There is a damned good reason why the investigation of all torturing done by the United States, and its allies, is vital to our current and future cultural health. That reason is simple, yet responding to it may be one of the most complex undertakings of this new 'mired-down' administration. The reason we must investigate fully is to know. We must first know what was done. We cannot evaluate data we are not given, or allowed to know exists at all. If we cannot analyze and evaluate, then we support what occurred. Tacitly, we go along with what took place. Our sense of justice, outrage or even understanding, is suspended...and our future becomes bleaker because this. The United States Government, under almost every administration, has been right up there near of the top of the pile of controlling social orders. The public has been treated like it consists of cows, bunched into herds, fed hay, watered, pastured, but told nothing. After all, what could cows possibly understand? By treating the public this way (think the Kennedy Assassination, TWA 800, 9/11) the public is left totally out of any possibility of being part of decision making. Okay, so we don't know who killed Kennedy, really. We don't know what the hell happened to 800, really. We don't know what happened about the towers, really. We just know that we don't know the truth. It rankles inside of us. The 'us' who are not conspiracy theorists, even.
But, we also know that we voted for people who we wanted to run things. We gave them the ability to know things we cannot. We gave them the ability to make decisions for us when we could not. We trusted them. Not all of us. Most of us. It is how it all works here. Occasionally, however, there are things that happen which we need to be involved with. Our leaders fall into habit patterns, now supported by this whacked-out media, and tell us less and less. That is what has happened here. And we must protest. Torture is not an event. Torture is a putrid infection that forms a crack in our social order. It works its way in and then festers, eventually killing the cultural being we have fought so hard to grow and mature. It spreads. It spreads slowly and insidiously. We must find out what happened, no matter how terrible (and hundreds, or thousands have died terribly painful deaths), and then we must confront these acts. We do not even need to punish the real physical perpetrators. Public revelation would probably more than deal with that. No. We need to confront our fear. The fear that allowed us to allow our leaders to direct such acts in our name, and then to deny they did it, or cover up the very acts themselves.
If we can bring all this out from under the black cloak of intended secrecy, then we can rise up and apologize. Yes, apologize to the world and to the survivors. For our good, as well as the good of all. After apologizing we can put this horrid diseased Genie back in the bottle. We do not need to punish those who acted, but we can certainly establish and isolate some of our draconian imprisonment penalties for future perpetrators. We are a nation of laws. But those laws are interpreted by, and applied by, men and women. We need to direct these people by law, and then let them know what is in store for them if they ever commit, or allow to be committed, acts like this again. This is called taking a stand!
We cannot heal this potentially terminal infection by putting a bandage over it, even if the bandage is skin colored. We must clean the infection out, then provide antibiotics to actively fight the remaining tendrils that run through our cultural body. Laws are the antibiotics. Laws without exceptions for this area. We, as a country and a people, cannot go through life being known allow such things as 'rending' other people, or tearing them limb from limb, or drowning them, or delighting in their pain, for the simple reason that we wanted something from them. We have raised up quiet, and not so quiet, enemies against us. You know it and I know it. And I'm not writing about the stupid 'war on terror,' or any of the other Orwellian terminology adopted to keep fear in control of the masses out here. I am writing those men and women who are the families, relatives and friends, of the tortured by us, the missing under our care, the dead because of our studied sadism. Those people are coming, ever coming, and we are going to have to deal with them. We have empowered them by acting like frightened school children. We have been cowardly. And we cannot simply ignore them or provide them with silence and denial. They know. We know. We must come out of this closet. Let the healing begin.
And then there is the rest of it.
Where the hell is the new World Trade Center? Why are there not two towers standing this very day, twice the size of the old ones, in central Manhattan? You think American would not have collected and paid for such a demonstration of cultural will and strength? Where the hell is Osama? You really believe that if a country like our country, of its size and power, could fail to find one man on this earth for eight years? Where is my beloved space program? (for Christ's sake, we are about to 'rent' Russian space vehicles for the next ten years to put our people in space!!!!). Where are our factories? Where are our car companies? Where are our bridges and roads? Where is the money that all these hedge-fund and derivative executives have stolen and hauled away?
Where the hell are you and what are you going to do about it? Get off your couch and your butt and do something, even if it is just to write and say something about it all. I am not the voice of this culture. I am merely a participating observer, like you. But I am writing about it and I am asking hard questions. And I am mad as hell that my present, my future and my children's future has been stained, soiled and trampled under foot by selfish thieving bastards. And its all happened on my watch.
