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November 1, 2005
Open Thread 05-111
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Chris Floyd weighs in:
WASHINGTON, March 12, 2007 — Calvin J. Hooper was sworn in today as the 49th President of the United States in a quiet ceremony that many hope will put an end to a tumultuous period that has seen the inauguration and resignation of five chief executives in the 12 months since former president George W. Bush fled the country for exile in Saudi Arabia.
Hooper’s ascent to the presidency has been meteoric, to say the least. Two weeks ago, he was a part-time city councilman in Salt Lick, Tennessee (pop. 1300). But following the indictment of most recent president Ken Mehlman on racketeering charges for his alleged involvement in the Jack Abramoff-Tom Delay crime ring, a frantic search of computer records found that Hooper was the only elected Republican official in America who had neither been paid off by the ring nor was complicit in the so-called “Nurembergate Scandal,” the wide-ranging government conspiracy to launch a war of aggression against Iraq on false pretenses. More than 1,427 Republican officials have been convicted in the two ongoing investigations, and a further 927 are now under indictment, including former presidents Dennis Hastert, Colin Powell, Karen Hughes and Scott McClellan.
….
The quiet, consensus politics of the opposition party is a carry-over from the 2006 mid-term elections, when, to the astonishment of most experts, the Democrats failed to retake Congress, despite the fact that 85 percent of the Republican incumbents were either in jail, under indictment or had joined Bush’s so-called “holy remnant” of exiles in Medina. Some attributed the Democrats’ lackluster showing to the official campaign slogans the national party adopted in 2006: “The War: We Can Do It Better” and “Corporations: What’sNot to Like?”
Leading Democrats also lauded Hooper’sintention to “stay the course” in the war. Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware urged Hooper to send “at least 100,000 more troops” to the MEWZ (the Greater Middle East War Zone), which now encompasses Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and the West Bank. Biden said the extra soldiers could be gathered from the vast, roaming mobs of homeless people dispossessed by the draconian 2005 Bankruptcy Bill championed by Biden on behalf of the credit card companies headquartered in his state. These “Joeboes,” as they are now called, could fill up to 10 new divisions for front-line duty, Biden said. link
Posted by: jj | Nov 1 2005 9:02 utc | 1
Yup, that’s the rosiest scenario for our future, writing Philip K. Dick style movie scripts.
Posted by: christofay | Nov 1 2005 9:37 utc | 2
Bye bye world (Hirsch)
Hmm. Sounds like a reasonable scenario. A decade ago this would have sounded like a spoof.
Posted by: DM | Nov 1 2005 10:58 utc | 4
Who is to blame? Soon the blame game will begin in ernest. Here are some hints.
With regards to the above, I personally do not blame the reptiles, for that is what reptiles do.
I blame the real ‘Culprits In Crime’ the spineless Senate Democrats.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 1 2005 12:09 utc | 5
Again, at the risk of over posting, I could not let this one go…(maybe you’ll agree).
Cheney-Staffer-Turned-Reporter Now Covering Libby Indictment for NBC News
Over at the Huffington Post, Dan Carol asks a great question: how can NBC’s Pete Williams be allowed to cover the Scooter Libby story for the network, considering Williams was a longtime former staffer for Dick Cheney?
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 1 2005 12:21 utc | 6
US steps up planning for a Cuba without Castro
US planning for Cuba’s “transition” after the demise of Fidel Castro has entered a new stage, with a special office for reconstruction inside the US State Department preparing for the “day after”, when Washington will try to back a democratic government in Havana.
The inter-agency effort, which also involves the Defense Department, recognises that the Cuba transition may not go peacefully and that the US may have to launch a nation-building exercise.
…
The US Institute of Peace, funded by Congress to work on conflict management, declined to lend its expertise to the Cuba project. “This was an exercise in destabilisation, not stabilisation,” said one person involved.
Mr McCarry acknowledges wearing two hats: to help a post-Castro Cuba establish a democratic government and market economy, and to hasten that transition.
Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, appointed Mr McCarry in July. His post was recommended by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, which she noted was created by President George W. Bush “to accelerate the demise of Castro’s tyranny”.
The commission declared in its May 2004 report that it “sought a more proactive, integrated and disciplined approach to undermine the survival strategies of the Castro regime and contribute to conditions that will help the Cuban people hasten the dictatorship’s end”.
Preparing a rape…
Rumsfeld’s growing stake in Tamiflu
The prospect of a bird flu outbreak may be panicking people around the globe, but it’s proving to be very good news for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other politically connected investors in Gilead Sciences, the California biotech company that owns the rights to Tamiflu, the influenza remedy that’s now the most-sought after drug in the world.
