Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Who Killed John O'Neil?

Who Killed John O'Neil?

Heard of it? its an art-film made by a couple guys (ty rauber and ryan thurston) who do such a wonderfully disturbing job of not only connecting the dots of the whole conspiracy concept, but effectively showing the downside of such a rabbit-hole experimentations.

Not for your average citizen as its stark set and characterizations force the viewer into the data-intense dialog. Also important in viewing this film is the ability to pause and replay... as some of the connections require a near paradigm-shift to comprehend.

Have you seen it yet? http://www.wkjo.com




I've not been one to advocate for much discourse about this topic as it inevitably illicits a dramatic cessation from what we believe to be true... but that said, I found this very compelling and wonderfully creative in its aesthetics... let me know what you think.

c

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Democracy v Despotism

Democracy vs Despotism... you decide which way this nation seems headed.
THis is a 1946 film... but surprisingly on point today.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Psychological Torture Okay?

On Wednesday November 7, 2007, the primary operations manual for running of the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay named Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedure was published by the government transparency group Wikileaks. The 238 page manual clearly exposes among other things, systematic methods for extreme psychological torture and stress as well as clear instructions not to allow prisoners to meet with humanitarian agencies like the International Red Cross- in violation of international law. Even the American Psychological Association, the only remaining body of medicine NOT to condemn these practices is having to re-evaluate its policy and participation.

What the manual also describes are the details to the so-called "Leave No Marks" interrogation techniques that were confirmed recently by release of a handwritten memo by then Sec of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. As Sen John McCain, a vietnam POW who co-authored the McCain-Feingold torture law that was ignored through executive signing instruction by this pResident once said, " I would have gladly chosen physical torture to psychological...mental torture is far more inhumane"

With the release of yet another document clearly illustrating the Bush administration lied to the public on several occasions how has the government responded? The Pentagon is actively seeking to censor the document under the States Secret Act and the Whitehouse spokesmen are backpedaling and avoiding direct questions. Can Congress get to the bottom of yet another clear violation of the peoples trust? We'll have to see how the Bush team spins a cocoon around this story and buries it into its web of lies, distortions and blatant abuses of power. We'll also have to see how the media covers the details. Is this the kind of Leadership you think best emulates Freedom and Democracy?

At a time when we are supposedly trying to help Pakestan's fledgling democracy to be more like us, is this the us we mean? Musharif may already consider himself to be a student of George W Bush.

Support our Troops?

Do we really care about our Troops? Talk is cheap and our actions of late, even cheaper.... So many citizens, veterans and politicians wrap themselves up in the flag and talk tuff for the troops.... but the reality is far from the rhetoric.

On friday, Congressman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina cackled from the Senate floor against the $87 Billion Dollar troop funding bill with a timeline attached. Citing "our troops are winners, not losers". Veterans and citizen-bloggers have constantly taken to flag-waving and tuff talk about our "supporting our troops" and continuing the constant clammer against "cut and run".

New figures released this week site nearly 4700 troops deserted their posts this year alone, up from 3300 last year. This represents an 80% increase in the desertion rate and is the highest in nearly 30 years— and the pace is accelerating. Additionally figures showing one in four homeless people in the US are war veterans, a point relegated to minor news clips buried in the media. Troops in record numbers are returning home with PTSD and are finding inadequate -if any- treatment or help from the Government. A study yesterday reported that more than 6000 soldiers took their own lives in 2005.... thats 17 soldiers a day!

Meanwhile, with a huge budget for slick ads, flashy powerpoint presentations, uncensored access to our High School and University Student personal records and cafeterias...our proud military has taken to preying on youth through profiling and false advertising. With budgets of between $1600-4000 per recruit, the military sees no reason to invoke the draft.

I don't know about you all, but if thats the pride to which we want to defend our troops, then there is something terribly wrong with this nation and the conditioning these vets, politicians and gung-ho citizens have gotten from the media and the deceptive administration who to this day, says we are winning the war on terror.

Defending our troops... more correctly, our children and loved ones... means being certain our cause is just, our methods are above-board, our treatment of them upon returning is truthful and comprehensive and our media or information is honest and trustworthy. Anything less than that is not only a slap in the face to every soldier who ever served, but a reason to stand up and fight for our soldiers!

Certainly there is an allegiance to our troops from our veteran population, and certainly our citizens owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their service whether in the gulf or at any other time, but allegiance and ignorance are not compatible. The longer we allow our elected leaders to beat their breasts about troops being winners- while waging a war of aggression that we all agree was not started in good faith (no connection to 9/11-no WMDs, no alqaeda)...The longer we accept daily revelations of the staggering costs of this war both in loss of life and loss of integrity to our nation and its allies... The more we continue to listen to the mainstream media make headlines of success while barely covering their redactions and truthful statements of record losses... the more we truly disrespect our troops today, and the honor and dignity of our nation and its armed forces.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Great Escape

Watch as the thieving destroyers of the Democratic Republic formerly known as the United States of America all begin to exit stage right. Watch as the visionaries, hitmen and henchmen of the New World Order leave what appears to be the sinking ship of the Bush Administration.

Don't be myopic, just yesterday Atria, parent of Phillip Morris, spun off its most profitable branches of the company from the US to Europe. Last month Halliburton moved its corporate headquarters to Dubai. By doing this, these multinationals are effectively cutting their umbilical cords... their corporate charters... the only legal binding jurisdiction to reign them in... and now they operate above international law.

We regularly appease the local branch of Walmart, McDonalds or Starbucks with tax braks, incentives and slacked enforcement of our laws... what will they ask for next? Once they no longer can be threatened by revocation of their charter, or liquidation of their assets?

There is no law maker saying they need to stay in their country of origin, and because too many law makers helped them leave America through offshore finances, global markets with trade sanctions and a laissez-faire international policy... we're about to fully confront the new world order we've created, and it ain't the warm fuzzy thing GeorgeSr. pledged. Heard of the NAU?


Watch the run on Gold as the Amero becomes the new North American Currency replacing the dollar.

The North American Union - or Security Prosperity Partnership has been the underlying cornerstone of much of the Bush Administration's actions the past seven years. Get the multinational Corporations out from underneath any legal ties, bankrupt the country through an endless war on terror, senseless tax cuts, privatization of our commons and the liquidation of our rights and privacy.

Did you realize both Mexico and Canada's last elections voted in right-wing business friendly candidates amid an unreal public consensus that both elections were hi-jacked... just like our 2000-2004 elections.

This end-game to create a North American Union to support global business interests in a world domination scheme to restructure global power in the hands of the elite sounds like something of a SCI-FI movie or 007Bond fantasy.... but I assure you its real.

Watch as Democratic Senator David Rockafeller speaks of the new world order to his dear friend Dick Cheney.

