How to Close an Open Society

In Naomi Wolf's book The End of America, she outlines ten strategies that have been used historically to close down an open democracy and turn it into a closed fascist state. These strategies are:
1. Hype a threat to the country.
2. Create a secret prison system.
3. Create a paramilitary force.
4. Create a surveillance apparatus.
5. Arbitrarily hold and release citizens.
6. Infiltrate citizens groups.
7. Target key individuals.
8. Restrict the press.
9. Recast criticism as unpatriotic or treasonous.
10. Subvert the rule of law.
These strategies have been used by Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and others to close down societies and institute a fascist state. All of these tactics are being employed by the neocons of the Bush administration. If the people do not wake up to what is happening soon, this dimming of liberties we see in America now will become the eternal night of oppression.

Water boarding is a War Crime

During World War Two, Japanese interrogators used water boarding while questioning captives. Interrogators who did this were tried for war crimes and sent to prison. Members of the United States government have approved water boarding and are therefore guilty of war crimes. Unfortunately, in our world, war criminals are only prosecuted if they lose the war. The more powerful country, as in Viet Nam, can literally get away with murder.
The Neocons in charge of our government have cleverly skirted joining the International Criminal Court by saying Americans shouldn't be judged by foreigners. Yeah, and we should have let the Nazis judge themselves at Nuremberg. The cornerstone of civilization is laws and their enforcement. By not joining the ICC, the U.S. government is declaring itself not bound by the rule of law for war crimes like some kind of rogue state.
The leaders of our nation who have sanctioned water boarding and their operatives who have carried this out are guilty of torture and war crimes. And if they are not prosecuted, we become nothing but the uncivilized animals we were before the rule of law.

Jan Schakowsky a Pathetic Failure

At a meeting last year at the Evanston Public Library, I asked Rep. Jan Schakowsky if she would pledge to bring articles of impeachment against this administration. She responded by saying that all the secrecy in the Bush administration would be exposed. She has not lived up to her promise. The Bush administration has refused to let Congress depose its' operatives under oath and has refused to release information for congressional oversight. The Bush administration has neutered the power of Congress, destroying our system of checks and balances. The Congress' failure to protect our system of government by not impeaching this president and holding him accountable is a tragedy and Jan Schakowsky is a pathetic failure as a representative.

Why Impeachment is in Our Constitution

The group of community leaders that created our constitution foresaw the possibility that the enormous power of the Presidency might fall into the wrong hands. Section 4 of Article II of the Constitution states that “The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”. Impeachment is a necessary part of our democracy to protect Americans and the world from a destructive presidency.
The Bush administration has been implementing what is called the “unitary executive”, which argues that Congress should have little power to affect the Executive branch. The Bush administration has produced hundreds of signing statements purporting that the President can disobey laws enacted by Congress if he feels they conflict with his interpretation of the Constitution. The Bush administration has denied Congress subpoena power over its current and former employees. The Bush administration has refused to hand over documents for congressional inquiries. In short, they have created an executive branch with enormous power that does not have to answer to legislative oversight. Among other powers it has grabbed are warrant less wiretapping, suspension of habeas corpus, use of torture, and extraordinary rendition.
So, given the track record of the Bush/Cheney administration, why have the Democrats taken impeachment off the table?
The Democrats want this power. They figure that the Bush Neocons have made such a mess of things that a Republican candidate does not have a chance. So, if they leave Bush/Cheney in power they will inherit the vast powers of this new “unitary executive”.
It is imperative for all Americans for us to stop this power grab and restore the balance of power in Washington. No party should be allowed to have this overreaching power of the executive.
We must impeach this administration for the good of our constitutional government.

Are We Any Safer?

Sen. John Warner (R) asked Gen. David Patraeus whether or not fighting the war in Iraq was making America safer. Gen. Patraeus said that he had not thought about it and that he was just concentrating on the task at hand. So, the General running the war in Iraq doesn't even know if it is making us safer? Thousands of people have scarificed their lives and you have to think about whether or not this is making us safer? Are you joking me? You mean there is a possibility that this boondoggle is putting us in more danger?
The truth is that the war in Iraq is making us less safe. Iraq has become a recruiting ground for Al-Qaeda and made it much easier for Al-Qaeda to kill Americans. Why go 6,000 miles when the enemy comes right to your front door. Every year of the Bush presidency worldwide terrorism has increased. The military is stretched to the limit and might not be able to respond adequately to other threats in the world.
Dear General Petraeus, please take a moment and think about the big picture of what you are doing and stop being a "yes man".

Helping the Enemy Again

President Bush is supporting Gen. Patraeus projection to reduce the military force by 30,000 by next July. Didn't Bush say timetables help the enemy? They do or they don't Georgie. Make up your mind.

Naive My Ass

The Republican candidates have attacked Barrack Obama for threatening to attack Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, saying his view was "naive". Is this as naive as saying that we would be greeted as liberators in Iraq? Or that we would only need a small military force to secure Iraq? Or to disband the police and military in Iraq? Or to say that oil revenues would pay for the war? Or to say that the insurgency was in it's last throes? Or to think a troop surge would make any difference in the political discord in Iraq?
Also, I seem to remember a certain President Bush saying any country, like Afghanistan, that harbored terrorists was the enemy. But, now it is okay for Pakistan to harbor Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and we should do nothing? What ever happened to those macho Bush threats? The only people who are naive are the ones who voted to reelect these spin-doctor hypocrites.

Dying for a Vacation

The purpose of the troop surge in Iraq was to allow "breathing space" for the Iraqi government to make the necessary compromises for a national unity government. Every single person involved with this situation has said that there is no military solutions to the civil war/resistance in Iraq. The solution is political. And what have the Iraqi politicians done while American soldiers are giving their lives for this "breathing space"? They went on vacation. Or they have decided to take their marbles and go home until they get their way. Does this administration really think that soldiers should continue to sacrifice their lives to help a political process that behaves like this? I guess it must be easy to sacrifice these people because the rich and powerful are safe and secure in their lives of gluttony while the poor who make up the fighting force live and die in an unspeakable hell.

Unleashing Hell

7/25/2007

Is there anybody out there who understands that we have unleashed a nightmare for the Iraqi people by what we have done in Iraq?
As we sit and watch debates about troop surges and report cards, Iraq has turned into a living hell.
Over four million refugees, no electricity or clean water or sanitation for the majority of the country, hundreds of thousands dead, most of the doctors have left the country, rampant unemployment, millions wounded, and millions of Iraqi children who will deal with mental illness from severe childhood trauma.
And what about the hell we have put upon the soldiers and families who have paid the price in this war? What about the child who will suffer emotionally because his father cannot be there for him because his father is battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury? These poor people and their families to come will suffer from this trauma.
For what.
For Weapons of Mass Destruction that never existed and ties to Al-Qaeda that never existed either.
Yet, the people who sold us this war are not held accountable.
The corporations are in control and they want access to that oil. These corporations own the media and employ the people who read these submissions. They don't have the decency to print an essay like this one because they fear the wrath of their corporate masters.
I hope the living hell we have unleashed upon these poor people is worth it. I hope maintaining our oil-driven lifestyles is worth it. I hope your lies and corruption in the government/industry/media is worth it.
Is it that easy to look away?.

On Beyond Zebra

The Bush administration is now supporting the Sunnis who are fighting against Al-Qaeda. In a conflict where you can't tell who is who, they are supplying them with support and weapons. How do we know for sure that the Sunnis we are supplying arms to aren't Al-Qaeda themselves?
Let me see if I have this straight.
We supported Sadaam Hussein with money and weapons when he was at war with Iran. Then, we decided Sadaam was an imminent threat (which he was not) and attacked Iraq, deposing him. We disbanded the entire police force and army which was made up of Sunni (Baathist party) Sadaam loyalists. The Sunni resistance (insurgents?) have been primarily responsible for the attacks on the American occupying force. The US military has been training an Iraqi security force that contains members of militias of both Sunni and Shia origin. How can we be sure that the arms and training we are supplying won't be used against our troops?
It's bad enough that the Sunnis are being supported by the Saudis who use profits from the oil we buy from them.
How can we continue to send bodies of young men and women into a contradictory mess that our leaders are guessing at different strategies that so far have had dire consequences? How can we stop this madness? When will the Congress wake up and impeach this administration to stop this insane nightmare?

An Open Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi

After the Democrats took control of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that impeachment was "off the table" and a "waste of time".
Well, Nancy, how does it look now? The Iraq war is fully funded without withdrawal. Guantanamo is still open. Secret prisons are still open. Extraordinary rendition (kidnapping) is still happening. Torture is still happening. American soldiers continue to be maimed and killed. Millions of Iraq refugees are homeless and starving. America is hated across the world. World wide acts of terrorism have grown every year of the Bush administration. The US armed forces are devastated. Wounded soldiers are not cared for. The budget and trade deficits are growing. The Neocons are using our justice system to attack Democrats. Americans are being illegally wiretapped. Our Constitutional system of checks and balances has been trashed. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed, maimed, and have become homeless refugees.
The only reason that impeachment at this point would be a waste of time, Nancy, is if you are more concerned about your political career than what is humane.
Impeachment is part of our Constitution. If this is not the reason to use it then what is? If this is not the time to use it then when?

Veteran Expose' Helps Al-qaeda

Showing the veterans how poorly they will be treated after sacrificing their bodies for the rich man's oil is a real downer for troop morale. Does "be all you can be" mean hailing a taxi with a hole in your skull to get to a mold and rodent infested building 18?
Why can't the corporate run media keep a lid on the fact that the money for Iraq is really going to corporate fat-cats and not to the poor who have risked their lives?
If you were in Iraq in the middle of a civil war where most of the population agrees that it is okay to kill Americans, wouldn't you be a little upset to know that if you get wounded, you are on your own?
Remember, not keeping up troop morale helps Al-Qaeda. Telling the truth helps Al-Qaeda. So, let's keep everything under wraps as usual and let the troops have their false reality: that Uncle Sam will take care of them.
By the time they find out the truth, the corporate sharks won't need them anymore.

