Kerry, Iran, Sheeple

and here ya have it... (thx to tyler durden at zero hedge....)

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

more Telcom outrage

Where John Kerry issued a perfunctory "I was out of the loop"-like disclaimer, (over the Taser incident of the young university student reporter that actually had asked Kerry some extremely relevant and hard-hitting questions), a better response might be for Kerry to grant the young man, Andrew Meyer, 21-years-old, a 1: 1 interview.

A perusal of John Kerry's Senate Web site, in search of information about his role in his telecommunications oversight capacity, reveals much indicia suggesting Kerry's very pro all-things-police tilt.

No doubt we would learn an astonishingly great deal about John Kerry that has not yet come to light, (despite his very public campaign for the White House last presidential election), with just such an interview. We might gain some insights into Kerry's strategy for serving the Telcoms' interests in future legislation.

Two marvelous fresh posts about some of the past, current and upcoming Telcom scandals include this one at FDL, pointed to by C&L and this one at DU Journals.

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

"Dirty Tricks"

Bill Moyers' September 28, 2007 interview of John Bogle was quite telling. America has gone from about 7.5% of the economy being represented by money managers, to nearly 10 times that at almost 75% of our economy today. These money men chase the cheapest labor on earth, which is called outsourcing America's jobs, to places where human rights are routinely ignored, and the rest of us live large on that exploitation.

But it cannot last. Without sufficient numbers of manufacturing and/or production jobs in the US, our economy cannot sustain our population with just service industry jobs. The rich and powerful will dispose of the surplus population the way they always do.

The movie, "Blood Diamond", reveals the paradigm for the exploitation of all riches. Those in this country still content to act as apologists for the totalitarians need to realize, the small gain they achieve, comes at high cost to many others. A similar scenario is bound to play out here as the 5th Estate continues to crush free speech and other rights like the ability to eek out a living.

Slashdot reports:

Despite a congressional request for that probe, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin quashed the inquiry based on comments from National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell. 'At issue are reports last year that some big telephone companies allowed the U.S. government access to millions of telephone records for an anti terrorism program. The reports have prompted scrutiny by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Democratic Rep. Edward Markey, the chairman of a key Energy and Commerce subcommittee, asked Martin to investigate. Markey, of Massachusetts, said McConnell's stance was "unsurprising given that this administration has continually thwarted efforts by Congress to shed more light on the surveillance program."

In reports of hearings being held on telcom issues, two names seem prominent: Edward Markey and John Kerry. Edward Markey had previously pushed the V-chip. Some of us were concerned that he had joined America's demagogue campaign of hysteria to marginalize children. These days Representative Markey seems more a voice of reason. He won't be cheap for the totalitarians to buy or kill. His wife made both Rear Admiral and served as Assistant Surgeon General of the United States.

John Kerry on the other hand, is a police state advocate. He is one of the current demagogue forces behind the "Sexual Predator" laws that aim to replace the arguably waning war on Global Terrorism.

John Kerry appears to be in favor of massive police surveillance. The recent incident of a brave young neophyte reporter asking him solid questions and paying for that by being tortured by Kerry's police with a Taser, now seems typically Kerry.

Government's enforcers make it clear: They isolate and disrupt their targets. This didn't start recently. It has roots back in COINTELPRO:

They used secret and systematic methods of fraud and force, far beyond mere surveillance, to sabotage constitutionally protected political activity. The purpose of the program was, in FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's own words, to 'expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit and otherwise neutralize' specific groups and individuals."

Now add to that the use of terror and torture by our own government.

Want to complain? Well that's why they want to detect and fight you with packet shaping (sniffing).

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Dear Senator Kerry, - Sincerely, David Addington

i posted on these executive orders the other day (Executive Order 12958 as amended by Executive Order 13292) and kagro x's spot on excerpts, which make no mention whatsoever of treating the president and vice president any differently than "agencies..." imho, addington's way out on a limb on this one...

David Addington, issued a letter to Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) today defending the Vice President's interpretation of his office being outside the executive branch - only this time, he said it was because Cheney's office isn't an "agency."

[...]

"Dear Senator Kerry," Addington writes. "The executive order on classified national security information -- Executive Order 12958 as amended in 2003 -- makes clear that the Vice President is treated like the President and distinguishes the two of them from 'agencies.'"

[...]

"The executive order gives the [Information Security Oversight Office], under the supervision of the Archivist of the United States, responsibility to oversee certain activities of 'agencies,' but not of the Vice President or the President."

[...]

Addington insists that the question of whether Cheney is in the executive branch does not apply to the discussion of classified materials.