More last year on the secret plans of the Bush Administration

What we may be witnessing is the mass migration of the neocon fascists from the positions of power in our current governement, to their new leadership roles heading up the Global Corporate Kingdom created by our complacency and desire for materialism and greed. With our short attention span... we'll soon forget the names Rumsfeld, Rove, Gonzales, Ashcroft, Bolton and Abermoff... We'll barely be able to keep track of the TV wannabees fighting for best chef, best designer, best pickup artist, best slut and best at eating worms. Welcome to the new Fear Factor, the new Real World.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

AT&T censors

Censored Show Proves AT&T’s Bad Faith
From Capital Times, August 16, 2007

By John Nichols

Telecommunications giant AT&T says no one should worry about their aggressive lobbying to eliminate Net neutrality — the First Amendment of the Internet that guarantees equality of access to all Web sites.

AT&T executives claim they would never interfere with Web content.

When Americans hear this spin, they should hang up on AT&T.

The truth is that, within business circles, the company is already promoting its schemes for “shaping” the Internet if Net neutrality protections fall.

And a good sense of how the telecommunications corporation would like to “shape” the World Wide Web can be gleaned from reports of how AT&T managed the live webcast of last weekend ‘s Lollapalooza concert when it came time for Pearl Jam to perform.

The Seattle-based band has a long history of highlighting smart political statements — about war and peace, protecting the environment and promoting tolerance — in its songs and in the on-stage comments of lead singer Eddie Vedder.

But on Sunday, when Pearl Jam was performing the song “Daughter” during the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, the band broke into a version of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” Reworking the lyrics of the classic rock song, Vedder sang, “George Bush, leave this world alone” and “George Bush, find yourself another home.”

The lyrics that criticized Bush were muted in the webcast.

Coincidence? Not at all.

AT&T admits that the censorship occurred. The company describes the muting of Vedder ‘s references to a president who appoints the members of the Federal Communications Commission — and thus has a major role in deciding whether AT&T gets what it wants — as “a mistake by a webcast vendor.”

Then, in a nice Orwellian twist, the company declares, “We have policies in place with respect to editing excessive profanity, but AT&T does not censor performances.”

In fact, “editing excessive profanity” is censorship.

And, of course, Vedder’s lyrics about Bush, which were not profane, did in fact get censored.

Web-savvy Pearl Jam fans noted the silencing of the message and immediately contacted the band. Pearl Jam members released a statement on the censorship incident that declared, “This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media. AT&T’s actions strike at the heart of the public’s concerns over the power that corporations have when it comes to determining what the public sees and hears through communications media.”

Pearl Jam’s statement continued: “What happened to us this weekend was a wake-up call, and it’s about something much bigger than the censorship of a rock band.”

The band’s right. The censorship of Pearl Jam by AT&T serves as a reminder of what will be lost if Net neutrality is eliminated and telecommunications corporations are free to decide which Web sites are on “the information superhighway of the future” and which are on the gravel road of slow or impossible connections.

“This event shows that companies like AT&T will risk the appearance of censorship by turning off the sound on a webcast that’s being viewed by thousands of people, just because it works counter to their financial interests,” says Jenny Toomey, the executive director of the Future of Music Coalition, which has been working to defend Net neutrality. “What do you think they will do to protect their financial interests on the Web when no one is looking?”

Tim Karr, of the Save the Internet.com Coalition, adds, “AT&T’s history of breaking trust with their customers includes: handing over private phone records to the government; promising to deliver services to underserved communities and then skipping town; and pledging never to interfere with the free flow of information online while hatching plans … to build and deploy technology that will spy on user traffic.”

“The moral of this story is put Net neutrality permanently into law and never trust AT&T at their word,” says Karr. “The company acts in bad faith toward the public interest and will do whatever it can to pad its bottom line — including sacrificing its users’ freedom to choose where they go, what they watch and whom they listen to online.”


Here's what FCC Chairman Michael Copps had to say about this debacle:

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Banking System Revealed


This five part series explains Money and Debt. From the origins of money as beads and feathers, to the RFID chip, learn whos behind the globalization of a monitary system based on debt. The truth will set you free, what you do with that freedom is up to you. Use it for good, use it for evil, run and hide at what you see, or stand with others and champion our society and its rights under justice and equinimity.
.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Apple Parody More Truth

Recently, MADtv did a wonderful sketch playing off Apple Computer CEO Steven Jobs' new product rollout at a typical MacWorld Conference. The heavily scripted opening keynote by the co-founder of Apple has always been a thrill to conference-goers. This parody did not disappoint either.



But the ironic the twist beyond this great parody, was that Apple has risen to head the rank and file of corrupter corporations. It has become in my opinion, the most sinister company in the silicon pantheon... like sands through the hourglass, Apple produces ways to keep us distracted from living a life connected in communion with nature... and exiled us to wandering a desert of sand-based silicon iDevices. Rising to heights usurping even Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Apple have revealed the most sinister plan of stealing our souls and has shown us all along with Eden's fruit once bitten as its Logo. Microsoft's Bill Gates never disguised the fact that he was strong-arming society to buy his products. Apple has quietly seeped into our hearts and minds with their iStuff... we quickly move to a more iCentered, iFocused, iSolated... society.

Apple has been no stranger to ethical challenges. In the late 90s Apple was selling 15 different computers to secure price competition while retailers battled over lowest prices. After 2000, Apple began selling computers in stores like Best Buy, WalMart, CircuitCity and Sears undercutting price and services offered by its Independent Apple retailers like North Shore Computers (the nations largest) and my former company Third Millennium Design. Part of a large and loyal network of Mac Evangelists, the independent resellers began closing across the nation just as Apple Stores began springing up in Malls and Mainstreets in major cities. Apple repeatedly assured the remaining resellers of no competition between them and the new Stores... First they would only sell to retail, then they would not perform repairs in the stores, now their free "genius" consultants work long lines of business people carrying their computers to stores rather than hiring independent technicians.

Yes Apple has been conquering the private spaces of people for more than 25 years and like the highest demon in the devil's pantheon, Apple rose to power with the full support of the very people it now subjugates—not too unlike the Bush administration and their spinning of the iRack story to gain our support.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Wolf in the World Bank



Today it was released that neocon PNAC author and thief of Baghdad, Paul Wolfowitz- the Bush anointed President of the World Bank... has been exposed for yet another series of serious corrupt practices involving some of his staff. This, after the Wolf's first order of business when assuming the throne of the world's humanitarian lending institution, was to clean house of corruption and nepotism....

But as seems the trait of the Bushmen of Washington, what's good for the people, does not apply to the rulers, is the rule at the WB too. Wolfowitz, against World bank policy, was dating Shaha Riza,

a gender specialist and senior communications adviser in the World Bank's Middle East Department (gee perhaps thats how he managed to gain access to the economic data for his hit-men to prey on helpless nations??)... As rumors leaked of their courtship a few years ago, Wolfy tried be removed from the rulings, but had to settle for getting her another job outside the World Bank.


Policy of the World Bank is to forbid any relations with subordinate workers. So Wolfy, got her a sweet tax-free job through the State Department, at an NGO that works with the World Bank by calling Condi.... so now that she didn't work under him, she was free "work" under him... and the worse part, the international NGO had her salary paid by the World Bank!

