War on Terror

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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A Reformation is a new morning, an improvement, a renovation or, restoration. I believe that America is on the verge of just such a new morning, a reformation. I admit to being an optimist, but I am also grounded in a lifetime of real experiences and having been present during many significant worldly events. Because I believe a Democrat will be elected in 2008, to replace President Bush, I feel a renewal to Americas commitment to human rights, justice and the return to checks and balances in our government is just on our political horizon and I am raring to see it happen and be part of its rebirth.

Soon, I believe, America will be waking to the real prospect of universal health care, an end to America’s military involvement in Iraq’s civil war and the beginning of a worthy and long overdue American war; a war on poverty, hunger and sickness in America first and to the world as well. Our trade deficiencies will be addressed and the hard work of reducing the crippling Ten Trillion dollar U.S. deficit left by the Bush Administration will begin.

1.Suspend some elements of the Patriot Act and Detainee Bill for Congressional review.
“The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. “For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all”. - H. L. Mencken

2.Deny any additional funding for US Combat roles in Iraq. (This will require the often absent backbone and integrity, but I feel we can do it).”Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare”. Japanese proverb

3.Increase funding for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. They actually did facilitate an attack on our country. Osama Bin Laden is there, maybe.

4.Prohibit torture in any and all of its forms to include the President’s approved “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques”. "What we must face squarely is this: whenever we torture or mistreat prisoners, we are capitulating morally to the enemy-in fact, adopting the terrorist ethic that the end justifies the means." Rev. Kermit D. Johnson, Chaplain (Major General), U.S. Army (ret.)

I was against Bush's War in Iraq from the outset, just as I am against the continuing occupation. Both were built on lie after lie after lie by an administration bereft of integrity. Yesterday, a vast majority of our elected representatives voted to continue their fool's errand by pouring more money into the occupation.

Somebody you know has a family member or friend who will die because of their vote. That death will be in vain. Somebody you know will lose an arm or a leg or an eye or their sanity because of that vote. Those injuries will be in vain. And thousands of people you don't know will suffer these same fates and worse. It is a tragedy that will endure for generations to come.

Crossposted from Town Called Dobson & My Left Wing


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Canada will not renew anti-terror legislation that stemmed from the hysteria following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US. The vote came after the Canadian Supreme Court struck down one of the provisions, said BBC News:

"On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that a system allowing the government to indefinitely detain foreign-born terror suspects or deport them violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms."

Apparently, Canadians feel a lot safer and calmer now. There have been no attacks on Canada. Why was the US targeted, any way? Why do the terrorists hate us, and not Canada?

This week, Amy Goodman interviewed former CIA consultant, Chalmers Johnson, on Democracy Now!. You can hear/watch/read this eye-opener HERE. Johnson is the author of the Blowback trilogy, and he talked with Goodman about his latest in the series, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. Among his not unexpected, but nonetheless startling to hear confirmed, revelations:

Every president, when he takes office, is told about his secret, private army, the CIA, which he can use for assassinations, destabilization of foreign economies and governments, or for any purpose he chooses, with impunity, even if those actions are illegal. Since the agency was formed in 1947, no president has declined to use the CIA for clandestine warfare. These operations are kept secret from the American people. When there is retaliation ("blowback") for these covert operations, the American people don't see the connection.

The Child King has a secret plan to deal with prison overcrowding. He wants to turn the Army into a gang of thugs. On the other hand, the John Locke Puppets have a different plan: build more prisons run by private companies. They're both delusional.

The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show.

So what else is new?