Rumsfeld served as Gilead (Research)’s chairman from 1997 until he joined the Bush administration in 2001, and he still holds a Gilead stake valued at between $5 million and $25 million, according to federal financial disclosures filed by Rumsfeld.
The forms don’t reveal the exact number of shares Rumsfeld owns, but in the past six months fears of a pandemic and the ensuing scramble for Tamiflu have sent Gilead’s stock from $35 to $47. That’s made the Pentagon chief, already one of the wealthiest members of the Bush cabinet, at least $1 million richer.
…
What’s more, the federal government is emerging as one of the world’s biggest customers for Tamiflu. In July, the Pentagon ordered $58 million worth of the treatment for U.S. troops around the world, and Congress is considering a multi-billion dollar purchase. Roche expects 2005 sales for Tamiflu to be about $1 billion, compared with $258 million in 2004.
A hoax (not the story, the flu)?
Reporters Without Borders publishes its World Press Freedom Index.
The US is 44th on the list from the top down, sandwiched between Macedonia and Bolivia. That is not too bad.
I don’t think the list has much relevance, the criteria are murky, and many other things are not taken into account; political structure, TV propaganda, standard of living, etc. Good for knocking legendary ‘free speech’ though.
Link
Posted by: Noisette | Nov 1 2005 15:11 utc | 9
Not too surprising about the Uncle Bumsfield and Gilead connection. From reading Rise of the Vulcans I know Rumsfield worked as the CEO of a drug company for a while. He was in charge of firing a lot of people to dress it up for sale not focusing on creating new drugs, opening domestic factories to make low cost medicines to sell in the third world or anything about building a business to serve customers. Maybe Gilead does that, maybe they just license cut rate govt research that is on the cusp of leading to something, taking the final steps, and selling the rights on to a larger company.
Posted by: christofay | Nov 1 2005 15:27 utc | 10
I see Bush is declaring war on avian flu. This means he’s going to throw billions at the problem, mostly misdirected into the pockets of corporate supporters. The birds will eventually wear us down through attrition. The rest of the world will hope, in a furtive and slightly smug manner, that the birds teach us a lesson. Somewhere lies are being formulated as to the source of the flu, with the Chinese, the DNC and the faculty of California-Berkeley the likely culprits. Rove knows nothing of this fingerpointing yet to happen, but he will tell you the dates it will roll out if you have access to a printing press. Bechtel is building a Tamiflu factory and Halliburton is setting up channels of distribution. The vaccine should be available shortly after the first 1-2 million people have died from the disease. Canada has enough Tamiflu for both nations but the FDA suspects most of theirs is some sort of French strain and therefore unsafe for use in humans. Good luck to all, and Mikey, you’re doing a heckuva job!!
Posted by: steve duncan | Nov 1 2005 15:52 utc | 11
LOVE your writing and site. I hope you have a HUGE readership!!!
Posted by: jra | Nov 1 2005 16:50 utc | 12
US Commanders: Bombs Are Not Made in Iraq
92 US troops have been killed by complex roadside bombs in October, 25 of them within the last seven days. American and British commanders say the bombs are not made in Iraq. Israeli defense industries make such bombs.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 1 2005 18:54 utc | 14
via chris floyd’s blog, bush in (almost) total free fall [“Be sure to use the cursor to get the full effect of this in-depth analysis.”]
Posted by: b real | Nov 1 2005 19:08 utc | 15
Guantanamo Desperation Seen in Suicide Attempts
Dossari’s suicide attempt two weeks ago is believed to be the first such event witnessed by an outsider at the prison, and one of several signs that lawyers and human rights advocates contend point to growing desperation among the more than 500 detainees there. Lawyers believe Dossari, who has been in solitary confinement for nearly two years, timed his suicide attempt so that someone other than his guards would witness it, a cry for help meant to reach beyond the base’s walls.
Two dozen Guantanamo Bay detainees are currently being force-fed in response to a lengthy hunger strike, and the detainees’ lawyers estimate there are dozens more who have not eaten since August. Military officials say there are 27 hunger strikers at Guantanamo Bay, all of whom are clinically stable, closely monitored by medical personnel and receiving proper nutrition.
…
Military authorities do not publicly discuss individual detainees and declined to comment on Dossari. Lt. Col. Jeremy Martin, spokesman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo, said yesterday that there have been a total of 36 suicide attempts by 22 different detainees, including three in the past 20 months. Martin said all detainees are treated humanely and “any threat of injury or suicide” is taken seriously.