Our newspapers are failing because they will not write this. You need to read this. You need to think about these things. You need to reflect, argue, complain, disagree and take action. Our television media is a morass of mediocre crap fed to us daily by weak-kneed pitiful people who could not work effectively in a General Motors assembly line. You need to scream at Obama, Roberts and all of them.
I want my honor back! I was a Marine Officer. I am still a Marine Officer. But I am supposed to be that proud being, not because of the honor of the Corps, but because of the honor of the United States of America. I want my honor back. I want those things back that allow me to have bliss, and to share that bliss with the world. I want to know I am doing the right thing. I want the Christmas Eve feeling of waiting for the morning, and what I will find under the tree! But I want that back, about life itself. Have you ever lived a time when you could just not wait for tomorrow because it was going to be so great? You just knew it! I want that time for my children and my grand-children, and yes, even for me. Help me get it back. Help yourself in getting it back, or maybe having it for the first time.
I wrote a book called "The Boy." It is about honor. Honor lost. Honor won. About internal honor. Getting it, and then holding on to if for dear life. The book is going to be a movie (at least, as of yesterday!). I am not encouraging you to buy my book. I am encouraging you to write your own! To think. To write. To take action. This is all about you out here so start acting like it.
http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com
http://www.themastodons.com
http://www.from-the-chateau-dif.blogspot.com
I love the Marine Corps. I love America. And I love you.
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE
Accountability: America's Moral Responsibility to Humanity
Eight years of Republican "leadership" has left America both economically devastated, and globally humiliated. Yet, far from apologizing for the damage that they've done to the stability and image of this great nation, instead, they've circled their wagons and gone into damage control mode–not to control the damage that they've done to the nation, but in an attempt to rewrite history in order to control the damage that they've done to themselves.
So now, as President Obama goes about the business of desperately trying to return America to its former position of economic stability at home, and respect, admiration, and moral authority abroad, the GOP leadership seems to be completely oblivious to the nation's desperate and immediate need for a concerted effort in that regard. They're like clueless children who find it impossible to see the big picture. Thus, at this point it has become abundantly clear that their primary concern is not with restoring America to a sound footing in the world, but rather, simply restoring themselves to power at any cost.
Barack Obama's recent salvo: "..fnd and KILL Bin Laden..." didn't really rool off the tongue very well. I don't feel that this kind of Bush-esque cowboy talk is fitting for this President.
Indeed, the entire Osama Bin Laden - "9-11" connection still doesn't make much sense to even the most asture observers. Hell, its doesn't even make sense to those with the proprietary knowledge of the US Government's relationship to Osama Bin Laden.
I submit that Osama Bin Laden is merely a symbol to invole fear in the Xtrian west and that there is no war with American (or any western country) people. The "terrorst" driven, oil focused campaign is actually a battle within a greater war of societal philosophies. The unfortunate felling of the World Trade Centre was only between the Reagan-Bush(s)-Clinton regime and nothing more. There were broken promises on the highest levels and a small group of Western sponsored killers too their revenge. But not on the West as a society - but on their puppeteers and political enablers. I say this asn a Former US Marine with a Masters Degree.
SO, who are you kidding? Why continue this kind of talk? There is no "Bin Laden" to kill. Rather, Its time to stop occupying small defenseless countries and try your hand at Russia. Not.
There is no "war" ... never was one. The Iraqi operation is merely an occupation. Just like Kirchner and Churchill in Northern Africa ...Now wot are u mugs prepared to really do about it?
-------
A Republican women's club in San Bernardino County sent out a recent newsletter with a photo of Barack Obama surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and ribs compliments of Ms. Fedele.
The excuses she gave along with her explanation about her choice of food are totally unbelievable in fact the more she tried to convince us she wasn't racist the more convinced I am that she is.
It is outrageous! But wait there's more...
An image on the Sacramento County GOP website this week showing Obama in a turban beside Osama bin Laden with the words: "The difference between Osama and Obama is just a little B.S." The site also exhorted members to "Waterboard Barack Obama."
Not all republican's are racist...
