Clipmarks | masbury's clips

Senate Report: Bush Knew Intel on Iraq was False

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:24:54 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Investigation finally yields the official report.

More than five years after the initial invasion of Iraq, the Senate Intelligence Committee has finally gone on the record: the Bush administration misused, and in some cases disregarded, intelligence which led the nation into war. The two final sections of a long-delayed and much anticipated "Phase II" report on the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence, released on Thursday morning, accuse senior White House officials of repeatedly misrepresenting the threat posed by Iraq.

In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when

it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent

As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed. ... There is no question we all relied on flawed intelligence. But, there is a fundamental difference between relying on incorrect intelligence and deliberately painting a picture to the American people that you know is not fully accurate

Tags: bush, iran

Bush: those who disagree with him "slander America"

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:47:12 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: How very, very cheap - taking those who disagree with HIM and labeling them slanderers of AMERICA. He attempts to manipulate people who want to be patriotic into sitting down, shutting up, and asking no questions about his abuse of power, so he can do whatever he wants with their money.

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

BOULTON: There are those who would say look, lets take Guantanamo Bay, and Abu Ghraib, and rendition and all those things and to them that is the complete opposite of freedom.

BUSH: Of course, if you want to slander America.

a short — but by no means exhaustive — list of those who have

slandered America:

– The United States Supreme Court: The Court ruled last week that “terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have a right to seek their release in federal court” saying that Bush’s policy compromised “the Constitution’s guarantee of liberty.”

– McClatchy Newspapers:

the U.S. has wrongfully imprisoned “perhaps hundreds” of men “in Afghanistan, Cuba and elsewhere on the basis of flimsy or fabricated evidence, old personal scores or bounty payments.”

– The Federal Bureau of Investigation:

according to its agents, “[m]ilitary officials at Guantanamo Bay used some aggressive techniques before they were approved, possibly in violation of Defense Department policy and U.S. law.”

Tags: bush, gitmo, war on terror

More Bushco connections to Iraq oil deals

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:57:26 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Perks for Hunt Oil, whose owner gave $35M to the Bush library.

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Oversight Committee: Despite Denials, Administration Knew About Bush Donor’s Oil Contracts»

The Bush administration has repeatedly claimed that it plays no part in contract negotiations between Western oil companies and Iraq. But the New York Times reported last week that the State Department actually had an “integral role” in the awarding of no-bid contracts to develop Iraq’s oil fields.

Today, the administration received another blow to its credibility, as the House Oversight Committee released documents further connecting it to Iraqi oil deals, this time through Dallas-based Hunt Oil. Hunt Oil is owned by Ray L. Hunt, a former Halliburton board member who has donated $35 million to the Bush presidential library.

“This is a serious matter because of the widespread suspicion in Iraq and other nations that the United States went to war to gain access to Iraqi oil,” the committee wrote.

Tags: iraq, oil

Juan Cole: Quotes on patriotism

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:53:23 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: More at the link

Clip Source: www.juancole.com

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

-Mark Twain

"My patriotism is not an exclusive thing. It is all-embracing and I should reject that patriotism which sought to mount the distress or exploitation of other nationalities."

-Mohandas K. Gandhi

"How much longer are we going to think it necessary to be 'American' before (or in contradistinction to) being cultivated, being enlightened, being humane, & having the same intellectual discipline as other civilized countries? It is really too easy a disguise for our shortcomings to dress them up as a form of patriotism!"

-Edith Wharton

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

-Howard Zinn

what we mean is a sense of national responsibility which will enable America to remain master of her power—-to walk with it in serenity and wisdom, with self-respect and the respect of all mankind

it is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them."

- Adlai Stevenson

Tags: patriotism

Yoo refuses to rule out "crushing a child's testicles"

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:28:02 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Or raping an infant to exert pressure on a terror suspect. Addington also evades.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

In several public fora heretofore, Yoo has insisted that no law -- neither domestic nor international -- prevents the president from authorizing the crushing of a child's testicles or the raping of an infant as a way of exerting pressure upon a terrorist suspect.

