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| President Bush nominated for Purple Chin award |
| 05.31.04 (4:15 am) [edit] |
 President Bush has been nominated for a Purple Chin award for being injured in the line of duty during his May 22 mountain bike tumble. The commander-in-chief reportedly was thinking about ways to fix his bone-headed war without admitting any mistakes when he hit a loose patch of dirt.
Critics dismissed it as a silly attempt to beef up his pathetic military record, first as a Boy Scout duty escapee, then as a flighty National Guard pilot and now as a bumbling war boss foolish enough to don a flightsuit and pose with a bogus "Mission Accomplished" banner.
Bush, who nearly made the ultimate sacrifice after choking on a cheeto in January 2002, also fell off a hi-tech Segway scooter in June 2003, and dropped his pooch Barney on its head last September.
Media analysts differ on what the president might do for his next zany stunt. One suggested he parachute into a U.S. military compound in Iraq carrying a fake turkey stuffed with cheetos and K-Y jelly for the troops. Another said he should accidentally shoot himself in the foot at an NRA fundraiser to divert attention from his malfeasant handling of the war.
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| Ooops, it was too good to be true: Reducto's reverted back to his good ole' cretinous state |
| 05.30.04 (9:04 am) [edit] |
Yes, sad but true, the 600 pound Reducto's reflux over his computer and his subsequent apparent regain in sanity did not last. Experts are studying the case, but by and large favoring the theory that long term cheeto inhalation results in genetically modified (GM) cells of the brain and the testicles. This would explain sudden burst of deceivably apparent lucidity while in fact the organism is rotten to the core and beyond modern medical help.
Ok, down to the nitty gritty: here Regutso regurgitates once again on familiar themes. But, hey don't go away yet, he's got brand new berries up his ass and they do taste yummy according to his spokesman:
To resume the long and fart-winded course of his reasoning, I'll copy/paste the highlights - you intelligent readers can make heads and tails of it, and if needed, can always go check his blog! :-)
"THE PRESIDENT CONVINCED THE COUNTRY with a mixture of documents that turned out to be forged and blatantly false assertions that Saddam was in league with al Qaeda,"
"There's absolutely no evidence that Iraq was supporting al Qaeda, ever,"
The editor of the Los Angeles Times labeled as "myth" the claim that links between Iraq and al Qaeda had been proved.
A recent dispatch from Reuters simply asserted, "There is no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda."
60 Minutes anchor Lesley Stahl was equally certain: "There was no connection."
.....
"And on it goes"
BUT.....!!!!!!!!!!! Don't be a fool and think all this is the truth! No, Rotundo knows what you and I and Reuters and the Red Cross and Amenesty International and the BBC and every government and every citizen of this planet THINK they know, but in fact know cheeto's shit, so here is the real Recheeto's truth in plain and simple good wholesome american terms:
"In late February 2004, Christopher Carney made an astonishing discovery."
Like it? Yeahhh! But wait, it gets more exciting, promise!
"Carney, a political science professor from Pennsylvania on leave to work at the Pentagon, was poring over a list of officers in Saddam Hussein's much-feared security force, the Fedayeen Saddam. One name stood out: Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Hikmat Shakir."
WOWWWW! Here ya go! Undeniable proof! And to think Refucto, our hermophradite gooey cuddly friend is the hero to reveal it to the world! A tBlogger, no less! I'm sure Rocky is counting the hits to come and make tBlog bigger and brigther than Google and Microsoft combined. Ok, cool off and enjoy the rest, friends!:
"The name was not spelled exactly as Carney had seen it before, but such discrepancies are common."
Ouch. Minor problem Resuckto, we all know how all these camel fuckers have the same kind of myhomed Hali name or sumptin', but knowing our unsurpassed Intelligence (nudge nudge, wink wink!) I'm sure the CIA will determine that Osama Bin Ladden can actually be spelled WinstonSmith after a careful lab analysis of the nearest camel dropping.
So... here we have the proof! Osama bin Chirac, or is it Osama bin Saddam, whatever, one of 'm freedom cheetos dudes, are now safely in the hands of the Red Cross at the Geneva Convention Gantanamo Bay relief aid distribution center.
And so my fellow Murkans, god save texas and my virgin ass!
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| Reducto just vomitted some cheetos and got one freaky flash of intelligence |
| 05.30.04 (7:57 am) [edit] |
Following the discovery of a rat dropping in the truckload of cheetos he ingested for breakfast, Recrapto's regurgitated it all over his keyboard. This caused major electronic circuit disturbances and resulted it him posting something with a nearly sane content.
In essence, it goes like this:
The US should retreat from Iraq. The US should go home. The noisy protestors like the ignominous French will be glad. The Middle East will be glad. The world will be exctatic. This is just for starters: where the real goodies start is for US citizens, listen to this:
"America will enjoy cleaner air and less traffic congestion"... "the benefits will be immediate... 300 billion dollars". America will be able to enjoy social security funded cannabis for every man woman and child. Of course, one small penalty will be that Israel won't be able to conduct genocide over the middle east, but hey, they can always all move to NYC, right?
On the other hand, there will be major worldwide chaos, everywhere except in the US. The US will once again the place where ppl like me can't wait to swim across the Atlantic to get to and have a fulfilling life.
Geee... considering this amazingly wonderful portrait, I wonder why this is not already a fait accompli.
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| Reducto is off his fuckin' tree yet again |
| 05.30.04 (7:15 am) [edit] |
Reducto just swallowed a whole container of aid relief Red Cross cheetos, and has a monster case of Geneva convention diarrhoea.
Human rights, the Geneva Convention, torture - here comes ReJumbo, the unchallenged expert in these fields. Since according to him (or his copy/paste spokesperson), the Geneva convention does NOT apply to terrorists (mmm... says who? but not that it matters), it means that any person in the world, if deemed by the US government to be a terrorist (whether it's demonstrated or not), not only can be treated like shit, but as well must forget about any OTHER type of rights such as the right to be heard in a trial, where one can be proven guilty or let free as innocent.
Here are some gems:
"Critics, no doubt, will soon demand that reforms include an extension of Geneva standards to interrogations at Guantanamo Bay."
Ouch, man, this is absolutely scary: the idea of ppl being imprisoned in US extra-judiciary prisons is being challenged? What???? Human Rights groups complain that ppl who are put in prison without trial can remain there their whole life, no access to a lawyer, family, even the US's own pityful human rights representation? This is just outrageous!
I mean, only a few weeks ago, they released a 14 year-old boy who spent a year and a half there without a rat's ass reason (after having spent months in US prisons in Afghanistan). Now, any sane & reasonable person can see how fair and wholesome this is. I'm sure any of you readers would think it quite democratic and humanitarianly correct if a bunch of armed to the teeth gorillas busted your apartment and you ended up spending 2 years in jail without a clue as to why, and without a single recourse possible to be heard by any justice system in the world, let alone your own, so that you can claim your innocence or admit your guilt.
Geee.. to think we westerners were complaining about the ex-USSR's KGB prisons. We just don't know what's good for us, do we?
Here is another beauty:
"It ignores the unique demands of the war on terrorism and the advantages that a facility such as Guantanamo can provide. It urges policy makers and the Supreme Court to make the mistake of curing what could prove to be an isolated problem by disarming the government of its principal weapon to stop future terrorist attacks."
Dumb me! I only see the light now! A wonderful facility like Gantanamo, not only allows any person in the world to rot in jail till death for no reason whatsoever, but is actually a very GOOD thing that really cuts down on Al Quaeda's terrorism. How? simple: you grab the first 500 Iraqi or Afghan dudes you see, you send them to Gantanamo, and Bob's your uncle, you can claim to the US gullible population that you've just caught 500 confirmed terrorists. Uncle Bush has just reduced the terrorist population by 500 in one swift clever move, wow, what a smart and efficient president we have!!! Pretty neat, eh?
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| Good news!!! Reducto's Got A Brand New Job! |
| 05.30.04 (7:11 am) [edit] |
No, it's not a brand new boyfriend, nor even a brand new thesaurus, but... A JOB!!! I'm so excited for him I nearly choked on my daily Prozac and snorted my Effexor up my nose.
Rebusto's just been nominated Commander-In-Cheeto of the US army. As he explains himself, this involves pretty freaky working hours, not counting the additional hours needed to extract him out of his basement, widening roads for his missions, and getting the Airbus A380 ready real fast to be able to fly him around the world.
His highly secret duties are two-fold: one, to act as the the Cheeto Maître d'Hôtel at the White House and all US government agencies, embassies and consulates; now that's pretty demanding enough, I'm sure you'll agree; Two, .... hush hush... a secret mission to dowse the entire Middle-East with B52 cheeto droppings. This apparently will have the effect of making Iraqi as docile as donkeys and as cute as camels in heat, as well as cutting down on those dreaded sandstorms, and generally speaking make every Iraqi want to rush go buy their next Halli-Burger from the (hush hush again) the super-duper-ripper Mac-Cheeto chain of stores being built all over Iraq and the Middle-East. Some rumors hint Abu Ghraib ultra modern facilities as the first site to open, and the recent scandals, totally wrongly founded, were actually tests carried out to validate the super-happy and horny mood it puts Arabs in: and it works, they just can't themselves after a bucket-full of cheetos, they just jump on top of each other naked and start humping like Babylon whores. Good puritan GIs try to curb their democratic enthusiasm, but there ain't no stopping a cheeto intoxicated Iraqi..
Only downside is:
Our dearest hermaphrodite friend on tBlog, Returdo, may significantly reduce his invaluable contribution. Ain't it sad? I'm just mortified. I think I'll go snort a couple more Prozac and Effexor.
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| Anyone interested in the International Fusion Project? |
| 05.30.04 (12:08 am) [edit] |
Known as ITER, this project is coming close to beginning building its nuclear fusion superplant. The choice of a site is between France and Japan, and is still being debated. It is the biggest international project ever undertaken. China, Europe, Japan, Russia, Sth Korea and the US (who have recently joined back in, after having dropped out between 2001 and 2003) are involved.
This is really exciting news, for while it is unlikely we'll see a commercial model of a fusion plant in our lifetime, the last few decades of research have promised good hopes it is feasable, hence the reason for this experimental superproject.