Read the whole piece – scary:
The Yes-Man
Chas W. Freeman is a former assistant secretary of defense and U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia under the first President Bush. “What Goss is doing is an effort that originated outside the agency to impose a vision on it that its analysts and operatives reject as simply not based on reality,” he says. “It’s totalitarian. We are going to end up with an agency that is more right-wing, more conformist, and less prone to produce people with original views and dissenters.”
Hey! Has anyone here seen what those spineless Senate Democrats are up to today?
Harry Reid Shuts Down Senate, Rule 21
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051101/ap_on_go_co/senate_iraq
WOW!
watching it on Cspan right now.
Posted by: Uppity Gal | Nov 1 2005 20:36 utc | 18
Forgive the long cut-and-paste, but Reid’s statement is worth reading. Is it possible the Democrats are finally starting to act like an opposition party?
“This past weekend, we witnessed the indictment of I. Lewis Libby, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff and a senior Advisor to President Bush. Libby is the first sitting White House staffer to be indicted in 135 years.
“This indictment raises very serious charges. It asserts this Administration engaged in actions that both harmed our national security and are morally repugnant.
“The decision to place U.S. soldiers in harm’s way is the most significant responsibility the Constitution invests in the Congress.
“The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really about: how the Administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions.
“As a result of its improper conduct, a cloud now hangs over this Administration. This cloud is further darkened by the Administration’s mistakes in prisoner abuse scandal, Hurricane Katrina, and the cronyism and corruption in numerous agencies.
“And, unfortunately, it must be said that a cloud also hangs over this Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold this Republican Administration accountable for its misdeeds on all of these issues.
“Let’s take a look back at how we got here with respect to Iraq Mr. President. The record will show that within hours of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, senior officials in this Administration recognized these attacks could be used as a pretext to invade Iraq.
“The record will also show that in the months and years after 9/11, the Administration engaged in a pattern of manipulation of the facts and retribution against anyone who got in its way as it made the case for attacking Iraq.
“There are numerous examples of how the Administration misstated and manipulated the facts as it made the case for war. Administration statements on Saddam’s alleged nuclear weapons capabilities and ties with Al Qaeda represent the best examples of how it consistently and repeatedly manipulated the facts.
“The American people were warned time and again by the President, the Vice President, and the current Secretary of State about Saddam’s nuclear weapons capabilities. The Vice President said Iraq “has reconstituted its nuclear weapons.” Playing upon the fears of Americans after September 11, these officials and others raised the specter that, left unchecked, Saddam could soon attack America with nuclear weapons.
“Obviously we know now their nuclear claims were wholly inaccurate. But more troubling is the fact that a lot of intelligence experts were telling the Administration then that its claims about Saddam’s nuclear capabilities were false.
“The situation was very similar with respect to Saddam’s links to Al Qaeda. The Vice President told the American people, “We know he’s out trying once again to produce nuclear weapons and we know he has a longstanding relationship with various terrorist groups including the Al Qaeda organization.”
“The Administration’s assertions on this score have been totally discredited. But again, the Administration went ahead with these assertions in spite of the fact that the government’s top experts did not agree with these claims.
“What has been the response of this Republican-controlled Congress to the Administration’s manipulation of intelligence that led to this protracted war in Iraq? Basically nothing. Did the Republican-controlled Congress carry out its constitutional obligations to conduct oversight? No. Did it support our troops and their families by providing them the answers to many important questions? No. Did it even attempt to force this Administration to answer the most basic questions about its behavior? No.
“Unfortunately the unwillingness of the Republican-controlled Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities is not limited to just Iraq. We see it with respect to the prisoner abuse scandal. We see it with respect to Katrina. And we see it with respect to the cronyism and corruption that permeates this Administration.
“Time and time again, this Republican-controlled Congress has consistently chosen to put its political interests ahead of our national security. They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican Administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why.
“There is also another disturbing pattern here, namely about how the Administration responded to those who challenged its assertions. Time and again this Administration has actively sought to attack and undercut those who dared to raise questions about its preferred course.