Gary Ovitt, a county supervisor and chairman of the San Bernardino County Republican Party stated that "He is disgusted and appalled by it, and he believes it is blatantly racist and offensive no matter what the intent was,"
A sharp reprimand from Ron Nehring, California Republican Party chairman."Any material that invokes issues related to race is absolutely unacceptable, tarnishes our party, diminishes the hard work of the tens of thousands of volunteers who are working hard every day for our candidates, and must be condemned," he said in a statement Thursday. "This material I've seen inspires nothing but divisiveness and hostility and has absolutely no place in this election, or any public discourse."
Republicans and Democrats as well as Independents MUST come together for the sake of our great country and adopt a NO TOLERANCE policy for racism in all of it's ugly forms.
The article stated that volumteers cannot be fired! No they can't... However they can be asked to leave and not come back. Reprimands and giving them a good talkin to is simply NOT enough!
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-foodstamps17-2008oct17,0,2209911.story
Juli Norwood
Saturday September 13th the News and Observer will be distributing a DVD to their 160,000 subscribers entitled "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" If anyone hasn't heard about this movie you can view the trailer here.
I don't know about you but I do not remember any other time where a news paper has ever sent out a DVD let alone one that his very biased and portrays Islam as an extremist religion!!!!!!!
I find it quite appaling that this type of garbage would be sent out to further instill fear into the public. It again puts innocent Muslims on the defensive and makes them worry about backlash.
http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/trailer.php
Has anyone figured out the BIG surprise? The Bush administration is working furiously on the Pakistan border trying to find Bin Laden. Any bets that they find him, kill him or otherwise just as the election is about to come to a close?Just in the last 3 days there have been air attacks and commandos roaming the border like mad. Why all of a sudden? We as supporters and the campaign better be ready for this one in advance. We all want Bin Laden caught there is no doubt. And the Bush Administration is counting on it. We need to pre-empt this strategy and prep ourselves NOW because this is just the kind of thing the Bush administration would pull on the American people.
Does anyone remember when Ronald Reagan just so happened to get the Iranian Hostages freed? Do we remember that there was suspicion about how those events took place? This same sort of ploy could work to sway those who do not yet believe Barack Obama will be our next President and in fact put John McCain in the white house. Let's not let them steal this one away from us.
Every age produces a thesis and an antihesis. Hitler stood for undiluted evil. Churchill proved to be his foil and antidote. Barack Obama likewise is an antithesis for the Osamas of this age.
In case anyone thinks that people know the difference between truth and fiction, or that racism isn't part of this race, here's a South Carolina Senator who thinks that Obama/Osama is just great, or at least funny: http://kevinbryant.com/2008/07/18/vacation-and-funny-picture/
Sigh.
Support Obama Now!
Thanks.
Henry M
Please contribute to Obama if you can: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama
If you appreciate my blog, then how about being my friend on the My.BarackObama.com network: http://my.barackobama.com/page/socialnet/register/33qzpcr2sl
McCain continues to mention the surge and the success it has and is having. What he fails to include, while bragging, is there would not have been a need for a surge had Bush not started something out of revenge instead of necessity. He would also have America believing this to be a failed war and we as losers of such. In reality the war was won the day America occupied Iraq and bought down Saddam's rein. Mr. McCain would be well advised that this war isn't the war which he was captured. In this war there was an undeniable winner, America. He should be reminded that one can neither change nor relive the past. Our troops have served their Country well and it is time to return home and protect those whom they were sworn in to protect. Bush's daddy has been revenged and Saddam Insane is no more.
I was very sad when I saw this cover http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/13/yikes-controversial-emnew_n_112429.html . They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't care if The New Yorker 18 page article inside explains the ridiculousness of the Obama smear campaign -- this picture has already become the newest face of that smear campaign. No title exists on the cover to infer that this picture is connected to an article about a false rumor campaign. It indeed will be circulated in a million e-mails to help perpetuate false rumors and hatred of the Obama family. They do not deserve this. I am the first to defend Free Speech, but what passes for free speech here (the cover) promotes vitriolic hate speech that is no different from a lynch mob mentality. The most hateful (and painful comment) I read in the on-line reader comments about this cover was: "Obama is my nightmare. He is anti American and his wife and friends are racist anti Americans as well. Child Services should take those 2 adorable girls away from them." Is this the kind of response The New Yorker wants to generate with their provocative sense of satire? This picture does nothing to advance America's struggle to heal our deeply fractured racial relations. The elitism and smugness of the editorial staff of The New Yorker have, in effect, merged with the deliberateness of Rove and Neo-Con tactics to defeat a Democratic President in 2008. THIS kind of political debate is exactly what made Barack Obama and his family decide that he must run for President NOW. And it is why we supporters feel his campaign is just the antidote needed to heal our divided and rudderless Nation.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/fox-news-has-to-sack-liz-trotta
Please view the above clip of FOX NEWS LIZ TROTTA. They buried this and we all need to sign the petition to end this condoning of assasinating our future leader.
