Tuesday, October 28, 2008
On the "Race Card"
Though I am sure that in America, we would like to think that racism is history. That in today's modern day and age we can rest assured that the racial tension that had nearly exploded in the 1960's is a chapter that we have long since closed in the History book of America.
While this may be true for some places in America, racism is still very much alive (and hopefully unwell). True, there may no longer exist public lynching parties, and while there may be laws in place that help curb state sponsored racism, it undoubtedly has evolved into a different monster. Unfortuntely, addressing racism is something that has been swept under the rug so to speak. Some Americans are tired of addressing racism, while others vehemently denies its existence, and while others are constantly bringing it to the forefront of every issue. Americans do not like their noses rubbed in a terrible aspect of their culture, and calling out racism in America has become some sort of a bad joke.. whereby "pulling the race-card" is now thought of as the last ditch effort by minorities to take an unfair advantage.
Since Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama has taken the center stage of the up comming elections, race and ethnicity has definitely been on the minds of Americans whether we choose to accept that or not. With such a monumental election about to take place, isn't it about time that Americans take a moment to really adress the issue of race once and for all?
Today I was making my way through the various news outlets that I stroll by and happened to come onto this article: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/27/government-foils-skinhead-plot-assassinate-obama/
"A source in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told FOX News that the two skinheads, who were picked up in Crockett County, Tenn., were plotting to shoot 88 black students and decapitate 14 others described as non-whites. The source said officials believe the suspects were planning to attempt an assassination against Obama. Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville field office for the ATF, said the suspects also sought to go on a national killing spree, with Obama as its final target. "They said that would be their last, final act -- that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying.""
Or how about the incident with the young campaign volunteer for John McCain made up a story of being robbed, pinned to the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in what she had said was a politically inspired attack by a black man
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27350530/)
By no means am I suggesting that America is full of skin-heads trying to kill people of color. And by no means am I suggesting that McCain had anything to do with the individualistic initiative taken by the fradulant woman. Rather, I am suggesting that the lack of public outcry is what is so bothersome. The fact that we as Americans can live in a world where this actually happens, disgusts me. Where is the pitch-forked fire-torch wielding masses in march AGAINST racism or racial attitudes like this? Where are the politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle screaming at their constituants that this is unacceptable?
Keith Olbermann said it well on his show The Countdown.
To McCain's credit, he did defend Obama on a number of occasions...
...but is what he said and did enough? Yes, he defended the man, Obama, but what an opportunity for McCain to step out and push his publically dubbed negetive campaign into a positive spin and denounce racist remarks, denounce the rhetoric that has consistantly named devisive and give Americans a moral spanking?! Had it been Obama that were to come out and speak against these acts, it would have surely been criticized as a black man calling the "race card." Had it been Obama speaking out, it would have been criticized as yet another minority person trying to get an unfair advantage by smearing the white majority. Its a hard pill to swallow, but its the reality of the situation. We cannot expect McCain or any political figure for that matter to address every incident of racism or racially fueled remarks as it would probably be physically impossible.. and likewise its not to say that all McCain supporters are racist either. But racism in American hasn't quite reached the status of "it goes without saying, but..." and as this election has proven, America today still has yet to close the chapter racism in its History book.
While this may be true for some places in America, racism is still very much alive (and hopefully unwell). True, there may no longer exist public lynching parties, and while there may be laws in place that help curb state sponsored racism, it undoubtedly has evolved into a different monster. Unfortuntely, addressing racism is something that has been swept under the rug so to speak. Some Americans are tired of addressing racism, while others vehemently denies its existence, and while others are constantly bringing it to the forefront of every issue. Americans do not like their noses rubbed in a terrible aspect of their culture, and calling out racism in America has become some sort of a bad joke.. whereby "pulling the race-card" is now thought of as the last ditch effort by minorities to take an unfair advantage.
Since Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama has taken the center stage of the up comming elections, race and ethnicity has definitely been on the minds of Americans whether we choose to accept that or not. With such a monumental election about to take place, isn't it about time that Americans take a moment to really adress the issue of race once and for all?
Today I was making my way through the various news outlets that I stroll by and happened to come onto this article: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/27/government-foils-skinhead-plot-assassinate-obama/
"A source in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told FOX News that the two skinheads, who were picked up in Crockett County, Tenn., were plotting to shoot 88 black students and decapitate 14 others described as non-whites. The source said officials believe the suspects were planning to attempt an assassination against Obama. Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville field office for the ATF, said the suspects also sought to go on a national killing spree, with Obama as its final target. "They said that would be their last, final act -- that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying.""