“For example, when General Shinseki indicated several hundred thousand troops would be needed in Iraq, his military career came to an end. When then OMB Director Larry Lindsay suggested the cost of this war would approach $200 billion, his career in the Administration came to an end. When U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix challenged conclusions about Saddam’s WMD capabilities, the Administration pulled out his inspectors. When Nobel Prize winner and IAEA head Mohammed el-Baridei raised questions about the Administration’s claims of Saddam’s nuclear capabilities, the Administration attempted to remove him from his post. When Joe Wilson stated that there was no attempt by Saddam to acquire uranium from Niger, the Administration launched a vicious and coordinated campaign to demean and discredit him, going so far as to expose the fact that his wife worked as a CIA agent.
“Given this Administration’s pattern of squashing those who challenge its misstatements, what has been the response of this Republican-controlled Congress? Again, absolutely nothing. And with their inactions, they provide political cover for this Administration at the same time they keep the truth from our troops who continue to make large sacrifices in Iraq.
“This behavior is unacceptable. The toll in Iraq is as staggering as it is solemn. More than 2,000 Americans have lost their lives. Over 90 Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice this month alone – the fourth deadliest month since the war began. More than 15,000 have been wounded. More than 150,000 remain in harm’s way. Enormous sacrifices have been and continue to be made.
“The troops and the American people have a right to expect answers and accountability worthy of that sacrifice. For example, 40 Senate Democrats wrote a substantive and detailed letter to the President asking four basic questions about the Administration’s Iraq policy and received a four sentence answer in response. These Senators and the American people deserve better.
“They also deserve a searching and comprehensive investigation about how the Bush Administration brought this country to war. Key questions that need to be answered include:
How did the Bush Administration assemble its case for war against Iraq?
Who did Bush Administration officials listen to and who did they ignore?
How did senior Administration officials manipulate or manufacture intelligence presented to the Congress and the American people?
What was the role of the White House Iraq Group or WHIG, a group of senior White House officials tasked with marketing the war and taking down its critics?
How did the Administration coordinate its efforts to attack individuals who dared to challenge the Administration’s assertions?
Why has the Administration failed to provide Congress with the documents that will shed light on their misconduct and misstatements?
“Unfortunately the Senate committee that should be taking the lead in providing these answers is not. Despite the fact that the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee publicly committed to examine many of these questions more than 1 and ½ years ago, he has chosen not to keep this commitment. Despite the fact that he restated that commitment earlier this year on national television, he has still done nothing.
“At this point, we can only conclude he will continue to put politics ahead of our national security. If he does anything at this point, I suspect he will play political games by producing an analysis that fails to answer any of these important questions. Instead, if history is any guide, this analysis will attempt to disperse and deflect blame away from the Administration.
“We demand that the Intelligence Committee and other committees in this body with jurisdiction over these matters carry out a full and complete investigation immediately as called for by Democrats in the committee’s annual intelligence authorization report. Our troops and the American people have sacrificed too much. It is time this Republican-controlled Congress put the interests of the American people ahead of their own political interests.”
Posted by: Aigin | Nov 1 2005 21:25 utc | 19
Question for B
Are you getting this spam?
http://midnighttracks.com/October2005/102005rdr45.html
What do you think?
Posted by: Friendly Fire | Nov 1 2005 21:58 utc | 20
Reid is full of shit – He said If They (Admin.) knew what they know now, they would never have brought it (war in Iraq) to a vote. He is lying about the precise point. Did he not read that Georgie came into office at first cabinet meeting, telling Cabinet to dig up reasons for Iraqi invasion.
But some of his stuff is good. And at least he is vagely trying to get up off his knees, which is a start. It’s on CNN now.
Posted by: jj | Nov 1 2005 22:01 utc | 21
@ff – have not seen them before, but their website is programmed so bad, that I am sure it’s a big heap of bullshit.
NOV 1, 2005: Congress suddenly remembers its responsibility for intelligence oversight.
Better late than never. I guess.
Posted by: Pat | Nov 1 2005 22:10 utc | 25
Posted by: b | Nov 1, 2005 5:36:36 PM | #
You betcha, definitely.
Posted by: Friendly Fire | Nov 1 2005 22:58 utc | 28
It’s timing kids. The Democrats have been waiting and preparing. They are professionals and now the country is behind them. This indictment is the sling shot. After the holidays they will be in forward attack mode and in the spring, they will be in full force.
I don’t like politicians and I agree with those of you who realize that the Democrats are deep into the corporate game, but this situation is beyond these concerns at the moment. The dragging of a whole country into these personal games and the use of our military and treasury in such a blatant criminal act has to be dealt with first. And because of their lack of track covering, it is too good an opportunity to pass up.
I’ve always recommended the documentary, Hijacking Catastrophe, as a good dilineation of the path they have taken. It’s infuriating beyond control and maybe we should lay it on others, so the people of this country can get an important education.
