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December 29, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tuesday's Links
Activism
CA-48th: 8.5 days left...Virtual Phone Bankers Needed. Remember how Paul Hackett nearly won a special election in a Ohio district that went overwhelmingly for Bush? Remember how the left "blogosphere" rallied around Hackett and helped to boost his campaign? Well, we need a repeat of that. You may not even be aware of the fact that there's a special election in California's 48th district in a little over a week, but there is. Steve Young (not the ex-QB) is running and needs your help. If you're not in CA, you can help by virtual phone banking - just go to the link above for instructions. If you are in CA, then volunteer, and vote if you're in the 48th! We'll take the Congress back, one seat at a time.
News
Cheney Sidesteps Travel Disclosure Rules. You know, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't a big deal. Really, this is the mastermind behind the Iraq war debacle, our torture policy, the CIA leak, and who knows what else? But that's exactly the point - it's critical to a functioning democracy to know what its leaders are up to. In fact, they refuse to even accept reimbursements from the organizers of the events to which he travels, precisely so they don't have to disclose those payments. We don't know how much we're paying to subsidize the trips of our Vice-President, and most of the time, we don't even know where he's going. It's pretty crappy that we're being stuck with the bills of his travel that seems to be almost exclusively for political purposes, but that's nothing new with this Administration. No, the point of this is that Cheney apparently doesn't feel he has any obligation to inform the electorate of what he's doing or where he's going, even those we're his boss. Of course, the Veep's office believes it's completely justified: "Their view is that the vice president is a constitutional office that is not subject to the laws that others in the executive branch are. They have been consistent in that." Well, at least they've been consistent...
The FBI's Secret Scrutiny. Do you trust the government? Because that's ultimately what the Patriot Act comes down to. If you trust the government not to abuse it's power, and to use their powers to go after those intent on causing Americans harm, then there's nothing wrong with the Patriot Act. On the other hand, if you pay just a bit of attention to what's going on, you realize how easy it is for a group of cynics and greedy powermongers can abuse that trust and game the system. That's what's happening now, and it's that atmosphere of abusiveness that makes the Patriot Act so dangerous. Read this story and learn about the FBI's monitoring of private citizens for whatever reason they deem appropriate. Since Bush has taken office, his Administration has steadily worked to lower to standards of what proof and justification is necessary to monitor and intrude upon private citizens. Do you really trust them to have our best interests at heart and exercise the appropriate restrait? Us neither.
Harper's Index for October 2005. We've always been big fans of Harper's Index. Some highlights from last month's numbers: "Rank of 2004 among the most fiscally reckless years in U.S. history, according to the comptroller general: 1", "Minutes that NBC and CBS spent covering the Darfur genocide last year: 8", "Total U.S. spending on poppy eradication and other antidrug efforts in Afghanistan last year: $780,000,000", and "Amount it would have cost to purchase the country’s entire 2004 poppy crop: $600,000,000." Sometimes, numbers are also worth 1000 words.
Editorials
Guatemala, home of powerful drug runners. Often, we'll cover the same issues over and over again, but once in a while we like to mix things up. So, here's an issue that hasn't yet been mentioned on Still Fighting: The Guatemalan drug trade. Some in America believe that Guatemala is a "transfer point for 75 percent of the cocaine that gets into the U.S." Unfortunately, Guatemala doesn't seem to be doing anything to combat the problem. They don't seem to want to cooperates with our efforts to stem the drug trade, and so "[i]nstead of extradition, the DEA is now luring suspects into the U.S. and then arresting them." That seems to be a pretty ineffective method of fighting the problem. It'd be nice if we knew more about Guatemala's complicity in the global drug war, and what the U.S. is doing to pressure them to aid us in the fight. Hey media: Do your jobs!
So you want details about who lied. The ever-dwindling group of Bush defenders continue to insist that he never lied about WMDs in Iraq, and that it was just "bogus intelligence". Well, the fact that Cheney and his cohorts actively distorted that intelligence has been quite well established on this blog, but war supporters continue to insist that Cheney and Bush didn't lie in the run up to the war. They keep asking for details. One might be able to argue that "it isn't a lie if you truly believe it", but we now have information showing that for the most part, the White House shouldn't have believed the intelligence they push. This letter to the editor to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer outlines just some of the most egregious examples of the Administration willfully lying to the public. Yes, they knew that Saddam was unlikely to have nuclear weapons, and stated that he likely did. To quote the author, "If that isn't lying, I don't know what is."