Or how about the incident with the young campaign volunteer for John McCain made up a story of being robbed, pinned to the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in what she had said was a politically inspired attack by a black man
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27350530/)
By no means am I suggesting that America is full of skin-heads trying to kill people of color. And by no means am I suggesting that McCain had anything to do with the individualistic initiative taken by the fradulant woman. Rather, I am suggesting that the lack of public outcry is what is so bothersome. The fact that we as Americans can live in a world where this actually happens, disgusts me. Where is the pitch-forked fire-torch wielding masses in march AGAINST racism or racial attitudes like this? Where are the politicians on BOTH sides of the aisle screaming at their constituants that this is unacceptable?
Keith Olbermann said it well on his show The Countdown.
To McCain's credit, he did defend Obama on a number of occasions...
...but is what he said and did enough? Yes, he defended the man, Obama, but what an opportunity for McCain to step out and push his publically dubbed negetive campaign into a positive spin and denounce racist remarks, denounce the rhetoric that has consistantly named devisive and give Americans a moral spanking?! Had it been Obama that were to come out and speak against these acts, it would have surely been criticized as a black man calling the "race card." Had it been Obama speaking out, it would have been criticized as yet another minority person trying to get an unfair advantage by smearing the white majority. Its a hard pill to swallow, but its the reality of the situation. We cannot expect McCain or any political figure for that matter to address every incident of racism or racially fueled remarks as it would probably be physically impossible.. and likewise its not to say that all McCain supporters are racist either. But racism in American hasn't quite reached the status of "it goes without saying, but..." and as this election has proven, America today still has yet to close the chapter racism in its History book.
Friday, October 24, 2008
"A gross abuse of public trust.."
A report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on October 16th found that the White House had "used the political affairs office to orchestrate an aggressive strategy to use taxpayer-funded trips to help elect Republican candidates" during the 2006 Congressional elections. The actions of the White House may have breached the Hatch Act, which prohibits government involvement with taxpayer dollars in political affairs.
The Office of Political Affairs coordinated the efforts, and while it has been used in the past to support political parties, the Committee called the level of involvement "unprecedented" and a "gross abuse of public trust". A total of 99 Republican candidates were supported by the actions.
Political Affairs requested that its officials attend events of and support key members of the 2006-2007 Congressional race. Administration officials attended a total of 425 events, including parties, fundraising dinners, speeches, and appearances with Republican candidates--an average of more than an event each day of the election season. A third of the events were paid for with tax dollars.
The Office of Political Affairs coordinated the efforts, and while it has been used in the past to support political parties, the Committee called the level of involvement "unprecedented" and a "gross abuse of public trust". A total of 99 Republican candidates were supported by the actions.
Political Affairs requested that its officials attend events of and support key members of the 2006-2007 Congressional race. Administration officials attended a total of 425 events, including parties, fundraising dinners, speeches, and appearances with Republican candidates--an average of more than an event each day of the election season. A third of the events were paid for with tax dollars.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
How far from mainstream..
..does it take for people to realize how crazy some of the politicians are that we elected into office?
Take this politician from Minnesota for instance. Rep. Michele Bachmann was on the Chris Mathews Show and made comments saying that she believes that Senator Obama (among other unamed politicians) are Anti-American. Its one thing to make political remarks about another politician... its quite another to insult half (give or take a few percentage points depending on your source) of America for calling their presidential candidate Anti-American... ESPECIALLY when its her party that is being railed by the media (and the people for that matter) for their staging of an overly aggressive and outrageous negetive campaign. You have retired Generals and old Republican party bosses comming out and saying how detracted from the real issues the McCain campaign has been from what is really hitting "mainstreet" America... making grossly outrageous comments about Obama's credibility as an AMERICAN not as a politican... spending 100% of commercial-advertisement money on attack adds as opposed to position adds of your campaign... all the while the economy is going up in flames?! She has the audacity to propose Congressional hearings to expose politicians for being Anti-American?! Uhm.. Hello Neo-McCathryism. So damaging were her remarks that the Democratic opponent for her seat actually has financially benefitted from her remarks.. and has raised $438,346.57 in less than 24 hours of her remarks. Even her own party has thought she has gone over board, prompting a "write-in" candidacy of Republican Immelman (http://www.immelman.us/contribute/)
Hasn't it been clear enough that all Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, are tired of campaigns veering off from the real issues that we feel here at home?
