A main goal of mine is to help spread knowledge on what is going on in the world right now. This includes providing news sources (as seen in the television section), as well as analyses of important events and documents. For example, the USA PATRIOT ACT and the adjoining Military Order are two very important pieces of legislation that must be thoroughly analyzed. I have provided my own analysis in blog form by clicking HERE ; I go through the laws, both national and international, that they violate. Another comprehensive analysis of the PATRIOT ACT was done by EFF and can be found HERE .
The President's Military Order concerning the "Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism" can be found in blog form by clicking HERE , with its original White House link. The USA PATRIOT ACT can be found, in full, HERE .
In Short, the PATRIOT ACT and Military Order restrict civil liberties and the rights of due process as guaranteed in the Constitution, by subsequent laws, and by the international standards of the Geneva Convention. A subsequent bill passed in 2005, the Treatment of Detainees Act, intentionally circumvents Supreme Court rulings on the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay (for the full bill and a brief analysis, click HERE ). A further bill was just passed in 2006, called the Military Commissions Act, which, against Constitutional standards and the Geneva Convention, reduces the rights of due process even further. This bill can be found in full HERE . A fifth bill on this topic, also passed this September, is the Wiretap Act, which can be found in full HERE . This bill reaffirms some of the most disconcerting sections of the PATRIOT ACT, in that it allows surveillance of persons, citizens and non, via phone, internet and all other forms of communication without obtaining a warrant. This directly circumvents the fourth amendment.
About the Military Commissions Act, Veterans For Peace (an anti - war coalition of veterans) said "Yesterday, September 28th, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 would gut the Geneva Conventions by diluting the War Crimes Act, taking away checks on the president's power and staining our nation's legacy as the standard for the protection of human rights. Passing of this legislation opens the door for other nations to do the same, placing US service members in greater danger." To visit their site click HERE , or to sign their petition against the Military Commissions Act, click HERE .
For more information on this, or any event discussed, please contact me here through myspace, or through my yahoo account at [email protected]
Power is usurped from the people, first by implementing fear, then it is maintained by slandering as 'unpatriotic' those who refuse submission.
~Ramman Kenoun
The cry has been that when war is declared, all opposition should be hushed. A sentiment more unworthy of a free country could hardly be propagated.
~William Ellery Channing
Before the war is ended, the war party assumes the divine right to denounce and silence all opposition to war as unpatriotic and cowardly.
~Senator Robert M. La Follette
I'd like to meet:
Others who are aware of the twilight.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas once reminded a group of young lawyers “As nightfall does not come all once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of darknessâ€.
Music:
..You're listening to:
Neil Young
“Let’s Impeach the Presidentâ€
Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their news stories
Of why we have to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank God he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean
Thank God
This song can be found on the album:
Living With War
Television:
News in America has lagged behind the rest of the world. Why do they hate us? There are more reasons than not, but one easily observable reason is that news in America is biased, untrustworthy, deceitful, and there is more urgency to report celebrity news than global events. On this note, there are several alternate news sources, both American and non, that are on the up and up.
For general, non-biased news coverage, truthout.org is an excellent source. World-renown journalists such as William Rivers Pitt, J. Sri Raman, Chalmers Johnson, Dahr Jamail, Steve Weissman and others from newspapers such as the New York Times and Le Monde cover events that affect Americans and people worldwide.
Another great news source is the BBC which has global news on its front page, and easily accessible are links to news for each region; Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the UK.
For specifically Anti-War news, an excellent source is ANTIWAR.COM. Journalists from every major newspaper around the globe report and write commentaries on war news in every theatre including Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, the Sudan, and various other African, European and Asian stages.
Peter Werbe is a radio talk show host specializing in political commentary. Knowledgeable and trustworthy; his site is dedicated to political coverage, mobilization and anti-war news. Nightcall airs Sundays on WRIF-FM 101.1 from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Eastern Time, or listen online at radiopower.org or wrif.com .
