|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:17:03 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:17:03 GMT -5
Criminalization of Criminals I used to be a Republican. I voted for GW Bush the first time around. My family used to be Republican, most of us voted a party line. Things have changed in my family. With one exception (and he is coming around) we now see Republicans, and the Republican party as standing for a set of values that we feel are criminal in nature. Do you need a list of examples? Bill Frist: He is a liar, his stock deals are highly questionable, he is under investigation by the SEC. Tom Delay: He is a liar, he has been chastised for numerous ethics issues, now he is under indictment. According to todays NY Times, he solicited a private charity for cash. See: www.nytimes.com/2005/11/04/politics/04lobby.html President Bush: He is a liar, the White House is under investigation for National Security violations. "Scooter" Libby, a top Presidential aide, has been indicted in the case and the investigation continues. Karl Rove has been implicated. This is just the surface. The deeper you dig into the behavior of these people, the more it becomes apparent that what they call "politics", my family and I call "criminal behavior". These are not "Good Christian Politicians" these are criminals masquerading as politicians. 1) Bush's used the main stream and right wing press to spread propaganda and lies throughout America in order to press the country into a war with Iraq. Now we are mired, no way out. We have spent billions of dollars in borrowed federal funding and have literally nothing to show for it. The numbers of dead and severely wounded grow weekly. Unjust war, war where we are not threatened, much less attacked, is not something our family values. 2) Secret prisons, torture - These are not our family values, not even close. We find these practices to be utterly revolting. 3) Bush and the VP Cheney have taken great pains to hide their intelligence, their secret prisons, evidence of torture. They take great pains to hide the lies and propaganda that they used to promote war. People only hide things when they don't want people to see the truth. Secrecy is not something our family values. 4) Bill Frist and Pat Roberts in the Senate have been cooperative with the criminal behavior in the White House. They have repeatedly stalled investigations into the White House intelligence. By cooperating with people engaged in the type of repulsive behavior the White House has been involved in, they become part of the problem. Guilty by association. Our family does not value people that cooperate and support unjust war, corruption, or behavior that undermines our safety and security. These names: GW Bush, Richard Cheney, Bill Frist, Pat Roberts, "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove, Tom Delay... These are the leaders of a political movement that represent nothing our family stands for. These people represent what we feel very strongly to be criminal behavior. I have heard the term "Criminalization of Politics" where in truth what we are seeing is the criminalization of criminals. Thank you,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:17:47 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:17:47 GMT -5
AMERICA IN TROUBLE
There is something seriously wrong in America. 1) The upcoming trial of "Scooter" Libby: He claims he is a busy man and does not remember his contacts or information that was given to him in regards to the Valerie Plame case. He spoke with his boss Richard Cheney. He took notes. He ordered reports on Ms. Plame. He spoke with his aides. Then when asked... He forgets everything? This man was given a high level position in the White House, as a Presidential aide. With a security clearance. If he is not guilty, he is completely incompetent. This is the level of personnel President Bush chooses for his top aides? I seriously question the veracity of the White House on _all_ matters. This is inexcusable. 2) Secret Prisons. The White House clearly approves of the use of torture in secret detention facilities. There has already been documented prisoner abuse and deaths from torture in Iraq. There is the "Gitmo" detention facility, where detainees without legal counsel or trial are being held and abused. They have become so depressed and dejected they have stopped eating. Yet Rumsfeld says it is normal for people to go on diets periodically? You don't have to force feed people that are on diets in order to keep them alive. These men are being punished to death for crimes they have never been formally charged for. I would bet money that prisoner treatment in secret facilities is much worse than what the public has seen at "Gitmo", and that is enough to turn my stomach. 3) Outing intelligence resources. The President promised Americans that he would investigate the outing of Ms. Plame. He did nothing. Patrick Fitzgerald has implicated Karl Rove, the President has done nothing. Somebody in the White House is guilty of a high crime against the people of the United States of America. Nobody will come clean, nobody will admit the truth. When "Scooter" Libby was indicted, he was not even fired. He resigned, and the White House expressed their sympathies. What kind of people are these? 4) The war in Iraq is going very poorly. Why are we there? Is it to stop the production of weapons of mass destruction that did not exist? It becomes more and more clear to America that we as a people were lied to by the Bush administration for the purposes of engaging in illegal warfare. People that would lie in order to take a country to war, would lie about anything. Indeed, from all appearance, they lie about virtually _everything_. 