Lead by Example

We, the People were lied to about 9/11 and the reasons to bomb people in Afghanistan, then Iraq.  There has never been any reason to go to war with these countries since the "attack" of 9/11 was perpetrated by Saudis and a couple of misfits, none from those two countries.  Yet we have destroyed them.  Why?  Oil and now, we are learning about precious minerals in Afghanistan, plus pipelines, et al, et nauseum.

If we are to have any credibility in the future of this planet, we must take the lead in holding accountable every single leader who led us down this road to disaaster.  I think that begins with the former president-select, George W. Bush.

Monday, December 29, 2008 

Obama's Duty To Prosecute Bush For War Crimes

Indeed, the rule of law is the "strongbox that keeps all our other values safe." We can write laws that say we have certain freedoms and rights, and we can build courts and elect lawmakers, but if there is no rule of law, then we lose our rights bit by bit until they are no longer recognizable.  While the goppies will cry "partisan witch hunt," even the Bush State Dept. recognizes that no democratic society can tolerate abuses when people are tortured or kidnapped under rendition in violation of our rule of law or tolerate the failure to prosecute in compliance with our Constitution.
Signing the petition drafted by budhydharma and Docudharma is not in defiance of our President-Elect Obama, but rather a sign of support for the difficult times that he and Holder will face when performing their clear constitutional duties.
As President, Obama will have the constitutional duty to faithfully execute our laws.
The constitutional oath of office will require President Obama to faithfully execute the office of President and preserve, protect and defend our Constitution. Our constitution also requires that our presidents "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed."  The principle of the rule of law is partially based on this Faithfully Execute clause which requires our President to comply with laws, our Constitution and treaties because our Constitution established a government of laws, not of men and women.
The Geneva Convention is one of the laws which must be faithfully executed.

Posted by Edger at 8:00 PM

Obama's Duty To Prosecute Bush For War Crimes
by Patriot Daily at Docudharma, Monday December 29, 2008 at 14:14:19 PST
http://ooibc.blogspot.com/2008/12/obamas-duty-to-prosecute-bush-for-war.html

Reject Obama's War

The anti-war community is growing again, momentum is building again.  There will soon be too many demos to go to, for our troops in Afghnistan, Iraq, places unacknowledged and most of all for the people of those traumatized countries.

Here are two views about Prez Obama's upcoming announcement of more boots on the ground, again.

From US Labor Against the War, I present in it's entirity their announcement.  It isn't posted on their web page yet but I felt it important that a broad audience read this:

               ***

November 29, 2009
To:           All USLAW affiliates, members and supporters
From:       USLAW Co-Convenors
RE:          Imminent Afghan Escalation

On the very eve of the USLAW National Labor Assembly in Chicago, President Barack Obama is expected to announce his decision about the deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan. Media reports predict he will make an announcement on Tuesday evening, December 1, that he intends to send as many as 34,000 additional U.S. troops and will seek thousands more from NATO allies.
Antiwar organizations around the country are organizing to protest this military escalation in Afghanistan. We encourage USLAW affiliates, members and supporters to join them to convince the administration that this escalation puts our country on the wrong course. It is the path LBJ took in Vietnam and it cost him "The Great Society." We can do better.
While the Assembly will consider USLAW's overall stance, it has been USLAW policy since the Leadership Council meeting December, 2008, that we
    •    Oppose any escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan and military action in Pakistan and promote non-military solutions that rely primarily on diplomacy, economic development, and pursuit of terrorists as a criminal rather than military matter.
      On November 15, we reiterated this position in an Action Alert in which we said:
The wisdom of that stand has been born out by the steady deterioration in the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The government is viewed by Afghans as corrupt and ineffective.  The elections there made a travesty of the very notion of democracy.  Karzai, surrounded by warlords and drug lords, is thoroughly discredited.  His own brother is a druglord and a thug.
Committing thousands more troops will only stiffen Afghan resistance to foreign military occupation.
During the last few weeks, across the country, tens of thousands of people who share these concerns have written and called the White House to express opposition to any escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan. They believe, as we do, that the corrupt regime in Kabul does not deserve any more blood or money.
What Afghanistan needs now is not more foreign forces but rather more international diplomacy, regional negotiations that include the Taliban, real development assistance, more schools and clinics, electrification, clean water, and sanitation.
It costs $1 million for every troop the U.S. sends to Afghanistan. The billions of dollars we are squandering there are not making us any safer, but they are draining resources that could be used here to meet the urgent needs we have here at home - for health care, education, infrastructure, and more.
Rather than listen to the generals and Congressional hawks, we must convince the Obama administration to listen to the people - a majority of whom want an end to war and occupation in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Now is not a time for silence!
Join, Support & Build USLAW - Labor's Antiwar Voice!