"Constitutional issues in government are generally best left for discussion when unavoidable disputes arise in a specific context instead of in theoretical discussions," Addington adds. "Given that the executive order treats the Vice President like the President rather than like an "agency," it is not necessary in these circumstances to address the subject of any alternative reasoning, based on the law and the history of the legislative functions of the vice presidency and the more modern functions of the vice presidency, to reach the same conclusions that the vice president is not an 'agency' with respect to which ISOO has a role."

what a gigantic load of steaming, fresh horseshit...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Wow...! George Bush's horoscope from the Hindu zodiac...

phenomenally detailed, chillingly perceptive, and, given that it was put together pre-election 2004, disturbingly accurate...

and, yeah, it's a bit longish...

An Essential Indian Astrological Analysis of G. W. Bush (and the country he is leading for the time being)

[...]

First of all, this is not a horoscope of a true ruler, it is rather that of a puppet being forced to perform because he has no choice (even though he may well have been a soldier or warrior in his past lives). The planets in his first house would give you a hint of who is moving him: mainly oil and mining, and thirdly, pharmaceutical interests. In fact, it has always been relationships and friends who managed his life so far; these relationships and friends have been simply extreme, however.

This native simply does not have an independent personality at all, wanting to live up to his father’s formidable image, he has a minority complex. He is full of unbelievable fears all the time, and cannot live up to his father’s image (where secrecy and destructive power originates). He was probably quite neglected emotionally in his first years, especially by his father, and spent a lot of time alone. Destructive forces are so strong around him that he may actually destroy more than you can believe: he has already been participant of the destruction of a civilization – or a planet – in one of his previous incarnations. (He is not conscious of this trait in himself at all, though. As far as we know, he nearly destroyed a company or two before he became US president).

It is very likely that he has been an Arab in more than one life, and an important Native American in another life – betraying his people/tribe to the white man/the Westerners. He has also been one of those who massacred Indians in America. The karma of believing that America would be is the land of the white conquerors has been with him for many lives already (indeed, he is one man who has spent a great deal of time in North America in other lives). The only good thing that can be said about him is that he truly loves his country and his family.

This idea that America (the USA, specifically) is a unit that belongs mainly to the (white) people who founded it is coming to a close in this lifetime. However: he will be forced to realize that since land has been stolen from the Native Americans, white civilization must give it back some time – in a way (Or perhaps found new countries upon its dissolution, based upon ideas closer to Indian values.) Indeed, it is possible that the whole country will break up under or soon after his second term ... , which he is probably not going to complete in office.

He is bound to be sacrificed by those that move him, which experience will change him deeply and force him to come to realizations from unseen quarters – but this realization may only mature by as late as 2011. We do not think he will be killed, but he may perhaps stay in confinement for a while, and it is certain that he will have to face some sort of judgment for his deeds. He will face the wrath of people for wars, the economic collapse and for his lies – which he believes have been committed for the sake of the nation.

He is an alcoholic – it is next to impossible to remain sober for a long time with this constellation. ... Even though he says he is sober since he met Jesus when he was forty (the exact time is more like his early forties), he probably drinks now as well. (Or those who control him hand the stuff out to him time to time.)

He is unsure of himself as a man and his wife uses pills. His daughters betray him in a see-saw fashion: when one is good, the other one is making scandals to discredit him and gets into things like drug abuse, then they reverse the roles. The same seesaw pattern is true of Bush and his own father, Bush Sr.: his fate soars up only when his father’s fate sinks down.

The sign of the Twins (Gemini) is traditionally the sign of America (July 4 in sidereal astrology) – and Bush’s Sun is in the 12th house, the house of destruction and loss (of all worldly values). Also, 9/11 happened to the Twin Towers when Jupiter (Lord of the house of Enemies) and Rahu (the Northern eclipse point) were transiting the sign of the Twins, opposed by Mars (God of War), and joined by the Moon (ruler of masses). (To top this all, Bush has twin daughters.) This constellation (based on Sun in Gemini in the 12th) also creates an interesting situation: he fortifies his enemies with all his fighting. He does not know why, but the more he fights any party, the stronger his enemies become. Since he is more fanatical than his handlers realize, this will bring America into bitter and unnecessary conflicts. It was oppression and war that he was put into office for ... . The duality that the sign of the Twins marks will force a lot of people to take sides under his rulership, changing collective karma.

He should have avoided all power, even that of a mayor or a frat president – he is bringing a dark quality into it ... . There are past lives rich in fighting, but he is presently weak and cowardly. Being forced to go on, however, he has no other choice. Under his presidency the rich get richer and the poor get poorer – large masses will sink down into poverty, and debts of unheard quantity are and will be amassed. This will be a primary reason for his downfall, which can be stalled for a year or two (a lot of double communications, accusations, leaks and denials will take place even until then), but starting from 2006, it is a good idea to collect gold and silver and property in remote lands.