5) The budget has run away. Federal spending has been soaring, there is no accountability for where the money is going. Services have been declining. Billions of dollars in development money has been sent to Iraq, and there is virtually nothing to show for it. The money has been stolen, embezzled, or misspent. Billions of dollars were appropriated for the victims of hurricane Katrina. The contracts were awarded on a no-bid basis, just like Iraq, the money was given to companies with close ties to the White House. I highly suspect the existence of complicated kickback schemes and racketeering. Judging from the ethical standards this administration goes by, it is safe to assume that like Iraq, much of this money has been stolen from the American people. Instead of a democracy being led by the people, for the people; our country looks more like it is being led by a gang of hardened criminals. People who want to torture, oppress and suppress their enemies. People who lie, cheat, and steal. People who have no regard for human life. People that lie to engage in war and high crime. Is this the kind of America _you_ support? Thank you,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:18:16 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:18:16 GMT -5
The Truth about Liars I see a new propaganda technique being tried by the woefully corrupt Republican Party. Blame the people who believed their lies, make it their fault. Whatever they do, they are unable to take responsibility for their own actions, someone else must always be blamed. Pat Buchanan, among others, is trying to float this propaganda. Their idea this time is to blame Democrats and Independents for supporting a war based on lies told by the White House. How do you do this you may ask? Simple, you state that they supported the bogus intelligence and that they supported the war... So it becomes their fault. Don't buy into this propaganda being pushed by the corrupt Republican war machine. They controlled the intelligence, they were the ones who went coast to coast across the United States of American pushing lies and suppressing opponents as being unpatriotic if they did not support war. Liars can never tell the truth, they have to keep telling bigger and bigger lies in order to save face. They have to hide and suppress and oppose truth, that is their true goal. It is time for this house of cards to fall, the truth must come out, and the people who told the lies that led America into war must be held accountable. Thank You,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:19:18 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:19:18 GMT -5
Bush: "We Don't Torture" This Bush statement is propaganda designed to permit violations of human rights and facilitate further crimes against humanity. The Bush administration most certainly does torture, and we have seen photographic evidence of such coming out of prisons in Iraq. The Bush administration has changed the legal definition of "torture". Under the laws that the President had been operating, torture has been legally redefined as "organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death". These violations alone would constitute torture punishable by law. When the President stands up and says "We Don't Torture" this is what he means. The President's use of legalisms and gross misrepresentation of facts on this issue is his attempt to engage in criminal actions without being held legally accountable. He has twisted the law and the meaning of the word "torture" so far from the mainstream understanding of these terms that his arguments on this issue are nothing short of dangerous and extremely misleading propaganda. President Bush wishes to deceive Americans. Do not promote or assist his goals in committing crimes against humanity. Do not publish his propaganda without taking time to include a rebuttal and a full explanation of how he has changed the definition of "torture" to mean pain and injury inflicted just short of, or even including, death. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37687-2004Dec30.html Thank You,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:20:55 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:20:55 GMT -5
Bush Tortures: www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/politics/09detain.html?hp&ex=1131512400&en=50d901027e61366e&ei=5094&partner=homepageFront Page, NY Times, Nov 9, 2005 WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 - A classified report issued last year by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general warned that interrogation procedures approved by the C.I.A. after the Sept. 11 attacks might violate some provisions of the international Convention Against Torture, current and former intelligence officials say. The previously undisclosed findings from the report, which was completed in the spring of 2004, reflected deep unease within the C.I.A. about the interrogation procedures, the officials said. A list of 10 techniques authorized early in 2002 for use against terror suspects included one known as waterboarding, and went well beyond those authorized by the military for use on prisoners of war. The convention, which was drafted by the United Nations, bans torture, which is defined as the infliction of "severe" physical or mental pain or suffering, and prohibits lesser abuses that fall short of torture if they are "cruel, inhuman or degrading." The United States is a signatory, but with some reservations set when it was ratified by the Senate in 1994. The report, by John L. Helgerson, the C.I.A.'s inspector general, did not conclude that the techniques constituted torture, which is also prohibited under American law, the officials said. But Mr. Helgerson did find, the officials said, that the techniques appeared to constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under the convention. The agency said in a written statement in March that "all approved interrogation techniques, both past and present, are lawful and do not constitute torture." It reaffirmed that statement on Tuesday, but would not comment on any classified report issued by Mr. Helgerson. The statement in March did not specifically address techniques that could be labeled cruel, inhuman or degrading, and which are not explicitly prohibited in American law.
