Senate defecates on Constitution

This recent "America Tortures" vote by the US Senate sets a new benchmark for my disgust.

What cowards. What hypocrites.


Vote of Infamy!


I have mentioned before that the torture techniques such as waterboarding were favorite tools of the Gestapo and also similar to Salem witch-hunting techniques.

Apparently these techniques were also favored by the Khymer Rouge. So, to review, America's moral company is Nazi Germany, Cambodian Communists, and superstitious mobs.

Nice.

Why don't they just spool the Constitution and the Bible onto a toilet-paper roll and have it installed in the white-house latrine?

Here is a Daily Show look at this issue:

Philosopher King

Condiliesalot

When Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently told the New York Post that, "We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda.", she was lying and I think the mainstream press ought to say so.

It is as bald-faced a lie as you can tell in public, and it is exposed as such by these two publicly available facts:

Fact One
--------

The Clinton administration (under the direction of Richard A. Clarke) prepared a document for the Bush administration titled, "Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al Qida: Status and Prospects."

It expresses a series of ideas, including actionable items, which ought to satisfy any reasonable person's definition of the word "plan".

Fact Two
--------

There is this memo from Richard A. Clarke to Condoleezza Rice with the subject, "Presidential Policy Initiative/Review -- The al Qida Network". In the memo Mr. Clarke seeks to get the Bush administration to pay urgent attention to the al Qida Network.

Let us examine a quote from this memo:

"Attached to the memo was the year-end 2000 strategy on al Qida developed to give to you [Ms. Rice]. Also attached is the 1998 strategy. Neither was a "covert action only" approach. Both incorporated diplomatic, economic, military, public diplomacy, and intelligence tools."


I would like to thank the folks at No Quarter for posting the links to these documents. Hopefully the mainstream press notices them in between Stingray attacks and Paris Hilton escapades.

A story worth hearing

Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Fred E. Haynes, 83, is a veteran of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. In this article he tells a story of a Japanese prisoner of war, and why humane treatment of prisoners is a tactical advantage.

I wish every American knew this story.


Soldiers speak out


My grandfather didn't fight the Nazis over there so we could act like them over here. I am glad he didn't live to see this president's legacy. He would have been greatly ashamed.

=======================================================

Your message was sent to:

Senator Olympia J. Snowe
Senator Susan M. Collins

I must express my opposition to the immoral practice of inhuman, degrading and brutal interrogation and indefinite detention of prisoners. Such practices do not serve the interest of U.S. security.

An array of well-respected members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, retired military leaders and former government officials, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, have expressed serious concern in response to the compromise. They rightly question the wisdom of following a policy that undermines U.S. credibility as a world leader and may very well place U.S. troops at risk of similar treatment.

It is a sad chapter in American history when Congress sanctions torture and indefinite detention. After all, "water-boarding" was a favorite technique of the Gestapo, and similar to techniques used during the Salem witch hunts. Embracing such techniques makes a mockery of your pledge to uphold the Constitution. It is also disgusting, evil, and counter-productive.

I strongly urge you to reject this compromise on torture.


=======================================================

If you would like to send a similar message to your senator, you can do so easily here:

Shame Shame Shame

Better hurry. The US House has already disgraced itself with their vote.

Bums rush

I don't like the phrase no-brainer, but it seems a no-brainer for democrats to filibuster this bill. With elections coming there's no better way to go into them than by letting Americans know that "democrats don't torture".

Wanna attract values voters?

Stand up for Justice.

A commercial idea

President Bush wants to "Stay the Course" in Iraq.

On our present course we have lost 2,705 US soldiers (Details here).

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If you are ready for a change in course, then vote for a change.

NIE Estimate

The latest National Intelligence Estimate asserts...

"The war in Iraq has become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded."

More details

That has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it?

Was that a warning that president Bush gave the nation when Bill Clinton started the war in Iraq?

I get so confused sometimes watching Fox News I forget which wise utterance from our dear leader came when.

Reflections

When you consider that...

The foreign policy that Republicans are pursuing is not clear-cut.

And that, the war in Iraq doesn't stand for anything.

And that, Republicans are focusing on what they don't like (i.e. Saddam), rather than what they propose to do better (like NOT torture, and UPHOLD laws, and FIGHT corruption).

And that, the Iraq-occupation debate is controlled by elitists that bully anybody that disagrees with them.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that Republicans are running the US government the way Democratic candidates run for office.

