Something is deeply wrong with the American political process. That’s the only way to explain why, despite polls showing that 70% of us want the wars in the middle east ended and our troops brought home now, the probable nominees of the ‘major’ political parties are a warmongering lunatic and a ‘peace candidate’ who says he wants to bomb Pakistan...
It’s common these days, especially after 9/11, to hear people call the president ‘our commander in chief’ — as if he’s the leader of society as a whole, rather than just the head of the U.S. military. But Washington didn’t go around calling himself everybody’s commander in chief. Most often he referred to himself as merely the ‘chief magistrate.’ And contrary to our contemporary George W., Washington didn’t think his authority as commander in chief meant he could break any law that he thought impinged on his ability to protect national security. Washington even doubted his ‘inherent power’ to launch offensive action against hostile Indian tribes. As he put it in 1793, ‘The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.’ Nor did Washington believe that it was the chief magistrate’s role to serve as ‘Tribune of the People,’ promising great works, and demanding the power to carry them out...
You know, it shouldn’t be that difficult to figure out what we should be doing, because we have a lot of problems: we have fiscal problems, we have foreign policy, we have monetary policies, we have deficit problems. And where do they come from? It’s because we don’t follow the rule of law; we don’t follow the Constitution. If we knew and understood and read Article 1, Section 8, believe me this government would be much smaller, we would have a lot less taxes, and we could repeal the 16th amendment and get rid of the income tax...
Let’s talk about police states. That’s always fun. We do not currently have a police state in the United States, in my view (although others may, and do, differ), but we have a tendency. We have an urge. I believe that the urge to adopt a police state can be cured, perhaps through re-education camps and prayer. The imperial presidency of G.W. Bush has long claimed the authority to do pretty much anything it wants, usually in the name of national security. It has also claimed the authority not to tell anybody what it’s doing, also in the name of national security. When you have a government that can do anything and not tell its citizens about it, you have a police state...
Since September 11, 2001, the United States has become a colder, less hospitable place. Anxious to ease their fears about security, Americans have grown increasingly willing to let people from other countries pay the price. I’m not talking about the tragic killing of civilians in Iraq or Afghanistan, but of something even deadlier: Fearful inhabitants of the ‘home of the brave’ who want to see the borders tightened and fewer people allowed to enter the United States...
Thousands of people protested against U.S. soldiers involved in humanitarian missions in Muslim areas of the southern Philippines on Monday, saying the troops’ presence could be provocative. About 6,000 U.S. troops are taking part in annual training exercises with Philippine troops over two weeks but they will only hold humanitarian missions in the south of the archipelago, where Muslim communities are suspicious of their activities. Zainab Ampatuan, head of the Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Moro People) political party, said about 20,000 people gathered in the southern cities of Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato and Pikit to protest the presence of U.S. soldiers...
Air Force officials are warning that unless their budget is increased dramatically, and soon, the military’s high-flying branch won’t dominate the skies as it has for decades. After more than six years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force’s aging jet fighters, bombers, cargo aircraft and gunships are at the breaking point, they say, and expensive, ultramodern replacements are needed fast...
Having requested the Pakistani government’s official permission for such strikes on previous occasions, only to be put off or turned down, this time the U.S. spy agency did not seek approval. The government of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was notified only as the operation was underway, according to the officials, who insisted on anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities...
Welches Problem muss gleich nach den Finanzen angepackt werden? Einig waren sich die Kandidaten darin, dass sie dem Bau des Sendemasts, der auf Aldersbacher Gebiet errichtet werden soll, jedoch nur 1,2 Kilometer von Aidenbach entfernt sein wird, kritisch gegenüberstehen. »Gesundheit geht vor wirtschaftliche Interessen«, stellte Obermeier fest. Unterschiedlich ist jedoch die Vorgehensweise. Obermeier will abwarten, ob die Klage des Aldersbacher Bürgermeisters gegen den Sendemast erfolgreich sein wird: »Wir können selbst nichts dagegen tun«. Weidl widersprach und setzte sich dafür ein, die Nachbargemeinde bei ihrer Klage nachhaltig zu unterstützen: »Das hab ich auch bei uns im Marktrat eingebracht - passiert ist nichts!«
The American people cannot trust their government spokesmen--or the media that is entrusted with the task of keeping them honest--to tell them the truth. The dishonesty and duplicity of our political and business leaders have produced an almost universal distrust among the American people. We have been lied to so often that it is hard to remember when we were last told the truth by almost anyone in Washington, D.C., especially at the Executive level.........
