Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Protest Songs
In 'The Wild One,' an angry young Marlon Brando answered an innocent question -- "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?" -- with a curt reply that spoke volumes:
"Whaddya got?"
Music never settles for the status quo, teaching generations that questioning authority is the cornerstone of democracy.
The oldest protest song on record is "The Cutty Wren" from the English peasants' revolt of 1381 against feudal oppression.
Many songs were written during the American Revolutionary War and the abolitionist movement of the 19th century. During the American Civil War, traditional songs and spirituals served as protest songs. "We Shall Overcome" was a song popular in the labor movement and later the Civil Rights movement. Songs of protest continue to be written well into the 21st century with the ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of Iraq.
Bob Dylan produced a number of landmark songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), "Masters of War" (1963), "Talking World War III Blues" (1963), and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964).
Pete Seeger produced "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "If I Had a Hammer" (which was written in 1949, but rose to Top Ten popularity in 1962), and "Turn, Turn, Turn" (also written earlier but released in the early 1960s), among others. "We Shall Overcome", his adaptation of an American gospel song, continues to be used to support issues from labor rights to peace movements.
Other notable voices of the period included Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Buffy Sainte-Marie (whose anti-war song "Universal Soldier" was later made famous by Donovan) and Tom Paxton("Jimmy Newman" - about the story of a dying soldier, and "My Son John" - about a soldier who returns from war unable to describe what he's been through), among others.
The first ever protest song to reach number one in the States was Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire in 1965.
Woody Guthrie's son Arlo Guthrie also wrote one of the decade's most famous protest songs in the form of the 18 minute long talking blues song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft.
After the 90s the protest song found renewed popularity in the Western World after the turn of the century as a result of 9/11 in America, resulting in the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq in the Middle East, with America's president bush at fault.
Many famous protest singers of yesteryear, such as Neil Young, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Morrissey and Bruce Springsteen, have returned to the public eye with new protest songs for this new American war. Young approached the theme with his song, "Let's Impeach the President" - a stinging rebuke against President George W. Bush and the War in Iraq - as well as Living With War, an album of anti-Bush and anti-War protest songs.
Patti Smith has written two new songs indicting American and Israeli foreign policy - "Qana", about the Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese village of Qana, and "Without Chains", about the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay.
Tom Waits has also covered increasingly political subject matter since the advent of the Iraq war, with "Hoist That Rag" and "The Day After Tomorrow", while "Road To Peace" deals explicitly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East in general.
Ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey has also attacked both sides of the Atlantic with "America is Not the World" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" from his 2004 You Are the Quarry album.
Bruce Springsteen has also been vocal in his condemnation of the Bush government, among other issues of social commentary. In 2000 he released American Skin (41 Shots) about tensions between immigrants in America and the police force, and of the police shooting of Amadou Diallo in particular. For singing about this event, albeit without mentioning Diallo's name, Springsteen was denounced by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association in New York who called for the song to be blacklisted and by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani amongst others .
In the aftermath of 9/11 Springsteen released The Rising, which exhibited his reflections on the tragedy and America's reaction to it. In 2006 he released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a collection of 13 covers of protest songs made popular by Pete Seeger, which highlighted how these older protest songs remained relevant to the troubles of the modern America. An extended version of the album included the track "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live" in which Springsteen actually rewrote the lyrics of the original to directly address the issue of Hurricane Katrina.
Modern-day mainstream artists to have written protest songs on this subject include Pink with her appeal to Bush in "Dear Mr. President",
Bright Eyes with "When the President Talks to God" (which was hailed by the influential Portland, Oregon, alternative paper Willamette Week as "this young century's most powerful protest song."
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Fuck bush
The editor of the Colorado State University newspaper says he has no plans to resign amid criticism about an obscenity used in an editorial about President Bush.
The four-word editorial, published Friday in the Rocky Mountain Collegian, said in large type,
"Taser this. Fuck Bush."
J. David McSwane, the Collegian's editor-in-chief and a CSU junior, said the newspaper's governing board may fire him but he won't voluntarily step down.
"I think that'd be an insult to the staff who supported the editorial," McSwane told the Fort Collins Coloradoan in Monday's editions.
The newspaper's business manager has said the operation lost $30,000 in advertising in the hours after the editorial was published, and that the pay of student staffers would be cut 10 percent to compensate.
McSwane said the newspaper's student editors decided to use the obscenity because they believe CSU students are apathetic about their freedom of speech and other rights.
"We thought the best way to illustrate that point was to use our freedoms," he said.
The editors chose not to seek advice from the newspaper's professional advisers to protect them from the controversy they knew the editorial would cause, McSwane said.
"We didn't want any kind of action taken against them by the university," he said.
The Board of Student Communication, which oversees the Collegian and other student media at the university, plans to discuss the editorial when it meets Wednesday night.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Protest Song
This Sunday afternoon at 4PM CST on the Fed Up American Show I will be discussing protest songs.
The oldest protest song on record is "The Cutty Wren" from the English peasants' revolt of 1381 against feudal oppression. Many songs were written during the American Revolutionary War and the abolitionist movement of the 19th century. During the American Civil War, traditional songs and spirituals served as protest songs. "We Shall Overcome" was a song popular in the labor movement and later the Civil Rights movement. Songs of protest continue to be written well into the 21st century.
The 1960s was a fertile era for the genre, especially with the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the ascendency of counterculture groups such as Hippies and the New Left, and the escalation of the War in Vietnam. The protest songs of the period differed from those of earlier leftist movements that had been more oriented towards labour activism, adopting instead a broader definition of political activism commonly called social activism, which incorporated notions of equal rights and of promoting the concept of 'peace'. The music often included fairly simple instrumental accompaniment including acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Bob Dylan produced a number of landmark songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), "Masters of War" (1963), "Talking World War III Blues" (1963), and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964). Pete Seeger produced "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "If I Had a Hammer" (which was written in 1949, but rose to Top Ten popularity in 1962), and "Turn, Turn, Turn" (also written earlier but released in the early 1960s), among others.
"We Shall Overcome", his adaptation of an American gospel song, continues to be used to support issues from labor rights to peace movements. Other notable voices of the period included Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Buffy Sainte-Marie (whose anti-war song "Universal Soldier" was later made famous by Donovan) and Tom Paxton ("Jimmy Newman" - about the story of a dying soldier, and "My Son John" - about a soldier who returns from war unable to describe what he's been through), among others. The first ever protest song to reach number one in the States was Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire in 1965.