Take this politician from Minnesota for instance. Rep. Michele Bachmann was on the Chris Mathews Show and made comments saying that she believes that Senator Obama (among other unamed politicians) are Anti-American. Its one thing to make political remarks about another politician... its quite another to insult half (give or take a few percentage points depending on your source) of America for calling their presidential candidate Anti-American... ESPECIALLY when its her party that is being railed by the media (and the people for that matter) for their staging of an overly aggressive and outrageous negetive campaign. You have retired Generals and old Republican party bosses comming out and saying how detracted from the real issues the McCain campaign has been from what is really hitting "mainstreet" America... making grossly outrageous comments about Obama's credibility as an AMERICAN not as a politican... spending 100% of commercial-advertisement money on attack adds as opposed to position adds of your campaign... all the while the economy is going up in flames?! She has the audacity to propose Congressional hearings to expose politicians for being Anti-American?! Uhm.. Hello Neo-McCathryism. So damaging were her remarks that the Democratic opponent for her seat actually has financially benefitted from her remarks.. and has raised $438,346.57 in less than 24 hours of her remarks. Even her own party has thought she has gone over board, prompting a "write-in" candidacy of Republican Immelman (http://www.immelman.us/contribute/)
Hasn't it been clear enough that all Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, are tired of campaigns veering off from the real issues that we feel here at home?
Monday, October 20, 2008
To all of my conservative friends..
If there was ever a voice of reason, if there was ever an appeal to your vote, a motion of peace between our differing ideologies...please watch this video. Don't think of this video as a shot to try and change your political ideology. Don't take this video as a means to try and make you vote no on Prop. 8, or to somehow start supporting abortion. I say those two things not out of mockery, but they are of the two central issues for concerned and well informed voters on the right-side of the aisle.
Gen. Powell has a very informed view of the world, his party, and what he feels the American people need right now. I say this because look at how he argues his point.. he doesn't attack the men running for office. In fact, he goes on to vouche for their patriotism and devotion to their nation's well-being. Rather, he talks about the people in the senior positions of the parties that are lined up to take office. This presidential race should not be based on abortion or on gay marriage. This presidential race is about what the country needs right now. Its about what it will need for the next 4 years. Its not about ideology, its not about religion, its about what we need to survive. The next 4 years are going to determine where the US will be for the rest of the century.
We can make the arguement that McCain is not Bush. We can make the arguement that he is a Maverick and that he has a bi-partisan track record. He is a fine politician and a true national hero. But the fact of the matter is that the economy cannot be run on policies that reflect the past 8 years. De-regulation of markets and banks, industries regulating based on profits (profits of share-holders mind you), increases in governmental powers and interferences with civil life, and governmental spending that is through the roof.
Please, for the sake of progress. For the sake of getting back to the roots of what this country really NEEDS. We can take care of abortion and gay marriage later. We can have a stimulating debate and a friendly discussion on our beliefs. But my friends, I'm afraid that 4 more years of similar tactics and policies are not going to save this nation from economic, military, or social hegemony that the US has been enjoying in its decline since 2001. Let's put our daggers away. Its not about placing the blame on what President enacted what, or what party had control of Congress and for what. Its not about associating liberals as elitist or hippies, or conservatives as corporate pigs or red-necks.
Its about sending a message to the world as a whole that America is growing up. That America is interested in the fact that Obama is dark-skinned, or that Palin is hot in a librarian sort of way, or that a vote for a Republican is a vote for Bush, or that a vote for a Democrat is a vote of God-lessness. Its about the idea that America is willing to try and get back onto the center stage in the prestige and respect that it once enjoyed a decade ago. Its about making sure that hard-working bleeding Americans are taken care of by their government. Forget everything you learned in high school U.S. Politics and Government because that hasn't applied to the real world in well over a decade.
Take one good hard look at the country. Don't vote for your politics. Don't vote for your concerns about the super-ficial. Vote for the basic necessities that America is dying to get. Vote for the outlook of a better tomorrow so that at the end of the day, abortion and gay marriage can actually be a REAL concern... because if we all vote on our traditional values as Democrats or Republicans... I can guarantee you that we won't have a nation to debate and have cordial conversations about the differences in our beliefs.
Gen. Powell has a very informed view of the world, his party, and what he feels the American people need right now. I say this because look at how he argues his point.. he doesn't attack the men running for office. In fact, he goes on to vouche for their patriotism and devotion to their nation's well-being. Rather, he talks about the people in the senior positions of the parties that are lined up to take office. This presidential race should not be based on abortion or on gay marriage. This presidential race is about what the country needs right now. Its about what it will need for the next 4 years. Its not about ideology, its not about religion, its about what we need to survive. The next 4 years are going to determine where the US will be for the rest of the century.