Andrew Martin of The New York Times reports that "a California meat company on Sunday issued the largest beef recall in history, 143 million pounds, some of which was used in school lunch programs, Department of Agriculture officials announced. The recall by the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, based in Chino, California, comes after a widening animal-abuse scandal that started after the Humane Society of the United States distributed an undercover video on January 30 that showed workers kicking sick cows and using forklifts and electric shocks to force them to walk. The video raised questions about the safety of the meat, because cows that cannot walk, called downer cows, pose an added risk of diseases, including mad cow disease."
Paul Krugman writes for The New York Times that "'Poverty in early childhood poisons the brain.' That was the opening of an article in Saturday's Financial Times, summarizing research presented last week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As the article explained, neuroscientists have found that 'many children growing up in very poor families with low social status experience unhealthy levels of stress hormones, which impair their neural development.' The effect is to impair language development and memory - and hence the ability to escape poverty - for the rest of the child's life."
Truthout's Dean Baker writes: "It is becoming increasing clear that we are facing the worst financial meltdown since the Depression, and Mr. Bernanke was caught asleep at the wheel. We are just at the beginning of the housing crash recession. It will get much worse, as the economists who never saw it coming are now recognizing. There will be many more credit freeze-ups and debt write-downs that are an order of magnitude larger than what we have seen to date. There will be plenty of blame to go around in this story, but it is not too early to start holding people accountable. There was a colossal failure of economic policy, and its perpetrators should not be able to walk away unscathed."
HUNDREDS of residents have launched a campaign to stop a 60ft mobile phone mast being built opposite their homes.
Springboig Bowling Club wants to rent part of its site to mobile firm O2 to raise funds for the club.
However, the campaign group has gathered around 200 letters against the mast in Springboig Avenue.
They insist they will block workers from putting up the structure if the mast wins approval from Glasgow City Council planning committee in the next few weeks.
The U.S. credit markets, the giant growth engine that powers the American economy, are collapsing ... with few credit sectors spared from damage, few investors escaping losses, and little hope of federal action that's quick or strong enough to make a major difference.
Last month's image of President George W. Bush imploring King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to boost the battered U.S. economy helped bring home the notion that the commander-in-chief's word no longer serves as an imperial command.
Shultz said he thinks nuclear weapons are "immoral." Even in the Cold War when mutual deterrence was believed to have prevented the United States and the Soviet Union from going to war, Shultz said nuclear weapons made him feel uneasy.
This is the last subject that any candidate would dare raise on the long and winding road to the White House. It is almost impossible to talk about the manner in which public ignorance contributes to grave national problems without being labeled an "elitist," one of the most powerful pejoratives that can be applied to anyone aspiring to high office.
We are in a war against radical Islam that is trying to overthrow the moderate elements in the Islamic world and which is fundamentally challenging the secular structures of Western societies. All this is happening at a difficult period in European history.
"A fascinating, bombshell documentary that should shame Americans, regardless of whether or not ultimate blame finally lies with Kissinger. Should be required viewing for civics classes and would-be public servants alike." -- Brent Simon, Entertainment Today.
Most Canadians still proudly believe that their government refused to join the Iraq War. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are some of the ways in which we joined the fray.
Britain's Foreign Office on Monday released an early version of a 2002 dossier of prewar intelligence on Iraq that became vital to Tony Blair's case for war.
Nigel Morris reports for The Independent UK: "Fresh evidence that the Iraq weapons dossier was 'sexed up' emerged as the Government finally published the secret first draft of the document. As expected, the earliest version of the document did not include the now notorious claim that Saddam Hussein could launch weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of an order to do so."
