Loyalty without truth
is a trail to tyranny.
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a middle-aged George Washington
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Saturday, 19 November 2005 at 19h 1m 55s | Da Prez meets regular guy fo uh be-air |
Ever get that down to Earth feeling?
Go here to read more ...
The Onion story behind this mythical meeting by Bush with a "regular Joe" is
hilarious, and quite true, even if the actual event did not really occur.
Sometimes the truth is more relevent in fiction than real life, because one's
loyalties and misconceptions can be stripped free of their symbolism.
| Saturday, 19 November 2005 at 18h 50m 23s | Why did they out Valerie Plame again? | Thanks
Bartcop
From _Dave in Half Moon Bay
Just to add a little detail to my claim that Plame was outed because she had
prevented
the BFEE from planting WMD, here's one place I saw an example by Wayne Madsen:
"According to U.S. intelligence sources, the White House exposure of Plame and
Brewster Jennings was intended to
retaliate against the CIA's work in limiting the proliferation of WMDs. The
CIA Counter-Proliferation Division prevented
the shipment of binary VX nerve gas from Turkey into Iraq in November 2002.
The Brewster Jennings network in Turkey
was able to intercept this shipment which was intended to be hidden in Iraq and
later used as evidence that Saddam was
in possession of WMDs. U.S. intelligence sources revealed that this was a major
reason Bush targeted Plame and her network."
SOURCES:
| Friday, 18 November 2005 at 5h 21m 25s | The propaganda machine at work | This is from a recent ROLLING STONE article, By JAMES BAMFORD. [
SOURCE]
On December 17th, 2001, in a small room within the sound of the crashing tide,
a CIA officer attached metal electrodes to the ring and index fingers of a man
sitting pensively in a padded chair. The officer then stretched a black rubber
tube, pleated like an accordion, around the man's chest and another across his
abdomen. Finally, he slipped a thick cuff over the man's brachial artery, on
the inside of his upper arm.
Strapped to the polygraph machine was Adnan Ihsan Saeed al-Haideri, a forty-
three-year-old Iraqi who had fled his homeland in Kurdistan and was now
determined to bring down Saddam Hussein. For hours, as thin mechanical styluses
traced black lines on rolling graph paper, al-Haideri laid out an explosive
tale. Answering yes and no to a series of questions, he insisted repeatedly
that he was a civil engineer who had helped Saddam's men to secretly bury tons
of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. The illegal arms, according to al-
Haideri, were buried in subterranean wells, hidden in private villas, even
stashed beneath the Saddam Hussein Hospital, the largest medical facility in
Baghdad.
It was damning stuff -- just the kind of evidence the Bush administration was
looking for. If the charges were true, they would offer the White House a
compelling reason to invade Iraq and depose Saddam. That's why the Pentagon had
flown a CIA polygraph expert to Pattaya: to question al-Haideri and confirm,
once and for all, that Saddam was secretly stockpiling weapons of mass
destruction.
There was only one problem: It was all a lie. After a review of the sharp peaks
and deep valleys on the polygraph chart, the intelligence officer concluded
that al-Haideri had made up the entire story, apparently in the hopes of
securing a visa.
The fabrication might have ended there, the tale of another political refugee
trying to scheme his way to a better life. But just because the story wasn't
true didn't mean it couldn't be put to good use. Al-Haideri, in fact, was the
product of a clandestine operation -- part espionage, part PR campaign -- that
had been set up and funded by the CIA and the Pentagon for the express purpose
of selling the world a war. And the man who had long been in charge of the
marketing was a secretive and mysterious creature of the Washington
establishment named John Rendon.
Rendon is a man who fills a need that few people even know exists. Two months
before al-Haideri took the lie-detector test, the Pentagon had secretly awarded
him a $16 million contract to target Iraq and other adversaries with
propaganda. One of the most powerful people in Washington, Rendon is a leader
in the strategic field known as "perception management," manipulating
information -- and, by extension, the news media -- to achieve the desired
result. His firm, the Rendon Group, has made millions off government contracts
since 1991, when it was hired by the CIA to help "create the conditions for the
removal of Hussein from power." Working under this extraordinary transfer of
secret authority, Rendon assembled a group of anti-Saddam militants, personally
gave them their name -- the Iraqi National Congress -- and served as their
media guru and "senior adviser" as they set out to engineer an uprising against
Saddam. It was as if President John F. Kennedy had outsourced the Bay of Pigs
operation to the advertising and public-relations firm of J. Walter Thompson.
Oh, and that is just the beginning 5 per cent. There is a whole lot more, read on.
| Friday, 18 November 2005 at 4h 58m 1s | Proverbs, Chapter 6 | Thanks to the passionate and knowledgeable Mike Malloy, I can
bring you
Biblical scripture from the Proverbs, Chapter 6 verses #16 - #19.
[SOURCE]
There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood.
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
By the way, I find the New American Standard Bible much better than the often
cryptic and hard to decipher King James Version.
| Friday, 18 November 2005 at 3h 21m 31s | Supermarket meat may not be so fresh | The source can be found here , Capiltal Hill Blue.
