1. “Cynthia McKinney: Leaders’ lack of respect for rule of law makes us all victims of 9/11
All of us in the peace community, who stand for justice and human dignity, have become victims of 9/11. Those of us who expect our national leaders to promote respect for the environment are now victims of 9/11. Survivors of those who are now dead from the prosecution of these wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere around the world are now victims of 9/11. And the mothers and fathers, siblings and family of the too many dead soldiers are now counted among the victims of 9/11. And sadly, the entire global community that expects national leaders to respect the rule of law and tell them the truth are now victims of 9/11.”
2. “Karl Rove heckled, called ‘war criminal’ at book event
Rove, who defended his administration’s stance on several controversial issues in heated exchanges with other critics, said the interruptions reflected the “totalitarianism of the left.”
3. “Conspiracy Theory or Conspiracy Fact?
The use of “Conspiracy Theory” as a tool of ridicule arises from the fallacious demand that one provide a full, complete and provable explanation of what did occur … before one gives up on something that is incredulous (in parts) and impossible (in parts), which is the Official Story. That’s why, as to the uneducated who don’t know all these details you cite, the assertion of a “Cover-up” is better than putting forth a theory of who did what and how by linking together all these available facts. And when I say “better,” I mean better in terms of confronting the accusation of being conspiracy theorists.
…
It’s all a question of setting and audience. The people skilled at attacking critics of the Official Story will demand that you provide a comprehensive explanation of what happened. Instead of giving into such demands, one can safely assert that the investigation was a joke, the Official Story is impossible and ridiculous, and these two are demonstrative of an obvious Cover-Up. If I were asked, “Well tell us then what happened or what do you believe happened?” My response – I’d say “Give to me subpoena power and I could get the answers for you very easily – all that is needed is a proper investigation and you can get detailed answers to these questions.” The idea that some things are just beyond knowing or learning is absurd and I’d be prepared to attack that notion as well. If then asked to comment on various theories in the absence of a proper investigation — I still probably would not give in. “Look – a lot of people have done good work demonstrating that the Official Story is absurd and impossible and have done their best to come up with alternate explanations in the absence of a proper investigation, but there simply is no sound basis for requiring the Citizenry to supply the answers to what happened when this is the responsibility of the authorities with the evidence or access to the evidence. And if the government did release the evidence that it’s admittedly covering up, then perhaps the answers would be clear. But first you need to understand and admit that the evidence is being covered up and there has not been a proper investigation – Period.”
http://911blogger.com/node/23071
4. “How the Left Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the FBI
But once again, with their people at the helm of state, the left has decided to embrace the FBI, take it at its word, assume that people are guilty until proven innocent once accused of guilt by the police state that they now see as the guardian of order against rightwing extremism. Especially strange is the tendency of leftists to fear rightists out of power even more than in power. The same dynamic can be seen on the other side. The left and the right love power, and although that power is often directed against their own when the other side is at the reins, they cannot abandon the idea that a police state can be pinpointed only against those they hate, and not those with whom they sympathize. The responsible, non-partisan and indeed American thing to do is to harbor extreme skepticism toward the state when it spies, infiltrates, arrests and imprisons anyone, and most especially those whose alleged crime is “sedition” or “conspiracy” or in any way being the enemy of the state. “
http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=5565
5. “AFRICOM and the USA’s Hidden Battle for Africa
When the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project was put on the table in the prelude to AFRICOM’s unveiling, the oil companies made sure of IMF and World Bank support. This was not because of lack of capital. These two institutions are the most reliable and effective discipliners of the African nations involved should they at any time violate the contract against the interest of the big oil companies involved in the project. The arrangement was never designed for transparency, and when the initial funds of the project were embezzled in the member countries there was never a call to halt the projecteven though the World Bank had put in a code of conduct as condition for the funding.
There is nothing new in armies conquering territories before the looting begins. For centuries states have been using their armies in foreign adventures in the interest of capital. The modern world has just surpassed the crude methods that were used in centuries past, and is now utilizing sophisticated techniques consciously designed to confuse the human mind. With the “moral high ground” of free market capitalism, the African bourgeoisie are content with being sub-contractors; the whole mathematics becomes easier, especially when it comes to the “ethical sharing” of the wealth from the looting. To say that Africans are benefitting from the project through employment and the creation of a middle class are fine words that defy the lawlessness and suffering on the continent. “
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18412
6. “Pedophilia in the Catholic Church: Coverup Operation at the Vatican?