We can make the arguement that McCain is not Bush. We can make the arguement that he is a Maverick and that he has a bi-partisan track record. He is a fine politician and a true national hero. But the fact of the matter is that the economy cannot be run on policies that reflect the past 8 years. De-regulation of markets and banks, industries regulating based on profits (profits of share-holders mind you), increases in governmental powers and interferences with civil life, and governmental spending that is through the roof.
Please, for the sake of progress. For the sake of getting back to the roots of what this country really NEEDS. We can take care of abortion and gay marriage later. We can have a stimulating debate and a friendly discussion on our beliefs. But my friends, I'm afraid that 4 more years of similar tactics and policies are not going to save this nation from economic, military, or social hegemony that the US has been enjoying in its decline since 2001. Let's put our daggers away. Its not about placing the blame on what President enacted what, or what party had control of Congress and for what. Its not about associating liberals as elitist or hippies, or conservatives as corporate pigs or red-necks.
Its about sending a message to the world as a whole that America is growing up. That America is interested in the fact that Obama is dark-skinned, or that Palin is hot in a librarian sort of way, or that a vote for a Republican is a vote for Bush, or that a vote for a Democrat is a vote of God-lessness. Its about the idea that America is willing to try and get back onto the center stage in the prestige and respect that it once enjoyed a decade ago. Its about making sure that hard-working bleeding Americans are taken care of by their government. Forget everything you learned in high school U.S. Politics and Government because that hasn't applied to the real world in well over a decade.
Take one good hard look at the country. Don't vote for your politics. Don't vote for your concerns about the super-ficial. Vote for the basic necessities that America is dying to get. Vote for the outlook of a better tomorrow so that at the end of the day, abortion and gay marriage can actually be a REAL concern... because if we all vote on our traditional values as Democrats or Republicans... I can guarantee you that we won't have a nation to debate and have cordial conversations about the differences in our beliefs.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
S.O.P.
I got to tell you. I just finished watching Errol Morris latest documentary which is called 'Standard Operating Procedure'...
http://www.sonyclassics.com/standardoperatingprocedure/
Now the documentary itself was about the events that transpired over Abu Ghraib...
http://www.salon.com/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/introduction/
And I can still remember the exact week that those photos came out. I specifically remember it because I had friends...good friends whom I have known around the world in countries from Egypt to Pakistan to China...who emailed me, chatted with me and basically almost begged me to tell them that those pictures were fake. None of my friends wanted to believe it. I was and felt humiliated having to apologize to friends who live in some places where the US is not held in such high regard...and we just took our reputation off a cliff. After that there was no going back.
The amazing part is...as the film shows...is that at Abu Ghraib the pictures only started getting taken when someone who was disturbed about what was happening and wanted to record it to protect themselves were the same pictures that got those people who 'softened prisoners' up for interrogation sent to jail. No one at the officer level has ever been charged with a crime or held to even a moderate level of accountability.
After seeing all the photographs and videos of what happened there over the year the pictures were being taken...as someone who was in the military no way in hell you are going to convince me that six enlisted soldiers did that all by themselves. If the commanders thought that the behavior stopped at those six then why did a Colonel working for military intelligence after the scandal broke announce a 'blanket amnesty' for anyone in the command who engaged in torture...provided they personally bring forward or destroy any pictures, film, videos or other incriminating evidence that could embarrass the command...
But it's interesting to me that Errol Morris in his commentary of the film made a very fascinating observation. It had to deal with this picture...
http://x28.xanga.com/5fef00e064535216034699/z168973107.jpg
And Errol Morris had said the following, "After the release of the photos, when I saw this photo in particular (the picture above), that photo came to symbolize the way that the world perceived the foreign policy of the United States under George Bush."