Woody Guthrie's son Arlo Guthrie also wrote one of the decade's most famous protest songs in the form of the 18 minute long talking blues song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a bitingly satirical protest against the Vietnam War draft.
In the 1960s and early 1970s many protest songs were written and recorded condemning the War in Vietnam, most notably "Masters of War" (1963) by Bob Dylan, "The War Drags On" by Donovan (1965),"I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" by Phil Ochs (1965), "Requiem for the Masses" by The Association (1967), "Saigon Bride" by Joan Baez (1967), "The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" (1968) by Country Joe and the Fish, "One Tin Soldier" (1969) by Original Caste, "Volunteers" by Jefferson Airplane (1969), "Fortunate Son," (1969) by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and "Give Peace a Chance" by John Lennon (1969).
Protest songs about The Vietnam War continued in the 1970s, such as "War" (1970) by Edwin Starr, " Ohio" (1970) by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, "Imagine" (1971) by John Lennon. "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens (1971), " War Pigs" by Black Sabbath (1971), and Stevie Wonder's frank condemnation of Richard Nixon 's Vietnam policies in his 1974 song "You Haven't Done Nothin'." Protest singer and activist Joan Baez dedicated the entire B side of her album Where Are You Now, My Son? (1973) to recordings she had made of bombings while in Hanoi.
While war continued to dominate the protest songs of the early 70s, there were other issues addressed by bands of the time, such as The Rolling Stones' protest against police brutality with their single "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" in 1973.
After the 90s the protest song found renewed popularity in the Western World after the turn of the century as a result of 9/11 in America, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars in the Middle East, with America's president George W. Bush facing the majority of the criticism. Many famous protest singers of yesteryear, such as Neil Young, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Morrissey and Bruce Springsteen, have returned to the public eye with new protest songs for this new American war. Young approached the theme with his song, "Let's Impeach the President" - a stinging rebuke against President George W. Bush and the War in Iraq - as well as Living With War, an album of anti-Bush and anti-War protest songs.
Smith has written two new songs indicting American and Israeli foreign policy - "Qana", about the Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese village of Qana, and "Without Chains", about the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Tom Waits has also covered increasingly political subject matter since the advent of the Iraq war, with "Hoist That Rag" and "The Day After Tomorrow", while "Road To Peace" deals explicitly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East in general. Ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey has also attacked both sides of the Atlantic with "America is Not the World" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" from his 2004 You Are the Quarry album.
Bruce Springsteen has also been vocal in his condemnation of the Bush government, among other issues of social commentary. In 2000 he released American Skin (41 Shots) about tensions between immigrants in America and the police force, and of the police shooting of Amadou Diallo in particular. For singing about this event, albeit without mentioning Diallo's name, Springsteen was denounced by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association in New York who called for the song to be blacklisted and by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani amongst other.
In the aftermath of 9/11 Springsteen released The Rising, which exhibited his reflections on the tragedy and America's reaction to it. In 2006 he released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a collection of 13 covers of protest songs made popular by Pete Seeger, which highlighted how these older protest songs remained relevant to the troubles of the modern America. An extended version of the album included the track "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live" in which Springsteen actually rewrote the lyrics of the original to directly address the issue of Hurricane Katrina.
Modern-day mainstream artists to have written protest songs on this subject include Pink with her appeal to Bush in "Dear Mr. President", Bright Eyes with "When the President Talks to God" (which was hailed by the influential Portland, Oregon, alternative paper Willamette Week as "this young century's most powerful protest song."), Dispatch's anti-war underground hit "The General", and Devendra Banhart's "Heard somebody Say" in which he sings "it's simple, we don't want to kill". Pearl Jam also included two anti-Bush songs ("World Wide Suicide", "Marker In The Sand") in their 2006 album Pearl Jam. Arcade Fire's 2007 Neon Bible contains many oblique protests against the paranoia of a contemporary America 'under attack by terrorism'.
The album also contains two more overtly political protest songs in the form of "Windowsill", in which Win Butler sings "I don't want to live in America no more", and "Intervention", which criticises religious fanatacism.
Utah Philips, and David Rovics, among many other singers have continued the folk tradition of protest. In John Mayer's 2006 release CONTINUUM, the lead single " Waiting on the World to Change", Mayer is critical of the desensitizing of politics in youths.
He goes on to say in "Belief":
"What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand?
Belief can.
What puts the folded flag inside his mother's hand?
Belief can."
However the protest album to achieve the most mainstream success has been Green Day's "American Idiot, which was awarded a Grammy for "Best Rock Album" in 2005, despite its strong criticism of current American foreign policy and George Bush. The title track from the album has been described by the band as their public statement in reaction to the confusing and warped scene that is American pop culture since 9/11.
While country music has offered the loudest voice in support of the war (through artists such as Toby Keith ("Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)" - which Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, publicly criticised as "ignorant, and it makes country music sound ignorant."), Darryl Worley ("Have You Forgotten") and Charlie Daniels) many established country artists have released strongly critical anti-war songs. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, the Dixie Chicks and Nanci Griffith have been the most vocal in this regard.
Monday, September 24, 2007
60 Minutes With The Predident Of Iran
60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley spoke with the president of Iran on Thursday in the garden outside his office in Tehran. Pelley spoke to the president about America's angry reaction to his plan to visit the World Trade Center site. The president told 60 Minutes, in light of the objections, he wouldn't press for it.
"Sir, what were you thinking?" Pelley asked. "The World Trade Center site is the most sensitive place in the American heart, and you must have known that visiting there would be insulting to many, many Americans." "Why should it be insulting," Ahmadinajad said. "Well, sir, you're the head of the government of an Islamist state that the United States government says is a major exporter of terrorism around the world," Pelley replied.
"We obviously are very much against any terrorist action and any killing. And also we are very much against any plots to sow the seeds of discord among nations," Ahmadinejad said. "Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And also to perhaps to air your views about the root causes of such incidents."