[...] At a certain point his handlers will abandon him and it will be open season on Bush. (In fact, that can be the day of his first glimpse towards a spiritual understanding which may follow in other lives). In his case, however, it is very difficult to stay clean for time enough to gain understanding. All relationships are dependent upon power, a person of this kind is tough to those under him and soft to those above.

He is generally heartless, without much emotion, extremely narrow-minded and dogmatic, ruthless and operates invisibly sometimes. Bush cannot let go of tradition and the past at all; in fact, he is not normal in his fanatical illusions, but since the larger part of America presently accepts this particular type of madness, he is not going to be brought down from office due to sheer mental incapability. He has giant problems with his masculinity, and a constant desire for power and riches which – in his perception – he rarely gets. [...] The wars he will bring about can cause the very dissolution of the country: the issue fought for is an old one, probably a war on religion, the Crusades etc.

In spite of the orders of his consigners, he will not stop when war or attacks are hopeless: the main reason is religious fanaticism (and illusions on acquisition of land for the control of the USA). This tradition will be forced to change (the entire order of values he grew up with will undergo a radical change until 2030), and Bush will probably live long enough to see everything he fought (and lied) for crumble to dust. If he came to this astrologer for advice, we would have to be very careful in what we say or signal to him – he would be dangerous and possibly vindictive.

As far as his opponent, Kerry is concerned: we are surprised to learn – looking at his chart – that he is moved by the same Plutonian forces, which means he would have been the executor of the same will as Bush. [...] [E]ven though Kerry is truly a nice man, an independent personality, and probably a better economist and soldier than Bush, the powers behind him are – would have been – quite the same.

(thanks to sarah kernochan at the huffpo...)

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Feingold: Iraq funding cut-off by March 31, 2008

russ feingold...

“With brave Americans fighting and dying for a failed policy in Iraq, members of Congress shouldn’t delay action to end this misguided war for weeks or even months just for the sake of political comfort. That is why, when the Senate takes up the Iraq supplemental, I plan to offer the Feingold-Reid bill as an amendment to force the President to safely redeploy our troops by March 31, 2008 at which point funding for the war would be cut off.”

In addition to Reid's commitment to support the bill, the co-sponsors already on board as listed at Feingold's website include Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry (D-MA), Pat Leahy (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The legislation includes a few caveats sure to be ignored by the wingnuts when they begin to attack it, so we'll point them out here. Namely, that Feingold's bill will not cut off funding for the purpose of:

* "conduct[ing] targeted operations...against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations";
* "security for United States infrastructure and personnel"; or
* "to train and equip Iraqi security services"

(click here for announcement and here for full text...)

i'll be looking for big tent democrat's response over at talkleft...

(thanks to the brad blog via raw story...)

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

"Leaving is losing. That's the Bush doctrine."

atrios is blowing a fuse over a david ignatius column...

Leaving is losing. That's the Bush doctrine. You either embrace what the Democrats are offering, or you embrace Bush's "leaving is losing" plan. The Magical Pundit Pony Plan, which will never happen, is only about gazing at yourself in the mirror so you can marvel at how much smarter you are than all the politicians, instead of bothering to make the choice between the actual options.

4 years later I am so sick of every "what we really need to do in Iraq" column which gets published. None Of That Is Going To Happen. We either stay there under George Bush, or we start to get the fuck out. You don't get to micromanage the war.

atrios is right, of course... the criminals in the bush administration don't give a shit for benchmarks or even victory, for that matter... they don't give a shit if the iraqis murder each other down to the last man, as long as the taj mahal new embassy in the green zone and the permanent u.s. bases can remain intact... and, unfortunately, we've only got one congressman who's willing to put himself on the line about getting the hell out, and that's russ feingold... yes, harry reid has signed up with him, and so have leahy, boxer, kerry, and dodd, and that's good... but it's been feingold, and feingold alone, who has never wavered, not from day one... he's got a diary up at kos which is worth snipping a few words from...

If the President vetoes the emergency supplemental bill, it will only show more Americans and more members of Congress how detached his administration is from the reality of the situation in Iraq – and from the reality here at home, too. We will not be deterred by a veto or by the self-deluding rhetoric coming from die-hard supporters of the President’s misguided Iraq policy. We already have strong support for this latest effort from Senators Leahy, Boxer, Kerry, and Dodd. We will only work harder to act on the ever-growing consensus that ending our military involvement in Iraq is the right thing to do for our troops, our national security, and our ongoing fight against the global terrorist networks that threaten the safety of all Americans.

my man, russ... why the hell aren't you running in 2008...?

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments