Federal Judge Orders End to Warrantless Wiretapping
“It was never the intent of the Framers to give the president such unfettered control, particularly where his actions blatantly disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights,â€
When the Department of Homeland Security pushes so hard for everyone to patch a Microsoft security hole, I get suspicious as in here; DHS Recommends Security Patch to Protect Against a Vulnerability Found In Windows Operating Systems
If the patch can prevent this problem;
if exploited, could enable an attacker to remotely take control of an affected system and install programs, view, change, or delete data, and create new accounts with full user rights.
Couldn’t this patch also enable such a ‘backdoor’ as well? Wouldn’t that be such a nice gift for all the nice people in the NSA, CIA, FBI and of course DHS. 😉
This a good article why the republicans are not only clueless about what democracy is, but are actively hostile to it’s true intent. In the article Demeaning Democracy Mr. Kennedy describes the republicans in exactly the same terms as I’ve used in past posting here.
Cheney and his crowd are all for free and open elections – as long as they turn out their way. They are all for free speech – provided it supports the administration.
And I’m glad that other people can see as clearly as I, what despicable langers the republicans are.
I’ve been thinking too much lately, and I can’t help but think that the use of airplanes in terrorist plots have a deeper significance, or not, you decide.
One element of Islamic reaction is a more or less a conservative reaction that even conservatives in the west can identify. One of the greatest features of the western world is mobility, most dramatically represented by air-travel and airplanes. One of the most active agents in change is mobility. Change in a culture that suppresses individual initiatives and freedoms, in favor of religious dogma and enforced religious rituals would have to resist any mixing of ideas and people, mobility is the enemy. This is exactly the same for both the west and islam. The funny thing is neither side understands this. And reacting to this, or even trying to prevent this mingling of cultures is the one change in the world that neither side can prevent.
What it means to us, the public who have to live in the real world, and not some religious fantasy of a pure ethnic nirvana. Is that all the elements that make our modern world work are under attack in the misbegotten belief that change can be stopped. The one thing the rest of us can do, remove the conservative fanatics on both sides of the equation.
What means is that the West and Islamic moderates will have to eliminate their respective far right fundamentalists from positions of power. And start talking to their opposite number.
I have found a good breakdown of issues related to ‘Liquid explosives’ talk here; Mass murder on an unimaginable scale. As this issue, and it’s timing have gotten my suspicions in a twist. I’m glad that someone else is also smelling a rat in this newest terror alert.
The republicans are afraid and are attacking the democrats on the false point that being Anti Iraq War is the same as being Anti Security.
I think most americans are waking up to the fact that the Iraq war is creating LESS Security not more, and that the Bush and GOP Congress are to blame for the growing feelings of insecurity.
Anti-War is not Anti-Security
A new policy, a tactical and practical policy to deal with terrorism is necessary, and the current Congress, and Executive Branch are not competent to carry out such an improved War on Terrorism. Time to throw out the Incumbents and replace them with better people, Lieberman is just the first.
It looks like Martin Peretz is the new attack dog for the failing GOP Neo-Cons as his new piece Lieberman is making like new democratic contender, Ned Lamont is just a child and the voters should continue to support a loser like Lieberman. but he comes off looking like a paranoid republican. That can only enhance Lamont’s chances at winning the primary, a problem the GOP does not want to face in november. Losing the GOP lapdog Lieberman would be a serious blow to the Neo-Cons and I’m looking forward to november even more now that Lieberman is nearly gone. Lets hope the GOP haven’t fixed this primary election outcome.
UPDATE: Well it looks like we have new blood, Lamont has a shot at being in Congress. I hope this scares the hell out of all the incumbents in the House and Senate.
I love this, NSA risking electrical overload Due to the heat wave in the U.S. most probably caused by the Global Warming that George Bush, and the GOP deny, will probably halt the Global spying by the NSA which Bush also denies. Very funny.
When does a denial cancel out another denial?
This may be a first, two negatives could make a positive. 😉
The Sunday Times had an interesting article that indicates that a majority of Muslims in the U.K. believe that there was a U.S. conspiracy that led to the attack of 9/11 and that is was not a Muslim attack. But these same people believe that muslims bombing the U.K. on 7th, was a necessary reaction to the U.K. in Iraq. There seams to be a serious conflict in this thinking. Mind you the information from the hearings on 9/11 held in the U.S. were at best suspect. But there is also the same beliefs in the U.S..
Fundamentally the real issue is education, and the lack of any clear information from any of the governments involved combined with the press who have been negligent in investigating and reporting the real truth. Communications seems to be the tool of the war maker. Communicating the facts may be the only way to halt this relentless move by both the Islamic and Christian fanatics towards a war that is meaningless. But in the face of things from both sides of the conflict, transparency is the one thing that neither will allow, a transparency born of honest and direct communications. Both sides believe that manipulation of the media will some how grant them righteousness where none exists.
Truly we are entering a new dark age, where both religions twist the truth to enforce secular control of people by clouding the mind and poisoning communications.
Not that it’s for real but it may have to become a reality for the United States to regain the trust and respect of the world.