Blogger Commentary
Rahm, Please Tell Us: How Many More Have to Die for It to Be "The Right Time?". David Sirota nails it with his righteous indignation, and for once, it's toward Democrats. After Jack Murtha called for an Iraq pullout, Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) said that the Democrats would have a position on Iraq "at the right time". Who's Rahm Emanuel? Well, only the leader of the House Democrats' election campaign. This might be prudent politics, although it's also typical of what many (including us) dislike about Democrats: Their unwillingness to take a stand, even if it's unpopular. But forget politics for a second - it's morally reprehensible to play politics with this war. It's wrong for the Republicans to continue to do it, and it's wrong for the Democrats to do it at all. If a Democratic opposition to the war could end it and save lives in the long run, then it's the right thing to do. Have some integrity, Rahm!
It's Our Fault. Arthur Silber's back, and this time he's dispelling another myth that seems to circulate in the right-wing propaganda factory. Namely, the idea that if, but some strange twist of fate, we "lose" in Iraq and are forced to pull out before "victory" is achieved (whatever that means), then it won't be the fault of our leadership. No, they believe the blame will rest on "Main Street, U.S.A.", for engaging in "defeatism". Silber points out the absurdity of this argument: "We are the strongest nation in the history of the world. We have the most powerful military forces ever known to man. But if we 'lose,' it's the fault of those of us sitting at home who read and think about these events, and who dare to reach certain inescapable conclusions. It's our fault. We control nothing, and cannot dictate even the most miniscule part of the outcome." The right-wing is in charge. When they fail, it's their fault. It's called "accountability". Look into it for once.
|
December 29, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Tuesday's Links
Activism
CA-48th: 8.5 days left...Virtual Phone Bankers Needed. Remember how Paul Hackett nearly won a special election in a Ohio district that went overwhelmingly for Bush? Remember how the left "blogosphere" rallied around Hackett and helped to boost his campaign? Well, we need a repeat of that. You may not even be aware of the fact that there's a special election in California's 48th district in a little over a week, but there is. Steve Young (not the ex-QB) is running and needs your help. If you're not in CA, you can help by virtual phone banking - just go to the link above for instructions. If you are in CA, then volunteer, and vote if you're in the 48th! We'll take the Congress back, one seat at a time.
News
Cheney Sidesteps Travel Disclosure Rules. You know, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't a big deal. Really, this is the mastermind behind the Iraq war debacle, our torture policy, the CIA leak, and who knows what else? But that's exactly the point - it's critical to a functioning democracy to know what its leaders are up to. In fact, they refuse to even accept reimbursements from the organizers of the events to which he travels, precisely so they don't have to disclose those payments. We don't know how much we're paying to subsidize the trips of our Vice-President, and most of the time, we don't even know where he's going. It's pretty crappy that we're being stuck with the bills of his travel that seems to be almost exclusively for political purposes, but that's nothing new with this Administration. No, the point of this is that Cheney apparently doesn't feel he has any obligation to inform the electorate of what he's doing or where he's going, even those we're his boss. Of course, the Veep's office believes it's completely justified: "Their view is that the vice president is a constitutional office that is not subject to the laws that others in the executive branch are. They have been consistent in that." Well, at least they've been consistent...
The FBI's Secret Scrutiny. Do you trust the government? Because that's ultimately what the Patriot Act comes down to. If you trust the government not to abuse it's power, and to use their powers to go after those intent on causing Americans harm, then there's nothing wrong with the Patriot Act. On the other hand, if you pay just a bit of attention to what's going on, you realize how easy it is for a group of cynics and greedy powermongers can abuse that trust and game the system. That's what's happening now, and it's that atmosphere of abusiveness that makes the Patriot Act so dangerous. Read this story and learn about the FBI's monitoring of private citizens for whatever reason they deem appropriate. Since Bush has taken office, his Administration has steadily worked to lower to standards of what proof and justification is necessary to monitor and intrude upon private citizens. Do you really trust them to have our best interests at heart and exercise the appropriate restrait? Us neither.
Harper's Index for October 2005. We've always been big fans of Harper's Index. Some highlights from last month's numbers: "Rank of 2004 among the most fiscally reckless years in U.S. history, according to the comptroller general: 1", "Minutes that NBC and CBS spent covering the Darfur genocide last year: 8", "Total U.S. spending on poppy eradication and other antidrug efforts in Afghanistan last year: $780,000,000", and "Amount it would have cost to purchase the country’s entire 2004 poppy crop: $600,000,000." Sometimes, numbers are also worth 1000 words.