In other words he is saying the way the world sees us is that the United States is the military power (the soldier holding the leash) and they want the world to be submissive. As for how President Bush has acted unilaterally with our foreign policy and his judgments I can't disagree with that idea. But it is also interesting that this year because of the web access around the world the magazine the Economist, which I am a great fan of, decided to roll out a project for a 'global electoral college. In essence the asked the world who would they vote for President in the US if they could. The results so far? Well in Barrack Obama wins he will have a lot of goodwill waiting for him. Except maybe in Cuba where McCain has an edge...
http://www.economist.com/vote2008/
Standard Operating Procedure was fascinating to me as a documentary because you do get to see through the eyes of the soldiers who were there what happened and how they believed why it did. But I also don't know how we could restore the traditional sense of honor to a military where people are told, "if you don't do 'X' (in the case of Abu Ghraib it was torture) Americans will be killed". Would you disobey an order if it was put to you that way and you were in the military? The people who got convicted and a few of them were in the documentary could have easily been you or me. And maybe that is the greatest tragedy and for me the paradox. I don't see them as the criminals they were made out to be. They are not blameless...but they also were not monsters. Now those ghost officers, operatives working behind the shadows and the policymakers who endorsed these policies? That is a quite a different matter entirely...
The only people ever convicted of a crime at Abu Ghraib were convicted almost solely on the photographs that they took of themselves as evidence. For these intelligence agencies that are all faceless how do you demand accountability from them to not act like animals without compromising their mission?
http://www.sonyclassics.com/standardoperatingprocedure/
Now the documentary itself was about the events that transpired over Abu Ghraib...
http://www.salon.com/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/introduction/
And I can still remember the exact week that those photos came out. I specifically remember it because I had friends...good friends whom I have known around the world in countries from Egypt to Pakistan to China...who emailed me, chatted with me and basically almost begged me to tell them that those pictures were fake. None of my friends wanted to believe it. I was and felt humiliated having to apologize to friends who live in some places where the US is not held in such high regard...and we just took our reputation off a cliff. After that there was no going back.
The amazing part is...as the film shows...is that at Abu Ghraib the pictures only started getting taken when someone who was disturbed about what was happening and wanted to record it to protect themselves were the same pictures that got those people who 'softened prisoners' up for interrogation sent to jail. No one at the officer level has ever been charged with a crime or held to even a moderate level of accountability.
After seeing all the photographs and videos of what happened there over the year the pictures were being taken...as someone who was in the military no way in hell you are going to convince me that six enlisted soldiers did that all by themselves. If the commanders thought that the behavior stopped at those six then why did a Colonel working for military intelligence after the scandal broke announce a 'blanket amnesty' for anyone in the command who engaged in torture...provided they personally bring forward or destroy any pictures, film, videos or other incriminating evidence that could embarrass the command...
But it's interesting to me that Errol Morris in his commentary of the film made a very fascinating observation. It had to deal with this picture...
http://x28.xanga.com/5fef00e064535216034699/z168973107.jpg
And Errol Morris had said the following, "After the release of the photos, when I saw this photo in particular (the picture above), that photo came to symbolize the way that the world perceived the foreign policy of the United States under George Bush."
In other words he is saying the way the world sees us is that the United States is the military power (the soldier holding the leash) and they want the world to be submissive. As for how President Bush has acted unilaterally with our foreign policy and his judgments I can't disagree with that idea. But it is also interesting that this year because of the web access around the world the magazine the Economist, which I am a great fan of, decided to roll out a project for a 'global electoral college. In essence the asked the world who would they vote for President in the US if they could. The results so far? Well in Barrack Obama wins he will have a lot of goodwill waiting for him. Except maybe in Cuba where McCain has an edge...
http://www.economist.com/vote2008/
Standard Operating Procedure was fascinating to me as a documentary because you do get to see through the eyes of the soldiers who were there what happened and how they believed why it did. But I also don't know how we could restore the traditional sense of honor to a military where people are told, "if you don't do 'X' (in the case of Abu Ghraib it was torture) Americans will be killed". Would you disobey an order if it was put to you that way and you were in the military? The people who got convicted and a few of them were in the documentary could have easily been you or me. And maybe that is the greatest tragedy and for me the paradox. I don't see them as the criminals they were made out to be. They are not blameless...but they also were not monsters. Now those ghost officers, operatives working behind the shadows and the policymakers who endorsed these policies? That is a quite a different matter entirely...
The only people ever convicted of a crime at Abu Ghraib were convicted almost solely on the photographs that they took of themselves as evidence. For these intelligence agencies that are all faceless how do you demand accountability from them to not act like animals without compromising their mission?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Psychological Verdict...
Everyone has a reason to be pissed and upset with the Bush administration. On a variety of issues that we can't even begin to count. But as the page starts to turn on the disaster that was the Bush Presidency many people look and think now about his legacy. What did President Bush leave behind for us? And although the failures are too numerous to count the most disturbing legacy in my view over the past eight years has happened to involve what is left behind of our civil rights.