Bush will have to be impeached and stand trial for beginning a war with Iraq for personal gain, violations of the U.S. Constitution, Geneva Conventions and any other treaties that may have been violated including the illegal renditions through Irish and any other country who’s sovereignty may have been violated.
At this stage I don’t see any other path to restoring respect for the U.S.
If you are of a different mindset, please comment, but I’ll bet you will be hard pressed to come up with a better way. Please don’t use the tired 9/11 issue as it really has no bearing on the incompetent GOP Neo-Con government who has squandered world respect for short term oil profits, corruption and criminal disrespect of their own citizens, let alone the world at large.
In a world where Bush calls the U.S. Constitution “a goddamned piece of paper!”. When Bush calls for democracy in Cuba and assumes that any constitution is worthless, doesn’t he just define the Cuban government? Isn’t he wishful that he too, wants to be the autocrat of the world? Emperor George the first? Isn’t it amazing when Rice broadcast dismissed by Cuba is taken with surprise. While the Cubans are hardly free, or in many cases well informed. They are still aware of the nature of Bush regime, and believe they are better off where they are.
The Bush Democratic machine is a sham when they claim to support democracy, then withdraw support when Hamas wins an election, when one democracy, attacks another democracy in the the form of Lebanon vs Israel. When they support Egyptians voting for a one party candidate and call it democracy, but condemn it when the same vote happened for Saddam before they attacked them.
Bush and is followers do not have any concept of democracy, freedom or liberty, and never will. They continue to twist the meaning to one that supports them, and only them in power.
Meaningless words do not make a democracy. A constitution, made of laws which apply to everyone, and a government that is held to those laws which protect the rights of citizens of that country makes a democracy. And when Bush is finally held accountable for those violations of the U.S. Constitution, then we will have democracy.
I find this amusing that The Iraq War Powers Repeal Act of 2006, H.R. 5875 essentially is taking George Bush at his word from his “mission accomplished” in May 2003. In an argument I used on this blog along time ago I mentioned that if we had already declared a victory, the GOP and Bush could save face and withdraw. The point is that this war has never been over liberating the Iraqi people, or removing sadam, or WMD’s. If this bill ever gets passed it will be a clear illustration of that fact. Hence it will never get out of house of representatives.
But there is still a hope in hell.
I have always been amazed at the attitude of the the NeoCon far right wing in the United States. When Europe suggests a course of action like the Ceasefire in lebanon, most take it just on face value, a suggestion. When the NeoCon’s make a suggestion they expect immediate action in compliance to that suggestion. And when that suggestion is not heeded, great anger, and self righteous indignation follows. We are a SUPERPOWER we should be listened to and heeded. This is the voice of Olympus speaking.
It’s no wonder that with a belief in their own Godhood that their religions beliefs are also in a God who they believe grants them a divine destiny to lead the world. Unfortunately the god that they worship, is a self deluded composite deity designed by them. They have, like buggy software, designed in many loopholes and insecurities. Personal insecurities. When confronted with reality they resort to sound bites and rhetoric long since debunked. A powerpoint presentation that has lost its point, like blue screens full of cryptic error messages. Just like the cryptic messages from the Oracle, most religions are a mishmash of interpretation by clerics of all religious automatons. The NeoCon beliefs are no different, if there is no Boogy Man, you must create one.
For the fall elections in the U.S. we will see if the presentation of the GOP and it’s far right will get it’s tired story rewritten or not. It is not a good sign when the constant reiteration of Weapons of Mass Destruction that often defines the Right has continued to sink in with the voting public and more and more of the mindless in America still believe that WMD’s still exist, and are in the hands of the Hezbollah. How many times can a single item be used? How many times can crying wolf illicit a response before the people stop listening, and ask for the truth.
It’s truly amazing how much the beliefs of the GOP mirror that of another previously overturned regime.
“What luck for the rulers that men do not thinkâ€
“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believedâ€
Adolf Hitler
If I had my tin-hat on correctly and I was to draw a line representing a pipeline from the Iraqi oil fields to the mediterranean sea which direction would it take? If the U.S. takes control of the conflict in Lebanon to make peace there. Does this make a straight line or what?
File this under stupid if it weren’t so funny Sad.
Anti-Americanism prompts push for “citizen diplomacy”
By Bernd Debusmann, Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With anti-American sentiment at unprecedented levels around the world, Americans worried about their country’s low standing are pushing a grassroots campaign to change foreign perceptions of the United States “one handshake at a time.”The idea is to turn millions of Americans into “citizen diplomats” who use personal meetings with foreigners to counter the ugly image of the United States shown in a series of international public opinion polls. They show widespread negative attitudes not only toward U.S. policies but also toward the American people and, increasingly, even American products.
To stem the relentless decline of America’s international standing — a dramatic change from the almost universal sympathy for the country immediately after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington –leaders of more than 30 civic organizations formed a “Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy” two years ago.
The coalition, a loose alliance of national, state and community groups, held its first national summit in July in Washington, where speakers deplored the sorry state of the U.S. image but expressed hope that individual action and international people-to-people exchanges could go a long way toward improving things.
Wouldn’t just be easier to impeach the President and throw out the Congress and elect new officials that DO represent the American People?