On December 1, 2005, Yoo notoriously contended in a public debate that the legality of crushing a child's testicles "depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that." Yesterday John Conyers tried to ask Yoo point-blank about that claim in that 2005 debate, namely whether Yoo still believes "that the President can order that a suspect's child be tortured in gruesome fashion."

Yoo's hemming and hawing around the question -- and his inability or refusal to say simply no, no, no -- spoke volumes. Addington evaded the question by telling committee members to consult their own in-house lawyers about such "legal opinions" and then refused to talk further about torture because "al Qaeda may watch C-SPAN."

Tags: terrorism, torture

Limbaugh: I am defender of Corporate America

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:40:43 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: An unashamed cadre of the corporatocracy

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Limbaugh: ‘I consider myself a defender of corporate America.’»

right-wing radio talker Rush Limbaugh declares himself “the intellectual engine of the conservative movement.” Described by reporter Zev Chafets as “less a theoretician than a popularizer”

“I consider myself a defender of corporate America.” Limbaugh’s claim is supported by the aggressive manner in which he acts as a “pitchman” for products on his show:

Some simply run their usual ads. Others use Limbaugh as their pitchman, which costs them a premium and a long-term commitment. And lately he has created a new option. At a much higher rate he will weave a product into his monologue (To a caller who said he took two showers after voting for Clinton in Operation Chaos, Limbaugh responded: “If you had followed my advice and gotten a Rinnai tankless water heater, you wouldn’t have needed to take two showers. And I’ll tell you why. . . .”)

Tags: limbaugh, media

My Favorite quote versus Michael Savage et al

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:25:47 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: A quote for the true patriots
And those who think they are.

Clip Source: www.vetvoice.com

by: TexDem

Sat Jun 21, 2008

My favorite quote or I should say my contemporary favorite quote is from journalist Sidney J. Harris. Sidney's quote although made several years is very relevant today and directly addresses the likes of Michael Savage and most of this administration.

Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, 'the greatest,' but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is.

Ernie1812's diary reminded me of Sidney's quote, it could very well become one of your favorite quotes. Use it as a refute to those who claim to be patriots but are really only nationalist and bigots.

Tags: nationalism, patriotism, michael savage, sydney j. harris

MN judge finds against WalMart in 2 MILLION labor violations

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:14:55 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Will WalMart ever stop leeching American workers?

Clip Source: www.truthdig.com

Wal-Mart may face up to $2 billion in fines after a Minnesota state judge found a total of 2 million contractual violations by the retail giant.

The judge also ruled on Monday that Wal-Mart owed $6.5 million to 56,000 current and former employees because of contractual violations, including a failure to give workers promised rest breaks at least 1.5 million times. The judge also found that Wal-Mart managers in Minnesota had systematically broken the law by having employees take in-house training while off the clock.

“It’s only through a decision like this that Wal-Mart can be held to its contractual agreements and to complying with Minnesota law.”

Tags: walmart

"Global disruption" better than "Global warming"

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:00:08 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: John Holdren, professor of environmental policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is the director of the Woods Hole Research Center and just completed a term as board chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

“Global Disruption” More Accurately Describes Climate Change, Not “Global Warming”–Leading Scientist John Holdren

Leading scientist John Holdren says “global warming” is not the correct term to use; he prefers “global disruption.” “‘Global warming’ [is] misleading. It implies something that’s mainly about temperature, that’s gradual, and that’s uniform across the planet,” says Holdren. “In fact, temperature is only one of the things that’s changing. It’s a sort of an index of the state of the climate. The whole climate is changing: the winds, the ocean currents, the storm patterns, snow packs, snowmelt, flooding, droughts. Temperature is just a bit of it.” [includes rush transcript]

Tags: environment

Dems who gripe at Big Oil but hold stock in it

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:28:41 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Is your Rep listed here? 14 Dems in House and Senate profit from policies they oppose

Clip Source: thehill.com

Dems willing to criticize oil despite holding stock

At least 14 Democratic members of the House and one senator have holdings ranging from several thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars in companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. or partnerships such as Schlumberger and Hornbeck Offshore Services.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)

Sen. John Kerry (Mass.)