But wait, there's more! If that don't stink enough, not only did she get hired with none of the normally strict approval processes, she was paid twice the starting salary, and recently got another enormous pay raise of double the limit of raises for the organization. She is the highest paid person in the State Department... making more than Secretary of State, Condolessa Rice! (but then again Condi is black)

Now it turns out there are several other staffers Wolfowitz brought on board with ridiculous salaries and circumventing normal approval proceedings. Of course knowledge of this sent shock waves through rank and file at the World Bank-many of whom suspect Wolfy to have a hidden agenda. Nations and lenders were outraged at the behavior...

Why even the Wolf himself expressed anger and vowed to take decisive action.... but not against him or his staff.... no... against the leakers of this information!!!


This on the heels of the revelations of Wolfowitz collaborating with RNC billionaire Vulture Funders to extort billions of dollars in debt relief from third world nations.

Is there anyone who can still keep a straight face and say they are Bush Supporters who aren't ripping off our nation's wealth???

Are citizens ever going to stand up and demand punishment for these acts of treason.... or at least criminal corruption! NO its not good enough to demand his resignation—throw the bastard in jail! - Gitmo sounds like a nice place!



Followup- heres what he said the next day... "He's Sorry" - in true NeoCon fashion... thats suppoed to mean he keeps on working an we just ignore what he did... Well the banks board is asking him to resign... we'll see if he honors his word of "doing what they request" as much as his friend King George has done about bringing to justice anyone who had anything to do with the outting of Valerie Plame....



Here's more about his job and his his troubles from Times UK.



The latest from the NYT about his"terms for resignation" —gee quite the about face from his "noble" rhetoric about doing the right thing... or perhaps he really meant doing the "right" thing... lets hope he gets whats coming to him. The Wolf may finally be ousted from the henhouse... but will his legacy live on? And where does an ousted Wolf go next???

And more on his trying to weasel out the blame... what a snake.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Solar Powered George

Check it out, a solar powered chariot propelled by George Bush!



Finally George Bush works for us! THis is such a fun invention and really speaks to our needs and abilities to create a brighter future if only we put the people like George Bush to work for us... rather than them enslaving us to do their bidding.

A brighter future is only a notion away... believe.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Window not only thing Broken

While I was in DC lobbying Congress and particiapting in demonstrations, friends in Milwaukee were marching too. Apparently some anarchists in the group broke a window to a Military Recruiting Station which really got attention. The local FOX6Blog was ablaze with right-wing questions and comments, this was mine.

Q: Do you think this is a fair way to protest the war? Or does this go beyond the scope of peaceful protests -- since there was property damage involved?

Is violating personal property a bad thing? I think everyone can agree it is, including cvac (a friend of the anarchists who bravely posted a comment on the blog- before being harrassed off the site). Does this go beyond the scope of peaceful protests? Obviously by the very name it does. But, is this a fair way to protest a war? Well here the big assumption is was this a fair war?

This is the real question as it holds the underpinnings to justify the actions of cvac's friends (right or wrong) and the intentions of the peacekeepers and even the basis for the righteous patriotic saber rattling posed by many of our bloggers.

By all accounts the war was unjust, as every day more information is brought into question by our 110th Congress. Justifications based on misinformation (lies), scrupulous partisan appointments and unethical removal of anyone against the leadership's agenda, rampant corruption and enrichment of corporate alliances through contracts and policy, all the way to improper legal actions by top officials, its becoming hard to remain a loyal Bush supporter, and harder to not deny this war has brought about near annihilation to the civilization in Iraq. So I guess its safe to say its not a fair war.

But what is also not fair or balanced, is our media's role in handling the information of our times. Not merely what it does or doesn't not show of the real images of war, but what it chooses to show instead. While we sit at home watching basketball and idol shows, our nation is acting like an imperial power, bringing sovereign nations to their knees and remaking them to suit "our" pleasure.

Media is giving us an "embedded" view that undergoes censorship from many levels. So rather than speaking truth to its people, our media provides a great distortion. But beyond that it also projects distraction and sense of comfort. It creates a shield to protect us from sinking to the carnal-levels of violence we subject our troops, prisoners and innocent iraqi/afghanni citizens to endure. By failing to tell the uncensored truth, it fails to inform us back home, of the full issues. Who is being killed, how many, how brutally and to what psychologically damning ends for our soldiers who have to carry out these policies?

Instead it shows TV dramas with torture and terrorism as themes. These shows wrap up neatly in an hour, or a season, but they make a spectacle the horrors and thereby desensitize us to the reality going on around us today. Our fears are cultivated to bring out responses and tolerances that we would not otherwise exhibit. Here in this Fox6Blog, we regularly see cries for capital punishment, eye for an eye, don't like it—move, or simply rash actions for dealing with complex problems. We've become a society who wants the answers to fit neatly in a time-slot between American Idol and Bones.

Cvec and her friends that call themselves anarchists are responding to a society that is increasingly losing touch with reality. Breaking the window may have been the best thing they could have done... it hurt no-one, but surely got attention.

So now what?

Do we continue to sit, wrapped in our flags of patriotism, holding our crosses or morality while we keep righteously typing our tuff decrees, eating junk food and drinking sodas, til Idol comes on when we plop down on the couch for the rest of the night? Or do we take this moment to move past the anger about a broken window... and perhaps begin to examine the broken part of our own lives?

From the fractured view given us by the media, we seldom see the true faces of the victims to our hostility... be they here, like the increasing numbers of people facing financial turmoil responding in desperation, or in Iraq, Palestine or Afghanistan. Last month, 6000 people died in a region no larger than Wisconsin. Women, children, young and old blown up, tortured, shot, or worse killed for a lack of access to things that were once available to them- even under the brutal former dictatorship. Our soldiers are overwhelmingly against occupation, many more have deserted than the leaders claim. Those that get home face atrocities like Walter Reed or worse, a system that spends all its efforts trying to justify excluding soldiers from the benefits they promised them in recruiting centers like the one in question. Of those Iraqi's left to poll, 90% are against US occupation; Our reconstruction efforts were a hoax to build bases and prisons, and our worst intentions have finally come to realization as we have rewritten Iraq's laws to require foreign Oil company oversight, the agribusiness to require foreign seed and fertilizer, even their business platform is to be built by foreign companies.

We have made a 21th century banana republic of the oldest civilization on earth. Extracting oil and money from the hands of those we came to "liberate". It is plain to see by those not looking at US media, our allies are disappearing as fast as our good will abroad. But at home, life remains peaceful, but for those pesky protesters. Why are a growing number of people angry?

Until we begin to behave like the citizens we are; Until we begin to hold our leadership and our media to a higher degree of accountability; Until we begin to hold our own actions of over-consumption and waste in-check; more windows will break, more burglaries will occur and more people will fear the urban visits.