For those who have no idea what fusion is, here is a very simplified explanation. It is what happens in a H bomb (as opposed to "fission", i.e. what happens in an A bomb). Fission consists in splitting heavy atoms (like Uranium) into 2 smaller ones and releasing huge amounts of energy in the process. Fusion is nearly the reverse: it fuses 2 atoms of Hydrodgen (the smallest and simplest atom) into one atom of Helium (the next smallest atom around), releasing in the process even much more energy than fission.
For those who think "yeah so what, what's that got to do with the good of humankind? We've already got tons of nukes!", think again:
This project is not about making H bombs. We already know how to do that, unfortunately. It is about controlling the fusion atomic reaction so that it can be used in electricity producing fusion plants. And that, we still can't do. Controlling the fission reaction is well under control: fission power plants have been around for decades. Where I live they are part of the landscape, as they produce the near totality of France's electricity. The problem with fission plants are 1) you have to dig Uranium ore out (a fairly rare commodity), 2) it is highly dangerous as we all know, 3) the "burnt" uranium fuel (i.e. the wastes) is even more dangerously radio-active and next to impossible to dispose of.
On the other hand, hydrogen is safe and plentyful: each molecule of water in our oceans has 2 atoms of it. The wastes are a very slightly radio-active isotopes of Helium, with a very short half-lifetime, as well as a few radioactive byproducts. However, while still not completely safe, these wastes are 100s of thousands of times easier to manage than fission wastes.
Clean energy with an unlimited supply, and no mines or other destruction of our planet to get to it.... sounds too good to be true... and yet, we're not far from cracking it.
Check the ITER site out: it's easy to read and has tons of information:
ITER website
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| Bush Camp Unveils "Vote For Nader" Campaign |
| 05.29.04 (2:12 pm) [edit] |
In a surprising move this week officials working to reelect president select George W. Bush launched a full TV, radio and newspaper campaign to garner votes for Ralph Nader.
"Don't listen to that horsey-lookin' fella John Kerry. If you've already decided to vote against me, remember that you do have a choice; vote Nader this November and let your voice be heard." says Bush in the televised commercials.
Kerry campaign leaders are infuriated over this move saying "Even those dumb green bastards knew a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush. He has no right to try to split the non-Bush vote like this."
Bush -- whose campaign expenditures now exceeds all past presidential campaigns combined plus the deficit -- insists the move is in the interest of fairness. Opponents insist "All [Bush] knows of fair is hay rides and log rolling." A spokesman for Bush would not comment on this allegation though Bush himself overheard and eagerly concurred.
In the last three months the Bush campaign has spent roughly three times the money believed to exist in the world on his reelection. The effect is not suprising, polls have him earning almost 30% of the vote which, thanks to Nader, should be sufficient to earn him a second term and end the world as we know it.
While Bush himself insists that supporting Nader is "inoculate," his advisors insist he means "innocuous." Regardless, his victory is nearly assured and the end of time is near. Campaign officials suggest to "Vote Bush" and "Repent, for the judgment day is at hand."
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| Bush Introduces Poofter Alert System |
| 05.29.04 (2:03 pm) [edit] |
President Bush created this chart
with his Presidential Crayolas
------------
President Bush on Thursday announced the creation of a new alert system that will allow the country to know current risk levels of homosexuality at any given time. The system will coordinate risk factors with current US intelligence to determine the level of risk homosexuals pose to modern civilization as we know it. Masterminded by Dick Cheney’s lesbian daughter, Mary, working in collaboration with Newt Gingrich’s lesbian sister, and Ronald Reagan’s gay son, the program will access the latest cultural trends and factor in the gay agenda, making all Americans aware of the current status of homosexuality within our borders. Also helping with the project were Jenna and Barbara Bush, the President’s twin daughters, but only that one time when they were really really drunk
Recent success of television shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the L Word, Will and Grace, and Queer as Folk have put our current risk level at Orange Alert... don’t drop the soap. President Bush issued a press release warning the country to keep their boxers on frontwards in the face of this impending danger that threatens the very fabric of our survival as a species.
Also putting America at risk is the stubborn insistence of some big city mayors to uphold the US Constitution by administering gay weddings across the country, despite public outcry from mostly frumpish, oftentimes divorced, disgruntled straight voters who can’t bear to see anyone happy.
Last week on an episode of Pat Robertson’s The 700 Club, Reverend Jerry Falwell blamed the terrorist bombing in Madrid, Spain on gay weddings happening here, right now, in America. Falwell has endorsed Bush’s Homo Alert System because “it will make God loving normal people aware of their sinful c&*# licking and c#$& sucking neighbors.”
"And by the way," Falwell added, "Spain is full of a bunch of fags. The Bible says so."
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| Iraqi Governing Council Appoints Jeb Bush As New Iraqi PM |
| 05.29.04 (10:41 am) [edit] |
In an incredible turn of events, the Iraqi Governing Council, as the new Prime Minister of Iraq, has elected Jeb Bush, the governor of the state of Florida and George W. Bush's brother.
"This raises many concerns in my book." Stated Senator Ted Kennedy, "It is preposterous to think that President Bush did not have an influence in this decision. We already had Allawi, the Iraqi exile in the U.S., lined up for the job way before we even attacked Iraq, I mean, the IGC already wanted him, then this major news came along this morning. You're telling me he was elected by the IGC? I don't think so. The IGC was told they had to pick Jeb as their new PM for the 2000 election payback Bush owed his brother. For God's sake he's not even Iraqi!"
"We are very happy and proud to have Jeb as our new Prime Minister." stated an IGC member who is really afraid to say otherwise, "Yes. It's true he is not an Iraqi, but we are an open society now. We welcome all people from all over the world to rule in our country, not just Iraqis. Heck, we have a coalition of foreigners telling us what to do now, so it's not going to be a huge change."
"I'm very happy and very honored to accept this new position." Stated Jeb Bush in a televised press conference, "I understand that people may think that the United States had an influence on the IGC's choice, but I can assure you that we didn't. They picked me on their own. It did not matter to the IGC that we would have pulled out all our troops immediately and we would have cut all money coming in to help rebuild their country if I was not picked. They are proud people."
The UN acknowledged that it is a little strange that the IGC appointed Jeb Bush as their new PM, but also added "This is really nothing new from the U.S. We've seen this before in Chile during the '70s."
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| Jurrasic Park IV: U.S. at risk of attack by giant pterodactyl |
| 05.28.04 (9:19 am) [edit] |
The U.S. has received credible "chatter" that al-Qaida may or may not try to attack the U.S. within the next 12 to 1,200 days, perhaps using a plane, a train, acid rain … or worse, a giant man-eating pterodactyl.
Justice Department wacko John Ashcroft said he has obtained documents showing that Osama bin Laden may have manufactured a genetically engineered Super Terror-Dactyl using prehistoric DNA from Nigeria. Ashcroft denied he was making up the pterodactyl alert to distract Americans from President Bush's inept handling of the war and his trouble using words to communicate. He declined to reveal the source of his information but said it definitely was not Ahmad Chalabi.
Possible targets may or may not include the Northeast, the West Coast, the South or the Midwest. Also at risk, said Ashcroft, is the town of Freedom, Wisconsin, "because the terrorists hate freedom."
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, who spends 8-12 hours a day deciding whether or not to keep the terror alert level at Yellow, said each pterodactyl warning must be evaluated individually and would not automatically result in naming a new terror color for people to be confused about.
When pressed, Ridge said he would definitely raise the threat level to Orange if the pterodactyl was breathing fire, and even Red if the beast was passing mustard gas.
Ridge said Americans should be 10-12% more vigilant, but added it is important to go about our daily lives in a guardedly carefree fashion. He said anyone uncertain about how to react to this new threat can call for a free pamphlet entitled "12 Ways to Not Get Blown Up By a Freedom-Hating Islamic Militant Douchebag."
Families can help children understand the threat of terrorism using Homeland Security-approved games like "Cops and Suicide Bombers," "Hide and Go Seek Weapons of Mass Destruction" and "Sy Hersch Sez." Secretary Ridge asked that anyone who spots a suspicious-looking pterodactyl call his hotline at 1-800-555-FEAR.
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| Major Terrorist Attack Coming Sometime This Year Somewhere In The U.S. Killing An Unknown Number Of |
| 05.27.04 (8:39 am) [edit] |
John Ashcroft and Robert Mueller will announce today in a press conference at 11am PST that the United States needs to brace itself for another major terrorist attack happening sometime in the Summer or Winter or Fall or Spring either in LA, New York, Boston, or any city in any of the states targeting either airports or malls or convention centers or retail outlets or restaurants or sidewalks, killing between 1 dog, 2 cats and perhaps up to 1 million people or more or less.
"This is not a joke." Stated Mr. Ashcroft, "This could possibly be at the same level as 9/11 was or not. But it is very serious. We've been hearing a lot of chatter in cell phones lately, and although we really don't understand exactly what it is they are saying, the way they were grunting and laughing, we think they are preparing for a huge attack."
The attack, officials warn, may be coming from a known sleeper al-Qaeda terrorist cell living here in the United States. The officials aren't sure of the actual cell's location at this time, neither are they aware of who the members are or how much money they have and who they are in contact with, however, it seems that there is enough credible evidence that the attack is coming.
"We have alerted all of the police departments and law enforcement agencies throughout the United States." Stated Mr. Ashcroft, "Everyone is aware now about this possible terrorist act. The only thing we ask, however, is that everyone continue on their regular day as if nothing is going to happen. However, be aware that you can report any strange acts, such as people taking the bus, people getting into airplanes, people ordering food at restaurants, or any other suspicious activity by calling 1-555-TERRORIST."
"I'm not saying that something may not happen," stated a man on the street, "However, this warning of a real big attack without any specifics really busts my balls if you know what I mean. How can I go on my normal routine when I'm told that a huge attack is coming, but yet, we have now idea as to where, when or how? I'm already paranoid enough. Now I'm going to end up turning in my parents into that terrorist alert phone number they put out."
"I had no clue we had this threat." Stated Donald Rumsfeld, "I'm the freaking Secretary of Defense! I need to know this stuff! Throw me a bone for God's sake! First Abu Ghraib, now this! What's next?! I don't know what's next! That's the hold damn problem!"