The kaleidoscope of circumstance has turned & Ron Paul has categorically ruled out a third party run. He has, however, called for a march on Washington DC in 3-4 months’ time, to show the democratically-elected rulers of the US that at least some of their subjects are still defiant. As is now clear, what people find so attractive & compelling, are the genuinely liberal ideas & ideals that Paul articulates so well. This is why his voters cross party lines & so many were previously a-political. But only a minute fraction of all these will be able to travel to DC. Can I suggest, therefore, that this march be only the first prong in a two-pronged attack: Let there be a Ron Paul write-in, in November...
As the nation’s major media outlets crown John McCain (George W. Bush on steroids) as the Republican nominee for president, their nearly criminal neglect of Ron Paul’s candidacy in the 2008 presidential campaign is nearly complete. ‘Big media’ have never deemed Paul a ‘major candidate,’ as their paltry coverage of him shows. In fact, the media often brand the ardent groundswell of popular support for Ron Paul as an odd curiosity. The problem is that if Ron Paul is a kook — as they imply — then so are the nation’s founders. His policy prescriptions of more limited government at home and military restraint abroad put him far closer to the spectrum of opinion at the founding than any other candidate in the 2008 race. The media barons would never dream of implying that founders were loony tunes. But the country’s current massive government, with its intrusive activism at home and abroad, is so far removed from the founding vision that the modern-day manifestation of such values appears downright weird to today’s press corps...
Since the end of World War II, no US administration has indulged American idealism to the degree — and with the recklessness — that President George W Bush has. Previous presidents were better able to balance our raw idealism with our realist objectives, even though they often spoke the language of morality to the American people — telling us that we were the planet’s moral beacon — while quietly ensuring that our impulses be checked by a cold dose of caution and realism. For better or worse, it was inevitable that our own idealism (or more cynically, our self-righteousness) would lead us to overreach...
Unique marine life in Antarctica will be at risk from an invasion of sharks, crabs and other predators if global warming continues, scientists warn. Crabs are poised to return to the Antarctic shallows, threatening creatures such as giant sea spiders and floppy ribbon worms, says a UK-US team. Some have evolved without predators for tens of millions of years. Bony fish and sharks would move in if waters warm further, threatening species with extinction, they say. In the last 50 years, sea surface temperatures around Antarctica have risen by 1 to 2C, which is more than twice the global average...
Privatisierungtendenzen im Bildungssektor. 1.600 Schulen lassen sich von Bertelsmann evaluieren
Artikel von Hartmut Schurig in blz - die Zeitschrift der GEW BERLIN Nr. 01 / 2008 zu Privatisierungstendenzen im Bildungssektor http://www.gew-berlin.de/blz/11830.htm
Vattenfall auf dem Stundenplan. Gewerkschafter und Bürgerbeauftragte warnen vor Privatisierung an Schulen
„Um die Privatisierung öffentlicher Aufgaben ging es am Sonnabend auf der Konferenz „Bildung ist keine Ware“, zu der die GEW Berlin und das Berliner Bündnis gegen Privatisierung eingeladen hatten. Sie machte deutlich, wie weit Private bereits in den hoheitlichen Bereich vorgedrungen sind…“ Artikel von Birgit v. Criegern im ND vom 18.02.2008 http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/124176.html
„Deutsche-Bank-Vorstandschef Ackermann hat von den deutschen Top-Managern angesichts der Steueraffäre von Post-Chef Zumwinkel mehr Vorbildfunktion und Führungsstärke gefordert…“ Artikel in Süddeutsche Zeitung vom 18.02.2008 http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,tt2m4/wirtschaft/artikel/974/158548/
Spontane Demonstration vor Haus von Ex-Postchef Zumwinkel
„Rund 30 Menschen haben sich am Sonntag zu einer spontanen Demonstration vor dem Kölner Haus des ehemaligen Post- Chefs Klaus Zumwinkel versammelt. Die als Clowns verkleideten Demonstranten boten vor der Gebäude symbolisch "Steuerschlupflöcher" zum Verkauf an…“ WDR-Meldung vom 17.2.08 http://www.wdr.de/themen/kurzmeldungen/2008/02/17/demonstration_vor_zumwinkel-haus.jhtml
Dazu auch:
„Clownsarmee übernimmt Kapitalverteidigung“