This will not go away if we watch more tv. It will require sacrifice and compassion... things many hear about during their weekly church services, but fail to put to practice. If we were to behave more like the Christ and less like the Christians, we might begin to see that violence does not solve problems as well as love does.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Behind the Mold



We've been hearing all this talk of the rancid conditions at some of the Water Reed Hospital buildings where our Brave Fighting Men and Women who've suffered in battle come to be healed. We feel outraged that Mold, Rat Poop, Leaks etc... are not taken care of as we pour Trillions into the "War On Terror"

It would seem that the real "Terror" awaits our injured soldiers when they arrive home to receive "safe modern medical treatment".... WRONG! ... Not in the BushCo "exit is not an option" military, where denial isn't only the answer to reality on the ground in Iraq, its the policy for benefits, compensation, and healing back at home. But heck, many of our citizens loyally defend his actions, if only because they have no idea what's really going on, when watching mainstream media for our views.

How many continue to defend, even as more ugly truths come to light? They protest almost as defiantly as the Pentagon leaders, who spin their propaganda until they've stuck their foot so far in their mouths, they're chewin on their boot straps! Over and over again Leaders deny their actions until proof reaches critical mass —then they say it was a "few bad apples" like Abu Graib, Guantanimo and even Fallujah, where White Phosphorus was used to indiscriminately kill men, women, children and animals in the most horrifying way imaginable.

The chemical, orignally dropped by parachute to light up night skies the battlefields in Vietnam, was discovered to cause horrific trauma to flesh when just traces of the dust comes in contact. Skin burns to bone without effecting fabric. People, and animals melt to death, or worse if it is inhaled. (you may also remember it was precisely such action (gasing civilians) that got Saddam a quick trip to the Gallows Pole- for less fatalities and with less vicious means of mass murder than BushCo's "WhiskeyPete") but again, who's watching eh?


Well heres the next, believe it or not, for you "logic-lovin" patriots who seem to gloss over facts on your way to assert that Clinton got a Blojwob! Guess who's been recently put in charge of maintenance of Walter Reed in an effort to "privatize" yet another public service to make it "less expensive" ?? Francis Harvey took the fall by getting fired for his lack of oversight of War Profiteer — IAP Worldwide Services who received a 5 year 120 Million Dollar Contract to —( let-r-rot )— er provide services to Walter Reed Medical Center.

Yeah, I been to Home Depot lately and their cleaning solutions and paint prices are through-the-roof ! ! No wonder IAP couldn't mop the floors and scrub the walls... that cuts deep into the profits... but you think they might have gotten a discount card at the Depot cuz their CEO only recently left from Halliburton—you know, the Vice President's company —er formercompany. IAP was formed to help share the "burden" of redistributing the tax-payer's money to yet another war-profiteer. (wonder if he leaves his lights on in his mansions like Al Gore?)

Who's gonna be first to start talkin bout Clinton?

Saturday, March 03, 2007

The Wombat

www.global-mindshift.org



This is your wake-up ... its real simple

just listen to the wombat and show him to your friends!

Friday, March 02, 2007

Bush Logic

All right, let me see if I understand the pResident's logic correct.


We ignored the United Nations
in order to make clear to Saddam Hussein
that the United Nations cannot be ignored.

We waged war to preserve the UN's ability to avert war.

The paramount principle was that the UN's word must be taken seriously,
and if we have to subvert its word to guarantee that it is, then we will.

Peace is too important not to take up arms to defend.


Did I get that right?


Furthermore, if the only way to bring democracy to Iraq
was to destroy the democracy of the Security Council,
then we are honor bound to do that too.

Why? Because democracy, as WE define it,
is too important to be stopped by a little thing
like democracy as THEY define it.



Also, in dealing with a man who endured no dissension at home,
we could not afford dissension among ourselves.

We had to speak with one voice against Saddam Hussein's
failure to allow opposing voices to be heard.


We sent our gathered might to the Persian Gulf to make the point

that might does not make right,
as Saddam seemed to think it did.

And we twisted the arms of the opposition
till it agreed to let us oust a regime
that twisted the arms of the opposition.


We went in to rid the world of a ruler
who used weapons
that indiscriminately killed people,
by using that weapons indiscriminately kill people.


We kidnapped and tortured people
to stop a regime that regularly
kidnapped and tortured people.


We could not leave in power,
a dictator who ignored his own people.
And if our people, and people elsewhere in the world,
fail to understand that, then we have no choice but to ignore them.


Yeah, lets go get Iran!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

End of Democracy in USA?

Listen to the somber lessons of a retired CIA analyst and scholar who's written three books exposing the clandestine operations of the CIA since 1953. Chalmers Johnson is extremely credible and informative as he details several topics from his Book "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Empire."



On a recent interview with Amy Goodman of DemocracyNow, she sounded uncharacteristically impassioned or engaged when talking to Chalmers. For the complete interview please go to the website. I've only heard Amy display emotions twice since watching DN a few years ago. Once was her only smile and laughter while interviewing Studz Turkle, the other was her interview today where she looked alarmed. Otherwise she always takes the neutral-ground and shows no emotion while reporting the news. Our Main Stream Media Actors could learn a lesson on how to behave.



Chalmers is not very optimistic about the future except to say that if we can break the grip of media censorship and control, there is a chance we can save the Republic before it turns into a dictatorship or empire. I'd listen and act if I were you.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Bushmen of the Intifada

Lets get one thing clear, Anyone who thinks there is any incompetency going on in the Bush Administration had better check their subscription to NYT at the door and get to a re-education program pronto. The APPEARANCE of incompetence is as deliberate as George W's accent and his propensity to do stupid things that get spotlighted in the press. You need only to step back and let the facts assemble to see the big picture—That GW may be making the joker of himself, but this jokers got the laughs on the US citizens....all the way to the bank!

Oil has gone from $27 a barrel to $60 on his watch. His family, bonesmen, their business cabal, and their closest friends in Saudi Arabia are doing cartwheels!!! Now of course the Bushmen never had oil on their minds, they were after Binladen, AlQaeda, Saddam, WMDs, Liberation. er to resist civil war, no actually to fight Iran. But a funny thing happened on the way to whatever reason they gave... the third largest oil reserves were put out of commission and by destabilizing the oil in the region, prices have surpassed even the gas crisis of the seventies! What a coincidence? The Bushmen decided Iran needed to be next- gee, the second largest oil reserves? (who is the largest?- you guessed it the Bush Family friend Prince Bandar's Saudi Arabia)

This week a confidential final draft of the new law governing oil management by Iraq was translated and leaked by Global Exchange's Iraqi Project Director, Raed Jarrar... Surprise, Big Oil has written themselves into a crucial governing board called the Federal Oil and Gas Council- that approves any and all contracts for Iraqi OIl! They guaranteed contracts had a minimum 35yr contract life and left the regions defined by ethnic divides (and coincidentally the same as the Baker Hamilton Report) to bid against each other for the Oil Company contracts.... that THEN are approved by the SAME oil companies! The BBC reported the draft was made law, and made no mention of the Oil Company Controls... gee.