I am not just talking about the Patriot Act...which mind you does have some provisions and powers that I believe law enforcement agencies needed to have in the modern age...but I am talking about the advocacy of unchecked Presidential authority that we have seen emerge. Some of this abuse of authority would be comical if it wasn't so offensive. As Brian Ross of ABC New's recently reported and documented officials from the NSA (the National Security Agency) routinely listened to private conversations of Americans abroad. In fact they took conversations that they liked...US Soldiers having phone sex with their wives, conversations they found funny and circulated your private conversations around the office for others to get a good laugh out of...
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5987804&page=1
And who's to say the Government isn't full of professionals?...
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/10/09/eavesdropping/
I have to remind you these are the same people who were given this authority to listen to terrorists. You think you send around emails you find funny? Next time you make these guys laugh in your phone calls it will be you.
It is nothing short of ironic that if Barrack Obama does win the Presidency he could inherit quite possibly the most power ever bestowed upon a Chief Executive since George Washington when we first founded this country.
But many parts of the Bush legacy are slowly unraveling and how they are falling apart is not only telling but also should be strong lessons to us never to entrust a President with such power again. The greatest symbol of that unchecked authority over the past years to the International community happened to step back in the news again. Of course I am talking about the gulag we established at Guantanamo Bay...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detainment_camp
Where last week a landmark ruling was issued in Federal court. A judge (appointed by a Republican no less) finally stepped up and said enough. After these detainees were held for seven years without legal access he finally ordered the release of 17 detainees being held at Guantanamo that the US Military documented to be innocent...
http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/court-orders-release-17-innocent-guantanamo-detainees-u.s.
All 17 of these detainees were not terrorists. In fact they were Chinese Muslims who had fled religious persecution in their native homeland and had gone to neighboring Afghanistan seeking refuge before they were picked up the US Military in a sweep. Now that ruling of course has been appealed...the Bush administration often has to be told multiple times by even a conservative Supreme Court that they are subverting the law before they stop and listen. But out of the past eight years there has been a remarkable sea change in American thinking that I find dangerous. Especially when it comes to torture. And I was absolutely floored when a recent survey last month among Southern Evangelicals found that 57% of people surveyed believed torture was acceptable...
http://pewforum.org/news/rss.php?NewsID=16465
Here is the World's view country by country. We have shifted radically in the past 8 years...
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/jun08/WPO_Torture_Jun08_packet.pdf
Now as we saw in the conviction of Jose Padilla, if you recall he was an American citizen held without rights for six years until he was tried and convicted...documents now forthcoming have shown his captivity brought him to the brink of insanity...
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/07/ap5521464.html
The conditions these prisoners have been held in we didn't really know much about before. But details are now starting to slowly emerge. Why? Because of an all fight now taking place...in the medical community. And this is part of the discussion that has never been brought to our attention. It has always sat there below the radar.
Now think about it. In these interrogations...from Guantanamo Bay all the way to Abu Ghraib and beyond...we knew there would be interrogators in the room and military intelligence officers that would be obvious. But during these torture sessions someone else was in the room too: a doctor. A medical professional to treat the wounds caused by torture, to tell interrogators when they have gone to far or when they had to back off. And because a doctor was in the room for all these sessions the medical community has had their own fight brewing over this...
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/332/7556/1462
And more importantly Psychologists. Because as we are learning psychologists were hired and paid for by the government to break down prisoners in interrogations and to help devise techniques to make people talk...
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/16/america/ethics.php
This bothers the crap out of me. I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy. I was considering Psychology as a career (my Associate's is in Psychology). I had to deal with prisoners when I was in Kuwait. I never, never thought I would see medical professionals step up to take a lead role in how to devise methods to better torture people. Never. The idea back when I was serving of this occurring...absolute disbelief. Now after a lot of debate associations of psychologists have banded together to bar a role in military interrogations...
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,175663,00.html
But still the damage has been done. Over the past eight years though there has been some push back to this. There has been people fighting in the trenches against this. We just haven't seen much of the fight. But what a toll it has taken.
One of the clearest views of this fight happens to have come from Jane Mayer who interviewed hundreds of all conservative lawyers who worked for the Bush administration for her book which is recommended below. None of the facts from her book have been disputed in fact they have been affirmed.
Which is a stain for us. Because in that book among the fight and the many revelations is that we...Americans...had people in our custody and through torturing them we murdered people. In cold blood. Let me say that again. We had people who were innocent, in our custody and we murdered them. And the President in this was either in an absolute bubble and knew nothing about it...which is possible. Or if he did know...he delegated and was complicit in it. Either way there is no going back for us...