Ahmadinejad told Pelley the U.S. and Iran could be friends, but 60 Minutes wanted to know about the growing evidence that Iranian weapons and bomb components are being used against U.S. forces in Iraq. "It is an established fact now that Iranian bombs and Iranian know-how are killing Americans in Iraq. You have American blood on your hands. Why?" Pelley asked. "Well, this is what the American officials are saying. Again, American officials wherever around the world that they encounter a problem which they fail to resolve, instead of accepting that, they prefer to accuse others," the president replied. "I'm very sorry that because of the wrong decisions taken by American officials, Iraqi people are being killed and also American soldiers. It's very regrettable." "The American Army has captured Iranian missiles in Iraq. The critical elements of the explosively formed penetrator bombs that are killing so many people are coming from Iran. There's no doubt about that anymore. The denials are no longer credible, sir," Pelley pointed out. "Very good. If I may. Are you an American politician? Am I to look at you as an American politician or a reporter?
This is what the American officials are claiming," Ahmadinejad replied. "If they accuse us 1,000 times, the truth will not change." "Are you saying that it is not the policy of this government to send weapons into Iraq? Sir, forgive me, you're smiling, but this is a very serious matter to America," Pelley said. "Well, it's serious for us as well. I daresay it's serious for everyone," Ahmadinejad told Pelley.
"It seems to me it's laughable for someone to turn a blind eye to the truth and accuse others. It doesn't help. And the reason that I'm smiling, again, it's because that the picture is so clear. But American officials refuse to see it." Asked if he could very simply and directly say that Iran is not sending weapons to Iraq, Ahmadinejad said, "We don't need to do that. We are very much opposed to war and insecurity…" "Is that a 'No,' sir?" Pelley asked. "…by Iraq. It's very clear the situation. The insecurity in Iraq is detrimental to our interests," Ahmadinejad said.
President Ahmadinejad is 50, with a wife and three grown kids. He's the son of a blacksmith, said to be very religious and incorruptible. He was elected two years ago largely by rural and poor voters. Back in the 1980's, during Iraq's ruinous invasion of Iran, he was reportedly an elite Army intelligence officer in the war with Saddam Hussein. "Mr. President, you must have rejoiced more than anyone when Saddam Hussein fell. You owe President Bush. This is one of the best things that's ever happened to your country," Pelley said. "Once the dictator was toppled, many people were happy," Ahmadinejad agreed. "But the American government did not appropriately use this golden opportunity.
They should have left the Iraqi people to go their own way and to determine their own fate." But the issue that threatens war between Iran and the U.S. is Iran's determination to keep enriching uranium, even though the United Nations Security Council demands that it stop. Ahmadinejad claims Iran only wants nuclear energy but the Bush administration says he's pursuing a bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency -- the IAEA -- is trying to resolve the dispute. In the past, Ahmadinejad has said Iran has 3,000 centrifuges in a line producing highly-enriched uranium. Does Iran have more now? "No. Our plan and program is very transparent. We are under the supervision of the Agency. Everything is on the table," Ahmadinejad said. "We have nothing to hide."
"It's been hidden for more than 15 years. You've been operating a secret nuclear program. It's nothing-if it's not secret," Pelley remarked. "Who is saying that?" the president asked. "Well, the IAEA. You've, in fact, agreed with the IAEA to confess what you've done in secret over the past years. It is not transparent, sir," Pelley pointed out. "The Agency is supposed to supervise and ask questions and we respond," Ahmadinejad said. "And our activities are very peaceful." "For the sake of clarity, because there is so much concern in the world about this next question, please give me the most direct answer you can. Is it your goal to build a nuclear bomb?" Pelley asked. "What are you driving at?" the president replied. "Simply that, sir. Is it the goal of your government, the goal of this nation to build a nuclear weapon?" Pelley asked. "What do you think that the nuclear technology is only limited in a bomb?
You can only build a bomb with that?" Ahmadinejad said.
"I appreciate the differences, sir," Pelley said. "But the question is limited to the bomb." "Well, you have to appreciate we don't need a nuclear bomb. We don't need that. What needs do we have for a bomb?" the president replied. "May I take that as a 'No,' sir?" Pelley asked.
"It is a firm 'No.' I’m going to be much firmer now, in political relations right now, the nuclear bomb is of no use; if it was useful it would have prevented the downfall of the Soviet Union; if it was useful it would resolved the problem the Americans have in Iraq," Ahmadinejad said. "The time of the bomb is passed." "At the moment, our two countries may very well be walking down the road to war. How do you convince President Bush, how do you convince other nations in the West…," Pelley said. "What two parties are walking towards war?" the president asked. "Iran, the United States, Western countries," Pelley said. "Well, it's wrong to think that Iran and the U.S. are walking towards war. Who says so? Why should we go to war?" Ahmadinejad asked.
"There is no war in the offing. Again, this is psychological warfare if you have difference of opinion you can use logic to resolve your differences."
Asked what trait he admires in President Bush, Ahmadinejad paused. "What do you admire about him? Is there anything, any trait?" Pelley asked. "As an American citizen tell me what trait do you admire?" the president asked Pelley. "Well Mr. Bush is without question a very religious man for example, as you are," Pelley replied. "What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people, please tell me, does Christianity tell its followers to do that?" Ahmadinejad asked. "I take it you can’t think of anything you like about President Bush," Pelley remarked.
"Well, I'm not familiar with the gentleman’s private life. Maybe in his private life he is very kind or determined man," the president said. "I asked President Bush what he would say to you if he were sitting in this chair. And he told me-quote-speaking to you, that you’ve made terrible choices for your people. You’ve isolated your nation you’ve taken a nation of proud and honorable people and made your country the pariah of the world. These are President Bush’s words to you," Pelley said. "What’s your reply?"
"Well, President Bush is free to think as the pleases and to say what he pleases," Ahmadinejad said. "I don’t think that President Bush has said these things. Rather I prefer to think that this is your impression of what the president said." "I’m quoting the president directly, for the record," Pelley remarked. "This is a direct quote, so well, this tells me that there is a great divide between us," Ahmadinejad said. "President Bush has pledged that you will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon and will use military force if necessary," Pelley said.