I sez, "No wonder the presidential poll numbers are lower than a hound-dog's nose in a horse pasture."

Hoods on, thumbs up

One facet of president Bush that I find troubling is his consistent commitment to inhumane treatment of prisoners of war.

What bothers me most is not his lack of a rational argument which could justify these Salem-witch-hunt practices, but that this Congress doesn't require one.

I am disappointed a great deal in John McCain who one minute railed against torture and in the next became complicit with it by agreeing to wink and nudge while the president continues to do so. It also appears that Congress will prevent prisoners from appealing this depravity to U.S. courts.

If this is how Mr. McCain intends to live up to his "maverick" status, then I prefer a traditional sell-out because they don't lift your spirits first.


Devil's advocate

How does America get it's moral compass back?

The smell of sulpher

I have a hard time knowing what to make of Hugo Chavez. Agents of change don't always herald a kinder, gentler national ambition.

Be that as it may, he is a man that expresses his displeasure of president Bush rather forcefully, here equating him with the devil.


Chavez Address to the United Nations

I don't believe in the Devil. I believe evil enters the world through Man. Consequently, I believe that it is only when Man can master his unethical conduct that the world will be a better place.

Gore Vidal: Reflections on 9/11

I am currently reading Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Idiot", which takes a very good hearted character and places him in the company of Russian upper-crusts. I confess it is not my favorite book as it is tedious and there is too much innuendo for me to keep up with, but every once in a while a chapter comes along which contains excellent societal insight.

One such chapter deals with the frustrations of people that are "wealthy, of good family, nice-looking, fairly intelligent, and even good-natured, and yet have no talents, so special faculty, no peculiarity even, not one idea of one's own."

These types of people Fyodor splits into two groups, those that have limited intelligence, and others much cleverer. He says the first group is happier because, "Nothing is easier for "ordinary" people of limited intelligence than to imagine themselves exceptional and original and to revel in that delusion without the slightest misgiving."

In the course of the discussion Fyodor talks about "the impudence of simplicity, this unhesitating confidence of the stupid man in himself and his talents, which is superbly depicted by Gogol in the wonderful character of Lieutenant Pirogov."

"The Idiot" turned out to be quite popular in post-Soviet Russia due to a TV adaptation which ran in 2003. I suppose that is because at heart it is about the decay of society.

In this article by Gore Vidal, he compares modern American society to Rome near the time of it's fall (which by the way was run by Christians post-Constantine). He also has a few choice words to say about stupid people.

Reflections on 9/11

Sam's Club

Sam Harris is a philosopher that has made a name for himself talking about how silly it is for human beings to believe religious fantasies.

He is having a particularly tough time of late, I think, because he sees religious cultural clashes shaping up and perhaps feels there are better ways to honor a creator than to destroy the creation of which he is a part.

Sam takes the view that the pope's (Pope's?) recent remarks which inflamed Muslims were intentionally inflammatory and asks readers if religious faith is the problem, rather than the solution.

Here is how he makes his case:

Swingin' Sam

He seems a little impolite for a philosopher (Philosopher?), particularly when he refers to the pope (Pope?) as a "silly old priest", but perhaps that is why I read his articles.

Defending the Pope

Muslims are demanding an apology from the Pope because he recently discussed a conversation from about 1391 in which Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus said the following, "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Since it is a pet peeve of mine to read a story about a story, without getting context, I would like to provide a link to the entire text of the Pope's speech:

Papal flap

I sez the Pope has just given irate Muslims an opportunity to draw upon those new sections in the Koran which are not evil and inhuman, and prove to the world they are above masquerading blood lust as piety.

Should the Pope apologize?

I sez no. It is time to stop tolerating their intolerance. Besides, theological discussions do not approach the offensive potential of a suicide bomber and I don't hear anybody apologizing for them.

Another tree falls

There is an infestation of dissent in the Republican woods. The latest, once-proud, Republican to throw in the towel on the Bush II presidency is none other than Christopher Buckley.


Let's quit while we are behind

Republicans left standing which support their president are about as spirited as our crumbling coalition in Iraq.

I think I smell a Mr. Murtha moment.

The president's word

Trying to take the president at his word with regard to Iraq is tricky. One minute our top priority is finding WMDs, the next minute it is to hunt dictators, then we're fighting to defend ourselves in the central front in the war on terrah-ism, and finally we are establishing an oasis of freedom lovers in a land of evil doers.