The failure bus already left

The delusional Republicans who assault our egos by saying we must not fail in Iraq need to be informed that that bus left the station a long time ago.
We lost in Iraq on March 18, 2003.
We lost because we as a nation allowed our President to perform the ultimate international crime of aggression.
We lost because we let the military/industrial/legislative complex rob our treasury and the treasury of generations to come.
We lost because a nation of honor has resorted to kidnapping, torture, and murder.
We lost because we let our government make the rich richer, and the poor poorer.
We lost because we have let an administration strip us of our rights to privacy.
We lost because this strategy has caused terrorism to increase worldwide.
We lost because of over 3,000 military deaths, 20,000 wounded, unknown thousands of PTSD sufferers and other mental and brain injuries, an estimated 655,000 dead Iraqis, hundreds of thousands of crippled, homeless, orphaned, innocent people.
We lost because the billions we have spent on this carnage could have been spent on education, hunger, and infrastructure.
We lost because the rest of the world now looks at America as a rogue, imperialistic bully.
We lost because we have become negligent in our materialistic, glutinous lifestyles of greed instead of keeping constant vigilance on our government.
We lost because we were a beacon of hope in the world that has become a cloud of war and despair.
So, when the Neocons spin their way into telling you that we should listen to them or we are defeated losers, when they tell you that failure is not an option, tell them they are right.
It's not an option.
It's a reality.

The First 100 Hours

The President of the United States has committed the supreme international crime of aggression. The top priority in Congress should be to hold the President accountable.
Is the newly elected majority in Comgress just another puppet of the military/industrial/legislative/religious complex?

Bush Helps the Enemy

The Bush administration is considering a "surge" of troop numbers in Iraq. What is a surge? It is a temporary increase of troops. Given that a surge only lasts a short time, it is an increase of troops with a timetable for withdrawal. According to President Bush, timetables help the enemy. All they have to do is wait out the surge and it will be over. Therefore, won't a surge in troops help the enemy?

The real tragedy of Ted Haggard

The real tragedy of Ted Haggard was not that he was gay or a drug user. The real tragedy was that he used the power of religion to influence his followers into believing that war was a Christian necessity.
His flock will probably write off his behavioral aberrations as the work of the devil. Maybe he was just a gay man who played a role because of the power, influence, fame, and money it provided him.
Ted was in constant contact with the Neocons at the White House. Maybe the Christianity he was preaching was not the verses of Mark but the gospel of Rove. The talking points headed down the calling tree from Karl Rove to Ted to the National Association of Evangelicals to the pastors to the calling cells to 30 million people.
I won't judge Ted for his lies, his homosexuality, his drug use, or the role he played. But, to turn the Prince of Peace into the God of War in his followers minds is a real societal tragedy. Why was the Christian community not outraged by the endorsement of preemptive war, a policy called the supreme international criminal act by the Nuremberg trials?
If his followers believe that the devil was responsible for his sinning behavior, can't they believe that his support of preemptive war was just another trick of the fallen angel?

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." - Gandhi

Free Market Boogie

We give our money to the Saudis for their oil.
The Saudis fund the Iraqi Sunni insurgents.
The Iraqi Sunni insurgents kill Americans.
Thank you, America, for paying to have our soldiers killed.
Can't a free market guy make a buck?

Reinstating the draft

I support reinstating the draft, only if the draft did not allow special privileges for wealthy individuals. The wealthy chicken hawks, like President Bush, who support war will not fight it themselves or enlist their children to fight. If they were forced to put their children in harm's way, it might not be so easy for our politicians to declare war.

Dems have power, now use it

Dear Democratic Congress:
Congratulations on a decisive victory. Bringing back integrity to Congress includes bringing back accountability. Bush and Cheney need to be held accountable for the lies they told to get this country into war in Iraq, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people and costing a trillion dollars.
You no longer have the excuse of not having control of both houses of Congress. To say that you will not hold them accountable and just work with them is tantamount to being an accomplice to their manipulation.

The Death of Our Democracy

It is time to sound the funeral dirge. It is a time of lament and sorrow. Having your vote count is the basis of democracy. When the Governator came from a future where machines ruled the world in the movie Terminator, we thought it was science fiction. Now the voting machine rules the world. Now vote totals are subject to no paper trails, hackable machines, and lack of verification.
The then CEO of Diebold, a large voting machine vendor, had given large sums to the Bush campaign and wrote that he would bring the vote home for Bush in 2004. Diebold's machines are proven to be hackable.
I could never imagine we would be living in a corporate/totalitarian state - but, here we are.
All those people who agonized and died for the banner of freedom and we end up with democracy being destroyed in a second with a keystroke.
Woe is us.