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:22:15 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:22:15 GMT -5
The White House Lies I have written previously about the severe lack of any ethical standards in the Bush administration. Of course I still see and hear the current propaganda Du jour being fed to, and regurgitated by, a still complacent media and press ( We don't torture, etc...). And I understand that the people in the White House are taking ethics classes. They are supposed to have turned a new leaf right? However... I would like to bring your attention to the major lie of the day from a White House that will always be unable to get it right on ethics, at least outside of prison. The White House is now attempting to re-write history by altering the contents of the White House press briefing transcripts: www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/10/print/20051031-3.html In the transcript linked to above, the following question is asked to Scott McClellen, and his reply is quoted below. Q Whether there's a question of legality, we know for a fact that there was involvement. We know that Karl Rove, based on what he and his lawyer have said, did have a conversation about somebody who Patrick Fitzgerald said was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. We know that Scooter Libby also had conversations. MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's accurate. If you watch the video of the same press conference from the same link, you will see the exchange actually occurred as the following: Q Whether there's a question of legality, we know for a fact that there was involvement. We know that Karl Rove, based on what he and his lawyer have said, did have a conversation about somebody who Patrick Fitzgerald said was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. We know that Scooter Libby also had conversations. MR. McCLELLAN: That's accurate. They have altered the transcripts. The question was asked by NBC's David Gregory. I ask you... Is this the new ethical standard by the White House? Or is this an indication of an administration that lies pathologically? People in the press need to chose which side of the truth they stand for. The Bush administration has clearly decided where their ethics lie. Thank You,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:23:14 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:23:14 GMT -5
Please... No More Propaganda www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/10/AR2005111002402.html Friday, November 11, 2005; Page A01, Washington Post The White House is sending Stephen J. Hadley out to attack people for believing the lies that he participated in telling. The White House is basically saying that "Since you believed us, Iraq is partly your fault." Hadley's statements in the linked article are pure propaganda, and I fail to understand how this story could make the front page of the Washington Post. Hadley was one of the people responsible for disseminating the false intelligence (propaganda) that led the United States into war with Iraq. He is a disinformation specialist. It must be understood that the Office of Special Plans (OSP) and the White House Intelligence Group (WHIG) is where the false intelligence was "cooked up" and then released to Congress and the American people. Hadley was a member of the WHIG, and was in constant contact with the people in the OSP prior to the start of hostilities. Hadley has already admitted responsibility for the lack of vetting that resulted in the President's now discredited statement in the State of the Union address that Iraq was attempting to purchase uranium from Niger. It was members of the OSP and the WHIG exclusively who produced, controlled and released the pre-war Iraq intelligence. Nobody else had access, and to this day both groups have evaded independent investigation. Now Hadley is coming out "insisting that U.S. intelligence had compiled a "very strong case" that Saddam Hussein harbored banned weapons and accusing congressional critics of hypocrisy because many of them voted for force three years ago." This is both a lie, and a smear. It is utterly baseless propaganda issued by the one of the very same people who spread the propaganda that pushed the United States into war in the first place. Every piece of intelligence that was produced by the OSP and released by the WHIG has proved false. Hadley's statements published today should carry no more weight. Thank you,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:23:44 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:23:44 GMT -5
Bush's Values Bush lied to our elected representatives in the House and Senate, repeatedly and specifically about yellowcake, aluminum tubes, and the reliability of his information. Iraq was _not_ involved with terrorists.