A united and enraged populace always has tremendous power.
Posted by: jm | Nov 1 2005 23:17 utc | 29
Skirt steak?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Quaker Maid Meats Inc. on Tuesday said it would voluntarily recall 94,400 pounds of frozen ground beef panties that may be contaminated with E. coli.
Posted by: biklett | Nov 2 2005 1:10 utc | 30
“It’s timing kids. The Democrats have been waiting and preparing. They are professionals and now the country is behind them. This indictment is the sling shot. After the holidays they will be in forward attack mode and in the spring, they will be in full force.”
Oh that’s all right then. I mean if they hadn’t supported the slaughter of those ragheaded oil bandits they may not be as politically popular as they are now…hmm…there’s something wrong with that statement…aha…the demopublucans aren’t very politically popular now. If they had stood up to BushCo they wouldn’t be much worse off and a few hundred thousand human beings would still be sucking in air.
Maybe next time they’ll get a bit smarter and wait until the repugs have nuked the planet before they step in.
They could be tracking at 60-70% in the polls. True that’s 60-70% of the approx 150 humans who are apparently immune to radiation poisoning, nerve gas and avian flu, but hell a win is win, you take em where you find ’em.
The demopublicans have a basic credibility issue with all of this. That is: Why is that many people who didn’t have access to much other than their local newspaper and Google knew that there were no WMD’s in Iraq?
Just as they also knew that Saddam and OBL couldn’t stand the sight of each other?
Yet the dems had access to intelligence prepared by analysts using state of the art raw data gathering techniques and they couldn’t see it was all B.S.
I really can’t see Reid’s scenario getting accepted by the voters.
Posted by: Debs is dead | Nov 2 2005 1:56 utc | 31
US Commanders: Bombs Are Not Made in Iraq
Disregard- The website is full of garbage and run by a racist nut. Grouping all “Jews” or “Muslims” or “Protestants”, etc. together as if they all had the same interests is racist and reductionist, and inevitably useless for intelligent discourse.
the demopublicans are trying to reel in a few gullible fishies w/ some shiny rhetoric and/or, now that it’s evident that there are some large gaping holes in the govern-net, just hoping to keep enough fishies near enuff to the docks so’ns they don’t have to risk untieing their dinghy’s from the corporate yacht. it’s a bit late to act the part of an opposition party, isn’t it?
“As a result of its improper conduct, a cloud now hangs over this Administration. This cloud is further darkened by the Administration’s mistakes in prisoner abuse scandal, Hurricane Katrina, and the cronyism and corruption in numerous agencies.
“And, unfortunately, it must be said that a cloud also hangs over this Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold this Republican Administration accountable for its misdeeds on all of these issues.
improper conduct…mistakes…misdeeds…
ouch
Posted by: b real | Nov 2 2005 4:36 utc | 33
from that dreyfuss/prospect article that b pointed out, on goss purging the cia:
“He served on the HPSCI for eight years,” says Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst and founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. “What the fuck was he doing for the last seven years?”
although i totally respect the man, mcgovern cracks me up – can’t help but think of george carlin when i watch/listen to him. there’s another attribution in the article that’s probably also his
Many of those who remain inside the CIA are distraught, convinced that their work is wasted on an administration that doesn’t want to hear the truth. “How do you think they feel?” asked one recently retired CIA officer with three decades of experience. “They’re watching a fucking idiotic policy, run by idiots, unfold right before their eyes!”
what really adds to it is that mcgovern helped create the coalition “veteran intelligence professionals for sanity” and, as co-director of the servant leadership school, the department Ray heads at the School deals with the biblical injunction to “speak truth to power”
fucking-a, ray. give ’em hell.
Posted by: b real | Nov 2 2005 5:03 utc | 34
U.S. Military Wants to Own the Weather
February 2002: When the Army Owns the Weather
…news that the government is engaged in secret experiments to control the weather should come as no surprise – the grid patterns of jet chemtrails now spotted throughout the Western world are likely the application of these technologies to new military and civilian uses.
Some say the military is not attempting to hide its long-term goals… I’m not so sure about that.
The USAF has deleted or moved the white paper “Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025” from the only source I knew of, it appears they removed it a year ago, but you can still find it on the Federation of American Scientists website, here .
@Malooga
US Commanders: Bombs Are Not Made in Iraq
Disregard- The website is full of garbage and run by a racist nut.
I agree, I failed to look the site over as I usually do. However, ‘infomation’ can still be gleened from this ilk. As they say, “take what you can use, leave the rest.”