"I think Mr. Bush, if he wants his party to win the next election, there are cheaper ways to go about this. I can very well give him a few ideas so that the people vote for him. He should respect the American people. They should not bug the telephone conversations of their citizens," the president said. "They should not kill the sons and daughters of the American nation. They should not squander the taxpayers' money and give them to weapons companies. And also help the people, the victims of Katrina. People will vote for them if they do these things. What I'm saying, I am being very sincere here. I'm a Muslim. I cannot tell a lie."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Here We Fuckin' Go
The U.S. military accused Iran on Sunday of smuggling surface-to-air missiles and other advanced weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. The new allegations came as Iraqi leaders condemned the latest U.S. detention of an Iranian in northern Iraq, saying the man was in their country on official business.
Military spokesman Rear Adm. Mark Fox said U.S. troops were continuing to find Iranian-supplied weaponry including the Misagh 1, a portable surface-to-air missile that uses an infrared guidance system.
Other advanced Iranian weaponry found in Iraq includes the RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenade, 240 mm rockets and armor-piercing roadside bombs known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, Fox said.
An American soldier was killed Saturday and another wounded when an EFP hit their patrol in eastern Baghdad, the military said.
Iran has denied U.S. allegations that it is smuggling weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq, a denial that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" aired Sunday.
"We don't need to do that. We are very much opposed to war and insecurity," said Ahmadinejad, who arrived in New York Sunday to attend the U.N. General Assembly. "The insecurity in Iraq is detrimental to our interests."
Tensions between Iran and the United States have worried Iraqi officials — many of whom are members of political parties with close ties to Tehran.
A 240 mm rocket was fired this month at the main U.S. headquarters base in Iraq, killing one person and wounding 11.
U.S. officials said the rocket was fired from a west Baghdad neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen.
On Thursday, U.S. troops arrested an Iranian in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah. U.S. officials said he was a member of the elite Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that smuggles weapons into Iraq.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki condemned the Iranian's arrest, saying he understood the man, who has been identified as Mahmudi Farhadi, had been invited to Iraq.
"The government of Iraq is an elected one and sovereign. When it gives a visa, it is responsible for the visa," he told The Associated Press in an interview in New York. "We consider the arrest ... of this individual who holds an Iraqi visa and a (valid) passport to be unacceptable."
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, also demanded the Iranian's release.
The U.S. military said the suspect was being questioned about "his knowledge of, and involvement in," the transportation of EFPs and other roadside bombs from Iran into Iraq and "his facilitation of travel and training in Iran for Iraqi insurgents." The military said no decision had been made about whether to file charges.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Farhadi was in charge of border transactions in western Iran and went to Iraq on an official invitation.
He said Iran expects the Iraqi government to provide security for Iranian nationals there and warned the arrest could affect relations between the two neighbors as well.
Iraqi authorities, meanwhile, said a shipment of chlorine had crossed the border from Jordan after concerns were raised about shortages of the chemical needed to prevent an outbreak of cholera from spreading.
Officials said earlier that as much as 100,000 tons of chlorine was being held up at the border for fear it would be hijacked and used in explosives. Several chlorine truck bombs blamed on suspected Sunni insurgents earlier this year killed scores of people.
Naeem al-Qabi, the deputy chief of Baghdad's municipal council, said warehouses in the capital were preparing to accept the chlorine, which would help purify water supplies.
"There is some administrative work needed to be done and it will be finished very soon," al-Qabi said.
Iraq now has a total of 1,652 confirmed cases of cholera after three new cases were confirmed in Salahuddin province, according to an update on the World Health Organization's Web site on Sunday. Earlier, cholera was confirmed in the provinces of Sulaimaniyah, Tamim and Irbil, as well as a case each in Baghdad and in Basra.
"As the weather cools and becomes more favorable for transmission, the organism is expected to spread to other provinces," the WHO's country office in Iraq said on its Web site.
Cholera is endemic to Iraq, with about 30 cases registered each year. The last major outbreak was in 1999, when 20 cases were discovered in one day.
Also Sunday, Iraq's minister of state for national security, Sherwan al-Waili, took over the security operations center in Basra as tensions rose in the southern city following the assassination of a local representative of Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The region has been rocked by violence between rival Shiite militias linked to political parties, raising concerns about security as the British military has pulled back its troops from the city center to a nearby airport to allow Iraqi security forces to take over.
Al-Waili told reporters that he will temporarily head the operations center until a new security plan is implemented "very soon" in the city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Yet Another Asshole Republican Bully
CBS) JOLIET, Ill. CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery has filed a complaint after he was shoved and sent down a flight of stairs while questioning a congressman Friday, knocking him into a woman who also fell.The incident happened in Joliet, where Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) was announcing his intention not to run for reelection. Weller spoke for about 15 to 20 minutes about his accomplishments in his district and in Washington, then he left with a phalanx of people around him, and "with no intention, evidently, of answering questions," Flannery said.
Flannery was pushed by a Weller aide right before he followed Weller into a stairway. The initial contact occurred off-camera. In the video posted on cbs2chicago.com, you can see Flannery stumbing into the view of the camera after being pushed. He is then shoved a second time once inside the doorway, which caused a woman inside the stairwell to fall.The man who shoved Flannery and CLTV political reporter Carlos Hernandez-Gomez was identified as John Dusik, an aide to the congressman.A watchdog group recently declared Weller one of the most corrupt members of Congress due to questions about his financial ethics stemming from land deals in Central America."I began to throw out a number of questions regarding his controversial Latin American land deals," and asked if there should be a House Ethics committee investigation, Flannery said.Weller did not speak, but instead went back down the stairs, still surrounded by a phalanx of aides, Flannery said. At that point, the scene began to turn ugly."There's a large man, who begins shoving reporters around, including yours truly.
He shoves me one way, then he goes after another reporter with CLTV.… There's an opening in the doorway, and I begin moving through that doorway, and he shoves me down the stairs; he shoves me into a railing on the staircase and also into a woman in on the staircase who was traveling with Weller," Flannery said.Flannery said the woman turned around and complained to him about being knocked down, and he explained that he had been pushed through the doorway.Meanwhile, Weller drove away without answering questions, Flannery said."I realized that I need to ask the police to look into this, and I indicated to them that we get roughed up like this from time to time, but I don't recall ever being treated this violently; shoved around this violently, to the point where a woman gets knocked down," Flannery said.Flannery said he later learned an arrest had been made by police officers from Joliet Junior College.