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| Demand Justice for Nanon Williams, American Child Offender Facing Execution On Flawed Evidence |
| 05.26.04 (10:58 pm) [edit] |
Nanon Williams is on death row in Texas for a murder committed when he was 17 years old. Amnesty International is greatly alarmed by this case, given doubts about Nanon Williams guilt raised by false ballistics evidence, his inadequate defense representation, and the fact that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime. International law prohibits the use of the death penalty against a person under 18 at the time of the crime.
Nanon Williams was sentenced to death in Texas for the 1992 murder of Adonius Collier. He was 17 years old at the time of the crime. Amnesty International is greatly alarmed by this case, given doubts about Nanon Williams guilt raised by false ballistics evidence, his inadequate defense representation, and the fact that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime. International law prohibits the use of the death penalty against a person under 18 at the time of the crime. Please urge the Attorney General not to oppose a new trial for Nanon Williams and to guarantee that international law is being upheld.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Nanon Williams is on death row in the USA for a murder committed when he was 17 years old. His sentence violates international law, which prohibits the imposition of the death penalty against anyone who was under 18 years old at the time of the crime. The USA leads a tiny handful of countries which have executed child offenders since 1990, and accounts for 70 per cent of such executions since 1998. Inside the USA, Texas is the leading perpetrator of this violation, and Harris County is the worst offender inside Texas. Nanon Williams was sent to Texas death row after a Harris County trial.
There are serious doubts about his guilt in the crime for which he was sentenced to die. False ballistics evidence presented by the state a possible sign of systemic problems at the Houston Police Departments crime laboratory outlined in this report went unchallenged by an unprepared defence lawyer. Two of the original trial jurors have suggested that the outcome of the case would have been different if the jury had been provided with the evidence as it is known now. After hearing the post-conviction evidence, a state judge found that it had been the states prime witness, not Nanon Williams, who had first shot the victim. The judge decided that Nanon Williams should receive a new trial because he had been denied his right to effective assistance of counsel. In 2002, however, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected her recommendation without clear explanation. Nanon Williamss case has now moved into the federal courts. He does not currently have an execution date.
A mental health expert has said that Nanon Williams suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his violent upbringing. The jury was presented with no such expert evidence, and received a limited account of his abusive past and its impact on him. At the same time, the prosecutor made arguments for execution that were not only potentially inflammatory, but also flouted a central principle underlying the international ban on the execution of child offenders, namely a young persons potential for rehabilitation and change.
Amnesty International believes that Nanon Williams should receive a new trial. This time, in accordance with international law, the death penalty should not be an option.
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| AI watch: Protect 12 year old Turkish Girl and Her Family from Threats and Ill-Treatment |
| 05.26.04 (10:44 pm) [edit] |
Amnesty International spotlight:
=====================
B.P (f), aged 12
Members of Her Family
Twelve-year-old B.P. and members of her family have reportedly been receiving threats since she lodged a complaint that she had been severely beaten by police officers in Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey. Amnesty International is seriously concerned for their safety.
B.P. was reportedly abducted from the street in Diyarbakir on 19 February 2004 by people carrying walkie-talkies, who blindfolded her and took her away in a car. They asked her where her sister was, and when she did not reply they reportedly punched her repeatedly in her mouth and knees, so that her mouth began to bleed heavily. She was then reportedly taken to a place which is believed to be the Anti-Terror Branch of Police Headquarters in Diyarbakir where she was given treatment for her mouth but then beaten again and threatened. She was released later that day.
When B.P. applied to the local branch of the Human Rights Association (Insan Haklari Dernegi, IHD) she was unable to speak and had to write her complaint. Medical reports confirm these injuries. After the IHD lodged a complaint on her behalf about the incident with the State Prosecutor, B.P. and her family, who were staying outside Diyarbakir city, received five or six phone calls from people who falsely identified themselves as IHD members, asking them to come to Diyarbakir. On 19 May, B.P. and her mother visited the office of the IHD to seek advice.
The IHD sent a fax notifying Amnesty International about its concerns for the safety of B.P. and her family. Shortly after they sent this fax, B.P. reportedly received an anonymous call saying Why did you apply to Amnesty International? It will be very bad for you now.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
There have been several recent legal reforms in Turkey which, if properly applied, could be important measures against torture and impunity. Among these are changes in detention procedures, which include a reduction in the length of time detainees can be held without charge and which uphold the right of all detainees to have immediate access to legal counsel.
Nevertheless, Amnesty International is still receiving numerous complaints of torture and ill-treatment in police and gendarmerie stations as well as allegations that these new regulations are not being respected. A worrying practice, demonstrating the way in which some law enforcement officers are ready to bypass new regulations that may prevent torture or ill-treatment, is that of unrecorded detention, whereby the abducted person is not registered as being in detention and is generally taken not to a police station but to another place, or is driven around in a marked or unmarked police car.
Amnesty International has also received reports of individuals, and even their families, who have lodged complaints that they have been tortured or ill-treatment by police officers, have been threatened or beaten to force them to withdraw their complaints.
About Turkey
Reports of torture continue in Turkey with an increasing use of torture methods that did not leave visible marks on the body. Detainees continued to be subjected to methods such as electric shocks, hanging by the arms, and falaka (beating on the soles of the feet).
Take Your Human Rights Activism to the Next Level!
Amnesty International's Urgent Action Network (UAN) serves as the organization's "emergency room" for human rights violations. Every day, UAN members in over 70 countries write personalized appeals to authorities who are in the position to ensure the safety and fair treatment of those whom Amnesty International seeks to protect. While a few of these Urgent Actions appear in AIUSA's Human Rights Action Center, as this current action does, there are hundreds of other cases each year that are not posted online due to time constraints, rapid changes in the individual's situation, or the lack of an email address for a government official.
If you enjoy writing appeals and can respond quickly to urgent human rights concerns, please take this opportunity to step up your commitment to Amnesty International. Support Amnesty International and get involved in the global human rights movement.
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| More on Bush's 5-step plan: Democracy R Us planned for Iraq |
| 05.26.04 (9:36 pm) [edit] |
As the clock tick, tick, ticks toward the June 30 transfer of power to a pseudo-sovereign Iraq, President Bush laid out a five-point plan to boost his bum approval rating.
Apart from some creative pronunciation of those pesky words "Abu Ghraib," the embattled CEO of Democracy R Us did not waver from reciting each word that had been written for him. (Good news about Abu, Bush aims to demolish the notorious torture house and Halliburton has stepped up to do the job for just $1.2 billion.)
Iraq's conversion to a Halliburton-based economy will be aided by a transitional Iraqi government comprised of guys who don't mind having a terrorist bull's eye painted on their headgear.
National elections will come soon enough. But first it is vital to teach Iraqi politicians how to divert millions into their campaign war-chests and slime their opponents with negative ads. Presidential candidates will also need seminars on how to exploit family connections and use the Supreme Court to seize power.
The president's speech underscored his recent gibberish tarring people who oppose his war as racists who "don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern." (Too bad he botched his slur by implying that when you speak of skin color in America "ours" equals "white." See complete quote here.)
Supporters say Bush's credibility in handling the war is heightened now that he has been wounded in the line of duty. He's not bragging about it, but the president received a Purple Chin after the bicycle he was piloting was brought down by some rogue freedom-hating loose soil. (Undaunted, Bush reportedly leapt up and asked if the crash could be linked in any way to Saddam Hussein.)
His battle wounds patched and powdered, President Bush said, "A free Iraq will always have a friend in the United States of America." As a bonus, they get a new Big Brother too. The commander-in-church closed with his traditional heavenly high note. "May God bless conservative, heterosexual, pro-life, pro-war America."
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| Reducto blocks access to comments - Rsheinfield DELETES them |
| 05.26.04 (12:11 pm) [edit] |
Well, well. How low can those right-wing chicken-shit assholes stoop. They certainly don't have any balls, and I doubt seriously they have pussies either.
On one of the rare posts of Rsheinfield I decided to comment on ("FRENCH POLITICIAN WANTS ARABS TO HAVE NUKES TO "CHECK" ISRAEL" , which you can find here: http://www.tblog.com/template... ), I found my comment mysteriously gone a few hours later.
Although none of the other comments had disappeared, thus ruling out the possibility of him deleting his post and reposting it, I still gave him the benefit of the doubt, and reposted another comment. Same mysterious disappearance a few hours later.
Go figure.
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| Being Very Familiar With The 12-Step Program Bush Introduces The 5-Step Program For Iraq |
| 05.26.04 (1:26 am) [edit] |
On Monday night, President Bush outlined his new vision for the future of Iraq, which includes 5 distinct steps to bring freedom to Iraq and to finally get rid of the major pain in the ass Iraq has turned out to be. President Bush himself came up with the idea of having 5 steps to bring success to Iraq based on his experience with AA and their 12-step program.
"The 12-step program was a savior for me." Stated President Bush, "I partied way too much and the 12-step program brought focus back into my life. That is exactly what I'm trying to do with the new 5-step program for Iraq. I want to bring focus back into Iraq and the real reason why we are there for, oil, I mean to liberate the poor Iraqi people from tyranny."
The President's speech, which was given at the U.S. Army War College, lasted close to 33 minutes and called for the shut down of Abu Ghraib prison.
"Under Saddam Hussein, Abu Ghrabab stood for a symbol of torture and mayhem." Stated President Bush in his speech, "Under the U.S., Abu Grabibbobu stood for, oh wait, was it us or Saddam? I'm confused. Oh yeah, under us, this prison brought shame to the U.S. because of a few rat bastards that decided to do stupid things that made us look bad. One day, with the approval of the Iraqi people, we will demolish and destroy Abu Grahimini and we will make sure that any new prison that is open in the future, will not only treat it's prisoners like human beings, but will have a name I won't have a hard time pronouncing."
The 5-step program to help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom includes the following:
Step 1: Hand over authority to the IGC (Iraqi Governing Council), if they are all still alive, on June 30th. After that, start blaming them for any atrocities that happen in Iraq.
Step 2: Help establish security by making the poor U.S. soldiers stay way beyond the required time they signed up for. Also, if need be, send in more U.S. troops so that more of our soldiers can be killed by crazy religious nuts.
Step 3: Continue rebuilding Iraqi's infrastructure using the American taxpayer's dollars so that more crazy Iraqi nuts can blow themselves up and destroy the bridges, electrical power plants and water systems we just helped rebuild.