„Der Proletarier-Mob stürmt die Reichenviertel, die Bild-Zeitung titelt "Schnappt euch die Bonzen!", und die Polizei hat die Seiten gewechselt: Die Leistungsträger der Gesellschaft schreien nach dem Sondereinsatzkommando der Clownsarmee. Ein Sondereinsatzkommando der Kölner Clownsarmee hat am Sonntag, dem 17. Februar 2008 erfolgreich den Ansturm von mindestens 200.000 wütenden Proletariern auf das Kölner Villenviertel Marienburg zurückgeschlagen. Der Einsatz war notwendig geworden, nachdem die bundesdeutsche Polizei offenbar nicht mehr gewillt ist, ihren verfassungsgemäßen Aufgaben - Aufrechterhaltung der öffentlichen Ordnung, insbesondere Kapitalverteidigung - nachzukommen. Stattdessen hatte sie sich in den letzten Tagen wiederholt auf die Seite des Lumpenproletariats geschlagen und die Privatsphäre der Marienburger Villenbewohner verletzt…“ Bericht von ClownIn vom 17.02.2008 bei indymedia http://de.indymedia.org/2008/02/208305.shtml
"A new alert for travellers: be careful what you store on your laptop or your BlackBerry when entering the United States," warns CNN's John Roberts. "Customs agents can examine your computer and even keep your private information."
Dollar Has Biggest Weekly Loss in 2008 on Signs Growth Slowing
The dollar had its biggest weekly loss this year against the euro after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled he may cut interest rates further amid mounting concern that the economy is headed for a recession.
Iran recently acquired the capability to deliver satellites into space. It stands to reason that they can now also deliver a nuclear warhead; however, with the open situation of our borders and ports we should have great concerns over a covert delivery of a nuclear weapon.
The U.S. on Friday demanded that Iran confess to trying to make atomic weapons, suggesting that anything short of that would doom an International Atomic Energy Agency probe of Tehran's nuclear past.
The United States will probably have more troops in Iraq this summer than it did before pouring in forces last year -- even after a planned drawdown, a U.S. general said on Friday.
The Pentagon says it has to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite because of the threat of a toxic gas cloud. Space security experts are calling the rationale highly unlikely. "Having the US government spend millions of dollars to destroy a billion-dollar failure to save zero lives is comedic gold"...
John Williams, a former Foreign Office aide, said last night that publication of his document would expose how members of Tony Blair's team were locked in a mindset that made military action inevitable.
The secret first draft of the notorious Iraq dossier that helped to take Britain to war is expected to be released tomorrow, in a victory for freedom of information campaigners.
Obama, - has proven to be just as self-serving and easily manipulated as the rest. If he can so readily support the starvation of 1.5 million people, who is to guarantee that he will not renounce his moral stances on issues pertaining to Iraq, Iran, and indeed America itself?
Even veteran Fed-watchers were caught off-guard by Chairman Bernanke's performance before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday. Bernanke was expected to make routine comments on the state of the economy but, instead, delivered a 45 minute sermon detailing the afflictions of the foundering financial system. The Senate chamber was stone-silent throughout. The gravity of the situation is finally beginning to sink in.
Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled that Lotfi Raissi could claim compensation for his arrest and imprisonment after being wrongly accused of training 9/11 pilots. Here, in his first interview since the landmark decision, he tells of his prison hell, nervous collapse and the terrible toll his ordeal has had on his personal and professional life.
Since 9/11 America has certainly turned into a top-down police state, but true post-modern fascism requires a popular movement to usher it into power. Bush has created a dictatorship out of the Presidency, now the next step towards fascism is being marketed to exploit the desire for change.
On January 10 Moody's, in concert with the other main bond rating firm, Standard and Poor's, gave the United States its top AAA credit rating. The terrorist blackmail threat came in the form of a demand by Moody's that the U.S. government "reform" Social Security and Medicare: "In the very long term, the rating could come under pressure if reform of Medicare and Social Security is not carried out as these two programs are the largest threats to the long-term financial health of the United States and to the government's Aaa rating."