The police told Flannery they would make a determination early next week about filing charges.He said the man who shoved him was identified by others as a Weller staffer, but, "He never said a word to me before during or after his violent actions, nor did he say a word to my colleagues who were similarly mistreated.""I have had these kinds of encounters with public officials and their staff over the years many times; dozens if not hundreds of times – but never this violent. Never anything as violent as this, and I have not had a third party, specifically a woman, fall to the ground; fall down several stairs as happened in this case," Flannery said, adding that if the assailant was a Weller staffer, "He crossed the line here that I felt was just inappropriate, utterly inappropriate. He went from being a zealous staffer to being a goon."
Go get him Mike. These dickheads think they can get away with their bullying tactics and need to know that they WILL be held accountable.
Blackwater
Blackwater USA is a private military company and security firm founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark. It is based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, where it operates a tactical training facility that it claims is the world's largest. The company trains more than 40,000 people a year, from all the military services and a variety of other agencies. The company markets itself as being "The most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world". At least 90% of its revenue comes from government contracts, two-thirds of which are no-bid contracts.
I guess this could be considered America's al-Quaida.
They are bushys hired guns.
His personal band of mercenaries.
Assassins.
Thugs.
Schoolyard bullies.
Who are now up to their asses in trouble for killing 10 people and wounding 13 civilian Iraqi’s.
bush said Thursday he was saddened by the loss of life when private security contractors opened fire in Baghdad which apparently makes it all better in this idiots pea sized brain.
The killings happened Sunday when shooting broke out in a Baghdad neighborhood where Blackwater security contractors were present.
"Evidently some innocent lives were lost. And my thoughts and prayers go out to the families," bush said.
Um-hmm. Evidently asshole.
Iraqis say that civilians were killed, while Blackwater insists their guarding convoy came under attack from insurgents, apparently throwing stones and kicking dirt at them because no weapon was recovered.
NOT ONE!
The shooting deaths came amid keen debate in Washington over the future of US strategy in Iraq, with critics demanding that US troops be withdrawn.
bush has vowed to stay the course but also reiterated Thursday his frustration with what he sees as a lack of political and legislative progress by Iraq's fragile government to reconcile and stabilize the country.
"People are sick and tired of murder and violence, and ... they expect their local governments and their central government to be more responsive to their needs," he said, citing comments made to him by reconstruction teams in Iraq.
"Clearly, there needs to be work there ... There needs to be the passage of law," he added.
"For example, we strongly believe that an oil revenue sharing law will send a message to Sunni, Shia and Kurd alike that there is an effort at the national level to achieve reconciliation."
So there you finally have it. The real reason for all the fighting.
Oil revenues.
Gee what a surprise.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Another Bush Set Up
At the end of yesterday’s press conference, a reporter asked President Bush what was his “reaction” to MoveOn.org’s Gen. Petraeus ad in the New York Times. The question — the last of the briefing — gave Bush an opportunity to express his disappointment in the “leaders of the Democrat party“:
I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org — or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal. It’s one thing to attack me; it’s another thing to attack somebody like General Betrayus.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the question came from Washington Examiner reporter Bill Sammon, who is also a frequent Fox News guest and formerly a Washington Times reporter. Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank notes that Bush was in “need of a pick-me-up” after a series of tough questions on the economy, Iraq, and SCHIP. Therefore, he “looked toward the back of the room” and personally chose Sammon, aka “Big Stretch.”
Sammon has written four books on Bush, enjoying a close relationship and unprecedented access.
His bio for speaking engagements brags:
Six-foot-seven inch Bill Sammon–nicknamed “Superstretch” by President Bush–enjoys more access to the commander-in-chief than any other journalist. Sammon has spent hours with Bush in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One–even in the President’s sprawling Texas ranch. As Senior White House Correspondent for the Washington Examiner, Bill Sammon travels with Bush wherever he goes and was with him on September 11, when his presidency was utterly transformed by the terrorist attacks.
Sammon’s friendly softball paid off for the Bush administration. This morning, NBC’s Today Show covered Bush’s comments condemning MoveOn and Democrats, as did last night’s NBC Nightly News and ABC World News. The AP reported on Bush’s remarks, noting that he “criticized Democrats for not immediately condemning the MoveOn.org ad, which he called ‘disgusting.’”
Bootie Call
On Sunday, September 23, on the Fed Up American Internet Radio Show I will be interviewing presidential candidate John Bootie.
You may ask: WHO???
A self proclaimed "ultra-conservative" meeting ME a self proclaimed "ultra-liberal"
WOW!!!
I welcome Mr. Bootie and have to give him his props for having the balls to buck the two party system. I might not agree with all of his views but I do respect what it is he is trying to do.
From his website:
John K. Bootie
Born 28 July 1954---4Th of 6 children (3 Brothers and 2 sisters)
Utica, NY
Parent's Kenneth William and Frances Evelyn Bootie (both deceased)
Graduated 3rd of June 1973
From: Manheim Township High School
Neffsville, Pa .
PhD in Commonsense from the School of Life, still attending.
I am also a Union Member of the Teamsters.
Marital Status: Divorced
Proud parent of two grown children. My son Jason is the eldest and he currently resides in PA with his wife Tasha Jo andtheir daughter Madison, my first grandchild. Amber is my youngest , she has just exited the US Air Force. She is now home in PA with her daughter Jayden, my second grandchild. Amber will be attending nursing school in the near future.
Religion: Christian
Background:
I was born in Upstate NY, we were the Proverbial POOR family. We grew up poor but happy as you so often hear said, "Oh the Good Ole days". Well there's a lot to say about the Good Ole Days. Two Parent Family, 6 children, lots of love and values taught from our childhood on up. We were taught to cherish what we did have and to see the difference between wants and needs. We were latch key children and we grew up to be normal.
Being poor we learned to appreciate what we had and to value family. Raised to respect our elders and all man kind. We were taught to see right from wrong and the consequences of our actions. I was a Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
My siblings and I grew up in a time when children had to make a sports team, there was no automatically making a team. We grew up hearing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and Prayer. When I began going to school the Bible was still allowed and it was a normal possession in School's.
Teachers still cared and were not just content to pass you on to the next grade to get rid of a troubled child. I was held back to repeat 7th Grade by my parents. Can't you just hear the UP-roar, if a parent did this today? Getting A's and B's were lauded as Great work. Now we see schools and politicians that want to ban Honor society's (out of Fear or offending someone that did not make the Honor List). And do away with the A,B, and C system of grading. For a passing grade, they don't want to even have a failing grade anymore, let alone teach History where America was and still is Great.