Step 4: Encourage more international support now that we can't deal with this by ourselves any longer. Ask all countries, except France, for help and in return, give them a cut of the profits from Halliburton.
Step 5: Move toward a national election that will bring true freedom for Iraqis. If that does not work, just send back Saddam Hussein and let him deal with it.
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| Rummy's damage control |
| 05.24.04 (10:52 am) [edit] |
This is not as funny as some, but hey... it's more entertaining than Refucto's prose :-)
With some critics calling for him to be stripped naked and led out of the Pentagon on a dog leash, Donald Rumsfeld stepped up the campaign to save his skin by announcing a lavish compensation package (including Halliburton stock options and McDonalds gift certificates) for the victims of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.
"It's the right thing to do," the embattled Secretary of State told Congress. Poor guy. He'd never let on, of course, but it's got to bug him the way he botched the planning and execution of the war.
Now this horror show - set in a former Saddam hellhole, starring part-time soldiers not trained to be prison guards and stinking all the way to the top - may yet cost him his job as the president's guy in charge of getting people killed.
The despicable acts at Abu Ghraib have further scarred America's image around the globe. But Rummy's no dummy. He just spun the breakdown in human decency under his command as an opportunity to wow the world with another lesson on how a Democracy deals with evil-doers.
True to his word, Rumsfeld has assembled a generous package designed not only to salve Iraqi humiliation with material compensation but also to symbolize all that is good about America. Some of the items include:
- Self-esteem counseling from Dr. Phil
- Season tickets to the Texas Rangers baseball team
- Basketball lessons from noted Allah enthusiast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Autographed copies of Bob Woodward's best-seller "Plan of Attack"
- Cameos in the next Ben Affleck-Arnold Schwarzenegger film, "The Armagedinator"
- Collectible "Spider-Man" action figures
- Official "I Got Abused at Abu Ghraib and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" sportswear
- Kodak Max disposable cameras
- Nike Air Jordans (made by skilled Indonesian craftschildren)
- A Mickey Mouse photo-op at Disneyland
- A gas-guzzling Hummer with a "George Bush is a Swell Guy" bumper sticker
- Allah-approved "Mission Accomplished" prayer mats
- "America's Funniest Prison Home Videos" on DVD
- Reducto's gut explosion following a cheeto overdose
- A hand-written half-apology by Rumsfeld himself
- And samples of Levitra and Cialis to help put that spring back in their step
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| Rummy Is No Dummy |
| 05.24.04 (1:42 am) [edit] |
by: Kathleen Kuntly, GOP Media Diva
This Republican media whore is mad as hell at the questions posed to Secretary Rumsfeld yesterday in the hearings on Capitol Hill! Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld is a very sexy man who is a compassionate conservative! What's so bad about these prisoner abuses anyways? I mean who hasn't been sodomized with a broom handle or had their genitals hooked up to electricity or been put on a leash and treated like an animal or been in a nude pyramid? Secretary Rumsfeld said, "Sometimes freedom is messy!"
Freedom is messy, and I should know, for I too have been interrogated while nude and blindfolded. I had the seeds of freedom spewed all over me during my first big job interview. It was my first big break, and I was being interrogated with my legs high in the air as we formed a nude pyramid in the interview room. I was free to walk out at anytime, but I found out that by lifting up my skirt and staying in that office with those 15 company executives, that I was able to prove myself as a shrewd Republican businesswoman with morals and values. I was able to prove myself as someone who could perform under pressure and multi-task, if you know what I mean! Sure, freedom is messy, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the mess, and I got the job!
The liberal media have shown the pictures of Iraqi mistreatment so much, that I barely get turned on by seeing them anymore. Yes I admit, the first 30 or 40 times I saw the pictures my nipples became rigid with excitement for our military prowess. Wave after wave of shock and awe reverberated throughout my womanhood upon seeing our military flex its muscles on defenseless Iraqi citizens! Seeing our proud men and women sodomize these helpless ragheads made me think of how thankful the Iraqis must be for the newfound freedoms they now have. Now that we removed Saddam, we can introduce them to compassionate conservatism with a broom handle up the pooter!
So cry me a f***ing river of tears about "inhumane treatment" and how those Iraqis are being chained like dogs. Well boo-f***ing-hoo! This is one blonde neocon bombshell that has had a dog collar around her neck plenty of times! You don't have to spell it out to me, or show me some pornographic pictures of naked Iraqi men. This blonde media whore has been collared and made to get on all fours, and I loved every minute of it! So, don't tell me that these Iraqis didn't know it was only fun and games!
What is all this liberal media sensationalism about boomsticks being rammed up the Iraqis' pooter holes? Yes, maybe we did take away the rape rooms, and maybe we are still raping the Iraqi people. But we can't just expect the Iraqi people to quit cold turkey! We have to wean them slowly off of being raped! I'm too busy to worry about Adula, or Habib getting their colons reamed out by a broom. I have had lots of things rammed up inside of me! Does the liberal media expect everyone that has rammed something inside of me to apologize?
I have been there and had things inside me that would make the liberal media squirm! These things made this media whore scream out, "Do it til you and I are satisfied!" Yeah, I squirmed when things were going into me, but I squirmed and screamed for more, and I didn't turn anyone in! Don't tell me that Ali, Adula, or Habib, or whatever the F*** their names are, didn't scream out in pleasure! Yeah baby, tell it like it is and pass the motion lotion and the broom handle!
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| George Bush's moving explaination about killing people: "It's just so beautiful!" |
| 05.23.04 (11:11 am) [edit] |
In a ceremony in Tallahassee, Florida, President George W. Bush was presented with the Golden Scythe by the Grim Reaper.
In presenting the award, the Reaper noted President Bush's "outstanding contributions to death," acknowledging that while the President may not be as prolific as past winners, "he has the strength of his convictions and uses them to bring death.
"Given that he leads a nation inexplicably opposed to death, President Bush been a consistent supporter dating back to his days as Governor of Texas," the Reaper said.
It was while Governor of Texas that George W. Bush first became officially involved with death, signing off on 152 executions during his time in office.
"Of course, that was just the start!" said the Reaper, who went on to cite Bush's accomplishments since becoming President, including numerous deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan of both Coalition soldiers and enemy combatants. Showing what press materials called his characteristically mischievous sense of humor, the Grim Reaper said that Bush's efforts have earned him the title of "Junior Harvester."
Bush was unable to attend the event because of a fundraising conflict, but he told the audience in a prerecorded message, "I believe death is important to our lives. It is important to our freedom. I know when I bring death I am really bringing life, but a different, better life."
Among those in attendance were Bush supporter and former George H. W. Bush speechwriter Peggy Noonan. Speaking to everyone with a camera or pencil, Noonan said, "George Bush really has made an art of death. He's shown us all that you can rid the world of anyone in the name of freedom and peace. It's beautiful."
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| Bush: 'We am the good guys and wasn't even invited at the goddam camel wedding' |
| 05.23.04 (10:55 am) [edit] |
George Bush Reminds Americans That There Are Only Good Guys And Bad Guys:
The United States Army defended today the position that the dozens of Iraqi's killed in an attack were not civilians at a wedding and were, in fact, "Bad guys."
"I can't make it any clearer," said Mstr. Sgt. Joe Pentangelo. "We are the GOOD guys. Good guys don't bomb civilians. So that proves it, we couldn't have made a mistake."
"Our bombs are SMART bombs," added PFC Michael Morano. "SMART bombs know the difference between guerillas and wedding guests. Guerillas are BAD guys and wedding guests are GOOD guys. And those SMART bombs killed all those people, So obviously, the people who died were BAD guys." He then hung his tongue out of the side of his mouth, crossed his eyes, and said "DUH!"
The reaction has remained the same all the way up the chain of command. All concerned agreed that, since we are at war with "BAD Guys", a casualty is proof that the person who died was, indeed bad. "It's simple logic," said Wesley Dobbs, Strategic Commander. "If we, the U.S. Army, are the GOOD guys, and it's in the "Good Guy Charter" that we only kill BAD guys, then those people had to have been guerillas." When the recent torture of prisoners at Abu Garib prison was brought up as an example of the blurring line between the relativeness of good versus bad, Dobbs replied, "Well, they were in prison, so obviously, they were bad. Besides, that's all in the past. Quit living in the past, focus on the NOW."
"I think we're missing the more important point here," responded President Bush at a press conference this afternoon. "Irregardless of the inproprieterness of this situation, we must ask ourselves, 'If this was, indeed, a wedding, then why were we not invited?' Sure, there was a lot of smoke, but after the fires died down, our boys checked the bodies - and there was no wedding gown or tuxedos. That alone is proof of the hineyness of these Guerillas in the Mist."
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| Yahooooo!!!! Michael Moore's Farenheit movie gets the "Palme d'Or" at Cannes' festival! |
| 05.22.04 (10:47 am) [edit] |
Only 5 minutes ago: just saw on the local news (since I'm only 150km away from Cannes). Farenheit 911 got the "Golden Oscar" of the Cannes' festival.
Oh, and for the Refucktos/Nogurus/Defenso rs/RedTigresses of tBlog, the prestigious Cannes's festival awards are not judged by French critics, but by critics from all over the world.
3 days ago, when his movie was being screened, I got to see some very interesting excerpts on the local news. No doubt that even if Disney refuses to distribute the movie in the US (seems like the distribution is assured worldwide except in the US and in Taiwan.... that's freedom of speech), there will be widespread Internet distribution.
I don't normally go buy movies, but here's one I probably will.
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| Bush Retracts "End Of Major Combat" Speech One Year Later |
| 05.22.04 (8:24 am) [edit] |
By Marcelo Lewin
One year ago, President George Bush declared the "end of major combat" in Iraq telling the soldiers "job well done" under a "mission accomplished" banner. However, one year after that speech, close to 600 troops died in "none major combat" situations.
"When I said the end of 'major combat'," stated President Bush, "I really did not mean the end of Major Combat with a capital 'M'. I meant the end of 'major combat' with a little 'm'. Everyone knows that 'major' in lower case is much smaller then 'Major' in upper case. It's the media again twisting my words and being ignorant of the way we speak in the military. So yes, the 'major', with a little 'm' combat was over, but the overall 'Major' with a capital 'M', is not over, as it is very obvious. I hope you have it clear now."
