And, yes, I DO take it personally: 07/05/2009

Jon Stewart is right... Obviously we don't know Dick...

maybe THIS will smoke the big dick out of his undisclosed location and into the arms of sweet, sweet accountability... somehow, however, i don't think i should hold my breath...

Cheney Is Linked to C.I.A. Concealment of Terror Program

The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a
secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years
on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the
agency's director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and
House intelligence committees, two people with direct
knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal
the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the
mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush
administration had put a high priority on the program and its
secrecy.

Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of
its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two
intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions
the next day.

the clever daily show line notwithstanding, most of us who have paid the slightest bit of attention in fact DO know dick and have essentially been saying this all along... nice to see it making headlines in the traditional media, however...

Labels: Bush Administration, CIA, Congress, counterterrorism, Dick Cheney, House Intelligence Committee, Leon Panetta, secrecy, Senate Intelligence Committee

Submit To Propeller

[Permalink] 0 comments

The sad state of infrastructure in Afghanistan

juan cole has a detailed rundown on the dismal state of afghanistan reconstruction and development...

when i first arrived in afghanistan a year ago march, i was stunned at the state of the infrastructure... after all, my country had been there nearly seven years at the time and had spent many billions of dollars... perhaps naively, i expected to see at least some tangible evidence of it even though i know full well how much money goes back to the u.s. in the pockets of ex-pats, mine included... professor cole's article snippets present a mildly hopeful picture but nothing even close to where it should be...

from professor cole's post...

[B]etween one-third and 40% of all foreign aid to Afghanistan is returned to the donor countries because much of it is given on the condition that it must be used to buy goods or services from the donor nation.

that pretty well sums it up...

Labels: Afghanistan, Kabul, public infrastructure, reconstruction

Submit To Propeller

[Permalink] 0 comments

Fuckers (stronger letter to follow)

they're beneath contempt...

AIG Is Preparing to Pay Millions More in Bonuses

American International Group is preparing to pay millions of dollars more in bonuses to several dozen top corporate executives after an earlier round of payments four months ago set off a national furor.

The company has been pressing the federal government to bless the payments in hopes of shielding itself from renewed public outrage.

ya know what...? the average u.s. taxpayer, myself included, is a full-on chump... we're being sheared like the sheep we are...

Labels: A.I.G., bailout, executive bonuses, insurance companies, public outrage

Submit To Propeller

[Permalink] 0 comments

Full spectrum U.S. dominance of the entire planet

from real news via information clearing house...

information clearing house...

The Plan is for the United States to rule the world. The overt theme is unilateralism, but it is ultimately a story of domination. It calls for the United States to maintain its overwhelming military superiority and prevent new rivals from rising up to challenge it on the world stage. It calls for dominion over friends and enemies alike. It says not that the United States must be more powerful, or most powerful, but that it must be absolutely powerful.

real news...

William Engdahl on his book Full Spectrum Dominance: Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order.

Part 1

Part 2

good stuff... a rare commodity - intelligent, in-depth, probing news and discussion of major issues directed toward an adult mentality that can tolerate give-and-take that isn't pre-digested or, worse yet, totally phony...

Labels: Full Spectrum Dominance, Information Clearing House, New World Order, NWO, Real News, totalitarian democracy, William Engdahl

Submit To Propeller

[Permalink] 0 comments

Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaks from an Israeli jail about the abduction of Gaza aid activists

al jazeera english...

Fourteen people remain in custody after an aid ship bound for Gaza was seized by the Israeli navy on Tuesday. Among them are a nobel peace prize winner, and two Al Jazeera journalists. The Free Gaza movement sent the ship loaded with humanitarian supplies from Cyprus, in defiance of Israel's crippling 2-year blockade.