No, the Bushmen are unbelievably sharp and confident - and moving in on their long-sought prize... a global economy controlled by the corporations they and their "Americans" own and influence. Yes nothing short of World Domination... And what is our role in this quest? Well we are the ones paying for it in blood, money, rights, and the most important thing we own— our vote.

The question no one seems to want to ask? Why the World Trade Centers? Why the symbolic attacks? For the answer would not point to our attacking Afghanistan the nation, or Iraq... In fact it would possibly make us reconsider the whole "attacking" notion. Why did they attack the Towers? The symbols of World Trade. The Pentagon and symbol of Military Aggression, and the white house seat of tyranny.... gee perhaps it was the betrayal and abuse by our secret CIA sponsorship of the Muhajadeen during the war with the Soviet Union and then our abandonment to chaos and terror once the battle was won? Could it have been aggrivated by our decades of terror, resource extraction, aggression, sanction and the systematic looting of other nations resources, lives and wealth?.... think maybe that could get some people mad enough to fly planes into towers?

But the crazy thing is Bushmen been plotting for this moment a long time.... they are bankrupting this nation while numbing down our citizens, til they can neuter our vote and have control of our opinion and consent.

They've let nothing stop them from achieving their goals- signaling not only competency, but a real threat to global stability. The Bushmen formed an alliance with Church and State, used all the Hot-Button Issues to polarize the public, looted every coffer of public trust-except SS and Medicaid (they are still trying). They've pimped to any corporate desire for funding and support, built the most amazing propaganda network with FOX and CNN leading the way and neutered the CPB by appointing corporate shills to drain it of objectivity and resources. They couldn't kill it though they've tried numerous times. They've allowed unbridled corruption to also infiltrate many governmental agencies FDA, FCC, & EPA giving shelter to corporations through the evisceration of regulation and accountability. They bought the 109th Congress in exchange for a do-nothing policy and no oversight, and have placed radical judges in lifetime positions all the way to the Supreme Court. They've given billions in tax breaks to the wealthy helping them finally regain their giant income gap, establishing a two-class system of imperial proportions. Even gotten the citizens to allow them to create a private army and intelligence agency with access to the most powerful arsenal on earth.

Using the money formerly earmarked for our children, we are paying private contractors to develop unilateral weapons of mass destruction for fighting urban warfare on a scale that could just as easily be on US soil as the middle east. Now with the in-field training of attacking a first-world economic development like Tehran, what's to stop the private contractors from engaging in NYC or Chicago? Not our access to civilian defense equipment, the "incompetent" Bushmen had all the strong military hardware consolidated to four bases in the US and the rest moved to outposts in sovereign nations round the world during Rumsfeld's BRAC realignment policy that was forced over strong objections from our Military leadership. In the event of an internal action on civilians, we would be no better equipped than the Iraqi militia whom Paul Bremmer dismissed without pay and sent home with their weapons! (gee was that an accident or did he create the first real-time live ammo action adventure game, internally arming for military training on urban conflict)

Newly enriched with billions, his followers give their undying allegiance to the Bushmen for their payback has been huge dividends. The NYSE soars but not for our petty 401ks, no its their wealth that outpaces our paltry fortunes. But what they give up in ignorant greed, will come to haunt them. The contracts worth billions provide artificial fuel to a hollow economy. We build Oshkosh Trucks, malls and buildings roads and coal plants... all providing wages and jobs and pacifying the working class. They love the ROI too... vote Red regardless of the truth. Meanwhile our education system falters, tuition skyrockets while loans and grants vanish or become smaller, but steeped in paperwork. Look to our factories, more and more are cutting hours, wages benefits... jobs are going overseas and down south where they can pay nothing because workers have no vote.

Poor immigrant families increasingly cross the borders in search of something better than the tainted lives our Corporations have made for them at home. But now our confused and misinformed citizens attack them and pay billions to Bushmen Corporations to build walls- using Mexican labor to do it!

We are so duped by fear and resentment we cling to our televisions for a steady diet of light news-katie couric style. We even argue for keeping the bad news away "nobody want to hear bad news" particularly if it points to our complacency as the problem.

Bush is the first President in history to have Imperial powers and the ability to control the US military at will. You thought Nixon's secret bombings of Cambodia and Laos were bad??? The Bushmen have gutted more rights and accountability in more offices, agencies and public trusts than anyone since Jackson and even he'd (jackson) have issues defending that honor...

Since the Bushmen took office (literally) in 2000, they have had their eyes trained on an agenda like a pack of wolves on a pony in a herd.

Connect the dots... Cheney put G up to the job-why? cuz GW's always been the cheerleader... he can play the fool better than anyone. Meanwhile Dick is pulling the strings, and the folks that own him pull his strings... lets explore.

Why did they win the 2000 election at any cost? Supreme Court Seats. Why did they win the 04 election at any costs? Supreme Court Seats... and... cuz they rigged the system to maintain control infinitely... they thought... Why else were no closely contested Dem victories recounted? Perhaps they worried that wide-spread voter fraud might be uncovered. Voter turnout was far higher than anyone had expected... even Rove. Best to shut up and take the agenda covert- like with Nixon.

Cheney has been working the scene since Nixon days... In fact if Ford hadn't have been so "forward" thinking about preventing disunity in the US by pardoning Nixon and halting the investigations into corruption at that time you think it would have stopped with the plumbers at Watergate???

Heck no, there was big-time war profiteering and scores to settle in the intelligence community shoring up the Cointelpro work on US "insurgents". In fact Bush41, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld were all brought up from the bullpens at that time. They became Ford's trusted advisers and forged their unholy allegiances with K street and the money-lenders at that time.

Cheney, Rummy and Wolfowitz went right to work manufacturing policy to bring about the "new world order" that Bush41 and Reagan spoke of frequently in the 80s. Remember the bright city on the hill???

Lets fast forward as I know you don't have time to review history here... Who hasn't by this time figured the Neo-Con strategy for control has its roots in Nazi counterintelligence and propaganda techniques? Doublespeak and intentional ownership of vocabulary terms that once meant the opposite- has been their silver bullet for eight years and seems to have a full head of steam even today! The same rhetoric that got us pimped into Afghanistan and Iraq is being used AS EFFECTIVELY on Iran!

Help me... are these the actions of a stupid person? Are these the statistics of people who seem unfocused and irresponsible? Hell no! This is the calculating perfection of a wolf pack stalking a pony. Listen to their words.... the certainty with which they speak.. for they give clues to workings behind the scenes... While America watches goofy characters play Poker on TV, their leaders are chumpin them for all they have and givin tells left and right!!!

But who's watchin?.... isn't there a special on Anna Nicole?.. or what about 24 ? isn't tonight when Jack tortures a suspect to get info from him?

Nascar's on... racing Army and National Guard cars... our taxpayer dollars hard at work changing young man's minds about joining - far better than the $16BILLION in $100 dollar bills we "lost" in Iraq. Eight Semis filled top to bottom with hundred dollar bills.... missing? And we wonder why we have no funding for healthcare or social security or why we are privatizing everything in our government???