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 2 2005 5:19 utc | 35
Joe Wilson is on Larry King. Joe’s perfect for Larry. All he needs is a mike and a lightweight to get out of the way. (He goes to same church as Karl Rove – different service. 🙂 )
He said he spoke to a reporter just back from Iraq. Reporter said, “Military is just mailing it in.”
Posted by: jj | Nov 2 2005 5:35 utc | 36
This IED thing is interestingly complex because of the way that the trigger devices were designed by MI5 given to the IRA, who passed em on to the Palestinians and now they’ve ended up being made by the Israelis!
I wonder if it is all part of a move to privatise the mines industry. Remember that that mad englishwoman who got killed in the car crash in Paris used to gallivant about the place wearing the latest style in blast proof suits and complain about mines.
That was when she wasn’t caressing the Karposi’s of AIDS patients.
It is inevitable that the mines ban will be successful in one way or another because spreading high explosive from asshole to breakfast in all of the poverty stricken areas of the world might be effective in keeping the rabble down but isn’t a good look. Sheeple notice eventually.
If I remember correctly the US was the only hold out at the UN on a treaty banning mines. It was pretty obvious that they would have to agree to it eventually. So how is a bloke gonna make a dollar with all of those petty bureaucrats telling him what to do?
I know we’ll get the Israelis to knock out IEDs. No one will ever imagine that they would sell em to the ragheads so we’ll just point the finger at Syria and Iran :
“GEN. HAM: For Iran, first, you’ll remember about a month ago, Iraqi border security forces discovered a shipment of devices from Iran into Iraq, so, I think, that’s perhaps indicative of the nature of the problem and the concern. It is principally, as we would expect, an Iraqi issue to secure their own border with Iran. We have a responsibility to help them, both in terms of training and with technology, to improve their border forces. It remains very clearly an area of concern, particularly for Multinational Division Southeast, which is perhaps why the British are also very concerned about that. ”
and
“In Syria, there has been evidence of the movement of individuals. We believe some of them to be foreign fighters, and efforts to interdict those flows — the flow across the borders is a very specific focus of the current operation. It was a part of the operations — the military operations conducted by both the coalition and Iraqi forces in Tall Afar, again, to get to those nodes that the insurgents are using to facilitate the move — the cross-border movement from Syria into Iraq and the money — and that’s movement of individuals, of materiel, weapons and the movement of monies as well. “
Posted by: Debs is dead | Nov 2 2005 5:50 utc | 37
UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!
Denver, Colorado just legalized marijuana tonight. Not decriminalized…full legalization. They still have to change the state law but the intention is to sell it like liquor in the city.
Posted by: jm | Nov 2 2005 5:55 utc | 38
UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!
Denver, Colorado just legalized marijuana tonight. Not decriminalized…full legalization. They still have to change the state law but the intention is to sell it like liquor in the city.
Posted by: jm | Nov 2 2005 6:20 utc | 39
@jm
That’s pretty interesting and I can’t help but wonder if they’ll be able to get away with it.
If the city of Denver has it’s own police department then you would have to think it has just lost most of its federal funding.
In another lifetime I was on the fringes of a push to get a prescription heroin trial in the Australian Capital Territory. Yes I realise that heroin is a vastly different drug than pot but the War on Drugs is the War on Drugs and I suspect that most people don’t realise that when Nancy was telling everyone to say No! the UN was being told to say yes to a treaty which pretty much makes it impossible to legalise any drugs that people might consider a good thing to legalise.
If I remember correctly the ACT legislative assembly passed the laws to let the heroin trial go ahead but the federal government (Johnny Howard) intervened and used some abuse of the constitutional process to force the central government will on a state. Very similar to what happened when mad bad Marshall Peron who was chief minister of the Northern Territory legalised euthenasia because his mum had cancer.
The federal government harassed blackmailed and arm twisted until no doctor could be involved in euthenasia and keep their license.
Posted by: Debs is dead | Nov 2 2005 6:46 utc | 40
JM: Thanks for the emphasis with the double posting.
I want to move to Denver at least for the next 30 days before it is declared unlegalized. Can’t have locals making laws for the locals and all. No how, no way.
If Wyoming doesn’t want to pass laws to have local land taxes to pay for local schooling and the kids grow up stupid, then that’s fine. Next thing you know the state has to suck in money from the federal level otherwise you’d have white people being poor people like black people. Can’t have that however. White voters for Cheney being poor. Unacceptable. Send some white welfare but please give it an acceptable image enchancing name. “Freedom to Farm till the Dirt Dries Up and Blows Away to Cuba Bill the Tax Paying States Bill.”