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| U.S. Fires on Iraqi Wedding; Bush: 'We had intelligence it was a gay marriage.' |
| 05.22.04 (8:18 am) [edit] |
The U.S. shot and killed over 40 people in a wedding ceremony in Iraq from a U.S. helicopter according to Iraqi officials.
"All we heard were Americans on top shouting 'No gay marriage! No gay marriage!' and then the shots began." Stated an Iraqi attending the wedding that wished to remain nameless, "What is wrong with same sex marriage? We accept it here in Iraq."
"We had direct orders from President Bush," Stated a U.S. commander who wished to remain anonymous, "to go in and stop the wedding. It looks like it was a gay couple getting married and you know how President Bush feels about poofter marriage."
"The people of Iraq need to understand that we are bringing freedom and democracy to them." Stated President Bush in a press conference immediately following the news of the attack, "However, there are limits to freedom. The people of Massachusetts are pushing those limits and so were the people of that town in Iraq. I will not allow same sex marriage. Now, I can't do much about it here in the U.S. We have a Constitution. But there is no Constitution in Iraq. So, I gave the orders to take them down. That should set a precedent for any future Iraqi poofter couples that want to get married. They'll think twice before they say 'I do'."
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| EU agrees to Russian WTO membership |
| 05.22.04 (3:42 am) [edit] |
21.05.2004 - 22:59 CET | By Andrew Beatty EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS The EU today (21 May) agreed a deal which paves the way for Russia to join the WTO.
Meeting in Moscow for the twice-yearly summit EU representatives announced that a deal had been struck ending six years of negotiations.
Council President Bertie Ahern welcomed the deal as means of increasing prosperity in Russia and the EU.
"This EU-Russia WTO agreement is a giant step forward for open markets and trade liberalisation in Europe", he said in a statement.
Following a rocky period in EU-Russia relations, both sides are keen to present themselves as partners and prove that the relationship can still work.
"The tone and the quality of our discussions today give me great confidence that EU-Russia relations are reaching a new level of trust", Mr Ahern said.
A row over enlargement marred relations in recent months, with Moscow refusing to sign a deal extending relations to the 10 new member states and the EU responding with the threat of sanctions.
Geopolitical goals achieved
With one of Russias main geopolitical goals achieved, the EU is now looking for a trade-off.
"We would like Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol at the earliest opportunity. The EU underlined that the WTO negotiations have given greater clarity on energy pricing, and this should facilitate the ratification of the Protocol", Mr Ahern said.
President Putins envoy to Europe Sergei Yastrzhembsky earlier this week told the EUobserver that progress on WTO membership could facilitate progress on Russian ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
At the summit, Vladimir Putin also announced that Russia was moving towards ratifying border agreements with Latvia and Estonia.
Previously Moscow had been unwilling to budge on the issue, however a deal last month in which the EU tacitly promised to safeguard the rights of Russian speaking minorities in those countries appears to have been enough to produce some movement.
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| Bush Beliefs |
| 05.21.04 (9:37 am) [edit] |
By Becky Garrison
I believe in George, my Father Almighty,
The rightful ruler of these United States,
And in Jeb Bush, his younger son, my bro:
I was conceived in CIA secrecy,
Born of the matriarchal Barbara
Suffered initiation by the Skulls,
Sobered up and ruled over Texas.
I wrestled with the Democratic demons,
The 35th day, the US Supreme Court ruled in my favor.
I ascended to the presidency,
Where I sit on the right hand of George, the Father Almighty,
Whence His advisors shall govern my every move.
I believe in the Florida legislature,
Avenging my Father's loss,
Frying my enemies,
Warring for oil
And the Bush dynasty everlasting.
YEE-HAW!
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| Bush announces 'No Slacker Left Behind' initiative |
| 05.21.04 (9:29 am) [edit] |
Here is a neat one by John Breneman:
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Alarmed by a recent poll in which 75 percent of U.S. teenagers identified Bush as a snotty British rock 'n' roll band and Jesus as a shortstop for the Angels, President Bush today unveiled a faith-based educational initiative called "No Slacker Left Behind."
Bush plans to reinvigorate the teaching of Civics in the nation's classrooms, having learned that students in the same survey identified Civics as "those cars made by those Japanese dudes." Today's young people, he said, are ignorant about the basics of Democracy and the role of God in American politics.
"Some of these children have never even heard of the Rebelutionary War or the Defecation of Independence," said the president. "Why, in my day, the teachers nurtured our patriotism with stories of the founding fathers -- great men like Thomas Washington and George Jefferson."
Asserting that high school students must be taught the obligations of citizenship and God's important role in politics even if it means using corporal punishment, the president pledged $120 million in funding for steel rulers to discipline those who refuse to chant the "Pledge of Allegiance" and said accountability could be measured using oak yardsticks.
"These kids today need to learn why it is so vital that they exercise their right to vote for the pro-life Republican candidate of their choice," the president continued. "Many of them do not even realize that their God-given duty to carry a gun begins in the womb."
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| India: the largest banana republic in the world |
| 05.21.04 (9:18 am) [edit] |
India, with its 650+ million ppl, is the largest democracy in the world.
Democracy?
Yep, apparently, because ppl vote for their prime minister, it seems to qualify.
Minor problem of course is that, if the elected prime minister doesn't suit the right-wing nationalists, they threaten to assassinate her. And considering it's been the fate of all the preceeding left-wing prime ministers - including of her own family -, I can hardly blame Sonia Ghandi for stepping down. Why sacrifice one's life for a country effectively ruled by millions of racist fascists?
And so Indian democracy works real neat: you vote right-wing and the elected prime minister is in, or you vote left wing, and the elected prime minister is assassinated. Simple, but effective. I wonder when Bush is going to think of it.
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| Even the Iraqi prisoner scandal doesn't shake Reducto out of his congenital fascist imbecility |
| 05.20.04 (5:38 am) [edit] |
Here are some of the latest gems from fuckwit Retardo:
"Photos of American GIs abusing Iraqi prisoners have now been plastered just about everywhere in the world. Talk about stupid! These idiots took snapshots of themselves!"
LOL! How dare they show how fucked they are and leave clues of their crimes, eh? I mean, it's ok to torture and all that crap, no problem, hey it's war, remember, but for goodness sake, don't be a real crime perpetrator by leaving clues so that the truth can be found! That's just TOTALLY UN-American!!!
Yeah Refuckto, just about the same stupidity as Hitler's clique. Ring a bell? No? Well, for your info, the SS photographed and filmed just about every one of their murderous deeds. Why? Fuck if I know. Stupid, I guess, you'd say - just like the US army. Or maybe, they felt so above the law they couldn't care less - just like the US army.
"Amnesty International, displaying its usual selective condemnation, is leveling hysteric accusations of widespread and systemic abuses by U.S. forces."
Right! Now Amnesty International is a "hysteric anti-US" organization. ROFLMAOOOO!!!
Refracto... what's next? You gonna say like Red Tigress that the Red Cross is the worst humanitarian organization in the world? Or is it already a fait accompli?
"Historically this may be the cleanest military campaign ever waged by an army unparalleled in its restrain and honesty. "
Someone help me, I'm gonna choke laughing!!!!!!!! "Unparalleled in its restrain and honesty".... LOLLLLLLLL!!!
Shit a brick, it doesn't sound too promising and glorious for the rest of US's military campaigns, does it?
Give up the cheetos, man, the way you're going the vault in the White House basement you're expanding in won't take the stress and the whole thing will collapse.
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| Bush Addresses Nation: President's Ass Mysteriously Catches On Fire |
| 05.18.04 (1:24 pm) [edit] |
Above: Vice President Dick Cheney
Attempts To Extinguish The Fire
That Engulfed The Presidents Pants
WASHINGTON , D.C. The pants of United States President George W. Bush mysteriously caught fire early Wednesday morning while the President was delivering a speech on terrorism and the current war in Iraq . Vice president Dick Cheney was quick to realize there was a problem and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and put out the flames before any serious damage was incurred. Experts are currently investigating the conference room in which the accident occurred in hopes of discovering a clue that might shed light on exactly what happened to cause the President's pants to catch ablaze.
The most likely explanation is a defective electrical outlet situated right behind the President. An electric spark is believed to have ignited the profuse amount of methane produced by Pres. Bush while talking through his ass.
Speculations that Osama was hiding behind the curtain and poked a long stick of smoldering incense up the president's butt have been ruled out after a thorough search of the White House failed to discover a video cassette with a return address and tel number claiming the attack.
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| Canne's festival live - Michael Moore's movie previews + interwiew |
| 05.18.04 (1:13 pm) [edit] |
Since it's local news here for me, I get 1 hour of it every night.
Day before yesterday was M. Moore's movie screening, of which I got to see some excerpts - looks very promising indeed!
There was a short interview with him, in which, among other things, he explained how he managed to get hold of some rather hard to get footage. Tonight, right now, there is a 2 hour special on Canne's festival, with due anytime, a lengthy interview with Michael.
From what I can gather, Michael has assured distribution of his film worldwide, except in the US and Taiwan... go figure!
Oh, and for NoGuru... I'd rather be a communist over a fascist like you any day, LOL.
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| Bush says terrorists are behind Newsweek approval rating poll |
| 05.18.04 (1:06 pm) [edit] |
President Bush said today that his record-low 42% approval rating "sends the wrong message to our troops" and accused unpatriotic poll respondents of trying to "weaken our resolve."
Bush would not rule out using the Patriot Act to "smoke out" those who believe he might have made a mistake. In his strongest statement yet about the Newsweek survey, Bush grinned and said, "I doesn't read Newsweek." Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld agreed, but acknowledged that he sometimes uses the magazine to wipe his butt. The New Yorker, too.
"The actions of these few bad apples do not represent the America that I know," Bush said of his Newsweek naysayers. The trusted advisers who feed him his news have assured him that his approval rating is a robust 91% among right-wing chickenhawks and Halliburton executives.
Bush declined comment on a survey that showed his approval rating has slipped to just 9% among people who don't live in America and a paltry 1% among naked, dog-leashed Iraqi detainees. The president's approval numbers are holding firm at 0% among parents whose soldier-children have been killed in his mistake-free war.