Pope Benedict should do everyone a favor and resign. By hanging on, he’s just making matters worse. Who does he think he’s fooling anyway? Everyone knows that he was involved in the sex-scandal cover up. Does he really think that a few papal apologies will make a difference? He was in charge and knew everything that was going on. That makes him responsible. His best option now is to “man up” and face the consequences. He needs to arrange a press conference, tell the truth, and resign. End of story.
It’s clear that the problem isn’t going to go away. In the last week, three more incidents have surfaced adding more fuel to the fire. In Wisconsin, Father Lawrence Murphy abused as many as 200 boys at a Milwaukee school for the deaf. One of the victims, Arthur Budzinski, has been all over TV telling his story and blaming the pope. It’s pretty heart-wrenching stuff, too. According to Budzinski’s daughter Gigi:
“The pope knew about this. He was the one who handled the sex abuse cases. So, I think he should be accountable, because he did nothing.”
This is bad. Anyone can see that the Vatican was shuffling predators from one spot to another trying to keep the details out of the news. Maybe Benedict thought he was doing the right thing? Maybe he thought he was just being loyal or protecting the church from litigation? Who knows what he thought; it’s beside the point. The bottom line is that people’s lives have been ruined and someone has to pay.
…
This is obstruction of justice, and Benedict should be prosecuted. No man is above the law; not even the pope. Religious freedom isn’t license to rape children.
Benedict’s letter helps to illustrate a larger point, too. It shows that the sex abuse scandal isn’t really about sex abuse at all. It’s about the people in positions of authority who violated the public’s trust. That’s the real story. It’s about people who pretend to be “spiritual advisers”, but don’t even do the right thing when a child is sexually molested. And, these are the people who are giving advice on issues like homosexuality and birth control?”
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=18408
7. “Speeding ‘cushion’ may dwindle due to recession
The recession may be claiming a new victim: the 5-10-mph “cushion” police and state troopers across the USA have routinely given motorists exceeding the speed limit.
…
A study published last year in the Journal of Law and Economics found that police issue more traffic citations during recessions. From 1990 to 2003, counties in North Carolina issued significantly more tickets in the year following a decline in general tax revenue.
Researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock found that a 10% decrease in revenue growth caused a 6.4% increase the following year in the growth rate of traffic tickets.”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-30-speeding-cushion_N.htm?se=yahoorefer
8. “Robert Gibbs endorses denial of civilian trials
The fact that Robert Gibbs went on MSNBC today and explicitly defended military commissions as just underscores the real point here: the continuation and affirmative embrace of the Bush/Cheney civil liberties template by the Obama administration has converted that approach from what it once was (controversial right-wing radicalism) into what it now is (uncontroversial bipartisan consensus). That’s why Robert Gibbs goes on television and defends the denial of civilian trials, which were once deemed by Democrats to be a Grave Assault on the Constitution. That conversion of what were once Bush/Cheney Assaults on the Constitution into bipartisan consensus is, by far, the most significant and long-lasting impact Obama has had in this area.”
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/03/31/gibbs/index.html
9. “White House access is a jackpot for reporters
Is it even remotely conceivable that this stable of access-desperate reporters would write negatively about the White House or the President, or conversely, refuse to do their bidding? Look at what Ryan Lizza writes to get the answer. They’re all vying for the lucrative position of unofficial royal court spokesman (which Bob Woodward occupied in the prior administration). How can one possibly purport to be a “watchdog” over the very political officials on whom one’s livelihood and hope for riches depend? This conflict between (a) a need for access and (b) adversarial journalism is already acute enough — perhaps even unavoidable — for those who report on a day-to-day basis on the White House and other officials. But to then purposely compound that conflict by putting yourself in such a dependent and needy position vis-a-vis White House aides (with these “behind-the-scenes” books) proves how inappropriate the word “journalist” is for them. They’re motivated by many things; journalism plainly isn’t one of them.”
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/03/31/journalism/index.html
10. “Hope is For little Kids and Tooth Fairies’
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25115.htm
