Torture, Impeachment and a Vietnam Vet's Tears - "I can't count how many times I have read comments, or even heard them in person, from jingoistic Americans who have said they aren't bothered at all by the idea of American troops or CIA agents torturing "terrorists" or other captives. They typically will say that the victims of the torture are evil people intent on killing Americans, and so who cares? In fact, however, aside from the fact that torture is illegal under international law, and that it is illegal in the U.S. as a signatory of the Geneva Conventions, since the torture is being conducted upon captives who have never had their cases examined to determine if they are indeed terrorists or legitimate combatants or just innocents picked up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is inevitable that many of those who are being tortured with the president's approval and in our names are simply innocents. Some of those innocents have died at the hands of their tormentors. Others have been driven insane."
Why supporting the troops means you have to oppose the War in Iraq - " Moving on, the first critical element of any war is, according to Sun Tzu, "which sovereign possesses the greater moral influence". Upon examination, we are basically comparing George Bush to Saddam Hussein. At first glance you would expect this to be a no-contest, but as we know now, George Bush is a greater sociopath than Saddam ever was. On the issue of WMDS, George Bush lied, Saddam didn`t. George Bush claimed he wanted to spread "freedom and Democracy" and install a democratic government in the middle-east, in fact 2919 US soldiers have died to help set up an Islamic State in Iraq, as demonstrated by Iraq`s new constitution. Much is made of the 100,000 or so Iraqis Hussein murdered, and rightly so, however, Bush is now responsible for the deaths of an estimated 650,000 Iraqis. Many people forget, conveniently, that Iraq was a secular state in the Middle East, and Saddam, whilst a bad man, was not only put in power by people like Rumsfeld in the 80s, most of his weapons were sold to him by the American Government."
Bush to seek $100 bln more war funds: House report - "President George W. Bush will soon seek about $100 billion in additional emergency funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report on Wednesday by Democratic staffers for two key panels in the U.S. House of Representatives." -- The money pit continues with brainwashed pride.
True deficit: $3.5 trillion - "Analyst says coming Treasury report will document 'unsustainable' pace. A report scheduled to be released by the Treasury Department tomorrow is expected to show the true deficit in the Bush administration's 2006 federal budget to be an astounding $3.5 trillion in the red, not $248.2 billion as previously reported."
McCain calls for more troops in Iraq - "Sen. John McCain said Thursday that America should deploy 15,000 to 30,000 more troops to Iraq to control its sectarian violence, and give moderate Iraqi politicians the stability they need to take the country in the right direction. ... "The American people are disappointed and frustrated with the Iraq war, but they want us to succeed if there's any way to do that," McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone." -- Hey, John. No, we don't care if you succeed because we don't even know what has to happen for success. All we want is for our soldiers to be brought home, the killing and torturing in our name to stop, and to stop flushing billions upon billions of dollars down the drain. It's not brain surgery, here, John. Oh yeah, you will not be getting my vote if you decide to run in 2008.
Democrat dilemma over Iran - "As the dust begins to settle from the mid-term elections, popular thinking is that, over the next two years, the Democrats will force the Bush administration to edge away from the unilateral militarism that has entrapped the nation in two open-ended wars. Don't bet the rent on it. Indeed, if you are putting down a wager, the odds are better than even that the United States will attack Iran in the next two years, and the assault will have a great deal of support from both sides of the aisle."
'04 Pentagon Report Cited Detention Concerns - "A previously undisclosed Pentagon report concluded that the three terrorism suspects held at a brig in South Carolina were subjected to months of isolation, and it warned that their "unique" solitary confinement could be viewed as violating U.S. detention standards."
Olmert's nuclear blunder leads to Gulf states' call for sanctions - "The United States and the international community should impose sanctions on Israel for its nuclear program, the chief of the organization grouping Arab countries in the Persian Gulf told reporters Tuesday."
Israeli soldiers tell of indiscriminate killings by army and a culture of impunity - "In recent months dozens of soldiers, including the son of an an Israeli general, all recently discharged, have come forward to share their stories of how they were ordered in briefings to shoot to kill unarmed people without fear of reprimand."
Government Seeks New Ruling in Cheney Case - "The Bush administration asked an appeals court Wednesday to overrule a federal judge and allow the White House to keep secret any records of visitors to Vice President Dick Cheney's residence and office. To make the visitor records public would be an "unprecedented intrusion into the daily operations of the vice presidency," the Justice Department argued in a 57-page brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia." -- They don't want us to see something.
Sen. Johnson in Critical Condition After Surgery - "Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) underwent emergency brain surgery overnight after falling ill at the Capitol and was in critical condition early this morning, introducing a note of uncertainty over control of the Senate just weeks before Democrats are to take over with a one-vote margin."
Banned for a George Bush T-shirt - "AN Australian was barred from a London-Melbourne flight unless he removed a T-shirt depicting George Bush as the world's number one terrorist." -- Funny shirt. But who is/isn't a "terrorist" is quite subjective.
U.S. to defend space with military force - "The United States will use military force in space to protect satellites and other space systems from attack by hostile states or terrorists, the Bush administration's senior arms-control official said yesterday."
Mint bans melting coins now worth more as liquid than loot - "Given rising metal prices, the pennies and nickels in your pocket are worth more melted down than their face value -- and that has the government worried."
New Publishing Rules Restrict Scientists - "The Bush administration is clamping down on scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest agency subjected to controls on research that might go against official policy. New rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency scientists who study everything from caribou mating to global warming. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. ... Some agency scientists, who until now have felt free from any political interference, worry that the objectivity of their work could be compromised."
US scientists reject interference - "According to the American Union of Concerned Scientists, data is being misrepresented for political reasons. It claims scientists working for federal agencies have been asked to change data to fit policy initiatives."
Circumcision Reduces Risk of AIDS, Study Finds - "AIDS experts immediately hailed the result, saying it gave the world a new way to fight the spread of AIDS, and the directors of the two largest funds for fighting the disease said they would now consider paying for circumcisions."
This year will be Britain's warmest since records began, say scientists - "Experts are convinced that the warming can only be explained by rising greenhouse gases from human activity and rule out the impact of natural variations, such as the sun's intensity." -- Just to play devil's advocate here, but at one time "experts" were convinced the Earth was flat.
Climate change putting seals in the mood for love - "Male seals are reaping the benefits of climate change by having more sex, scientists have discovered. Subordinate grey seals are taking advantage of rising temperatures and falling rainfall to mate more often."
Gene secrets of the boys who couldn't feel any pain - "The discovery of a single gene that can switch painful stimuli on and off without affecting other body systems raises the prospect of a new class of analgesics with none of the side-effects of conventional painkilling drugs. Neuroscientists said that the findings could ultimately prove as important as the discovery of the receptor for morphine." -- I have a bad feeling about how else this could be used for.
Kevorkian looks forward to heading home - "Assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian is looking forward to doing a little writing and maybe making some speeches when he leaves prison in June for the first time in more than eight years. ... Now, after sitting in prison for eight years and suffering various health ailments, that defiant tone has changed. Kevorkian vows he will never again commit a crime." -- It is unfortunate that what you were doing is considered a crime.
Study: Laughter Really Is Contagious - ""It seems that it's absolutely true that 'laugh and the whole world laughs with you," said Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at the University College London. "We've known for some time that when we are talking to someone, we often mirror their behavior, copying the words they use and mimicking their gestures. Now we've shown that the same appears to apply to laughter, too--at least at the level of the brain.""
Quote of the Day
"I think there are two superpowers in the world: the illegal drug cartels and the U.S. government. I think everything else is window dressing."
~ Jon Carroll
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