What kind of abuses would it take for us to step up and demand our civil liberties back?
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals
By Jane Mayer
I am not just talking about the Patriot Act...which mind you does have some provisions and powers that I believe law enforcement agencies needed to have in the modern age...but I am talking about the advocacy of unchecked Presidential authority that we have seen emerge. Some of this abuse of authority would be comical if it wasn't so offensive. As Brian Ross of ABC New's recently reported and documented officials from the NSA (the National Security Agency) routinely listened to private conversations of Americans abroad. In fact they took conversations that they liked...US Soldiers having phone sex with their wives, conversations they found funny and circulated your private conversations around the office for others to get a good laugh out of...
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5987804&page=1
And who's to say the Government isn't full of professionals?...
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/10/09/eavesdropping/
I have to remind you these are the same people who were given this authority to listen to terrorists. You think you send around emails you find funny? Next time you make these guys laugh in your phone calls it will be you.
It is nothing short of ironic that if Barrack Obama does win the Presidency he could inherit quite possibly the most power ever bestowed upon a Chief Executive since George Washington when we first founded this country.
But many parts of the Bush legacy are slowly unraveling and how they are falling apart is not only telling but also should be strong lessons to us never to entrust a President with such power again. The greatest symbol of that unchecked authority over the past years to the International community happened to step back in the news again. Of course I am talking about the gulag we established at Guantanamo Bay...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detainment_camp
Where last week a landmark ruling was issued in Federal court. A judge (appointed by a Republican no less) finally stepped up and said enough. After these detainees were held for seven years without legal access he finally ordered the release of 17 detainees being held at Guantanamo that the US Military documented to be innocent...
http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/court-orders-release-17-innocent-guantanamo-detainees-u.s.
All 17 of these detainees were not terrorists. In fact they were Chinese Muslims who had fled religious persecution in their native homeland and had gone to neighboring Afghanistan seeking refuge before they were picked up the US Military in a sweep. Now that ruling of course has been appealed...the Bush administration often has to be told multiple times by even a conservative Supreme Court that they are subverting the law before they stop and listen. But out of the past eight years there has been a remarkable sea change in American thinking that I find dangerous. Especially when it comes to torture. And I was absolutely floored when a recent survey last month among Southern Evangelicals found that 57% of people surveyed believed torture was acceptable...
http://pewforum.org/news/rss.php?NewsID=16465
Here is the World's view country by country. We have shifted radically in the past 8 years...
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/jun08/WPO_Torture_Jun08_packet.pdf
Now as we saw in the conviction of Jose Padilla, if you recall he was an American citizen held without rights for six years until he was tried and convicted...documents now forthcoming have shown his captivity brought him to the brink of insanity...
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/07/ap5521464.html
The conditions these prisoners have been held in we didn't really know much about before. But details are now starting to slowly emerge. Why? Because of an all fight now taking place...in the medical community. And this is part of the discussion that has never been brought to our attention. It has always sat there below the radar.
Now think about it. In these interrogations...from Guantanamo Bay all the way to Abu Ghraib and beyond...we knew there would be interrogators in the room and military intelligence officers that would be obvious. But during these torture sessions someone else was in the room too: a doctor. A medical professional to treat the wounds caused by torture, to tell interrogators when they have gone to far or when they had to back off. And because a doctor was in the room for all these sessions the medical community has had their own fight brewing over this...
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/332/7556/1462
And more importantly Psychologists. Because as we are learning psychologists were hired and paid for by the government to break down prisoners in interrogations and to help devise techniques to make people talk...
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/16/america/ethics.php
This bothers the crap out of me. I was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy. I was considering Psychology as a career (my Associate's is in Psychology). I had to deal with prisoners when I was in Kuwait. I never, never thought I would see medical professionals step up to take a lead role in how to devise methods to better torture people. Never. The idea back when I was serving of this occurring...absolute disbelief. Now after a lot of debate associations of psychologists have banded together to bar a role in military interrogations...
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,175663,00.html
But still the damage has been done. Over the past eight years though there has been some push back to this. There has been people fighting in the trenches against this. We just haven't seen much of the fight. But what a toll it has taken.
One of the clearest views of this fight happens to have come from Jane Mayer who interviewed hundreds of all conservative lawyers who worked for the Bush administration for her book which is recommended below. None of the facts from her book have been disputed in fact they have been affirmed.