Rather than attack the rhetoric/marketing/excuses of the Bush administration it is sometimes helpful to take him at his word and examine his performance.

For instance, take the "central front" claim as true. We're told we're fighting "them" there so we don't have to fight "them" here. Them is either Iraqis, agents of al Qaeda, Muslims, or Arabs, I'm not sure which.

Putting that aside, we move on and ask, "If this is an important operation, how are we doing?"

The answer to that question is, "Not good".

Either the president is correct and we are doing an abysmal job winning an important war on his watch, or he is wrong and we are doing an abysmal job winning a war of folly on his watch.

Sure the latter option is worse, because it highlights bad judgment and incompetence, as opposed to good judgment and incompetence, but perhaps democratic candidates ought to consider letting the president work for them while he travels around hyping the importance of the Iraq war.

While president Bush convinces Americans the war is vitally strategic, democratic candidates should highlight the president's incompetence when it comes to meeting the challenge.

911-5

Hopefully Americans will begin to retreat from the paranoia of the past half-decade and return to caring about making good widgets, cornering the market in soy-beans, and BBQ parties.

Too much was lost on September 11th that didn't have anything to do with Osama. We lost our mojo, our peace of mind, and our way of life. It's about time we start to reclaim it.

The Bush administration is ringing every alarm and working every two-bit newsroom trying to hustle up a climate of fear, but lately Americans seem to be weary from the effort of living in a heightened state of hysteria.

I hope so.

It takes courage to live free in a scary world.

Pentagon Lawyers Challenge Detainee Plan

President Bush wants Congress to establish a military kangaroo-court that he can use to execute terrah-ists without ever allowing them to see the evidence against them.

I think that is dishonorable.

In response Democratic lawmakers teamed up with fair-minded Republicans to craft a system that, according to John McCain, "...must provide enough guarantees of fairness that the nation would feel comfortable having its own troops tried under it."

I think that track is honorable. Moreover, I think Mr. McCain's statement is worthy of an American and it makes me proud.

Believe it or not America has been in war before. Believe it or not America has captured prisoners of war before. Believe it or not we already have an honorable system to process them.

Do you know why we should use it?

Because when you fight with honor you maintain morale.

Why should we use waterboarding, a favorite technique of the Salem witch-hunters?

Why should we use concentration camps to "forget" people in?

Why should we discourage the Red Cross, an organization recently headed by Elizabeth Dole, from insuring our prisoners are treated fairly?


Pentagon Lawyers Challenge Detainee Plan

We have the right to call ourselves American when we face challenges without losing track of our values.


ADDENDUM: Chris Mathews interviewed John Kerry on this story. Nothing says we elected the wrong guy like this conversation.

Kerry on POWs

Tony trouble

Strong allies of president Bush in the US are meeting with electoral trouble:

Bush coat-tails not effective

Strong allies of president Bush abroad seem to be having even more pronounced problems:

Labour wants Blair's resignation

Perhaps Republicans should follow the example being set by the British Labour party and demand president Bush's resignation. That would be unexpected.

Keith Olberman grills Bush

President Bush has a rather expedient devotion to democracy and lackluster love of freedom. He enjoys freedom of speech, but only when people agree with him. He enjoys freedom of assembly, as long as participants sign loyalty pledges and likely dissenters are caged outside earshot. He enjoys freedom of the press, as long as they parrot his talking points.

Keith Olberman over at MSNBC seems to have had enough of freedom talking juxtaposed against a record of widespread corruption and a tyrannical devotion to secrecy.

When president Bush recently tried to justify his ham-fisted incompetence by linking al Qaeda to Nazi Germany Keith decided to take Mr. Bush to the woodshed.


Our Murrow emerges?

Stay the course?

As democrats struggle to find a message which resonates with voters come November it occurs to me that to ride in a car with a drunk driver is not a gesture which reaches across the aisle to promote a healthy atmosphere for good governance.

That is, instead, dangerous self-defeating stupidity.

At a time when we have a president operating the country drunk on power and weaving all over the Constitutional landscape, should democrats argue with him whether it is wise to steer towards Iraq as opposed to Iran, or should democrats stop the car and drive themselves?

One wonders why they ever got in the same car in the first place?