The stock market was inaugurated in a video conference ceremony from the capital Tehran attended by ministers of oil, finance and economic affairs as well as chairman of Iran's Stock Exchange and a number of other officials and financial experts.
Iran's Ambassador to Moscow said Iran and Russia, as major energy suppliers, can rid the world of US dollar's slavery by promoting oil and gas deals using different currencies, IRNA reported.
In his testimony McConnell emphasizes Iranian attempts to enrich uranium as well as Iran's capacity to fire long-range weapons. The combination of these two are now being presented at the highest levels of power as the central argument for branding Iran as a danger to world peace. As if the National Intelligence Estimate never even existed.
That Congress puts the so-called integrity of a game ahead of its own Constitutional mandate of oversight of legitimate governance is a travesty. That this travesty is carried out in the face of a pledge by a Democratic-controlled Congress to effectively and responsibly carry out its duty to investigate how and why our nation went to war with Iraq is not only incomprehensible, but reprehensible.
Because of the abysmal approval ratings of Congress itself, there is a real groundswell of "throw the bums out" voting, as evidenced by the 24-point victory in the primary challenge this week by progressive Donna Edwards. But we need to very careful not to let the exceptionally good be swept out with the bad.
That is why we need everyone to see this new Dennis Kucinich ad, to protect his seat from a hostile primary challenge in his own district.
For weeks big money has been running terribly false attack ads against Dennis trying to smear him out of Congress. And Dennis needs your help to fight back by running the ad on the page above in his own district. So if you can make any kind of donation, please use the easy form on the same page above to do so.
And to thank you for your valiant support, Dennis wants you to have as his gift to you a copy of his special Kucinich commemorative edition pocket constitution, with your donation of $100 or more. And if you are one of the few who have not be blindsided by Cheney's gut-the-economy agenda, Dennis Kucinich will personally autograph your copy with your donation of $1,000 or more.
Please note that even if you had already donated the full legal limit to his brave presidential run, which had a real impact in shifting the debate, you can donate another $2,300 for his congressional seat defense.
But even if you can't make a donation right now, there is still something incredibly important you can do to help, and that is to send links to the video to anyone you can. So ask all your friends to visit the page below too.
So please do what you can to spread the word that this is a must win, must-keep situation. It is only because of the courage of Dennis Kucinich in standing strong to protect and defend the Constitution that we are where we are now, with more and more members of Congress clamoring for meaningful impeachment hearings, and the House still holding the line against that craven telecom immunity thing.
Let us not be complacent. Let us not take anything for granted just because Dennis is so amazing on every issue. We have to make sure that we empower Dennis to remind his constituents what a magnificent job he has been doing for them and for us all. And nothing would push impeachment forward more than the most clearcut victory for Dennis in his primary.
Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible.
usalone178b:105757
Powered by The People's Email Network Copyright 2007, Patent pending, All rights reserved
"Mr. Speaker, we make war with such certainty, yet we are befuddled how to create peace. This paradox requires reflection if we are to survive. Making and endorsing war requires a secret love of death, and a fearful desire to embrace annihilation. Creating peace requires compassion, putting ourselves in the other person's place, and all of their suffering and all of their hopes and to act from our heart's capacity to love, not fear." Dennis Kucinich
Deutsche fühlt sich durch Handystrahlung beeinträchtigt (Infas-Studie)
- die Zahl stieg in drei Jahren um 50 Prozent. Symptome: z. ... http://tinyurl.com/33laac
Trump and His Allies...
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/06/21/trump-and-his-allies-are-clear-and-present-danger-american-democracy?utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter_op
rudkla - 22. Jun, 05:09
The Republican Party...
https://truthout.org/articles/the-republican-party-is-still-doing-donald-trumps-bidding/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=804d4873-50dd-4c1b-82a5-f465ac3742ce
rudkla - 26. Apr, 05:36
January 6 Committee Says...
https://truthout.org/articles/jan-6-committee-says-trump-engaged-in-criminal-conspiracy-to-undo-election/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=552e5725-9297-4a7c-a214-53c8c51615a3
