The Crackpot Oracle

Creepy stuff sure to be labeled as "conspiracy theory" territory by those who are afraid of learning the truth, or by those who are guilty, either directly or by association.

Bob Herbert makes a great point: If the Syrians are such bad guys, why is the government handing over suspected terrorists to them? The U.S. accuses them of supporting terror, makes noises about regime change and warns them not to meddle in Iraq, and at the same time trusts them to conduct interrogations for us, (obviously involving torture). Of course, it's nothing new for governments to criticize each other publicly while dealing behind the scenes, but it would be nice if they would tone down the pompous bullshit "freedom" rhetoric. It's all about power for these people, and whatever twisted realpolitik games they feel like playing to hold on to it.

This guy was ambassador to Honduras during the one of the worst periods of right wing death squad activity in Central America.
The CIA was involved with these despicable groups, and Negroponte at the very least helped to cover it up. Billmon has some details.

This is a story involving hypocrisy of the highest order.
How did this guy get into the White House press room?
A right wing "journalist" who lobs softball questions at White House Press conferences, writes gay-bashing articles for Talon News, did what...?
This same guy is somehow mixed up in the Valerie Plame Affair as well. If this was a Democratic administration, Ken Starr would already be leaking details from his grand jury investigation.

There has been coverage in U.S. papers of this story, but no headline that I've seen has been as blunt as this one. The fact that Bush tried to suppress or delay release of this info usually isn't part of the lead.

Maybe now the press will do its job and vigorously pursue this story where the connection between government propagandizing and the treasonous outing of a CIA agent by the White House is becoming apparent. Uh huh. Maybe the cable news folks will devote some time to this. Wait a minute, doesn't the Michael Jackson trial start soon?

From Dailykos, excellent piece on what the Bush administration knew about Al Qaeda, when they knew it, and when Condi lied about it. They managed to delay releasing these documents until after the election.

This never would have happened under FDR or Truman. Remember that. This never happened under Clinton. Kerry, who was an actual combat veteran, would never have let this happen. Those little yellow bumper stickers won't erase your complicity in keeping these thuggish clowns in office. Selfish bastards. Free ride neoconmen. Turnstile jumpers. You want the benefits of our country, but don't feel the need to pay your way. Self made men indeed. God forbid Tim Russert has to give back his tax cut so we can fix problems like: homeless vets, hungry kids, empty firehouses, outgunned cops, families living without heat, a fraying social contract, unsafe borders. How about it, Tim? Instead of trying to get Ted Kennedy to say that evil word "tax increase", how about grilling a rich Republican about social responsibility? Why not say: "Don't you think us rich guys should kick in our fair share so those working class kids can have some kind of decent life when they return from serving our country?" Remember the GI Bill?
Remember VA home loans? Oh, but those were Democratic programs, perish the thought that the GOVERNMENT should play a role in improving people's lives. No, it's a new era, let's all pray to the supremely intelligent market voodoo forces that separate good from evil, and cast out the unworthy. We must liberate all corporations yearning to be free of the bonds of liberal democracy. Oogabooga bow to the mighty golden market forces!
Privatize everything!

When left/progressives/liberals dare to utter the F word regarding the authoritarian climate in this country, there is much wounded outrage from the neocon camp. How about when it comes from a leading conservative publication?

Also, show this article by Bob Herbert in today's N.Y. Times to any acquaintances who snicker at those concerned about human rights. Innocents caught in the dragnet, tortured mentally and physically. This is not merely unacceptable behavior. This is despicable, criminal behavior, and in this administration, the fish is rotten from the head down. Those at the top must be held responsible.

Read this FAIR piece. Just read it!

Excellent series from Chris Hume via truthout.org. Scroll down, start with day one.

Lieberman yesterday regarding Gonzales, torture, and the Geneva conventions: "I think Judge Gonzales was being restrained and diplomatic in using the word “quaint” to offer these benefits -- access to a canteen to purchase food, soap and tobacco, a monthly advance of patience, the ability to have and consult personal financial accounts, the ability to receive scientific equipment, musical instruments or sports outfits. Giving these benefits to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who planned the attacks against us on September 11, wouldn't be quaint. It would be offensive. It would be ridiculous. It would be ultimately unjust."
Bottom line: If Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is not a combatant of a foreign government, or did not plan the attacks on behalf of a foreign government, then it may be correct that the Geneva conventions do not apply. If this is true, however, that automatically changes his classification to criminal suspect. Does the Bush Administration have so little confidence in our criminal justice system that they are afraid to bring this scum to trial? Aren't the American people, and all relatives of victims of the attacks, better served by seeing him tried, convicted, and sentenced, instead of vanishing into a mysterious black hole?
By creating this third category, neither enemy combatant nor criminal, the government is depriving the nation of the closure it needs.
This third category also creates a black hole that can swallow up innocents. If a mistake is made, what recourse does an innocent person caught mistakenly in the dragnet have? Furthermore, this begins the slippery slope toward a nightmarish system of gulags, that in the wrong hands, (and they're in the wrong hands right now) can be used on political opponents.
I can already hear the knucklehead trolls responding (and I've also heard Lieberman make statements to this effect): "Why do you care about the rights of terrorists? The 9/11 hijackers didn't respect our rights." My preemptive response is: Read more carefully boneheads, don't put words in my mouth I didn't say and try to lift your critical thinking skills above a seventh grade level. But then again, seventh grade critical thinking skills will get you a show on MSNBC or FOX, so what do I know?

Update:Joe Lieberman must really be doing a great job for his president, take a look at how thankful Bush is.

Thursday, February 3, 2005 Posted: 11:28 PM EST
(CNN) -- A Washington state utility released audiotapes Thursday that it said revealed bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp. plotted to take a power plant off-line in 2001 to jack up electric prices in Western states.
Can you imagine if someone in a Democratic president's inner circle had run a company this way? The story would be pounded nonstop by all the cable channels, the "liberal" N.Y. Times, there would be house committee hearings, Rush would be outraged, and it would be the political story of the week, every week on the Sunday morning shows. But since Ken Lay is a Bush family butt buddy... ehhh, no real story here. Nothing to see folks, move along.

Opinions You Should Have is a funnyass blog.

Google to start indexing brains.

From Media Matters: Pre-State Of The Union Hardball featured 6 Republicans, 1 Democrat.

Couldn't watch, (I had just eaten) but I'm sure it was the usual nauseating wankfest of kissassery.
Something like:
"How do you think the president will display his resolute firmness while laying out his bold freedom agenda tonight?"

And later, the Three Stooges will be teaching a conflict resolution class.

From David Sirota's blog:

Virginia Sen. George Allen (R) is introducing a bill essentially condemning the Senate for filibustering
anti-lynching laws earlier in the 20th century. It's a laudable bill – but its author has anything but a laudable record on
civil rights and racial issues. According to the Associated Press in 2000, Allen was discovered to have been
displaying a hangman's noose and the confederate flag in his law office.


Read the article.