"If your not outraged, your not paying attention"....She should be in JAIL!
Thanks in advance. I also emailed FOX NEWS which is a BUSH station.
THE TIME IS NOW....OBAMA 08'.....Kristine from Connecticut
On this Memorial Day, I am especially saddened by the loss of 4,081 service men and women in Bush's misguided war. How their spouses, children, mothers, fathers and other loved ones must grieve for them, especially on this hallowed day. I can only begin to imagine.
Considering that 2,998 died on 9/11/2001, Bush has now sent 1,083 more brave men and women to their deaths than the number who died in the very tragedy that inspired his vain attempt at revenge. For that reason, and for many others, I personally consider Bush to have done far more harm to this great nation than has Osama bin Laden himself. Just my personal opinion.
Thank God that this horrible nightmare can begin to end on January 20th of next year. May God bless America!
I find the words so difficult to come out right now---I'm in shock, I want to cry, I want to scream and most importantly I want to shout to the mountain tops that WE as Obama supporters will not stand for this sort of vulgar news being reported from FOX news or their employees.
I am spending all night and all day for however long it takes---to get this video out to every state in the union. It's enough that Hillary gives a lame excuse for her latest gaffe (I don't buy it!!) and hopefully by Monday the MSM will be all over it like flies on poop!
Well this latest one from FOX NEWS and their news correspondent Liz Trotta has got to be the 'icing on the cake.'
Please help me to get the video out to the entire world. Let them know what type of "unfair" and "unbalanced" program FOX NEWS really is. Liz Trotta is now branded as a piranha and should be dealt with in a severe manner that shows the entire country that WE will NOT tolerate this sort of behavior.
This is a "Fierce Urgency of NOW!!" Thank you!!
You can find the story located in the link below:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/25/15389/8576/115/522617
I just listened to a part of Bushs speech yesterday. He talks about talking to terrorists and rogue regimes. He says "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along."Now, today we hear that Bush was in Saudi Arabia begging the government to increase oil production... as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.
This is the same country with heavy links to 9/11. A country with people and leaders who have supported terrorism and, of course, the homeland of Osama Bin laden. A country that is litterally laughing all the way to the bank with record high gas prices.
I thought we did talk to people like that Mr. Bush.
In Mr. Obama’s campaign he often touts his upbringing in a poor, single parent household. Yet even with these drawbacks he was able to get an education and make his mother and grandparents proud. This is the real American dream. Most folks know that if they come from a rough start it will be hard for them too. However, in America their kids may have it better off than they did. The argument to older white voters should be that he may seem “elite”, but isn’t that what they want for their kids? Don’t they want their kids to go to a good college and have the ability to plot their own course in their life? Don’t they want their kids to do well in their life and help others? His argument for change is really an argument to make things better for America’s kids. Clean up politics, so our kids can have an honest government. Manage our debt and social security, so our kids can have the economic power to fix the problems of their generation, while not worrying about their retirement security. Rebuild our reputation within the world as a leader of peace and prosperity for everyone so our kids can have a safer world to grow up in.
I often watch Barack speak and think about how proud his family must be for him. Essentially, he could have been my kid. If my kid ran for president, I would want him to hold himself in the same high regard and not stoop to the easy trappings of politics. When I vote for Obama, I’m saying,” Yes, that is what I want my politician to say, and that’s how I want him to say it.”
One last thing… as I spell check this letter, my program wants’ to replace “Obama” with “Osama.” Someone should probably try and fix that.
"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
Article about U.S. & Drugs
Another Article about U.S. Plane carrying drugs.
In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism.
MSNBC Article: U.S. Involvement in 9/11 Attacks
"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.
Pearl Harbor Information
We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost," he told his congregation.