For specifically Middle Eastern news Aljazeera's english edition is an excellent source. It provides a fresh look at important stories and events from a unique perspective not found in American media outlets.
Paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people...
~Hugo Black, Supreme Court Justice
Phony pretexts repeated often enough become real reasons. Things that...are not true become true in the public mind simply through endless repetition.
~Lenny Bloom
Books:
The 9-11 Commission Report, which can also be found in full HERE .
Noam Chomsky's 9-11, which is a transcript of an interview analyzing the root cause and consequences of 9-11, as well as deconstructing current American foreign policies and definitions relating to terror and terrorism.
Tariq Ali Clash of Fundamentalisms. This is a historical analysis of the rifts between the Western world and the Muslim world. It is an excellent read.
Richard Bulliet The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization. This is a reevaluation of the sibling relationship that constructs the Islamo-Christian civilization. Bulliet seeks two interconnected goals; to build the case for the existence of an Islamo-Christian civilization, while simultaneously assessing the faults and prejudices, which damage that relationship. This is a very well constructed, well thought out, captivating yet easy read.
Edward Said From Oslo to Iraq and the Road Map. This is a series of essays outlining the failures of and reactions to US foreign policy in Israel/Palestine, Iraq, and the roots of and new reality after 9-11. He thoughtfully illustrates the realities of war in these areas, the interconnectedness of these theatres, the rationale behind various policies and reactions and the failures of those involved in all three spheres. This is an insightful and deeply knowledgeable read.
Noam Chomsky Middle East Illusions. This is a collection of essays written before and after 9-11 examining the history of the conflict, the root causes leading up to 9-11, and the enormously far-reaching consequences of the attacks and subsequent US policies. It is a must read to understand the new reality the world is facing.
Noam Chomsky Fateful Triangle : The United States, Israel, and the PAlestinians. Written before 9-11 this is an in depth look at the policies, struggles, wars and failures that intricately shaped the world politic leading up to 9-11.
Dalton Trumbo Johnny Got His Gun, this is the original protest novel and was banned/taken off the shelves for every war prior to the 1991 Gulf War. It is an excellent read.
Heroes:
Since the death of her son, Casey, in Iraq in 2004, Cindy Sheehan has devoted her life to bringing an end to what she considers to be a decietful, disasterous war and governmental administration. Spending her time between the lawn on Bush's Crawford Ranch, the White House gate, giving press conferences and writing poignant articles for news sources such as truthout.org, Sheehan has become an icon, a rallying point around which Veterans and citizens alike protest the Iraq War, the Bush Administration and its various policies. Her voice carries weight; both as a grieving mother, as an articulate and knowledgeable spokesperson.
“President Bush says we're safer fighting them there than over here. Why are we safer because 120,000 civilians are dead? What makes their babies less precious than ours?â€
~Cindy Sheehan
“My son was killed in 2004. I am not paying my taxes for 2004. You killed my son, George Bush, and I don't owe you a penny...you give my son back and I'll pay my taxes. Come after me (for back taxes) and we'll put this war on trial.â€
~Cindy Sheehan
Veterans For Peace
Veterans For Peace is a national, non-governmental organization founded in 1985. Its membership is comprised of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and various other conflicts including a most recent chapter from the Iraq War. VFP is represented in the UN and has annual meetings and regular publications protesting American involvement in wars and conflicts.
"Our collective experience tells us wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent. Thus, other means of problem solving are necessary."
~Veterans For Peace
Iraq Veterans Against The War
IVAW was founded by Iraq War Veterans in 2004 who were determinted to give Iraqi vets a voice in this conflict. Active Duty service people are pressured to remain silent, so the IVAW protests, issuing a rallying cry that calls for "Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq; Reparations for the pillaging and destruction of Iraq so that ordinary Iraqi people can control their own lives and future; and Full benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women." The IVAW uses all the resources at its disposal to work for an end to the war, and to protect those service men and women who have sought or are looking to seek conscientious objector status. The IVAW incur great risks for their beliefs and truly are heroes.