Here's their link:  http://uslaboragainstwar.org/

Next is Michael Moore''s letter to the president.  Blessed be Michael Moore!!

An Open Letter to the President

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1267518840#/notes/aser-plac/open-letter-to-obama-by-michael-moore/218683830309

Michael Moore's blog:  http://www.michaelmoore.com/?%28none%29

A Tale of Two Men

Down in Texass the repuglican spin meisters are working overtime to proclaim that the alleged (remember, innocent until proven guilty?) shooter at Ft. Hood, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan was a loser and miscreant who just didn't feel like going to Iraq to shoot other Muslims. Born in America, Maj. Hasan was a Palestinian Muslim whose family fled for a better life. To be a dutiful American son, he volunteered for military service years before 9/11. Maj. Hasan considered the military his family. But he was just a soldier in a "volunteer" army, and that meant he had to take whatever shit they threw at him, including refusing requests to resign rather than be deployed to Afghanistan.

"He's disgruntled because he had a poor performance evaluation, he doesn't believe in the mission, he's looking at getting transferred to Afghanistan or Iraq," [Representative Michael] McCaul said. "He's not happy about all that."

Rep Michael McCaul and wife Linda at
POPE BENEDICT XVIS BIRTHDAY
The Italian Embassy on May 2008

Rep. McCaul, who bought his seat by using a couple millions from his wife's treasure chest (she's the daughter of Clear Channel's Chairman of the Board) can afford to look on the bright side of things. No chance is he going to face deployment to a hostile nation. No way was he not gonna git his way. Nope. Wealth and experience as a counterterror expert under W's presidency permits McCaul to say and do pretty much whatever he wants.

USA Today: 22 candidates dig deep into fortunes; only one wins

[...] In Texas, McCaul, a former counterterrorism specialist in the Justice Department, had the experience — and the cash. His wife, Linda, is the daughter of Lowry Mays, chairman of the board of Clear Channel Communications Inc.

McCaul spent $4 million to defeat millionaire Ben Streusand, a Houston-area mortgage banker, in a Republican runoff primary election. Since there was no Democratic candidate, McCaul won election to the House.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/2004-11-05-millionaires_x.htm

Please review the ideology of Mr. McCaul, courtesy of the internet tubes:
http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Michael_McCaul.htm

This man McCaul will never receive an award for compassion or for even trying to walk in another man's shoes. Shit, second-hand was not part of the profile for this 4th generation prosecution attorney who wound up as a terrorISM expert.

Major Hasan was a psychiatrist who spent his days listening to soldiers relay the worst experiences and (probably) trying to patch them up enough so they could go back to the field and do more horrific damage to innocent people. If he survives his injuries it will be nearly miraculous if a Jack Ruby type doesn't assassinate him before any more facts come out.

I wonder how long Rep McCaul could last on a military base, with a case load of seriously damaged people filing in on the hour and out 10 minutes before, with precious little time to process, clear his head and write up the required progess notes before the next client walked in and then the next until his work day was over.