Editorials
Guatemala, home of powerful drug runners. Often, we'll cover the same issues over and over again, but once in a while we like to mix things up. So, here's an issue that hasn't yet been mentioned on Still Fighting: The Guatemalan drug trade. Some in America believe that Guatemala is a "transfer point for 75 percent of the cocaine that gets into the U.S." Unfortunately, Guatemala doesn't seem to be doing anything to combat the problem. They don't seem to want to cooperates with our efforts to stem the drug trade, and so "[i]nstead of extradition, the DEA is now luring suspects into the U.S. and then arresting them." That seems to be a pretty ineffective method of fighting the problem. It'd be nice if we knew more about Guatemala's complicity in the global drug war, and what the U.S. is doing to pressure them to aid us in the fight. Hey media: Do your jobs!
So you want details about who lied. The ever-dwindling group of Bush defenders continue to insist that he never lied about WMDs in Iraq, and that it was just "bogus intelligence". Well, the fact that Cheney and his cohorts actively distorted that intelligence has been quite well established on this blog, but war supporters continue to insist that Cheney and Bush didn't lie in the run up to the war. They keep asking for details. One might be able to argue that "it isn't a lie if you truly believe it", but we now have information showing that for the most part, the White House shouldn't have believed the intelligence they push. This letter to the editor to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer outlines just some of the most egregious examples of the Administration willfully lying to the public. Yes, they knew that Saddam was unlikely to have nuclear weapons, and stated that he likely did. To quote the author, "If that isn't lying, I don't know what is."
Blogger Commentary
Rahm, Please Tell Us: How Many More Have to Die for It to Be "The Right Time?". David Sirota nails it with his righteous indignation, and for once, it's toward Democrats. After Jack Murtha called for an Iraq pullout, Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) said that the Democrats would have a position on Iraq "at the right time". Who's Rahm Emanuel? Well, only the leader of the House Democrats' election campaign. This might be prudent politics, although it's also typical of what many (including us) dislike about Democrats: Their unwillingness to take a stand, even if it's unpopular. But forget politics for a second - it's morally reprehensible to play politics with this war. It's wrong for the Republicans to continue to do it, and it's wrong for the Democrats to do it at all. If a Democratic opposition to the war could end it and save lives in the long run, then it's the right thing to do. Have some integrity, Rahm!
It's Our Fault. Arthur Silber's back, and this time he's dispelling another myth that seems to circulate in the right-wing propaganda factory. Namely, the idea that if, but some strange twist of fate, we "lose" in Iraq and are forced to pull out before "victory" is achieved (whatever that means), then it won't be the fault of our leadership. No, they believe the blame will rest on "Main Street, U.S.A.", for engaging in "defeatism". Silber points out the absurdity of this argument: "We are the strongest nation in the history of the world. We have the most powerful military forces ever known to man. But if we 'lose,' it's the fault of those of us sitting at home who read and think about these events, and who dare to reach certain inescapable conclusions. It's our fault. We control nothing, and cannot dictate even the most miniscule part of the outcome." The right-wing is in charge. When they fail, it's their fault. It's called "accountability". Look into it for once.
|
December 29, 2005
CA-48th: 8.5 days left...Virtual Phone Bankers Needed. Remember how Paul Hackett nearly won a special election in a Ohio district that went overwhelmingly for Bush? Remember how the left "blogosphere" rallied around Hackett and helped to boost his campaign? Well, we need a repeat of that. You may not even be aware of the fact that there's a special election in California's 48th district in a little over a week, but there is. Steve Young (not the ex-QB) is running and needs your help. If you're not in CA, you can help by virtual phone banking - just go to the link above for instructions. If you are in CA, then volunteer, and vote if you're in the 48th! We'll take the Congress back, one seat at a time.
News
Cheney Sidesteps Travel Disclosure Rules. You know, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't a big deal. Really, this is the mastermind behind the Iraq war debacle, our torture policy, the CIA leak, and who knows what else? But that's exactly the point - it's critical to a functioning democracy to know what its leaders are up to. In fact, they refuse to even accept reimbursements from the organizers of the events to which he travels, precisely so they don't have to disclose those payments. We don't know how much we're paying to subsidize the trips of our Vice-President, and most of the time, we don't even know where he's going. It's pretty crappy that we're being stuck with the bills of his travel that seems to be almost exclusively for political purposes, but that's nothing new with this Administration. No, the point of this is that Cheney apparently doesn't feel he has any obligation to inform the electorate of what he's doing or where he's going, even those we're his boss. Of course, the Veep's office believes it's completely justified: "Their view is that the vice president is a constitutional office that is not subject to the laws that others in the executive branch are. They have been consistent in that." Well, at least they've been consistent...