Under little-noted rulings over the last three years, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has allowed meat processors to use small amounts of carbon
monoxide to maintain the red color in fresh meat sold in pre-assembled or "case-
ready" packages.
Such packages are airtight containers assembled with the product at meat-
packing plants and are not made to be reopened until they are sold to
consumers. Some packages are marketed for up to 35 days, or 28 days in the case
of ground beef.
Kalsec, a food-and-spice company based in Kalamazoo, Mich., is protesting the
FDA action, saying the carbon-monoxide treatment is an illegal additive to
fresh meat that disguises the freshness of the meat and hides spoilage.
"Color is the indicator consumers use most often to determine if meat is
fresh," said Don Berdahl, Kalsec's vice president. He explained that carbon-
monoxide gas reacts with the pigment of the blood in meat and gives it a deep
red color that can fool shoppers.
The company also charged that the practice is not safe and can hide the growth
of dangerous pathogens like botulinum, salmonella and E. coli.
Kalsec wants the FDA to either rescind its approval of the use of carbon
monoxide or require meat packers to label treated product to alert consumers.
The FDA has not objected to companies using carbon monoxide as a processing aid
in several cases over the last three years, ruling that the gas is in the
category of "substances generally recognized as safe" and so not requiring
complete regulatory review.
Of course the idea is to cut the butcher staff at the stores. My best friend
has been a butcher for the last 15 years. He's told me the whole story of how
the large big box market corporations have turned his profession from one of an
entire staff cutting the meat fresh from the carcasses that came two or three
times a week, into just him and two other shift workers opening pre-packaged,
pre-cut meat in seated containers. Mexican workers in the plants at the border
cost 5 to 10% what the cost of the butcher staff workers cost you see. The
modern butcher has turned into a customer service representative.
So you buy the bright red meat that happens to be 28 days from being cut and
packaged and then put it in the fridge for a day or more before eating it. And
when you get diarrhea or feel slightly ill, did you inaccurately attribute the
illness to ... the flu? This happens more often then you think.
| Friday, 18 November 2005 at 4h 34m 16s | God bless you, Congressman John Murtha | Democratic Congressman John Murtha (D - Pennsylvania) gave a press conference
today introducing his resolution for redeployment of American troops in
Iraq. He is a decorated Vietnam veteran, was in the United States Marine Corps
for 30 years, and has been a Congressmen for 36 years.
Read the full speech here.
Or ... Link to cnn video of speech is here.
Some choice exerpts :
"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in
illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and
coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in
direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We
cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military
action is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi
people or the Persian Gulf Region.
"General Casey said in a September 2005 hearing, "the perception of occupation
in Iraq is a major driving force behind the insurgency." General Abizaid said
on the same date, "Reducing the size and visibility of the coalition forces in
Iraq is part of our counterinsurgency strategy."
...
"We spend more money on Intelligence that all the countries in the world
together, and more on Intelligence than most countries GDP. But the
intelligence concerning Iraq was wrong. It is not a world intelligence failure.
It is a U.S. intelligence failure and the way that intelligence was misused.
...
"The threat posed by terrorism is real, but we have other threats that cannot
be ignored. We must be prepared to face all threats. The future of our military
is at risk. Our military and their families are stretched thin. Many say that
the Army is broken. Some of our troops are on their third deployment.
Recruitment is down, even as our military has lowered its standards. Defense
budgets are being cut. Personnel costs are skyrocketing, particularly in health
care. Choices will have to be made. We cannot allow promises we have made to
our military families in terms of service benefits, in terms of their health
care, to be negotiated away. Procurement programs that ensure our military
dominance cannot be negotiated away. We must be prepared. The war in Iraq has
caused huge shortfalls at our bases in the U.S.
"Much of our ground transportation is worn out and in need of either serous
overhaul or replacement. George Washington said, "To be prepared for war is one
of the most effective means of preserving peace." We must rebuild out Army. Our
deficit is growing out of control. The Director of the Congressional Budget
Office recently admitted to being "terrified" about the budget deficit in the
coming decades. This is the first prolonged war we have fought with three years
of tax cuts, without full mobilization of American industry and without a
draft. The burden of this war has not been shared equally; the military and
their families are shouldering this burden.
...
"I said over a year ago, and now the military and the Administration agrees,
Iraq can not be won "militarily." I said two years ago, the key to progress in
Iraq is to Iraqitize, Internationalize and Energize. I believe the same today.
But I have concluded that the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is impeding this
progress.
"Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency. They are untied
against U.S. forces and we have become a catalyst for violence. U.S. troops are
the common enemy of the Sunnis, Saddamists and foreign jihadists. I believe
with a U.S. troop redeployment, the Iraq security forces will be incentivized
to take control. A poll recently conducted shows that over 80% of Iraqis are
strongly opposed to the presence of coalition troops, about 45% of the Iraqi
population believe attacks against American troops are justified. I believe we
need to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis. I believe before the Iraqi elections,
scheduled for mid December, the Iraqi people and the emerging government must
be put on notice that the United States will immediately redeploy. All of Iraq
must know that Iraq is free. Free from United Stated occupation. I believe this
will send a signal to the Sunnis to join the political process for the good of
a "free" Iraq.