In the current atmosphere of financial desperation and dog eat dog under which most Americans must function, I doubt Michael McCaul could last a single day. But maybe he's got friends in Opus Dei with a special key to heaven. That might help, if you're a believer. I believe Jesus said a whole lot of good stuff about compassion. Too bad Michael McCaul didn't read those parts, or take them to heart. Maybe he will change. Maybe. Mostly, I just wish he'd keep his mouth shut until the facts are out. If he continues spewing out of his asshole, he might as well just pull the plug on Maj. Hasan's life support right now.

Here's more background about Maj. Hasan from sources I'd trust before CNN:
irishtimes.com
Texas Shooting leaves 13 dead

[...] Retired Colonel Terry Lee, who worked with Hasan, claimed the major was anti-war and argued with comrades who supported operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia, was also due to be sent to Afghanistan, something family members said would have been his “worst nightmare”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1106/breaking1.htm

BBC News: Profile: Major Nidal Malik Hasan

[...] His cousin told US media that Maj Hasan had been opposed to an imminent deployment overseas, describing it as his "worst nightmare".

He also said that Maj Hasan had been battling racial harassment because of his "Middle Eastern ethnicity".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8345944.stm

We Moved Scott On!

Of course, the real success will be when the criminals are hauled off to the Hague, but for now, we should be glad that Scott McClellen is acting like a human being. This clip comes from ThinkProgress.org

McClellan promises to donate portion of book profits to Iraq veterans.»

Yesterday, MoveOn launched a petition calling on former White House press secretary Scott McClellan to donate the proceeds from his new book to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This morning on NBC’s Meet the Press, McClellan promised to give a portion of the profits to these men and women. Watch it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/01/mcclellan-promises-to-donate-portion-of-book-profits-to-iraq-veterans/

Support Our Troops, For REAL

Jumping into the elevator to get back to my desk after lunch I read on the elevator news that Petraeus wants more troops in Afghanistan. Where will the bodies come from to fill these boots? The added incentives of bonuses for recruiters will create more lies, which will disenfranchise more young people from “politics” and on and on. At least the Vets for America is on the case:

Dear Friend:
Today, Veterans for America will deliver two new critical reports to every Member of Congress in anticipation of General Petraeus testifying next week in Washington.
As a supporter of Veterans for America, and we very much appreciate your help, I wanted to make sure you had a copy of these reports today, just as they are being released.
These two new reports--"The Consequences Of Churning" and "Weekend Warriors To Frontline Soldiers" -- make one thing absolutely clear: we must say no if General Petraeus suggests we stop the withdrawals of troops from Iraq. The consequences of our deployment policies are simply catastrophic and stopping withdrawals will only make it worse
Deployments now last 15 months instead of 12, and where once the Army provided two days at home for every one away, that ratio is now less than one day at home for every day served overseas. Four of the Army's Brigade Combat Teams (BCT's) have been deployed four times, 10 have been deployed three times, and almost all at least twice. Defense Department reports prove that a Soldier's likelihood of developing severe post-combat mental health problems leap 60% with each deployment.
The burden on our National Guard is also great - as it was designed primarily for domestic missions, not as an operational reserve for the most-heavily deployed elements of the active-duty Army. Nearly 200,000 members of the Army National Guard have been deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan - about half of whom already have post-combat mental health problems, a rate 29% higher than their active-duty counterparts.
These new reports are part of our Wounded Warrior Outreach Program - a program we have launched to give our troops a voice. We have visited bases around the country and we will continue to do so - but for those efforts, we need your help.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WOUNDED WARRIOR OUTREACH PROGRAM - PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN.
http://www.veteransforamerica.org/woundedwarrior/