The FBI's Secret Scrutiny. Do you trust the government? Because that's ultimately what the Patriot Act comes down to. If you trust the government not to abuse it's power, and to use their powers to go after those intent on causing Americans harm, then there's nothing wrong with the Patriot Act. On the other hand, if you pay just a bit of attention to what's going on, you realize how easy it is for a group of cynics and greedy powermongers can abuse that trust and game the system. That's what's happening now, and it's that atmosphere of abusiveness that makes the Patriot Act so dangerous. Read this story and learn about the FBI's monitoring of private citizens for whatever reason they deem appropriate. Since Bush has taken office, his Administration has steadily worked to lower to standards of what proof and justification is necessary to monitor and intrude upon private citizens. Do you really trust them to have our best interests at heart and exercise the appropriate restrait? Us neither.
Harper's Index for October 2005. We've always been big fans of Harper's Index. Some highlights from last month's numbers: "Rank of 2004 among the most fiscally reckless years in U.S. history, according to the comptroller general: 1", "Minutes that NBC and CBS spent covering the Darfur genocide last year: 8", "Total U.S. spending on poppy eradication and other antidrug efforts in Afghanistan last year: $780,000,000", and "Amount it would have cost to purchase the country’s entire 2004 poppy crop: $600,000,000." Sometimes, numbers are also worth 1000 words.
Editorials
Guatemala, home of powerful drug runners. Often, we'll cover the same issues over and over again, but once in a while we like to mix things up. So, here's an issue that hasn't yet been mentioned on Still Fighting: The Guatemalan drug trade. Some in America believe that Guatemala is a "transfer point for 75 percent of the cocaine that gets into the U.S." Unfortunately, Guatemala doesn't seem to be doing anything to combat the problem. They don't seem to want to cooperates with our efforts to stem the drug trade, and so "[i]nstead of extradition, the DEA is now luring suspects into the U.S. and then arresting them." That seems to be a pretty ineffective method of fighting the problem. It'd be nice if we knew more about Guatemala's complicity in the global drug war, and what the U.S. is doing to pressure them to aid us in the fight. Hey media: Do your jobs!
So you want details about who lied. The ever-dwindling group of Bush defenders continue to insist that he never lied about WMDs in Iraq, and that it was just "bogus intelligence". Well, the fact that Cheney and his cohorts actively distorted that intelligence has been quite well established on this blog, but war supporters continue to insist that Cheney and Bush didn't lie in the run up to the war. They keep asking for details. One might be able to argue that "it isn't a lie if you truly believe it", but we now have information showing that for the most part, the White House shouldn't have believed the intelligence they push. This letter to the editor to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer outlines just some of the most egregious examples of the Administration willfully lying to the public. Yes, they knew that Saddam was unlikely to have nuclear weapons, and stated that he likely did. To quote the author, "If that isn't lying, I don't know what is."
Blogger Commentary
Rahm, Please Tell Us: How Many More Have to Die for It to Be "The Right Time?". David Sirota nails it with his righteous indignation, and for once, it's toward Democrats. After Jack Murtha called for an Iraq pullout, Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) said that the Democrats would have a position on Iraq "at the right time". Who's Rahm Emanuel? Well, only the leader of the House Democrats' election campaign. This might be prudent politics, although it's also typical of what many (including us) dislike about Democrats: Their unwillingness to take a stand, even if it's unpopular. But forget politics for a second - it's morally reprehensible to play politics with this war. It's wrong for the Republicans to continue to do it, and it's wrong for the Democrats to do it at all. If a Democratic opposition to the war could end it and save lives in the long run, then it's the right thing to do. Have some integrity, Rahm!
It's Our Fault. Arthur Silber's back, and this time he's dispelling another myth that seems to circulate in the right-wing propaganda factory. Namely, the idea that if, but some strange twist of fate, we "lose" in Iraq and are forced to pull out before "victory" is achieved (whatever that means), then it won't be the fault of our leadership. No, they believe the blame will rest on "Main Street, U.S.A.", for engaging in "defeatism". Silber points out the absurdity of this argument: "We are the strongest nation in the history of the world. We have the most powerful military forces ever known to man. But if we 'lose,' it's the fault of those of us sitting at home who read and think about these events, and who dare to reach certain inescapable conclusions. It's our fault. We control nothing, and cannot dictate even the most miniscule part of the outcome." The right-wing is in charge. When they fail, it's their fault. It's called "accountability". Look into it for once.