So you may ask "WHY ME"? Because I will come to the Table with NO Past voting Record. I will Be a staunch Protector of the Constitution and a Ruthless Protector of the Legal Citizens of this Nation. I will OWE NO ONE, but the People of this nation anything.
Today: I drive an 18 Wheeler and like most of Amercia, I work hard everyday for the pay check I earn. I don't have anyone to pay my bills except me. I don't have personal wealth, fancy cars, Private Jets or the use of any. I have had to learn to live off a pay check and to make it last. I have never gone Bankrupt (been very close). I also have never had the use of the Congress's Bank scheme. (If you need this explained just ask)
I volunteered 18 years to the youth leagues of my community while my children were in the League's and then several years after they grew up.
GOD Bless you one and all,
John Bootie 08'
I PLEDGE, I will try to do the things listed below to make a difference: YES some of these things may sound unorthodox, but why should I tell you things I don't believe, only to gain your support, like so many past and present politicians have done.
1. TerrorContinue the WAR against terror, give General Petraeus a full and unfettered go ahead to fight terror anyway needed to WIN. Have him remove the gloves and allow NO TIME TABLE to get out of Iraq or any country that is a terror hot spot.
2. Border SecurityClose the border with Mexico until we can control when and if people come in to our country. NO legal or illegal entry until the day, WE control the rate and legality of the people coming in to the USA . Give Anwar to the American Indians to pump for oil. This way there will be less government restrictions, and the environmentalists can not stop the development of domestic oil. Make a deal with theoil companies to build refineries just over the border in either Mexico or Canada this way the environmentalists can’t stop the building because of a bird, a bug or snail. This would make a two way JOBS deal and help improve the problem of Illegal Aliens flowing into the USA trying to find better jobs. I'll push the use of Bio-diesel fuels, Ethanol-85, the production of coal to fuel and wind and solar powers as well.
3. BudgetI promise to VETO every budget or bill, passed by congress with excessive spending. (Excessive spending would be anything more than a 2% or 3% increase over the year before). I will continue or make permanent the tax credits and incentives.
4. Insurance
Encourage insurance companies to pay for every single person to go to a GYM as part of their health plan to fight sickness and obesity. A healthier person costs less to insure. We must find affordable costs for everyone that wants insurance. NO National Health Care because if you look at the countries who have tried national health care, people sometimes wait months for normal every day medical attention and operations. While the RICH of the world quite often come to the USA , for their medical attention.
5. EducationLook at and improve education in the US. Some schools are being ignored when it comes to getting help to pay for the things they need, thus not allowing for a complete education. We must also start teaching the history of america again. GOD knows the american homeless need to be OUR first priority, before we give BILLIONS of dollars to other nations.
6. Social SecurityFind a clear and long term fix for the Social Security system, such as private savings accounts in hopes that we can make it last at least 75 to 100 years. A couple years ago the congress said it's ok but it's not and they fought President Bush's idea's. They have not done anything since, to improve or make it more solvent.
7. Judges, Law Enforcement, PrisonsAppoint a separate US attorney, to investigate and prosecute any and all acts of judges, attorneys, and states not following or enforcing the laws on everything from Illegal Aliens to the press leaking classified secrets. Do away with the endless appeals system in our court system. Stop the endless frivolous lawsuits. Also make DNA tests more affordable and available for the FEW that could be in prison falsely. If tests prove them innocent, then clear them and let them go immediately.
8. TransportationMexican trucks would not be allowed in to the USA past the buffer zone at the border unless 3 things are met. First: the trucks and drivers are certified to be legal and non-dangerous. Second: the companies pay their drivers a wage equal to the american drivers (not 1/3 of the pay we get). Third: there would need to be a proven and genuine need for the use of outside trucks and drivers. We still do not have a zero unemployment rating.
Trucking: Pass a law that we make truck parking more accessible. If we are going to require the drivers to pull over, then they need places to park safely and legally. First idea: for that is whenever a driver pulls over along any highway or road, that they keep their tractor and trailer body lights on if its dark out and park safely off the traveled surface of the road way. Second idea: is they can idle whenever the temps are below 32 degrees F, without the risk and threat of getting a ticket if they have No APU.
9. End Political FavoritismStop appeasing the few at the expense of the many. Fix the "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "UNDER GOD" debate because this nation was founded on that premise, this nation is predominantly christian.
I will not be swayed by polls, but act with the love and guidance of the LORD and end political correctness. As a christian I believe that GOD will guide me to act with love for all man. I will owe no one but the American people an answer for my actions. I will make no promises for votes and thus owe no one any favors.
10. AccountabilityWeekly reports on Iraq and other dangerous places. Report on activites being done, that are good and helping the people to improve their lives and our relations with them. Weekly news conferences to highlight the weekly votes of both the congress and the president. I pledge if the people feel I DID NOT TRY to do everything I promised then I would not run for a second term. Since I am single, NO revolving door of endless women.
11. Foreign PolicyRequire France, Germany and any other country that feels its ok to side with terrorists to re-pay any and all outstanding DEBTS and cut off all financial aide until such a time they promise to side with us and close their mouths.
12. End Wasteful SpendingNO Inaugural parties, no renting out the white house bedrooms. No state parties just to play politics. No alcohol in the white house. No costly redecorating of The White House. Thank you for your time and any consideration you have given towards me becoming president.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Democrats are unable to pass legislation that would challenge President Bush on the Iraq war, despite public opinion polls that show the war remains deeply unpopular with voters.
Once again, the voices of “we the people” are falling on deaf ears.
Failing to muster the support, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the war now belonged to Republicans. But he is wrong. If the democrats, America’s elected leaders, can’t get the job done then they need to be replaced by someone that is capable of listening to what America wants.
Oh sure they talk a good game and point fingers at the other side and say what they have to to get themselves elected but I for one am sick of the excuses. I feel that if they don’t listen to the peoples voice, the people need to speak louder.
I have been to peace rally’s and demonstrations against the war and have found them to be grossly ineffective. It’s just a bunch of people getting together to read each other’s sign and pat themselves on the back for being involved.
It is a time to abandon the peaceful protest and gather for civil disobedience. These protests need to stop worrying about being politically correct and we the people need to shut down government offices. We need to disrupt the flow of traffic. We need to become great big pains in the asses of our elected government and show these same elected officials that we have had enough.