Breaking Their Hearts

While we go about our daily lives, soldiers and civilians in Iraq suffer 10,000 9/11’s, every day.
We must bring our troops home and NOT WAIT for the politicians to do it. They will delay as long as possible, for lack of courage or desire for conquest. Neither is a just reason to continue. Let Iraqis find their way home without our interference. That’s what US citizens would want if we were invaded and occupied.
Stress of war takes its toll: More than bomb blasts or gunfire, chest pains plague those downrange
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, 3/18/08
LANDSTUHL, Germany — After five years of the war in Iraq, you might think that most troops and civilians medically evacuated from the war are treated for blast, gunshot or other combat injuries.
You’d be wrong.
Atop the list is chest pain.
[...] Factors that bring on chest pain include stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, tobacco use and carrying heavy gear — just to name a few.
“Certainly carrying around all that gear, as well as the body armor, causes a lot of musculoskeletal symptoms that can often be confusing,” [Dr. Randolph] Modlin said. “There are a lot of reasons people develop chest pain. ... Stress has a lot of funny ways of coming out, and that’s also a big cause for the patients we see with chest pain.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080319.wtibet0319/BNStory/International/home

More Reasons to Impeach Bush

News Alert!!! This just in from David Swanson :
Bush's Latest Signing Statement Is Grounds for Impeachment
New York, NY -- United for Peace and Justice, the country's largest anti-war coalition with over 1400 member groups, condemns President Bush's continued arrogant and unconstitutional use of signing statements.On Monday, Jan. 25, 2008, President Bush released a signing statement claiming the right to violate four sections of H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which he had just signed into law. These four sections: 841, 846, 1079, and 1222, Bush announced, would be "construed" in a manner "consistent with the constitutional authority of the President."Among the measures Bush's latest signing statement declares the right to violate are: the establishment of a commission to investigate U.S. contractor fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan, the expansion of whistleblower protections, a requirement that U.S. intelligence agencies respond to congressional requests for documents, a ban on funding permanent bases in Iraq, and a ban on funding any actions that exercise U.S. control over Iraq's oil money.
[...] "The rule of law established by the Constitution has been undermind in an almost unnoticed revolution," said Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator of United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ). "The Constitution allows the president to veto bills or sign and enforce them, not to rewrite them or to disobey them. The same document that gives the Congress the power to make every law, gives it the sole power to raise and spend money, and the sole power to declare war. The people's representatives in Congress are losing all of these powers through their failure to act on the remedy provided for precisely this situation: impeachment."
UFPJ is urging its members to speak with the media about this matter and to phone the House Judiciary Committee at 202-225-3951 to request that it begin impeachment hearings.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

The Loose Nukes Story Has a New Wrinkle

I knew there was more to this story. Let's hope it gets reported.
Nuke transportation story has explosive implications
By ROBERT STORMER
Special to the Star-Telegram, Posted on Sun, Oct. 07, 2007
The procedure is to separate the warhead from the missile, encase the warhead and transport it by military cargo aircraft to a repository -- not an operational bomber base that just happens to be the staging area for Middle Eastern operations. [emphasis added]

http://www.star-telegram.com/245/story/259201.html

See past posts: September 13, 2007, This was No Accident: Nuclear Weapons are Different and September 7, 2007, Heads Up re Stand Down

EVERY Body Counts

Here is further evidence of the way media immunizes Americans from the reality of the war on terror (sic):
Two Million Iraq Deaths, Eight Million Bush Asian Holocaust Deaths And Media Holocaust Denial

Dr Gideon Polya, 07 October, 2007

Quantitative or qualitative denial of the Jewish Holocaust (6 million deaths comprising 5 million murdered and 1 million deprivation-related deaths) is punished in Austria by 10 years in prison and in other countries by lengthy custodial sentences. The Iraqis, Lebanese and Palestinians are overwhelmingly SEMITES by ETHNICITY and the Afghans have a Semitic-origin, Islamic CULTURE. What we are seeing is racist, ANTI-SEMITIC, Islamophobic Holocaust Denial driven by lying, racist, Bush-ite Mainstream media.

http://www.countercurrents.org/polya071007.htm

For previous posts on this topic see:
September 23, 2007 - Who Counts, Redux,

September 16, 2007- Who Counts?

September 16, 2007 - If America was Invaded...

