people and wants to do it as often as possible. Do we see this on army recruiting ads? Is this what 'defending America' is supposed to be about? Join the army, you get to kill as many people as you like and it's fun."

2000 Iraqi women kidnapped in three years of occupation - "Iraqi women rights organization reported today "Women day" that not less than 2000 Iraqi women kidnapped and sold inside Iraq and abroad in the three years of occupation."

U.S. Criticizes Arab Allies on Rights - "The State Department called the human rights records of key Arab allies poor or problematic on Wednesday, citing flawed elections and torture of prisoners in Egypt, beatings, arbitrary arrest and a lack of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, and floggings as punishment for adultery or drug abuse in the United Arab Emirates." -- "Isn't it ironic." ~ Alanis Morissette

US Spending $5.9B In Iraq Per Month... - "Monthly expenditures are running at $5.9 billion; the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan adds roughly another $1 billion. Taken together, annual spending for the two wars will reach $117.6 billion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 -- 18% above funding for the prior 12 months."

Vermont Towns Vote to Impeach - "A single Vermont community's call for the impeachment of President Bush turned into a chorus Tuesday night, with town meetings across southern Vermont echoing the demand that Congress act to remove the president."

Ariz. Governor Orders Troops to Border - "Gov. Janet Napolitano on Wednesday ordered more National Guardsmen posted at the Mexican border to help stop illegal immigrants and curb related crimes."

Teacher's Dad Reports Death Threats - "The father of a teacher who compared President Bush's State of the Union address to speeches made by Adolf Hitler said he and his family have received at least 12 death threats." -- Nice, huh. No one's allowed to have a different opinion than that of the Party's.

Study: Law Lowered Abortion Rate in Texas - "Abortion rates declined significantly among Texas girls — though some got riskier abortions later in pregnancy — after the state enacted a parental notification law, researchers say."

Wal-Mart In Court Fight Over 'Wal-ocaust' T-Shirts - "A Georgia man has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart in federal district court in Atlanta in a fight over his T-shirts that compare the retailer's business practices to the Holocaust." -- Now, that's funny.

For once, blame the student - "Failure in the classroom is often tied to lack of funding, poor teachers or other ills. Here's a thought: Maybe it's the failed work ethic of todays kids. That's what I'm seeing in my school. Until reformers see this reality, little will change. ... The sad fact is that in the USA, hard work on the part of students is no longer seen as a key factor in academic success. The groundbreaking work of Harold Stevenson and a multinational team at the University of Michigan comparing attitudes of Asian and American students sounded the alarm more than a decade ago. Asian vs. U.S. students; When asked to identify the most important factors in their performance in math, the percentage of Japanese and Taiwanese students who answered "studying hard" was twice that of American students. American students named native intelligence, and some said the home environment. But a clear majority of U.S. students put the responsibility on their teachers. A good teacher, they said, was the determining factor in how well they did in math. ... As my colleague Ed Cannon puts it: "Today, the teacher is supposed to be responsible for motivating the kid. If they don't learn it is supposed to be our problem, not theirs." And, of course, busy parents guilt-ridden over the little time they spend with their kids are big subscribers to this theory. ... "Schools play into it," says psychiatrist Lawrence Brain, who counsels affluent teenagers throughout the Washington metropolitan area. "I've been amazed to see how easy it is for kids in public schools to manipulate guidance counselors to get them out of classes they don't like. They have been sent a message that they don't have to struggle to achieve if things are not perfect." ... Perhaps the best lesson I can pass along to my upper- and middle-class students is to merely point them in the direction of their foreign-born classmates, who can remind us all that education in America is still more a privilege than a right." -- Education is a 2-way street. Why can't more people see that?

School Diet Change Brings Improved Behavior, Healthier, More Focused Students - ""Before the Appleton Wisconsin high school replaced their cafeteria's processed foods with wholesome, nutritious food, the school was described as out-of-control. There were weapons violations, student disruptions, and a cop on duty full-time. After the change in school meals, the students were calm, focused, and orderly. There were no more weapons violations, and no suicides, expulsions, dropouts, or drug violations. The new diet and improved behavior has lasted for seven years, and now other schools are changing their meal programs with similar results.""

Sore loser Georgia tries to sneak in anti-sex toy law - "This is too funny. Several years ago, officials from Cobb County--a wealthy and conservative area in Georgia--tried to stop a small tobacco shop from selling dildos and vibrators, arguing that they were violating a subsection of the state’s obscenity statute.
It didn’t work out so well for the vibrators-are-gross folks--last month, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that Georgia's obscenity statute (in its entirety) was unconstitutional. Ha! Apparently the State is not too pleased by the decision, and is trying to quietly slide in another obscenity law as an “amendment.” Sneaky, sneaky!"