Perhaps then our voices will be heard and something will get done.
Remember, democrats and republicans, you can be replaced.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Still More bush Lies With MY Commentary
bush Thursday cited "some unsettling times" in the U.S. housing and credit markets as he sought to assure jittery Americans that the economy is holding up well despite worries about a recession.
“It took you all this time to finally realize this? Are you THAT fucking out of touch with reality?”
"I say that the fundamentals of our nation's economy are strong," bush told a White House news conference.
“Oh REALLY. You ARE that out of touch with reality.”
Inflation is down,
“It is? Have you been to the grocery store recently? Have you pumped yourself a tank of gas in the last couple of years?”
markets are steady,
“Umm…..do you mean the stock market? Anyone with at least one functioning brain cell knows that’s a lie.”
unemployment is relatively low,
“Could it be that their benefits have run out and are no longer a statistic? Check the poverty stats asshole”
exports are up and corporate profits seem to be healthy, Bush told reporters.
“Especially corporate oil profits and pharmaceutical company revenues. Our main export product seems to be soldiers.”
He was asked about concerns by some economists that the housing slump and higher mortgage costs could lead to a recession even in spite of action earlier this week by the Federal Reserve to cut short-term interest rates by a half-percentage point.
“Have you ever read a history book? Remember The Great Depression? That is what you are leading us into.”
"There is no question that there is some unsettling times in the housing market and credits associated with the housing market," the presidential liar said. But he said he didn't see that spreading to the broader economy.
Bush said he was optimistic about the economy. "But I would be pessimistic if I thought Congress was going to get their way and they're not. We're not going to raise taxes," he added
“Not until you’re out of office and our next president, the poor bastard will have to raise taxes to repay YOUR loans to pay for YOUR ILLEGAL WAR.”
Pressed on whether he thought there was any risk of recession, bush said: "You need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101."
“You think? What a joke.”
On Iraq, Bush said there was progress in local communities but that people are dissatisfied with the central government.
"Part of the reason why there's not this instant democracy in Iraq is because people are still recovering from Saddam Hussein's brutal rule.
“Wrong again asswipe. YOU are responsible for the ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of what was once a soverigne nation and the removal of it’s leader. ALL based on YOUR lies.”
bush also expressed regret that innocent civilians were killed in a shooting Sunday in Baghdad involving guards from a private-sector American security contractor, Blackwater USA. Iraqi officials said at least 11 people died. The president said he wants to find out precisely what happened and that his "thoughts and prayers go out to the families."
“I’m sure they feel better hearing that.”
"To the extent that innocent life was lost, you know, I'm saddened," he said. "Our objective is to protect innocent life. We've got a lot of brave souls in the theater working hard to protect innocent life."
“THEATRE??? Do you think that this is a movie? You senile old bastard.”
bush was asked whether the administration was moving the goal posts on its Iraq expectations, now that the Pentagon has said the some benchmarks that Baghdad was supposed to have met by this November will not be realized until July 2008. "The goals are the same. Achieving those goals has been slower than we thought," bush said.
“What are those goals THIS week president douche-nozzle?”
bush said he took seriously threats by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "This is a person that consistently talks about the use of force on Israel, for example, and Israel is our very firm and strong ally," bush said.
“Why is Israel’s problem an American problem?”
He was asked about a recent statement by France's foreign minister that the international community should prepare for the possibility of war in the event Iran obtains atomic weapons — although the official later stressed the focus remains on diplomatic pressures.
"I have consistently stated that I am hopeful that we can convince the Iranian regime to give up any ambitions it has in developing a weapons program, and do so peacefully," bush said. "That ought to be the objective of any diplomacy."
“It ought to be but it isn’t.”
YOU mr president are a liar. Plain and simple. Each time you open that pie hole of yours, you prove it.
You are delussional. You are senile. You are derranged.
And you need to be stopped.
The American people see through your bullshit and are Fed Up with your pompous attitude and ignoring of the voice of THE PEOPLE.
You will NO DOUBT go down in history as THE ABSOLUTE WORST president America has ever seen.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
bush Up To His Old Tricks AGAIN
bush said Wednesday that a law hastily passed in August to temporarily give the government more power to eavesdrop without warrants on foreign terror suspects must be made permanent and expanded.
"Ifthis doesn't happen, the asshole said, "Our national security professionals will lose critical tools they need to protect our country."
Bullshit!
"Without these tools, it will be harder to figure out what our enemies are doing to train, recruit and infiltrate operatives into America," he said on a visit to the super-secret National Security Agency's headquarters in suburban Fort Meade, Md. "Without these tools, our country will be much more vulnerable to attack."
Double bullshit!
The 30-year-old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act governs when warrants for eavesdropping must be obtained from a secret intelligence court. This year's update — approved by the Senate and House just before Congress adjourned for an August break — allows more efficient interceptions of foreign communications.
Under the new law — the Protect America Act — the government can eavesdrop, without a court order, on communications conducted by a person reasonably believed to be outside the United States, even if an American is on one end of the conversation — so long as that American is not the intended focus or target of the surveillance.
That change was urgently requested by the bush administration, which said that the modernization of communications technology had created a dire gap in the nation's terrorism intelligence collection capabilities.
Such surveillance was generally prohibited under the original FISA law if the wiretap was conducted inside the United States, unless a court approved it. Because of changes in telecommunications technology, many more foreign communications now flow through the United States.
The new law allows those to be tapped without a court order.
But civil liberties groups and many Democrats say the new changes go too far. Congress' Democratic leaders set it to expire in six months so that it could be fine-tuned, and that process is beginning on Capitol Hill now.
Democrats hope to change the law to provide additional oversight when the government eavesdrops on U.S. residents communicating with overseas parties.
bush timed his visit to the NSA facility to press his case.
"The threat from al Qaida is not going to expire in 135 days," he said, "so I call on Congress to make the Protect America Act permanent."
If the threat from al Qaida is going to expire, what's the fucking problem?
He also pleaded with lawmakers to expand the law, not restrict it. One provision particularly important to the administration, but opposed by many Democrats, would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies which may have helped the government conduct surveillance prior to January 2007 without a court order.
bush was joined at the podium in an NSA hallway by Vice President Dick Cheney, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and others.