Our elected representatives trusted Bush, and responded to his claims by authorizing the use of force in Iraq.
Now Bush wants to accuse our representatives of being hypocrites. Why?
Because they believed in his lies originally and they know the truth now.
Bush's lies are no ones fault but his own. Bush lied us into war. We believed him. Now we know the truth. We can never trust him again. Does the press? Why exactly? People need to know _why_ the mainstream media would continue to trust a man that the majority of the people are certain is dishonest. Why would the media support Bush propaganda that has proved to be harmful to our country? Thank you,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:24:21 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:24:21 GMT -5
Bush Launches Attack On America news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051111/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_13 Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics "President Bush forcefully attacked critics of the war in Iraq on Friday, accusing them of trying to rewrite history and saying they are undercutting American forces on the front lines. "The stakes in the global war on terror are too high and the national interest is too important for politicians to throw out false charges," the president said in his combative Veterans Day speech." There is no defense or excuse for the President's behavior and his lies. Now he is attacking Americans who defend truth and freedom. There is no defense for this President. None. He attacked the people who voted not to go to war with Iraq too. Americans are getting fed up, as in sick and tired of this man. We are also getting fed up, as in sick and tired of his sycophantic media who promote and propagate White House lies, propaganda, and attacks on American citizens and their elected Representatives.
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:25:57 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:25:57 GMT -5
WHERE DID OUR MONEY GO?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... There used to be a thing called "investigative reporting" - In these modern times, on this planet, it seems the media goes as far as the nearest left slant blog to pick up their front page "scoops" on the Bush administration atrocities. But I have a question that the blogs have not jumped into yet, and which really requires some intrepid investigative reporting that can only be accomplished with the weight and resources available to the main stream media. Where Did Our Money Go? You know... The billions of bushels of corn that were poured down the rat hole of Iraq, or maybe the billions of US dollars that were sent into Louisiana in an inept effort to buy the Bush administration some cover for a failed disaster response. The money looks great in the headlines, but in reality we never got anything to show for all that cold hard cash. Now I know this is really, really hard for the main stream media to take... But the Bush administration is hopelessly corrupt. And if there is one thing I know as an educated citizen, corruption runs on money. Has anybody taken a good hard look at where our money went? No. Because people in the media have been slow or resistant in their acceptance as to the level and scale of corruption in our White House under the Bush administration, the media has completely overlooked the money trail that must surely exist... Billions of dollars of it in fact. Contracts in Iraq, and contracts to pay for hurricane Katrina were done on a "no-bid" basis with contractors who are highly favored by the Bush administration. The name Haliburton comes to mind, but there are a few others. Given the level and scale of corruption in this administration, I highly suspect the existence of sophisticated kickback and racketeering schemes. If you dismiss this idea with a wave of the hand and say that the extremely high moral and ethical values of the White House precludes any such scheming I have a nice big fat bridge to sell you in Brooklyn New York. I would bet that there have been substantial kickbacks of cash from Iraq into some offshore accounts and perhaps some family trusts that are under the control of "senior White House officials"... It would be nice if somebody checked, because it sure was a lot of our hard earned money that vanished in this fiasco. A lot of it may be able to be recovered because nobody has had time to spend it yet. Of course nobody cares... They are not your kids bleeding and dying in Iraq every week, and it's not your tax money that was stolen either. Thank you for your patience,
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:26:34 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:26:34 GMT -5
War on Terror Explained Everything you need to know about the Bush administration speech and the war on terror is succinctly explained in this link: www.xenophilia.com/pics/protest/goering.jpg When will the media become fully aware of the true threat?