The good news is that Bush's approval rating is 94% among those who believe it was a super idea to bust into Iraq with no concern about alienating the rest of the world, no clue that the welcome parade would be a funeral procession, no idea that it would actually fuel the international terrorist movement and no plan to stabilize this ethnically and religiously complex nation and get the hell out.
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| Bush Worries Being Informed Might Cloud His Great Decision Making Abilities |
| 05.16.04 (2:39 pm) [edit] |
This should appeal to NoGuru. A perfect description of his philosophy, enshrined with his blog title of "Just my opinion.... but I'm a dumbass and proud of it".
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by Marcelo Lewin
In an interview in a new book about President Bush called "Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry and the Bush Haters" written by John O'Neil Clarke Woodward, President Bush says the he does not like to read the "left wing" liberal news because it may cloud his great decision making abilities.
"I don't like to read current news, editorials, watch TV or listen to the radio." Stated President Bush in the book, "Why would I want to cloud my mind with other people's ideas when I understand and know that mine are the correct ones. You see, listening to other people would make me rethink my strategies and place doubt in my mind. That is not a good thing to happen to someone that has a direct connection to God like I do. I need to keep my mind clear so that when God calls and tells me what I should do, I can proceed with the instructions."
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| Nine Out Of Ten Iraqis Prefer U.S. Torture To Saddam's, Says Bush |
| 05.16.04 (2:20 pm) [edit] |
by Scott Borchert
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President Bush, in a press conference on Wednesday, insisted that while he abhors the alleged mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners of war, most of said prisoners are "much happier" with the abuse administered by US soldiers than what they had become accustomed to under Saddams old regime, and in fact prefer it by a margin of 9-to-1.
We will investigate this situation, find those responsible and punish them accordingly, Bush told reporters, but lets keep in mind that most of the same prisoners are much better off with hoods over their heads and electrodes on their extremities than they would be if Saddam were still in power.
After pausing and clearing his throat, the President continued by saying, I mean, who wouldnt take some minor electrocution over having his eyeballs removed after just having watched his wife and children lined up and shot by a masked firing squad?
When asked to explain the presence of an angry mob, which has gathered around the prison daily in the hopes of speaking to loved ones, President Bush replied, I said 9 out of 10, not 10 out of 10.
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| Study shows alcohol effective against sobriety |
| 05.16.04 (1:01 pm) [edit] |
I think I'm going to test John Breneman's theory and get sloshed tonight. Maybe the Bush nightmare will go away for a few hours.
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A new report in the prestigious Imaginary Journal of Medicine reveals that alcohol has been proven effective in combating the pain and discomfort of sobriety.
A team of researchers at Dartmouth's renowned Tappa Kegga Dei fraternity discovered that moderate to heavy consumption of alcohol provides fast temporary relief from the mental and emotional anguish caused by a world gone haywire with George W. Bush at the helm.
"The number of Americans suffering heightened stress and right-brain migraines has skyrocketed under the current administration," said Dr. Jack Daniels of the Tennessee Bourbon Institute. "Alcohol, booze in layman's terms, can produce an effect medical professionals call 'taking the edge off' or even induce a euphoric semi-conscious state if desired."
The study reported that medicinal use of alcohol has risen by 40% in the year since the president toasted his war victory with that intoxicating "Mission Accomplished" rotgut.
"Let's face it, things are looking pretty bleak. Hatred of America has exploded. All the president's men had a role in dragging us into a hellhole. Three shots of firewater, administered orally, can make the world a little less horrifying," said Professor Glen Livet of the Foundation for Moonshine Research.
Despite its therapeutic efficacy, alcohol consumed for medicinal or recreational purposes may produce a range of side effects, including but not limited to:
- Nausea
- Moronic behavior
- Involuntary stumbling
- Slurred speech and vocal spasm
- Loss of job
- Loss of wallet
- Loss of driver's license
- Beer belly
- Vietnam hangover
- Increased risk of yelling at the television
- Confusion about how gay weddings "threaten" traditional marriage
- General obnoxiousness
- Genital flacidity
- Heightened use of the term "I love you, man"
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| For those who wonder why the US is in Iraq - IQ test on Iraq war |
| 05.15.04 (12:45 pm) [edit] |
This article goes back over a year ago: 05-April-2003.
Not only are the facts at the time accurate, but in view of the developments over the last 12 months, some of the questions show how perceptive the author was and how predictable the entire saga was - hence giving no excuse to the Bush admin to have proceeded in spite of a world outcry and damning proofs againt it.
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By Daniel Quinn
Take the War on Iraq IQ Test - Do you know enough to justify going to war with Iraq?
************************* *********
1.
Q: What percentage of the world's population does the U.S. have?
A: 6%
2.
Q: What percentage of the world's wealth does the U.S. have?
A: 50%
3.
Q: Which country has the largest oil reserves?
A: Saudi Arabia
4.
Q: Which country has the second largest oil reserves?
A: Iraq
5.
Q: How much is spent on military budgets a year worldwide?
A: $900+ billion
6.
Q: How much of this is spent by the U.S.?
A: 50%
7.
Q: What percent of US military spending would ensure the essentials of life to everyone in the world, according the UN?
A: 10% (that's about$40 billion, the amount of funding initially requested to fund our retaliatory attack on Afghanistan).
8.
Q: How many people have died in wars since World War II?
A: 86 million
9.
Q: How long has Iraq had chemical and biological weapons?
A: Since the early 1980's.
10.
Q: Did Iraq develop these chemical & biological weapons on their own?
A: No, the materials and technology were supplied by the US government, along with Britain and private corporations.
11.
Q: Did the US government condemn the Iraqi use of gas warfare against Iran?
A: No
12.
Q: How many people did Saddam Hussein kill using gas in the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988?
A: 5,000
13.
Q: How many western countries condemned this action at the time?
A: 0
14.
Q: How many gallons of agent Orange did America use in Vietnam?
A: 17million.
15.
Q: Are there any proven links between Iraq and September 11th terrorist attack?
A: No
16.
Q: What is the estimated number of civilian casualties in the Gulf War?
A: 35,000
17.
Q: How many casualties did the Iraqi military inflict on the western forces during the Gulf War ?
A: 0
18.
Q: How many retreating Iraqi soldiers were buried alive by U.S. tanks with ploughs mounted on the front?
A: 6,000
19.
Q: How many tons of depleted uranium were left in Iraq and Kuwait after the Gulf War?
A: 40 tons
20.
Q: What according to the UN was the increase in cancer rates in Iraq between 1991 and 1994?
A: 700%
21.
Q: How much of Iraq's military capacity did America claim it had destroyed in 1991?
A: 80%
22.
Q: Is there any proof that Iraq plans to use its weapons for anything other than deterrence and self defense?
A: No
23.
Q: Does Iraq present more of a threat to world peace now than 10 years ago?
A: No
24.
Q: How many civilian deaths has the Pentagon predicted in the event of an attack on Iraq in 2002/3?
A: 10,000
25.
Q: What percentage of these will be children?
A: Over 50%
26.
Q: How many years has the U.S. engaged in air strikes on Iraq?
A: 11years
27.
Q: Was the U.S and the UK at war with Iraq between December 1998 and September 1999?
A: No
28.
Q: How many pounds of explosives were dropped on Iraq between December 1998 and September 1999?
A: 20 million
29.
Q: How many years ago was UN Resolution 661 introduced, imposing strict sanctions on Iraq's imports and exports?
A: 12 years
30.
Q: What was the child death rate in Iraq in 1989 (per 1,000 births)?
A: 38
31.
Q: What was the estimated child death rate in Iraq in 1999 (per 1,000 births)?
A: 131 (that's an increase of 345%)
32.
Q: How many Iraqis are estimated to have died by October 1999 as a result of UN sanctions?
A: 1.5 million
33.
Q: How many Iraqi children are estimated to have died due to sanctions since 1997?
A: 750,000
34.
Q: Did Saddam order the inspectors out of Iraq?
A: No
35.
Q: How many inspections were there in November and December 1998?
A: 300
36.
Q: How many of these inspections had problems?
A: 5
37.
Q: Were the weapons inspectors allowed entry to the Ba'ath Party HQ?
A: Yes
38.
Q: Who said that by December 1998, "Iraq had in fact, been disarmed to a level unprecedented in modern history."
A: Scott Ritter, UNSCOM chief.
39.
Q: In 1998 how much of Iraq's post 1991 capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction did the UN weapons inspectors claim to have discovered and dismantled?
A: 90%
40.
Q: Is Iraq willing to allow the weapons inspectors back in ?
A: Yes
41.
Q: How many UN resolutions did Israel violate by 1992?
A: Over 65
42.
Q: How many UN resolutions on Israel did America veto between 1972 and 1990?
A: 30+
44.
Q: How many countries are known to have nuclear weapons?
A: 8
45.
Q: How many nuclear warheads has Iraq got?
A: 0
46.
Q: How many nuclear warheads has US got?
A: over 10,000
47.
Q: Which is the only country to use nuclear weapons?
A: the US
48.
Q: How many nuclear warheads does Israel have?
A: Over 200
50.
Q: Who said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"?
A: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
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| Monkeypox threat level is lowered |
| 05.15.04 (4:56 am) [edit] |
Here is one dedicated to Retardo...
------
By John Breneman
Warning that America has turned into a nation of "flabby lard-asses," President George W. Bush unveiled a national fitness initiative on Saturday after leading White House staffers through a grueling "Abs of Steel" video workout.
An estimated 60 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, said the president, who challenged Americans to get 30 minutes of exercise each day, whether it's running, walking the dog or just spanking the monkey.
"Either you're with us, or you're with the terrorists," said Bush, noting that our national appetite for nachos and fried food contributes to the country's dependence on foreign grease.
"Our nation's health depends on every American doing his or her part," said the president, who also cautioned citizens to avoid "risky behaviors" like smoking cancer sticks and crack, shooting heroin or getting so drunk that you choke on your own vomit.
America's obesity also impacts her astronomical health care costs. For example, the nation now spends an annual $183 billion to fight heart disease alone, almost as much as we spend on Chicken McNuggets each year.
The president's high-profile fitness extravaganza also featured a 3-mile run on Saturday. After clocking in at 20:09, the president issued a bold challenge, daring other world leaders to race him.