Regardless of your position on 9/11 and the physical impossibilities of buildings falling, stacked on-top the unbelievable and numerous coincidences, there is no doubt the reaction plan was in place in the White House for it happened in hours... not so for New Orleans.... in Washington the response to 9/11 was so fast, the patriot act's 974 pages were still hot off the press... literally... as Congress was pressured to sign the bill.

That agenda is now only moments away from a terrible assault on another innocent civilization in Iran. The evidence is mounting and the pattern repeating. While our weak and fearful nation clings to "good news" and must-see tv, our leaders launch us into oblivion for their own greed and thirst for power. We will pay the price, but not nearly as much as our children and grandchildren will... they will just look back to this time in anger and point to us with shame and disgust for leveraging their world for personal pleasure and false security. Or maybe not.... what are willing to do? How far are you willing to explore and expose to prevent this from happening?

Now is the time and we are the ones. If not now—when? If not us—who?

Monday, February 26, 2007

Chomsky 2003

Noam Chomsky in 2003 gave a brutally honest assessment of the Bush Invasion of Iraq and its consequenses... Today, this assessment sounds like a broken record of scary proportions as we invade Iran. Has everyone been vindicated for 9/11 yet? Have we all forgotten BinLaden and the 17 individuals who struck the symbol of world trade (and opression)? Not in IRAN, Not in Iraq, no Not even from Afghanistan... they were from (our first family's close friends)Saudi Arabia but thats besides the point.

Listen to Noam talk about the REAL reasons for our Quest of the Middle East- ask yourself is this what the founders of our nation had in mind when they wrote We the People...


Friday, February 23, 2007

Iran to America

This is the full text of a letter sent to American Citizens from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad published at MSNBC November 2006. Read this and tell me Condi's acessment of him being a raving lunitic is hard to swallow. Unless there's a hidden agenda? —Make him a demon and gain the country's support to attack.— Sure seems to be working...


Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

To the American People

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity the perfect human being promised to all by You, and make us among his followers.


Noble Americans,

Were we not faced with the activities of the US administration in this part of the world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily lives of our peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by the US administration as well as the tragic consequences of US interference in other countries; Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities; And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom and human dignity and integrity; Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialogue with you.

While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically far apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human spirit, which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings, have brought our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer together.
Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek dignity, respect and perfection. Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and bullies. We are all inclined towards the good, and towards extending a helping hand to one another, particularly to those in need. We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples' rights and the intimidation and humiliation of human beings. We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty. The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United States testify to the veracity of these statements.

Noble Americans,

Our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations of the world. Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society. Our people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions of US authorities. As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.

We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the Palestinian people. Persistent aggressions by the Zionists are making life more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. In broad day-light, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses, firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting their families to endless grief. No day goes by without a new crime.

Palestinian mothers, just like Iranian and American mothers, love their children, and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and murder of their children. What mother wouldn't? For 60 years, the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the Diaspora and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in these camps and are aging while still in the hope of returning to homeland.

You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes, and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it. Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by the US administration?

Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Let's take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the US military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the US military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The US Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception.

Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated. In Iraq, about one hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government. Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have been sent to Iraq.

I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure.

Noble Americans,

You have heard that the US administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are, and what terrible fate awaits them.

You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed "war on terror." But every one knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations.

The US administration's illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of "the war on terror," civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.
I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it.

The US administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council. The US administration has undermined the credibility of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its Security Council. But, I do not intend to address all the challenges and calamities in this message.

The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its arsenals of tanks, fighter aircrafts, missiles or nuclear weapons. Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and compassion and empathy for all humanity. The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth, and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices.

Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

My questions are the following:
Is there not a better approach to governance?

Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace, stability, prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment to justice and respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression and war?

We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent. But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents?

If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved?

The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.

What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for the American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the interests of these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people and of the other nations of the world. What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors?
Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?

I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and for humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be determined in a referendum. This will benefit everyone.

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.

I'd also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the US: The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a positive legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people nor by other nations. Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history.

If the US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with an approach based on truth and Justice, it can remedy some of the past afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected that the American people would similarly reject the new electoral winners, although the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality point to the failure of the current administration's policies. These issues had been extensively dealt with in my letter to President Bush earlier this year.

To sum up:

It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one of coercion, force and injustice.

It is possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, and honesty and compassion.

It is possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats, imposition or war.

It is possible to lead the world towards the aspired perfection by adhering to unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality and drawing upon the teachings of the Divine Prophets.

Then, the American people, who are God-fearing and followers of Divine religions, will overcome every difficulty.

What I stated represents some of my anxieties and concerns.
I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The promises of the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized, Justice and Truth will prevail and all nations will live a true life in a climate replete with love, compassion and fraternity.

The US governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the path of return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.

We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Qur'an:
"But those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to Him." (28:67-68)

I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all nations of the world with dignity and success.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
29 November 2006

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Iraq's Smoking Gun

In a newly translated and nearly secret draft of the -soon to be proposed- law concerning control and profit from Iraq's Oil, It is clear the Bush Administration's real intentions were in-fact.... OIL! The 32 page contract reads like a mafia extortion contract where the Iraqis get the privielge of giving their wealth, power and control to a board of supervisors consisting of the executives of several major Oil corporations.

The three main points of contention are 1)long-term contracts for leasing and production levels. As long as 35 year contracts will lock in Big Oil to the Iraqi Resources. 2) Iraq will serve a board of financial advisors Federal Oil and Gas Council who will have ultimate say-so on any contracts or deals... and the Fedral Council is made up of Executivesfrom BigOil! Yep they get to rule on the contracts Iraq is giving to their own Companies!!! no conflict of interest here! 3) A regionalized form of contract bidding that will surely cause an uproar. The net effect of this condition will be the creation of three separate region-state that will act independent of eachother- actually trying to outbid one-another! There will be infighting and clashes but even more troublesome, it could break Iraq into three new warring nations.

Quite a nice job at Democracy George....



Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Wolf in Henhouse

Followup to Vulture
February 16/2007 OdiousDebt.com
Wolfowitz takes actions to gear up World Bank for Iraq by The Government Accountability Project (GAP)

Washington, D.C.: The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has learned from inside sources that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is currently negotiating a contract with a new resident Iraq Country Director. This step strongly suggests that Wolfowitz intends to expand Bank-funded projects there dramatically in the near future, despite the deteriorating security situation and recent disclosures of massive corruption in "reconstruction" efforts.

This development bears out the fears expressed by senior career staff and Board members when Wolfowitz was appointed by the Bush administration in June 2005. Only three months after Wolfowitz' arrival, the Bank's Board tried to restrain his management of World Bank operations in Iraq explicitly, issuing an unprecedented directive to his office to "[K]eep the Board regularly updated on developments in the country (Iraq) and implementation of the ISN" (Interim Strategy Note, September 2005, see GAP Web site). One year later, 30-year veteran Christiaan Poortman, vice-president for the Middle East, resigned from the World Bank rather than comply with Wolfowitz's directives to prepare to increase lending and add staff in Iraq.