--------------I'd like to point out that a lot of what we've read or heard in the past few days have been clips combined together to sound like 1 large rant against america. I read some transcripts here and there (which I cannot find at the moment) and given the time of these speeches, and the circumstances involved, Can you honestly claim that he was out of line? I do not doubt a politician will lie in order to protect his image. I do not doubt that such a person is capable of ordering the deaths of American Lives. Especially true when our government was designed to limit war to 2 years.
The 9/11 Commision's only purpose was to keep people from revolting. Keep them from seeking their own answers too soon. 5 years is a long time to investigate. Imagine if that's how long it took police to investigate your car being stolen.
I think it's sad that because someone chose to speak out, raise to the surface the possibility of indecent acts being committed, we are forced to distance ourselves from him. I think it would be invaluable for us to consider all possibilities.
When was the last time you watched a court case where the accused murderer is acquitted by stating, "I'm Innocent, I was framed, and 7 of my friends investigated the case and agree!"
And as for the Palestinians in Israel. This is an extremely sensitive situation. But in a Country where Church & State is seperated, I am bewildred that a person could say "Well, it's in our Bible." The Bible also has 10 commandments but they must be more suggestive than an order from God. I guess the question I would have to ask is, What would we do if the Native American's came together and provided us with a copy of their spiritual texts which says God gave them all of the lands currently occupied by the United States.
It really irks me when people quote the Bible to reason their terrible deeds, yet seem to have missed many of the intended lessons it teaches.
Shortly after 9/11, I was angry too. I would have ripped apart the person responsible if they had been in front of me. And if it was a conspiracy by people within the U.S. and we let them get away with it, they'll only get better at it. Why Bin Laden hasn't been 'found' is yet another thing to keep in mind. I cannot blame Rev. Wright for believing that America has become evil. We threw out the checks and balances almost 100 years ago. And shortly after, we entered the first World War.
And when he says "The Rich White Man", is he wrong about the people who control the financial world, the media, oil? These are people with Billions of Dollars. And if they were true Christians, they would have a need for so much.
What do you think?
http://weblogs.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/did_i_say_osama_i_meant_obama.html
by James Oliphant
A lawyer in a predominantly Democratic suburb of Cleveland relates this tale to The Swamp on the day before the all-important Ohio primary:
So last night around dinner time, the phone rings. It’s the Hillary campaign–official number, per the caller ID. The woman on the other end asks me if Hillary can count on my support Tuesday. I say I have not decided. She asks what would help me decide. I say, “Well . . . maybe she can make Bill her vice president.” She does not know how to take me, of course, but has to assume I am serious. “I don’t think she can do that.” “Bill will have a significant role in major decisions, though, won’t he?” I ask. “Oh, certainly he will be very involved. Do you like Bill?” “Very much.” I reply.She then launches into a two-minute spiel on all the very specific initiatives and proposals Hillary has put forth on health care, the war in Iraq, etc., etc. At the end of her spiel, she says, “And we haven’t heard anything that specific from Osama bin Laden.” I say, “You did not just say that.” She replies, “I’m sorry . . . just a slip of the tongue.” She then thanks me for my time and encourages me to vote for Hillary on Tuesday.
She asks what would help me decide. I say, “Well . . . maybe she can make Bill her vice president.” She does not know how to take me, of course, but has to assume I am serious. “I don’t think she can do that.” “Bill will have a significant role in major decisions, though, won’t he?” I ask. “Oh, certainly he will be very involved. Do you like Bill?” “Very much.” I reply.
She then launches into a two-minute spiel on all the very specific initiatives and proposals Hillary has put forth on health care, the war in Iraq, etc., etc. At the end of her spiel, she says, “And we haven’t heard anything that specific from Osama bin Laden.”
I say, “You did not just say that.” She replies, “I’m sorry . . . just a slip of the tongue.” She then thanks me for my time and encourages me to vote for Hillary on Tuesday.
The lawyer says he was "stunned" and tells The Swamp the call originated from the Clinton campaign in Columbus. Are the dirty tricks ramping up as we get down to the wire? Swamp readers in Ohio and Texas, relate your own encounters with the Clinton or Obama campaigns if you've had them.
I've heard many people say that Clinton and McCain are better choices for president because they aren't going to make a sloppy exit from Iraq and that General Petraeus is going to be the best man to determine how to do that.
Well, there are a number of fallacies in these types of statements.