"Forget the nuclear arms race," he said. "Hussein, Arafat, Pervez Musharraf ... I'll leave all of 'em in the dust."
The president, a self-described gym rat who likes to spend up to four hours a day playing T-Ball, plans to give a major speech on Wednesday encouraging Americans to eat more spinach and yams.
Bush is also expected to announce new federal funding for liposuction during Wednesday's first-ever presidential "Weight of the Union" address.
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| Kerry vs Cheney: war Hero attacked by war Zero |
| 05.15.04 (3:25 am) [edit] |
By John Breneman
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry came under enemy fire from Vice President Dick Cheney, who unleashed a brazen daylight assault on the status of the war hero's medals.
Cheney counted on the element of surprise, knowing that a man who was injured fighting for freedom in Vietnam would never expect to have his Purple Heart attacked by a guy who blatantly ducked the war.
Pundits questioned the strategy of having a war coward question the courage of a war hero, but political psychoanalysts say this is just further evidence that the White House is run by arrogant chickenhawks who think the American people are stupid enough to buy anything they say.
Kerry did not respond by calling Cheney "a stinking load of ass dirt," but he did call upon President Bush to prove that he actually served in the National Guard while hiding from Vietnam. The challenged has renewed questions about whether the president also evaded Boy Scout duty.
In other White House news, the Supreme Court might make Dick Cheney spill the beans about his double-secret energy club. Critics have sued for the release of information, saying Cheney let energy companies and other big campaign donors help draft energy policy designed to line their pockets.
Fortunately Cheney's hunting pal, Justice Antonin Scalia, has refused to recuse himself from the case. No word on whether Scalia plans to brandish his duck rifle to defend Cheney's right to screw the public in private.
Finally, Cheney and his lifelike sidekick, President George W. Bush, spent some of the day getting ready for their joint appearance before the 9/11 commission. Bush sat on Cheney's knee and practiced grinning, while Cheney stuck his meaty paw up the back of Bush's shirt to gain control of his vocal cords.
When asked why the two insist on appearing together before the panel rather than individually, the president said, "Duh. To answer their questions?"
When asked why he refused to answer the question about why the president and vice president insist on appearing together before the 9/11 panel rather than individually, the president refocused his smirk and said, "Duh. To answer their questions?"
When asked a third time why he was insulting the American people by pretending not to understand a simple question they'd like to hear answered, Bush refocused his smirk and said, "Something will pop into my head."
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| Killing wheelchair-bound people with missiles is Awesome |
| 05.14.04 (2:48 pm) [edit] |
I heard about the Israeli rocket attack on that old handicapped Hamas guy, and I'm sure a lot of people had the same reaction I did: Whatever reason the army had for doing it, blowing up a guy in a wheelchair with a missile is unbelievably, absolutely fucking awesome!
Now, let me say this: I realize the guy was one of their big rebel leaders over there, or something, and I guess he called for the deaths of tons of innocent people and so on, and that was the excuse they needed to take the old guy out. But that's not the point. The point is they totally fucking launched a missile at the guy's wheelchair from a helicopter! That's some grade-A Bam Margera video-game shit, and I for one am fucking stoked that they did it. I don't know how much that one missile cost, but it was utterly and completely worth it to know that some coot on wheels got rocket-launched into the middle of next year.
This sort of thing needs to happen more often. The U.S. military would be a lot more popular if they concentrated on pulling off cool-ass shit like this. And it doesn't have to be just wars, right? I mean, we have a lot, I mean a lot, of folks in wheelchairs all over the world. And sure, most of them are probably all-right guys. But people are people, so there's gotta be a whole lot of wheelchair-bound people that are total shits, too. I bet there are guys in wheelchairs who beat their women, or maybe they got that way by drunk driving, or maybe they wheel around all day trying to diddle little kids. Face it, if someone's trying to do that shit, it's okay to fuck them up as much as possible. Blowing their asses up with a missile would be pretty much perfect.
I like the part about getting them while they're leaving church, too. It's when they'd least be expecting it, being all contemplative and shit, and suddenly they're like, "Hey, do you hear a helicopter? Guys? Guys?" Then it's just pshoooowham! Blood and spokes everywhere!
God, that's cool just to think about. I guess it's probably pretty rare, too. Even if it doesn't become standard procedure, it's awesome that it happened once.
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| Bush vows to pay closer attention to the needs of Non-Presidents |
| 05.14.04 (2:22 pm) [edit] |
WASHINGTON, DCResponding to recent polls suggesting that he has lost touch with the average American, President Bush vowed Monday to pay closer attention to the needs of non-presidents.
"Perhaps, in the past, I've been somewhat lax in addressing the day-to-day problems of the nation's non-presidents," Bush said during a White House press conference. "Well, that's about to change. I hereby pledge to hear and heed the concerns of non-chief-executivesa group of people who are very valuable to our country, in their own way, even if it's not always readily apparent how."
Bush has charged his staff of 50 with the task of helping him learn more about the nation's many non-commanders-in-chief.
"From here on out, I will do my best to address the needs of this group of upstanding Americans who, I'm told, are part of a proud non-presidential tradition that stretches back hundreds of years in this country," Bush said. "To this end, I have appointed a blue-ribbon fact-finding committee to look into the issues of non-presidents and find out what their jets are named, how their staffs are performing, and how they're handling increased pressure from the media during this election year."
Of particular concern to Bush are the ways in which the sluggish economy is affecting the average non-head-of-state. He said he's curious to know how non-presidents are responding to the rising costs of television-campaign ads, whether their donations from special-interest groups have dropped in number, and how much money they are able to set aside for foreign invasions.
"I want to live in a country where all citizenspresidents or notcan pursue their own policy initiatives abroad, even if they suffer from a lack of funding," Bush said. "In addition, Americans shouldn't have to go without the crucial tax cuts they've promised their political supporters, just because there's a mounting federal deficit. We must find a way for every citizen to afford the fundamentals of daily life: an adequate entourage of Secret Service personnel, limousine rides to and from fundraisers, and the political leverage to send legislation through Congress."
Bush said he will reach out to non-presidents with great care in the coming monthsfinding out how their oil wells are doing, how the major-league sports teams they own are weathering the market, and which Ivy League secret societies they belong to. He said he will also carefully read any policy papers they've had their staffs draft recently and review any recent press announcements they've made or leaked.
"There is only one way to win over the hearts, minds, and votes of our nation's non-presidentsa group which, I've learned, is larger than I had previous reason to believeand that's to ask questions," Bush said. "Is security tight enough at their military retreats? Do they have adequate support from their friends in the private sector? Are the global petrochemical companies that back them doing a good job of adhering to government guidelines regarding their campaign contributions? Do they and their households have access to high-quality spin control? If not, I'd like to help non-presidents and their families get the help they need."
Bush said he's so committed to learning more about non-presidents that he has scheduled a fact-finding visit to the home of one such non-president next month.
"In June, I'll be visiting my parents in Texas to discuss these issues," Bush said. "As it turns out, my father is one of these non-presidents. I didn't realize that before, because people still call him 'Mr. President' wherever he goes, but as it happens, he's actually been a non-president for years."
"It just goes to show that, when it comes to non-presidents, I still have a lot to learn," Bush added.
In closing, the president said he has great respect for the many hardworking non-presidents he sees on a daily basis, including those who serve his meals, schedule his phone calls, and carry his shoes.
Added Bush: "You know, some of my best friendsincluding [Secretary Of Defense] Donald Rumsfeld, [National Security Advisor] Condoleezza Rice, and [Vice-President] Dick Cheneyare non-presidents."
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| Bush & Blair shocked by prison abuse... but knew about it 2 years ago |
| 05.13.04 (11:18 am) [edit] |
String of reports warned of widespread torture by troops dating back to Afghanistan
By James Cusick, Westminster Editor
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THE US and British governments have received Red Cross reports month after month since the declared end of the Iraq war a year ago, detailing the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners.
Yet, with report after report piling up on their desks, President George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair chose to say nothing in public to condemn what they knew in private.
The acknowledgement of the torture and mistreatment of Iraqis has only been made by Bush and Blair since the broadcast and publication in the past 10 days of pictures depicting horrific abuse. They have now offered public apologies.
Despite Bush attempting to portray himself as ill-informed of the true extent of the abuse and torture, the White House has been fully aware for the past year of the violations of the Geneva Convention committed by its personnel in Iraq.
Since April 2003, US authorities in Baghdad have got monthly reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
A senior source at the ICRC said: It doesnt matter which report it was, we had been telling the US and UK authorities in Baghdad for over a year about the scale of this [abuse and torture] problem. They had been given 10 or more reports. All detailed the same findings. They knew this had been going on for a year.
Paul Bremer, the US governor heading the coalitions provisional authority in Iraq, was also handed a report by Amnesty International which described prisoner abuse and Geneva violations throughout US-run camps in Iraq last July.
As a result, Bush called defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the White House for briefings on January 16. Rumsfeld is said to have told Bush the extent of the concern over abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The meeting was attended by White House chief of staff Andrew H Card Jnr.
Yet Bush used his weekly radio broadcast yesterday to promise to learn all the facts and determine the full extent of the abuses. Admitting the scandal was a stain on US honour, he pledged to fully investigate prisons in Iraq.
Rumsfeld admitted to Congress yesterday that the Pentagon and a US general had tried to block CBS, the US TV network, from broadcasting abuse pictures taken inside Abu Ghraib. He also said more photographs and videos exist, adding: Its going to make matters worse if these are released to the public.
The comments highlight the Bush administrations priority unconcerned with the humanitarian issues, but seeking to avert a public relations disaster.
Teresa Richardson, of Amnesty, said: We have been delivering reports on these violations to the US authorities since the period between 9/11 and the beginning of the Iraq war. The abuse and torture, in Afghanistan, goes back two years.
She said Amnesty reports on abuse by British soldiers in Iraq had also been handed to the Ministry of Defence in London in the months immediately after the war.
But weve received no response from the MoD. Our experience with the MoD, going back to Northern Ireland, is that investigation should not be carried out by the MoD, but by a civilian-led organisation.