The unilateral appointment of a resident Iraq country director can only aggravate an already tense standoff between Wolfowitz and the Bank Board. Members of the Board have already expressed concerns about misuse of other donorsí funds in the country and emphasized to the US-appointed President ". . . the need for compliance with the Bank's fiduciary and safeguard requirements," also according to the ISN 2005.


"Wolfowitz's apparent determination to use the World Bank to further questionable American military goals in the Middle East is a fundamental distortion of the Bank's mission, a violation of its founding Articles of Agreement, and a reckless waste of donor resources," said GAP International Program Director Bea Edwards.


Appointing a resident Country Director for Iraq now puts Wolfowitz in opposition to Board members who have expressed increasing concern about the countryís deepening conflict and creditworthiness. Although the Board did approve a limited loan program for Iraq of U.S. $500 million in September 2005, funds were not approved for disbursal, as of December 31, 2006. Disbursement was contingent on "critical progress in several areas important to IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) creditworthiness, including security and external debt-relief," according to an internal memo from December 2006 (See GAP's Web site). The required progress has not occurred. Currently, regular staff travel to Iraq is prohibited, meaning that lending operations cannot be properly monitored.

To date, the Bank has relied on Iraqi staff based in the country, meetings with Iraqis outside the country, videoconferencing facilities in Baghdad, and long-distance supervision from the Interim Office for Iraq in Amman, Jordan. The current director for Iraq, Joseph Saba, is not a resident in the country ñ due to World Bank stipulations detailing terms for re-entry into a post-conflict situation. Instead, Saba manages five countries from Washington D.C.

Unlike the current director, the soon-to-be-named country director will exclusively manage Iraq for the Bank and will be stationed in Baghdad, according to inside sources. Wolfowitz first floated the idea of a resident Country Director and staff in Iraq in May 2006, when optimists in his office predicted greater stability as 2006 advanced. But the past year has seen an increase in violence, and the Bank's lending and staffing plan remains unchanged.

"In fact, the Bank is prohibited from operating in a conflict like this," added Edwards. "In the simplest financial terms, there is no functioning banking system, the government does not control its territory and it cannot guarantee loan repayment. Any emergency or social funding in Iraq should come from donorsí grants, not loans."

To engage in Iraq, the World Bank must justify reconstruction spending on economic grounds. If the conflict is ongoing, and the government is unstable, this cannot be done. Even assuming that the conflict ends soon, which no one is predicting, Bank Procedure 2.30 ("Development Cooperation and Conflict") stipulates that, to operate in a country emerging from a conflict, the Bank must prepare a "watching brief," develop a transitional support strategy, begin transitional reconstruction, then begin post-conflict reconstruction, and finally return to normal lending.

World Bank management under Wolfowitz has not taken these steps. Naming a resident country director and sending Bank staff to Baghdad, although no solution to the conflict appears likely, signifies increasing disagreement between Wolfowitz and the World Bank Board. The Board representative for Germany has long opposed any increase in Bank activity in Baghdad. His government is worried about staff safety. In addition, poorly monitored "reconstruction" projects will constitute a lucrative new source of income for corrupt officials who are party to the ongoing conflict.


The Government Accountability Project is a U.S. whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP's mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization with offices in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, WA.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Bush's Vulture Doners

pResident Bush, The Great Deceiver

George Bush looked solemn in his State of the Union Address as he asked take on the" challenges of hunger and poverty and disease", he asked America to forgive Billions dollars in debt relief to help third world nations by paying off their debt at a fraction of the original price. But who'd have known, behind his face of "honesty" was another of the cruelest Deceptions of all time!

"American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger and poverty and disease -- and that is precisely what America is doing. I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise and corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded trade and debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and eliminating poverty. When America serves others in this way, we show the strength and generosity of our country. These deeds reflect the character of our people. The greatest strength we have is the heroic kindness, courage, and self-sacrifice of the American people."




Greg Palast, investigative journalist from the BBC and Guardian on DemocracyNow! broke this story and today John Conyers announced he'll take it up in Congress. Lets see if it hits the mainstream media and how they will portray this atrocious act of deception by the resident in the whitehouse. What will America think of the level of deception this administration stoops to?



In a followup, as expected Zambia lost case in UK must pay Vultures off to the US to see the ole Decider, George Bush!


For years many of us have been wondering what NeoCon Architect, Paul Wolfowitz would do at the World Bank? Not to disappoint, the wolf in charge of the world's bank has been assisting his friends to get rich bleeding the third world of their debt payments and fleecing gullible American citizens of their generosity.

pResident Bush begged Congress to "do the right thing" and forgive debt with taxpayer money but his REAL PLAN was to have his debt finance friends, like Paul Singer and Michael Sheehan, intercept the funds earmarked go to the struggling nations by buying the debts, and turning round and suing those very nations for penalty and interest worth hundreds of times more than the original debt!

But they can only collect this blood money in the Bush-Run US Court system. The Irony is that only the pResident has the power, with a simple signature to stop this practice. But he refuses as he is making his friends rich while bleeding America dry. The Great Deceiver again shows his disrespect for American citizens, when are we going to wake up?

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Peoples History-CliffNotes

Long before we conquered this land we call the United States of America, and drew lines on a map to say what was ours, the indigenous peoples of central and south America migrated with the seasons as the birds, animals and insects do, to where the land was rich and bountiful, moving back down as the temperatures did. Now rather than staying on our side of the line as I'm guessing you would have it, some of our mercantile forefathers decided long ago (about 150yrs) that they were losing their ability to abuse the labor force here in the US because workers began to unionize and they had this pesky weapon-the vote. With that and their organized strength in numbers, these captains of industry could no longer demand men, women and children work in dangerous factories for 80hrs+ per week for little pay that sometimes they just withheld at will. Because these people could elect representatives who actually cared to defend that silly thing called a Constitution.

So rather than continue employing the Pinkerton Security Forces (predecessor of Blackwater and Bechtel) to savagely beat down the resistance (Haymarket Riot ), they discovered that on the other side of that line on the map, the people had no vote! So if these industrialists just gave into the union demands— 40 hr workweek, child labor laws, minimum wage etc— they could befriend this new middle class, get their vote, and still keep a class distance both socially and economically from this riffraff by exploiting the peoples and resources of lesser nations to the south who had no means to defend themselves from corporate colonialism .

Fast forward a bit as I'm not trying bore to you, as the profits grew, corporate interests and their thirst for resource extraction grew too, (like a turbocharger). Meanwhile the plight of the indigenous peoples grew darker. The Corporate Industrialists began gaining power and influence in our Government and found they could externalize many non-profitable facets of their operations in the south by having our Government do the work for them... Gee that made stockholders happy and the middle class never made the connection. So began our military and economic oppression of these poor indigenous peoples who tried to organize and demand human rights—as we did in 150yrs ago, but they didn't have a vote .