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:28:50 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:28:50 GMT -5
"Even Bush isn't a Nazi."
Maybe not, but it seems that he is doing his best to push us toward fascism. Here are the characteristics of a fascist regime:
Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes the media are directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media are indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free __expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations
Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:29:41 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:29:41 GMT -5
WH Memo: Bush Withheld Intelligence Bush withheld intelligence from virtually everyone in Congress, he then misrepresented (a nice word for bald assed lying) his case for war. It was a political blitzkrieg scare tactic. Bush is responsible for our foreign policy collapse in the Mideast and everywhere else around the world. Bush's problems are not the fault of the people who want to expose and correct the effects of corruption. People in this country are getting very sick and tired of bogus and harmful political spin from the White House and it's minions. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON October 5, 2001 MEMORANDUM FOR: THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE THE DIRECTOR OF FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SUBJECT: Disclosures to the Congress As we wage our campaign to respond to the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, and to protect us from further acts of terrorism, I intend to continue to work closely with the Congress. Consistent with the longstanding executive branch practice, this Administration will continue to work to inform the leadership of the Congress about the course of, and important developments in, our critical military, intelligence, and law enforcement operations. At the same time, we have an obligation to protect military operational security, intelligence sources and methods, and sensitive law enforcement investigations. Accordingly, your departments should adhere to the following procedures when providing briefings to the Congress relating to the information we have or the actions we plan to take: i) Only you or officers expressly designated by you may brief Members of Congress regarding classified or sensitive law enforcement information; and (ii) The only Members of Congress whom you or your expressly designated officers may brief regarding classified or sensitive law enforcement information are the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Intelligence Committees in the House and Senate. This approach will best serve our shared goals of protecting American lives, maintaining the proper level of confidentiality for the success of our military, intelligence, and law enforcement operations, and keeping the leadership of the Congress appropriately informed about important developments. This morning, I informed the House and Senate leadership of this policy which shall remain in effect until you receive further notice from me. [signed:] George W. Bush www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/12/221833/00
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:30:06 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:30:06 GMT -5
Bush's Secret Prisons, Torture I've been trying to imagine how this must look to the other 6 billion people on this planet who aren't Americans. Basically we are saying to the rest of the world that we have the right to kidnap anyone, from anywhere in the world, hold them in secret for years without any legal recourse, without any of their family or loved ones knowing where they are, and have the CIA torture them.
Tens of thousands of people go missing every year worldwide. Since many of the people we have held have had nothing to do with terrorism, that means that any time anyone in the world goes missing even if the family knows for sure that their loved one had nothing to do with terrorism, they can't be sure that their father or mother or son or daughter or brother or sister or wife or husband isn't being tortured to death in some secret American prison somewhere.
Boy if we thought the rest of the world hated us before...
And we reelected this guy?
|
|
|
Letters
Nov 17, 2005 0:30:54 GMT -5
Post by Fusioner on Nov 17, 2005 0:30:54 GMT -5
Bush: Tortures Them Until They Die news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051113/pl_afp/usattacksintelligence CIA allegedly hid evidence of detainee torture: report Now I am an intelligent person. President Bush must think I am a moron. There should be no "debate" on a national and international "NO TORTURE" policy. This is murder. These are crimes against humanity. This violates our international treaties. This destroys our image. This wrecks our foreign policy. Even debating this is insane for America. What happened to my country? Bush is a proven liar. He would stand up in front of a crowd and say the leaves on the trees are purple, the grass is white, and the sky is brown. He would tell you that "We Do Not Torture" - He is way beyond spin, these are outright lies he is telling in public... Lies about starting a voluntary war for profit, lies about how the US conducts itself. Bush's actions have the most severe international consequences. When will the debate stop. When can we start taking steps to remove a highly corrupt administration from office.
|
|