"My plan calls:
To immediately redeploy U.S.
troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces.
To create a quick reaction force
in the region.
To create an over-the-horizon
presence of Marines.
To diplomatically pursue security
and stability in Iraq.
"This war needs to be personalized. As I said before, I have visited with the
severely wounded of this war. They are suffering.
"Because we in Congress are charged with sending our sons and daughters into
battle, it is our responsibility, our obligation, to speak out for them. That's
why I am speaking out.
"Our military has done everything that has been asked of them, the U.S. can not
accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home."
Enough said. Thank you Congressman John Murtha.
| Thursday, 17 November 2005 at 4h 31m 10s | Steven Jones, patriot | You need to go here and read about why Brigham Young physics professor
Steven Jones has a different opinion about why the buildings in New York City
fell on September 11th. Let's just say that I agree.
Also, in support of Steven Jones, go here , a response to a puerile popular mechanics article,
whose writers thought they had a clue merely because (on the 9th page)
they "consulted more than 300 experts and organizations in [this] investigation
into 9/11 conspiracy theories."
Well god damn Junior, seems like they must be legit since they got 300 idiots
out there who can't tell a fact from a press release.
Here's the link to the original popular mechanics article
of which I speak.
| Thursday, 17 November 2005 at 2h 57m 47s | A Funny book is on the market | Thanks to Bill in Portland, Maine on Daily Kos.
America (The Book) has won the Thurber Prize for outstanding
humor writing. From page 162-63: A Who's Who of Political Interviewers:
Tim Russert Holding your own against Russert is a political rite of
passage akin to the Masai teenage-warrior circumcision ritual and only slightly
easier on your penis. But tread carefully: It's early Sunday morning, and he
fact checks.
Chris Matthews Talk, talk, talk. Everywhere you go they expect you to
talk. Not on Hardball. Matthews will deliver the sound waves; all you need to
do is take a page from the guy sitting in the Maxell ad and hang on. As long
as you grunt or nod enough to uphold the minimum body language requirement of
the social contract you just bought yourself a half hour of free television
time. (Caution to asthmatics and those with heart conditions: Carbon dioxide
levels around Matthews can become dangerously high. In the event of a
diatribe, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Help yourself, then help
the children.)
Bill O'Reilly This is the venue for those who could use an immediate
and certain judgment concerning their value as human beings. Are you a man
amongst men whose moral clarity and vision stand unsurpassed or a maggot
feeding upon the flesh of the dying? You will be told within the first minute
of the program. Do not question the judgment. Accept it, and make the
necessary changes.
| Thursday, 17 November 2005 at 1h 11m 44s | Remember Bernie Kerik |
Apparently he took payments from a construction company known to have
ties with
organized crime. Read on ....
Mind you this was the chief of New York Police during Guiliani's time as Mayor,
and was the chief during september 11th. Guiliani advised Bush to appoint
Kerik to be the first head of the Department of Homeland Security, praising him
as "one of the most capable law enforcement experts in the country." Kerik
withdrew when it was discovered that he was hiring an illegal nannie, and that
he oddly mismanaged a lot of funds in the early 90s. He hired known mafioso's
to refurnish his new 1998 apartment.
Uh, well now, only the absolute naive believes that is coincidental. The man
has a saucy history. You can read about it
here -- the source is a gossip column, but
nevertheless the New York magazine would not have printed lies.
So Guiliani's connection (that's who Kerik was by the way) with the mafia is
now on the hot seat? How soon
will "Rudy" Guiliani be seen too as just another corrupt thug with a fake
smile?
Please don mafioso, can I get to be Presidente someday?
That's right. You heard it hear from me first. I knew they were grooming
Bush in 1998. They are grooming Guiliani for 2008.
| Wednesday, 16 November 2005 at 4h 46m 11s | What will it take? | From the gnomic and irrefutable, professor Juan Cole. [SOURCE]
62 percent of Americans believe that Bush is handling Iraq poorly, and 57
percent of Americans say that the Bush administration does not have high
ethical standards.
It makes you wonder what it would take to convince the other 37 percent that
Iraq was going badly. Some 6 or 7 provinces, including that of the capital, are
the scenes of frequent violence, the economy is in shambles, militias have
infiltrated the police and army, looting and sabotage have undercut services
and oil production, thousands of people have died, and now the violence is
spreading to neighboring countries like Jordan. Is it that they do not know
what is going on, or that they are waiting for a civil war or genocide before
they entertain doubts?
Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports a wave of assassinations against prominent physicians
in Baghdad. Five of the most well known physicians in the capital have been
killed in the past few days. The campaign aims at forcing medical personnel to
emigrate. Nearly 3000 physicians have left the country, with 150 killed by
unidentified guerrillas. The Iraqi government has been powerless to stop it.
Indeed. I never thought I'd be alive to see this, the culmination of utter
stupidity blinded by an ideological disconnection with reality, but too damn
proud to be introspective, and thus unable to reassess one's own paradigm.
Ah ha, but watch the tv. The tv speaks the truth. The tv brings you close the
real thing.
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