Which is a stain for us. Because in that book among the fight and the many revelations is that we...Americans...had people in our custody and through torturing them we murdered people. In cold blood. Let me say that again. We had people who were innocent, in our custody and we murdered them. And the President in this was either in an absolute bubble and knew nothing about it...which is possible. Or if he did know...he delegated and was complicit in it. Either way there is no going back for us...
What kind of abuses would it take for us to step up and demand our civil liberties back?
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals
By Jane Mayer
Friday, October 03, 2008
10 Steps to Economic Meltdown
1.)- The Bubble Bursts: Housing values fall as supply overwhelms demand. Many subprime borrowers find that their homes are worth less than their mortgages. Defaults rise, which sends prices further south. The downward spiral begins.
2.)- Run of CDO's: Investors pile into collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), which are complicated securities based on pools of mortgages. CDOs are often (absurdly) rated AA and AAA and considered as safe as Treasuries.
3.)- Leverage love Company: Firms borrow to load up on CDOs and real estate. Lehman Brothers was leveraged more than 30 to 1. AIG sells credit-default swaps (CDSs), derivatives designed to protect investors from failures.
4.)- The Mortgage Collapse: Consumers who got big mortgages with little documentation begin to default. Lenders like Washington Mutual and Countrywide Financial see their stock prices sink. Fiscal comeuppance rears its ugly head.
5.)- Finance Takes the next Hit: Rising delinquencies mean that CDOs lose value. The investment banks must take write-downs and raise capital; the rout begins. Bear Stearns goes down. Lehman Brothers plays an endgame and loses.
6.)- Begin the Bailout: Fannie and Freddie have to be made federal wards to try to stop the crisis. Wishful thinking. Next, the Fed steps in to save AIG before rolling out a $700 billion bailout. The markets weaken with worry.
7.)- The Freeze: Some credit markets have already seized up, including auction-rate securities, which hurt municipalities. Large banks are also getting skittish. The spreads on junk bonds and even better-rated corporate bonds are widening. This raises costs for businesses.
8.)- The Market gets Volatile: Volatility is bad for the stock market, and recent indicators are off the charts. Investors head to the sidelines, willing to park their money in three-month Treasuries at less than 1% interest until it's safe to come out again.
9.)- The Deleveraging Death Spiral: Banks under stress, like Washington Mutual and Wachovia, need to set aside more capital against potential losses. So they have to sell assets, which drives asset prices even lower, which requires more capital. And round and round we go.
10.)- From Main Street to Wall Street: As lending tightens, short-term loans on which all kinds of businesses rely become less available. This has huge negative potential, because if the gears of commerce get stuck, growth slows and layoffs follow as companies trim costs.
2.)- Run of CDO's: Investors pile into collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), which are complicated securities based on pools of mortgages. CDOs are often (absurdly) rated AA and AAA and considered as safe as Treasuries.
3.)- Leverage love Company: Firms borrow to load up on CDOs and real estate. Lehman Brothers was leveraged more than 30 to 1. AIG sells credit-default swaps (CDSs), derivatives designed to protect investors from failures.
4.)- The Mortgage Collapse: Consumers who got big mortgages with little documentation begin to default. Lenders like Washington Mutual and Countrywide Financial see their stock prices sink. Fiscal comeuppance rears its ugly head.
5.)- Finance Takes the next Hit: Rising delinquencies mean that CDOs lose value. The investment banks must take write-downs and raise capital; the rout begins. Bear Stearns goes down. Lehman Brothers plays an endgame and loses.
6.)- Begin the Bailout: Fannie and Freddie have to be made federal wards to try to stop the crisis. Wishful thinking. Next, the Fed steps in to save AIG before rolling out a $700 billion bailout. The markets weaken with worry.
7.)- The Freeze: Some credit markets have already seized up, including auction-rate securities, which hurt municipalities. Large banks are also getting skittish. The spreads on junk bonds and even better-rated corporate bonds are widening. This raises costs for businesses.
8.)- The Market gets Volatile: Volatility is bad for the stock market, and recent indicators are off the charts. Investors head to the sidelines, willing to park their money in three-month Treasuries at less than 1% interest until it's safe to come out again.
9.)- The Deleveraging Death Spiral: Banks under stress, like Washington Mutual and Wachovia, need to set aside more capital against potential losses. So they have to sell assets, which drives asset prices even lower, which requires more capital. And round and round we go.
10.)- From Main Street to Wall Street: As lending tightens, short-term loans on which all kinds of businesses rely become less available. This has huge negative potential, because if the gears of commerce get stuck, growth slows and layoffs follow as companies trim costs.