I wonder which one was pulling his strings.
The president received private briefings from intelligence officials and mingled with employees in the National Threat Operations Center. While cameras and reporters were in the room, (of course - another photo op) the large video screens that lined the walls displayed unclassified information on computer crime and signal intelligence.
Along one wall at NSA is a sign that says, "We won't back down. We never have. We never will."
Neither will the American public mr asshole president.
Neither will we.
America Is Not Buying bush Speech
Tuesday evening, CNN ran a report on new poll numbers from CBS that show the American public was unmoved on Iraq by the testimony of Gen. David Betrayus and bushy’s speech.
The National Journal writes that Bush’s spin is “falling on deaf ears.” A key takeaway: Before the administration’s PR offensive, 35 percent of Americans felt the troop increase was making the Iraq situation better. After the speeches and testimony, the number dropped — only 31 percent felt the escalation was working.
bushy’s top military and diplomatic advisers in Iraq -- Gen. David Betrayus and Ambassador Ryan (Crock of shit) Crocker -- came to Washington last week to plead the case that the troop surge is working and that, if the military is given more time to build on the progress, victory is still achievable. The American public, it seems, did not buy the administration's message. A new CBS News poll demonstrates that Americans remain skeptical of the way the war is being waged.
In the survey, 57 percent of respondents claimed to pay at least some attention to betrayus' testimony before Congress. Considerably fewer (29 percent) said they watched the president's televised speech on Thursday, in which he announced plans to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer. A possible explanation for their tuning out: About two-thirds said the president tries to make the situation in Iraq sound better than it truly is.
Respondents were unconvinced by betrayus’' argument that the troop surge is improving conditions in Iraq. The number of those in a half-sample who said the surge is making no impact or is making things worse shot up 5 points from early September. Of those who said that things are getting better thanks to the surge, a 47-percent plurality acknowledged that they believe the improvements will only last as long as the extra troops are in place.
The administration claims that the troop surge is designed to buy time for political reconciliation.
However, a majority of respondents seem to believe that this effort is ultimately failing. Sixty-nine percent said that the Iraqi government is not doing all that it can to bring stability to the country, and 53 percent said Iraq will never become a stable democracy. Those numbers are unchanged from the pre-report survey.
-->The betrayus report and bushy's speech did not change the overall assessment of how things are going in Iraq in general; 63 percent still report that things are going badly, down only 1 point from early September.
Meanwhile, reaction to bushy’s plan to reduce the number of troops to pre-surge levels by summer 2008 (contingent upon conditions on the ground) split sharply along party lines. About seven in 10 Democrats said that bush should remove more troops than he proposed, while about half of republicans maintained that returning to pre-surge levels is the right amount.
This Matter Is Out Of Control
The U.S. military has introduced “religious enlightenment” programs for Iraqi detainees. The commander of U.S. detention facilities said the effort is intended to “bend them back to our will.” It is also an effort to identify “irreconcilables” and “put them away” in permanent detention facilities.
The U.S. military has introduced "religious enlightenment" and other education programs for Iraqi detainees, some of whom are as young as 11, Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas M. Stone, the commander of U.S. detention facilities in Iraq, said yesterday.
Stone said such efforts, aimed mainly at Iraqis who have been held for more than a year, are intended to "bend them back to our will" and are part of waging war in what he called "the battlefield of the mind." Most of the younger detainees are held in a facility that the military calls the "House of Wisdom."
The religious courses are led by Muslim clerics who "teach out of a moderate doctrine," Stone said, according to the transcript of a conference call he held from Baghdad with a group of defense bloggers. Such schooling "tears apart" the arguments of al-Queda, such as "Let's kill innocents," and helps to "bring some of the edge off" the detainees, he said.
As a result of the increased U.S. troop presence in Iraq this year, the number of Iraqis in U.S. detention has swelled from about 10,000 last year to more than 25,000. The effort to reshape attitudes among the growing detainee population is aimed at addressing a problem that has vexed U.S. troops in Iraq for the past four years: Military detention facilities have served as breeding grounds for extremist views, transforming some prisoners into hard-core insurgents, according to military analysts.
Stone said he wants to identify "irreconcilables" -- those detainees whose views cannot be moderated -- and "put them away" in permanent detention facilities. Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and interrogators help distinguish the extremists from others, he said.
After reassessments and interrogations, Stone said, some detainees are recommended for release.
This is just another example of U.S. military brainwashing that will go down in flames, much like all other strategies that the “commander in chief” has tried.
This dumb ass cowboy that by the way has less than a 29% approval rating, needs to say “Happy Trails” and ride off into the sunset, crying on his imaginary friends shoulder.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Our Neighbors Struggle
The assclown American president that claimed the housing boom of a couple years back reflected a strong economy. In recent months that statement was proven fals, once again showing bush to be, among other things, a liar.
The number of foreclosure filings reported in the U.S. last month more than doubled versus August 2006 and jumped 36 percent from July, a trend that signals many homeowners are increasingly unable to make timely payments on their mortgages or sell their homes amid a national housing slump.
Why are families unable to make payments?
Well, there are several reasons for this but a couple stick out in my mind. First and foremost being that they are not making enough money. Families are being forced to abandon family time to work a second job. Even with two parental figures working one, two and even three jobs, the money just isn’t there for some.
The second reason lies in the type of mortgage that people signed up for. They were given low interest adjustable rate mortgages to get them into their home and when the rate adjusted, they couldn’t afford the increased payment, with some as much as $1,000 per month.
A total of 243,947 foreclosure filings were reported in August, up 115 percent from 113,300 in the same month a year ago.
There were 179,599 foreclosure filings reported in July.
The filings include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Some properties might have received more than one notice if the owners have multiple mortgages.
Nevada, California and Florida had the highest foreclosure rates in the country last month, the firm said.
Nevada reported one foreclosure filing for every 165 households — more than three times the national average. The state had 6,197 filings in August, an increase of 21 percent from July and more than triple the year-ago figure.
California's foreclosure rate was one filing for every 224 households. The state reported the most foreclosure filings of any single state with 57,875, up 48 percent from July and an increase of more than 300 percent from August 2006.
Florida had one foreclosure filing for every 243 households. In all, the state reported 33,932 foreclosure filings, up 77 percent from July's total and more than twice the year-ago total.
Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Indiana rounded out the 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