Posted by: christofay | Nov 2 2005 6:48 utc | 41
Double post was a mistake, christofay, but it does merit emphasis.
The town is amazed at this vote. It’s wild. A lot of people are laughing jubilantly. People didn’t think it would pass. But apparently the per capita use of cannabis is one of the highest in the country. This is all so surprising and ticklish.
Denver is an extremely liberal town. The current mayor is a scientist and never was in politics before. Very erudite and progressive. Marijuana has been decriminalized for a long time and possession of up to an ounce is ticketed and fined $100 occasionally. Most of the time it is ignored. People smoke on the streets unbothered. Very little paranoia around the issue. A dear friend of mine had a farm in his basement and the aroma in the house was EXTREMELY potent. It was hysterical how he would sit there entertaining his guests in his inimitable deadpan way while the smell wafted through the entire house.
This lovely man is now hanging out with the sea lions in the pacific.
Being the futurist I am, I have always thought I would live to see the legalization and that the hemp industry would turn out to be one of the great solutions to the world’s problems. It’s already happening in Europe.
You can do everything with it and it grows unfettered with more enthusiasm than almost any plant I know. Eventually they’ll get it, and the tax base will be through the ceiling. It’s a constant in society. The use stays the same no matter what. One of nature’s antidotes. A better friend to man than even the beloved dog.
But this is a very interesting statement.
Posted by: jm | Nov 2 2005 7:31 utc | 42
Debs,
An interesting aside in terms of losing federal funding is that the state also voted to sacrifice an annual tax refund and give it back to the city. It was a bipartisan effort and an interesting situation. So the money will be around.
Posted by: jm | Nov 2 2005 8:02 utc | 44
via John Robb, a very detailed piece on East Anatolia/Kurdistan
The stakes in Eastern Anatolia are extremely high. It is one of the most ethnically diverse regions of the world, despite the official fiction that the population is entirely “Turkish.” It borders both the Caucasus and Iraq, as well as Iran, which the US openly seeks to destabilize—and where the CIA doubtless endeavors to exploit local ethnic grievances to make trouble for Tehran. Turkish ethno-nationalist hegemony in Eastern Anatolia is building a backlash—just as a backlash against official Sunni Arab ethno-nationalism has now brought Iraq to the brink of civil war (or perhaps over it). The vying claims of Eastern Anatolia and Greater Kurdistan alike—Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian‚ Iranian, Arab—could help tilt the balance towards a devastating war that would draw in the neighboring powers and potentially engulf both the Middle East and Caucasus. Or, if the various ethnicities of this region can work out some kind of decentralized pluralistic federalism that respects cultural rights and survival for all—and take the radical demand of extending this ethic in defiance of state borders—it could provide a model of autonomous co-existence for a dangerously polarizing, highly geo-strategic part of the world.
“A better friend to man than even the beloved dog.”
Well, “Man on Weed” sure sounds better than “Man on Dog!” Somebody better tell Santorum.
My post at Le Speakeasy contains nothing new except a suggestion for “nomenclature”, but may be of interest to some.
Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Nov 2 2005 9:13 utc | 47
More Hersh
As for freedom, Hersh has some very strong ideas.
“Who in the hell is (President George) Bush?” he demands. “My parents came here to get away from stuff that he’s recreating. Who is he to deconstruct 250 years of the constitution? If you were a Muslim in America after 9/11, you were presumed guilty of something. He prosecuted 2,000 Muslims — and not one conviction for terrorism. They got a couple of guys on credit card fraud and a couple of guys on overstayed visas. Right now this government is going around and anywhere in the world we think there’s a member of the `global war on terrorism’ we can snatch him and take him somewhere where the sun don’t shine on him.
“That is enraging.”
@Hannah
Excellent, my dear just excellent. May I quote you in a paper I’m putting together? On ‘political anthropology conspiracy (the new mcCarthyism) and systems/network theory’.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 2 2005 10:45 utc | 49
Debs,
Yet the dems had access to intelligence prepared by analysts using state of the art raw data gathering techniques and they couldn’t see it was all B.S.
I really can’t see Reid’s scenario getting accepted by the voters.
That’s just it. Now the Dems play the fool. And this will make the perpetrators loom as real meanies to the voters.
Posted by: jm | Nov 2 2005 12:33 utc | 50
@ Uncle
Go right ahead, I’m honored. I prefer posts which
give a real factual contribution, but it’s tougher
to unearth new data than to complain about what is already known.
Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Nov 2 2005 12:48 utc | 51
Spy Satellites That Spy On Satellites: First Photos
“The XSS-11, an Air Force satellite that can automatically track and orbit around other objects in space, downloads its first pictures to the public.”
I’m surprised they even declassified something like this.
That means there’s far more to it than they are letting on.
Weapons in space baby!
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Nov 2 2005 13:10 utc | 52
“Right now this government is going around and anywhere in the world we think there’s a member of the `global war on terrorism’ we can snatch him and take him somewhere where the sun don’t shine on him.”
Anywhere in the world. Except Pakistan.
Has anyone run across any articles on Iraqi insurgents – battlefield captures – being tried, convicted, and executed by the MoJ in Iraq? Let me know.
Posted by: Pat | Nov 2 2005 14:59 utc | 53
Re La Republica’s articles, translated by Nur-al-Cubicle … hmmm, it’s interesting that they even felt the need to issue a denial …
White House disputes Italy role in Iraq claim
Staff and agencies
01 November, 2005
By Adam Entous 23 minutes ago
WASHINGTON – The White House on Tuesday disputed accusations that Italian intelligence in a 2002 meeting passed off fake documents, showing Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger, that formed part of U.S. President George W. Bush President George W. Bush‘s case for war against Saddam Hussein .
U.S. officials who attended a September 9, 2002, meeting with Italy‘s spy chief do not recall the issue coming up, said a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. The meeting is central to the accusations…
Posted by: Outraged | Nov 2 2005 17:48 utc | 54
Fantastico, JM!! I’d still rather have it merely decriminalized than legalized. As soon as it’s legalized the Pirates will swoop in & take over the market. This way growing & profit making are widely dispersed. Plus the state will tax it. And they’ll probably find a way to make it illegal to grow at home.
Ed Rosenthal told story recently about an anti-pot professor whose grad. student suggested they do a study to find out if it was true that smoking pot was unhealthy for one’s lungs, as this professor claimed. They did a large study & found out that Pot Smokers had a lower rate of lung cancer than any other group – lower than even those who smoked Nothing At All!! Professor changed his views, not being a NeoNut!!
Posted by: jj | Nov 2 2005 18:02 utc | 55
@Pat – Has anyone run across any articles on Iraqi insurgents – battlefield captures – being tried, convicted, and executed by the MoJ in Iraq? Let me know.
Of course not. “Justice” in Iraq is done by 0.50 caliber or so. But explain that to some media guy…
@Hanna – good piece at speakeasy. If you want to publish here, just send to my address (“About” page).
Sorry if I am coming off as rude, Friendly Fire.
At the time your query was posted back in Novermber of 2005, our MidnightTracks.com website was fully functional with links to the publisher, Citadel Consulting Group LLC and we did have an email address posted on the website, in our magazine we had several, one for the editor. So, Friendly Fire, before you took a cheap shot at us, you could have contacted us to find out if we were spam, ham or just pure grade A honey.
For anyone interested, our website has moved to MidnightTracks.net, any of the web pages you find on any of the popular search engines, all you need to do is substitute “.net” for “.com” and you will access our entertainment publication just the same.
Our MidnightTracks.com website will be making a comeback soon. So hold on tight. Our free offer made available to many of our colleagues in the blogging world is not available at this time. However we do invite serious commentators to solicit our editor for the opportunity to write a segment for us to be posted on our latest blog, In-Sight Focus (ISF) at carblog.midnighttracks.net if so moved please be sure to send a polite email with samples of your work, to our editor’s desk at editor@midnighttracks.net and someone will get in touch with you after reviewing your submission.
As for all the pages posted on the search engines, simply do the following:
For example, http://midnighttracks.com/October2005/102005rdr45.html should be http://midnighttracks.net/October2005/102005rdr45.html
And “Friendly” Fire, we are all for your warmth and kindness in keeping our collective bottoms toasty, but next time you decide to fan the flames of love, make sure you can tell the difference between gasoline and sugar cane syrup.
Peace out y’all!
Question for B
Are you getting this spam?
http://midnighttracks.com/October2005/102005rdr45.html
What do you think?
Posted by: Friendly Fire | Nov 1, 2005 4:58:16 PM | 20
Tom,
Those who know me here, aside from transposition howlers (see latest WB thread), also know I am FF, but where the fuck does your post from?
More Spam b?
Posted by: Cloned Poster | Sep 21 2006 21:52 utc | 59