So the Corporations savagely brutalized them and recklessly exploited their lands and resources (after all, they have no pesky EPA or laws our Corporations couldn't fix). These Corporate Colonialists continued to squish anyone who began to organize and found it useful to supplant the governments of the peoples, with puppets of their own choosing. So with the might of our military and the use of all branches of intelligence, economic and financing, they toppled and imposed brutal regimes at will...training death squads at the "School of the Americas" and gee it worked so well, these Corporate Colonialists took the concept on a road-show to every continent on Earth... By advancing loans (debt) for "infrastructure improvements" like highways and electricity, public health and education, agencies like the IMF and World Bank , Corporate Colonialists were able to privatize the lesser nation's Commons ...but I digress, meanwhile the peoples of these oppressed nations, driven from their lands, stripped of their dignity and forced into poverty, began taking to the migratory traditions of their forefathers in increasing numbers. Noticable increases of labor crossing our line on a map and doing the jobs our snobby, spoiled kids won't do, was okay at first, til these Corporate Colonialists began exercising their Imperialist intentions through globalization of their Brands . That means they break the middle class by shipping our jobs overseas.

See the Imperialists just had to find a way to make our votes become useless, then they could treat us like they did before the unions. So now with our jobs leaving and our wages and buying power shrinking, we look to those increasing numbers of people doing what they've done forever, and we begin to hate them. Hate them for our own blindness to what we are losing. And now the Corporate Imperialists are within our Government, step up to build a great wall of isolation to keep the migrants out... they hire their own corporations (who farm the labor out to migrants like New Orleans) to build and defend these walls (for a healthy profit) and they continue to manufacture consent through their Corporate-Owned Media outlets.

As news stations continue to tell us they are fair and balanced, the programming swings more and more towards graphic violence and materialism. Desensitizing the middle class and fooling them into a false patriotism to continue to sap them of their children, wealth, and bounty to battle the wars that benefit Corporate Imperialists. Now with new Corporate appointments to lock up the Supreme Court and judicial branch, and ownership of the executive branch, (they stumbled in November on the legislative branch but it is within reach) they are on the precipice of doing to us what they've done to our neighbors to the south and in the middle east and sub-saharan africa and everywhere else including us 150yrs ago.

Be My Valentine!


Be My Valentine else I'll rip out your heart!

Seriously, isn't it ironic that the day most ingrained in our culture as being rooted in love, caring and friendship hides some of the most ruthless corporate neocolonial business practices on earth.

While it is customary to give flowers, chocolate or diamonds on this day, how come gifts that bring so much happiness, cause so much suffering.

Flowers- more precisely Roses, 60% of the roses sold in the US come from Dole-owned labor camps in Columbia and Ecquador. In fact a full 30% of Ecquadors entire rose production is bred to harvest for Valentines day. Big Deal? Well these workers are subjected to abuse, low wages and exposure to widespread use of chemicals and pesticides. Dole's largest production center is at the center of another struggle as peasant workers try to organize a union and are being brutally beaten down by Dole.

The US enjoys $13 Billion in Chocolate each year. More than 40% of the Cocoa comes from South Africa where more than 100,000 children are forced into working the cocoa farms. They too are beaten, abused and mutilated to the amusement of their owners.They are poisoned by pesticides and forced to work in unsafe conditions. ADM, the Cargil Corp and Nestles created these communities decades ago when they helped made the farm plantations. These corporations are woven into the economies and welfare of the region. But to avoid legal "headaches" they choose to take a hands-off approach supporting the peoples and infrastructure grating a meger $5M over the past five years while reaping a whopping $65 Billion in sweet profits.

If you're really in love, maybe you'll get a sparkling diamond for your valentine. While its said to signify undying love, there might be more dying than you are willing to hear. Blood diamonds have fueled the most brutal civil wars in sierra leone the past two decades. but through global campaigning and grassroot efforts, awareness has forced the giants in the business like DeBeers to be more concerned about their diamonds origin.

So take a moment from this day to think of a way that you can send a valentine to those who struggle and die for the gifts we give. Rather than ripping their hearts to give to another, why not find a way to spead the awareness and bring these corporate monsters a conscience. Happy Valentines Day!


Buy these chocolates they are conflict-free:
Equal Exchange Chocolate
Divine Chocolate

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Hillary's True Colors

Hillary Clinton spoke at an AIPAC conference yesterday. AIPAC is the gargantuan sinister Israeli special interest group the has deep connections throughout Congress, the Pentagon, the FBI and the neo-cnservatives in the Bush Administration. Clinton revealed beneath her Blue eyes is a heart red as Dick Cheney.



She has repeatedly dodged any questions about her pro-war stance on the war. Here she laid it out for her biggest fans. With AIPEC support, power and influence is unlimited, oppose them and suffer public character assassination... ask Jimmy Carter.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Don't Get Fooled Again?



Even Bush couldn't get the quote right—are we as foolish too? "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" is the correct quote, but I'm beginning to wonder if the citizens are going to get fooled again? Doesn't anyone remember the exact same fuzzy logic that got us into Iraq? Colin Powell at the UN, holding the vile of Anthrax? Rumsfeld on Meet the Press showing photographic proof of WMDs? Wolfowitz with cartoon drawings of railroad car anthrax labs and BinLadens gigantic bunkers in Tora Bora. The "credible evidence of Iraq's purchasing "Yellow Cake" uranium? Tenent's "Slam Dunk." The fabricated reports from the CIA that VP Dick Cheney, violating protocol, personally went to Langley to have junior analysts write up to support his policy? They have all proved false... zero true, none. nada.

These are facts not fictions, they are admitted truths by both sides. It was this absolute and impending threat of annihilation that prompted unilateral support by the US public and both sides of the aisles. Now many right-leaners like to point out that Dems supported the war and now are flip flops... but then, as now, the people fabricating the intel are the same... and if our politicians are told that the pentagon and the CIA are non-partisan, then they must believe that intel and make a position based on it.

Except we learned later that the pentagon and CIA did fabricate the facts to favor war... just as they are doing now? Defense contractors have made hundreds of Billions of dollars and Iraq never "Greeted us as Liberators" The script is the same... connections to arms deals, a failure to come to the table and talk, desire to create WMDs...



How dumb are we??? Condi Rice just lied to Congress last week about receiving negotiations from Iran via the Swiss consulate... but she wasn't under oath so her words are non-binding (haven't we heard that recently) -how convenient. Again, the weapons are ours, the intel is wrong, the methodology is the same what-if scenario that was dead-wrong in Iraq... so in the immortal words of the great decider, "Fool me....ya fool me, ya can't get fooled again?"

The only fools are the US public who will sorely regret their inability to remember the lead-up to the Iraq War... The war that bankrupt our nation while creating more corrupt millionaires than ever in history. We are sealing our imperialistic future by opening the door to a real conflict that will completely enrich Halliburton, CACI, DynaCorps, GE, Blackwater, KBR and Bechtel. Our troops will die, our worst fears will materialize and our nation will suffer for generations to come.... remembering the fools got fooled again.