September 9, 2007- 18 US Troops Killed Isn't Newsworthy?

August 21, 2007 - Call It Genocide

Let us NEVER forget: our own troops (and their families) will be future victims:

September 5, 2007 - Daughters of Vietnam Veterans, Cancer in Iraq vets raises possibility of toxic exposure

The People's Republic of Brooklyn Takes Action

Party for the People
Saturday, October 6, 1 pm to 9 pm
Celebration of community empowerment

Workshops, performances, presentations, and more.
Admission free!!
The Yard, 388-400 Carroll St (bet. Bond and Nevins), Carroll Gardens
Party for the People Collective / Endorsed by Brooklyn For Peace
For information, call 718–624–5921 or outreach@brooklynpeace.org

War No More!

Our monthly cable TV program, airing the second Wednesday of every month at 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10, 10:00 pm
Greg Grandin, "Empire’s Workshop in Latin America: Part 2: Resistance
Channel 35 (TimeWarner)/Channel 68 (Cablevision)
To watch from anywhere on your computer, go to www.brooklynx.org/bcat/ scroll down to "Watch BCAT Live" and click on Channel 2.
Programs are not archived; you must watch at 10 pm on Wednesday

Two upcoming events on the same day but different Brooklyn locations:

Bay Ridge Peace Fair
Saturday, October 13, 11:00 am–5:00 pm

Featuring Granny Peace Brigade, Code Pink, visiting educator from Baghdad, representatives of military families, and more! Free admission; all welcome!
Bay Ridge United Methodist Church, Ovington & 4th Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Sponsored by Bay Ridge Neighbors for Peace
For more information, e-mail bayridgepeace@yahoo.com or call 646–546–6422

Say NO to war against Iran!
Negotiation, not confrontation!
Sat Oct 13, 12 noon

Location: Steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall
12 noon to 1 pm: Rally and speak-out
Featuring: Sapphire (Poet & Performance Artist)
Speakers: Major Owens (Former Member of Congress), Mina Zand Siegel (IranWrites Blog), Jim Brennan (NY State Assembly), Molly Nolan (Brooklyn For Peace), & More
1 to 2 pm: Leafleting along Montague St and the Promenade
We call for: Full and open negotiations with Iraq on all issues
Congressional legislation blocking funding for an attack on Iran
Prohibit presidential action without congressional approval
Adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by all countries.
Questions? E-mail nowar @ brooklynpeace.org or call 718-624-5921
http://brooklynpeace.org

Who Counts, Redux.

or, why not?
None Dare Call It Genocide
By Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
Well, it's about time that we think about the numbers, even though the US military has decided that body counts are not worth their time. Opinion Research Business, a highly reputable polling firm in the UK, has just completed a detailed and rigorous survey of Iraqis. In the past, the company's results have been touted by the Bush administration whenever the data looks favorable to the US cause. But their latest report received virtually no attention in the US.
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=23775

See my blog from Sept. 16, Who Counts? for more on this.

Blackwater Out of USA, Too!

Iraq gets tough with foreign security firms

Fred Attewill and agencies, Tuesday September 18, 2007, Guardian Unlimited

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2171904,00.html

Murderous Robots

General Atomics MQ-1 Predators guarantees guilt-free war. Soldiers don't have to feel any remorse or witness blood on the ground. We have become the most despicable empire in history, and the karma will be horrific for ALL of us.

U.S. Secret Air War Pulverizes Afghanistan and Iraq
Conn Hallinan, Foreign Policy in Focus.

http://www.uruknet.de/?s1=1&p=36291&s2=16

The Air Force is also deploying a bigger, faster and more muscular version of the Predator, the MQ-9 "Reaper" -- as in grim -- a robot capable of carrying four Hellfire missiles, plus two 500 lb. bombs.