The same criticism can be levelled against the Pentagon. From the summer of 2003 till January 2004 allegations of abuse and torture had been mounting. The Pentagon ordered in the Criminal Investigation Division hoping to limit damage if details reached the public.
The MoD said that, although the US report in January was never officially sent to them, they knew of it. On the other reports from Amnesty International and the ICRC an MoD spokesman told the Sunday Herald: It would have been logical that we would have seen these reports.
Blair would have known of these reports existence and knew the MoD were quietly investigating. He too could have gone public with an apology, instead he remained silent.
Rumsfeld may have hoped the arrest of six US military police in connection with alleged abuse of prisoners would improve matters. But the final report from the US Army criminal investigation team, delivered in March this year, must have made grim reading to even Rumsfeld. The January allegations which had been the catalyst for the Pentagon-ordered inquiry now came back with a fuller report, more graphic, more horrific and backing up the allegations made for year by Amnesty and the Red Cross.
Again there was only silence from the White House, and from the Pentagon.
Colin Powell at the State Department was said to be becoming increasingly uneasy over a situation his aides say he knew could get out of control. But Powell, increasingly isolated from the White House, could do little to influence either Bush or Rumsfeld.
In late April, according to one source in the Foreign Office in London "the shit has indeed hit the White House fan". CBSs 60 Minutes programme showed the pictures the Pentagon knew were out there. The New Yorker magazine followed on with even more horrific images The Wall Street Journal published the ICRC report.
Last week Secretary of State Rumsfeld said he was "stunned", Bush apologised and said he would investigate. Tony Blair said the images were deplorable. Apologies however late will not be enough. All know worse, much worse, is still to come.
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| EU-US deal on data transfer on hold |
| 05.13.04 (11:12 am) [edit] |
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission today (12 May) decided to delay a decision on the controversial transfer of air passenger data to the US.
"No decision will be taken today", the Commission spokesperson for internal market said on Wednesday. "I cannot say more".
The Commissioners were expected to take a decision on last December's agreement on the legal transfer to the US of information on passengers including name, address, phone number, credit cards and their traveling companions.
Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino hinted on Monday during a visit in the US that approval was likely.
"I don't want to anticipate those decisions, but [it is] likely those decisions will be in favour", he said.
However the Commissioners today decided to delay taking a decision on the matter.
The US has been requesting the data since the 11 September attacks in 2001 in order to combat terrorist threats.
Airlines failing to provide passenger data to US security agencies within 15 minutes of a flights departure already face the possibility of fines of 6,000 euro per passenger or potential loss of landing rights in the US.
The European Parliament 's position is that the transfer of such personal data breaches EU privacy laws, and voted to refer the matter to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Press Articles New York Times
Written by Sharon Spiteri
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| Rumsfeld rushes to visit abuse prison in Iraq & take his own piccies |
| 05.13.04 (11:03 am) [edit] |
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| Geneva Convention? Wozzat? The World According to Wolfowitz |
| 05.13.04 (10:25 am) [edit] |
[by buzzer contributor]
In March 2003, when several U.S. soldiers had been captured, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said in an interview with the New England Cable News Channel, "We have reminded the Iraqis -- and I'll do it if they are watching this program -- that there are very clear obligations under the Geneva Convention to treat prisoners humanely."
Wolfowitz added: "We treat our own prisoners, and there are hundreds of Iraqi prisoners, extremely well. We feed them, we take care of them, they're very safe with us."
Yeah, it does not get any safer than that...
God help us. If this is an "extremely" good treatment, in Wolfie's mind, it makes one shudder to imagine what torture would look like.
Wolfie has been too busy dreaming up the neo-cons grandiose world domination plans to notice that American soldiers get killed by the hundreds in Iraq, and the civilian Iraqis get butchered and raped either in their homes, or in American-run prisons. The Red Cross officials met with Wolfie in 2003 to alert him about the on-going abuse in American prisons. But his delirious mind apparently failed to register this event or its significance. Or, what's more probable -- and more terrible -- he, like his bosses, simply did not care.
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| President Bush warns he may use military force vs. Democrats |
| 05.12.04 (1:14 pm) [edit] |
By John Breneman
With his poll numbers slipping, President Bush said today he would not rule out using military force if he feels any of the Democratic candidates poses a significant threat to U.S. interests.
The president said he has evidence that retired Gen. Wesley Clark and other Democratic contenders may be stockpiling chemical and biological weapons in their campaign warchests. Further, Bush said, the British government has documents purporting to show that Sen. John Kerry attempted to purchase uranium "yellow cake" from Niger.
"You're either with us or you're a terrorist," said Bush, who claimed to possess some "darn good intelligence" revealing that each Democratic candidate opposes both the president and his policies. Bush said he has learned that Howard Dean and Joe Lieberman have ties to al Qaeda and that Al Sharpton once invited Saddam Hussein and his sons to a P. Diddy concert.
If the Democrats persist in criticizing the war in Iraq, the president said he will have no choice but to "give 'em a taste of heavy artillery." Asked what types of offenses might warrant a military response, Bush said he would only consider deploying troops if the Democrats continue to whine about U.S. casualties in Iraq and the need to seek help from the international community.
The president's mother, Barbara Bush, who recently called the field of Democratic contenders "a pretty sorry group," said she stands prepared to use even harsher language "if those pathetic liberal jackasses don't stop harassing my Georgie."
Bush stopped short of issuing a formal declaration of war against his rivals, but assured the American people that he would not hesitate to use some of his favorite "nuke-u-lar weapons" to defeat the menacing Democratic "axis of evil."
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| Think comparing Bush to Hitler is an exaggeration? Think again... |
| 05.12.04 (11:00 am) [edit] |
This is a direct copy/paste of a hair-raising article Diannemaire posted a week or so ago under the header of "When democracy failed: the warnings of history", and seemingly missed the notice it deserves.
The article is not at all about Bush, it's about the rise of Hitler. And yet, if you read each paragraph and think of what's been going on for the last 3 years in the US under Bush, you'll notice an uncanny if not freaky similarity. Most people think Hitler built gas ovens right from the moment he was in power. Nothing of the sort: it was a long and progressive road that started with apparently very commendable and social family values and eventually reached its hideous culmination.
This article was written over a year ago, and the analogy in the development of the Bush reign and Hitler's would be even more striking if updated with the events that occured since then.
Here it is:
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By Thom Hartmann feb 27 2003
The 70th anniversary wasn't noticed in the United States, and was barely reported in the corporate media. But the Germans remembered well that fateful day seventy years ago - February 27, 1933. They commemorated the anniversary by joining in demonstrations for peace that mobilized citizens all across the world.
It started when the government, in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis, received reports of an imminent terrorist attack. A foreign ideologue had launched feeble attacks on a few famous buildings, but the media largely ignored his relatively small efforts. The intelligence services knew, however, that the odds were he would eventually succeed. (Historians are still arguing whether or not rogue elements in the intelligence service helped the terrorist; the most recent research implies they did not.)
But the warnings of investigators were ignored at the highest levels, in part because the government was distracted; the man who claimed to be the nation's leader had not been elected by a majority vote and the majority of citizens claimed he had no right to the powers he coveted. He was a simpleton, some said, a cartoon character of a man who saw things in black-and-white terms and didn't have the intellect to understand the subtleties of running a nation in a complex and internationalist world. His coarse use of language - reflecting his political roots in a southernmost state - and his simplistic and often-inflammatory nationalistic rhetoric offended the aristocrats, foreign leaders, and the well-educated elite in the government and media. And, as a young man, he'd joined a secret society with an occult-sounding name and bizarre initiation rituals that involved skulls and human bones.
Nonetheless, he knew the terrorist was going to strike (although he didn't know where or when), and he had already considered his response. When an aide brought him word that the nation's most prestigious building was ablaze, he verified it was the terrorist who had struck and then rushed to the scene and called a press conference.
"You are now witnessing the beginning of a great epoch in history," he proclaimed, standing in front of the burned-out building, surrounded by national media. "This fire," he said, his voice trembling with emotion, "is the beginning." He used the occasion - "a sign from God," he called it - to declare an all-out war on terrorism and its ideological sponsors, a people, he said, who traced their origins to the Middle East and found motivation for their evil deeds in their religion.
Two weeks later, the first detention center for terrorists was built in Oranianberg to hold the first suspected allies of the infamous terrorist. In a national outburst of patriotism, the leader's flag was everywhere, even printed large in newspapers suitable for window display.
Within four weeks of the terrorist attack, the nation's now-popular leader had pushed through legislation - in the name of combating terrorism and fighting the philosophy he said spawned it - that suspended constitutional guarantees of free speech, privacy, and habeas corpus. Police could now intercept mail and wiretap phones; suspected terrorists could be imprisoned without specific charges and without access to their lawyers; police could sneak into people's homes without warrants if the cases involved terrorism.
To get his patriotic "Decree on the Protection of People and State" passed over the objections of concerned legislators and civil libertarians, he agreed to put a 4-year sunset provision on it: if the national emergency provoked by the terrorist attack was over by then, the freedoms and rights would be returned to the people, and the police agencies would be re-restrained. Legislators would later say they hadn't had time to read the bill before voting on it.
Immediately after passage of the anti-terrorism act, his federal police agencies stepped up their program of arresting suspicious persons and holding them without access to lawyers or courts. In the first year only a few hundred were interred, and those who objected were largely ignored by the mainstream press, which was afraid to offend and thus lose access to a leader with such high popularity ratings. Citizens who protested the leader in public - and there were many - quickly found themselves confronting the newly empowered police's batons, gas, and jail cells, or fenced off in protest zones safely out of earshot of the leader's public speeches. (In the meantime, he was taking almost daily lessons in public speaking, learning to control his tonality, gestures, and facial expressions. He became a very competent orator.)
Within the first months after that terrorist attack, at the suggestion of a political advisor, he brought a formerly obscure word into common usage. He wanted to stir a "racial pride" among his countrymen, so, instead of referring to the nation by its name, he began to refer to it as "The Homeland," a phrase publicly promoted in the introduction to a 1934 speech recorded in Leni Riefenstahl's famous propaganda movie "Triumph Of The Will." As hoped, people's hearts swelled with pride, and the beginning of an us-versus-them mentality was sewn. Our land was "the" homeland, citizens thought: all others were simply foreign lands. We are the "true people," he suggest | |