The Predators and the Reapers have several advantages, the most obvious being they don't need pilots. "With more Reapers I could send manned airplanes home," says North.
Also see Wikipedia's entry on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper

NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

FROM DALLAS TO 9/11: The War on the Truth

The next time you want to throw a new curve into the 9/11 debate, make a narco connection via this blog. They have been following the "Venice Flying Circus" story and others in a wide web of conspiracy stories. Now I’m not saying …, neither will I rule out ANYTHING until there is a full and UNAFFILIATED investigation of how we were attacked. At the end of the day, the only true thing we can all agree upon is that we were attacked and there was absolutely NO DEFENSE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

As long as we’re straight on that. You might want to read on:

WORLD EXCLUSIVE
Sept 11 2007
by Daniel Hopsicker

http://www.madcowprod.com/09112007.html

Battered Patriots, All

There’s a 9/11/01 every day in Afghanistan and Iraq. Children are growing up accepting war and fear as normal. Citizens still hang on to illusions because the truth hurts too much. Like battered spouses, we love our governmate, and will stand by our country no matter what.

One poignant moment from last night’s Times Square event came when a man in his 60s refused the flyer I offered. As he passed he tried not to look at the posters but was drawn to them like a moth to light. I asked him if he had any questions about what happened that day. His face turned red and he demanded, “Don’t ask me any questions!” The woman with him smiled, took a flyer and tried to reassure me that he wasn’t really troublesome, he just gets like that. We began to talk, but the man flipped out and demanded they leave. I watched as the two of them walked away arguing.

A big later they passed by again, he looking like a tornado and she, a dedicated geisha bowing submissively behind her consort. Nearing 42^nd Street they briefly separated. I approached her and apologized if I caused any trouble between them. She smiled sadly and said it wasn’t unusual. We parted as friends.

People say demonstrations don’t accomplish anything. Doing nothing doesn’t accomplish anything. It’s hard to know what action will take fire and what will flame out but we must persist with every available option. when a new tactic comes along, grab it. For now, "Use what you got to get what you need." By any means necessary.

9/11 is coming up. RAGE ON!

Ready for 9/11 truth? Check this out:

Leuren Moret and Alfred Webre call for International Citizen's 9/11 War Crimes Tribunal

Written by Richard Kastelein

Saturday, 01 September 2007

According to Moret and Webre, 9/11 was a False Flag Operation by an international War Crimes Racketeering Organization, to provide a pretext to engage in Genocidal & Ecocidal Depleted Uranium (DU) bombing of Central Asia (Afghanistan and Iraq) in order to secure vast oil and uranium reserves; to roll out a Terror-based National Security state-system world-wide; and to implement the final stages of a world Depopulation policy.

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/2299/811

Endless War

In September 2002 I first heard the phrase, "endless war" to describe BushCo's future plans for world domination and remember feeling uncomfortable using it in discussions with other citizens. The invasion of Iraq was being promoted everywhere and all I wanted to do was to stop us from pursuing that destructive policy rather than get caught up in a debate about what endless war might mean. Too manyAmericans wanted vengence against whoever may been behind 9/11 but didn't have a problem attacking Afghanistan even though 9/11 was instigated by Saudi Arabians. Of course, we were told Osama Bin Laden was there and because he was the mastermind of the plot, innocent Afghanis must die to stop him and protect our "freedoms".

We know now the hunt for Bin Laden was bullshit. The opportunities to catch him were squandered and BushCo has repeatedly said they aren't concerned about Bin Laden. They even took him off the "most wanted" list!

Once there was an enemy called Communism, and that kept us superior and safe with our endless nukes. We'd all be dead rather than red, right? The external threat of Communism to our way of life was bogus, just as Saddam Hussein was no more a threat to our security than any other crazy dictator. But the drumbeats to bomb Iran get louder every day as talking heads claim Iranian weapons are killing our soldiers. (Strange, isn't it, that the American military has lost at least 30% of our weapons in Iraq, but you don't hear much about "getting" whoever was responsible for that.)

So I urge you to read this from the Nation:

Bush to Karzai: Will You Just Shut Up About Iran?
by John Nichols
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=220487