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)

Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s energy program, said it was inconsistent for Democrats to criticize companies but also invest in them.

Clip Source: thehill.com

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.)

Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio)

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)

Rep. David Price (D-N.C.)

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.)

Democratic Reps. Patrick Kennedy (R.I.), Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.), Heath Shuler (N.C.), and Howard Berman (Calif.)

Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.)

Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s (D-Calif.)

Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.)

Reps. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas) and Charlie Melancon (D-La.)

Tags: politics, environment, oil

ACLU: Massive Pentagon effort conceals human costs of war

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:53:04 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: ACLU charges unprecedented effort to "control and suppress information about the human cost" of the wars

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

The ACLU today released documents regarding Navy investigations of civilians killed by coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The report notes that the administration has gone to “unprecedented lengths to control and suppress information about the human cost” of the wars. Some of the key findings:

– Banning photographers on U.S. military bases from covering the arrival of caskets containing the remains of U.S. soldiers killed overseas

– Paying Iraqi journalists to write positive accounts of the U.S. war effort

– Inviting U.S. journalists to “embed” with military units but requiring them to submit their stories for pre-publication review

– Erasing journalists’ footage of civilian deaths in Afghanistan

– Refusing to disclose statistics on civilian casualties.

The New York Times revealed in April that the Pentagon also had used a domestic propaganda program to paint a rosy portrait of the war effort. See the documents here.

Tags: war on terror

Gitmo torture training based on Korea-era Chinese torture

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:06:09 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Used on US prisoners during Korean conflict

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Gitmo Trainers Based Interrogations on Chinese Techniques

The New York Times has revealed military trainers at Guantanamo Bay based an entire interrogation class on Chinese techniques used on US prisoners during the Korean War. The techniques have long been considered forms of torture, including “sleep deprivation,” “prolonged constraint,” “exposure,” “semi-starvation," “exploitation of wounds.” Some of the intended effects include “Makes Victim Dependent on Interrogator,” “Weakens Mental and Physical Ability to Resist” and “Reduces Prisoner to ‘Animal Level’ Concerns.” The methods were also seen as widely ineffective, having obtained mostly false confessions. The techniques were outlined in a chart from a 1957 Air Force study entitled “Communist Attempts to Elicit False Confessions from Air Force Prisoners of War.” Some of the methods were used on Guantanamo prisoners until Congress banned the use of coercion in 2005.

Tags: torture

Another $170 million for poor Israel

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:37:57 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And another reason I'll be changing from "D" to "I"

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Congress Approves Additional $170M For Israel

In news from Capitol Hill, Congress has approved giving Israel an additional $170 million in aid next fiscal year. This means the U.S. will give Israel a total of more than $2.5 billion next year. Israel remains the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. The U.S. is planning to give Israel $30 billion over the next 10 years.

Tags: israel

McCain tax cuts give Corporations $175B/year windfall

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:11:57 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And guess who will make up the difference?

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Report: McCain Tax Cuts to Save Corporations $175 Billion/Year

In campaign news, a new report is estimating Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s proposed tax plan will produce a windfall for corporate America. The Center For American Progress estimates McCain’s plan would save corporations $175 billion per year. The country’s largest 200 corporations alone would save $45 billion.

Tags: politics, economy

Africa is big. Really big.

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:30:53 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.doobybrain.com

The African continent is apparently big enough to fit the United States, India, Argentina, Western Europe, and most of China in it’s space! In fact, all together, these 5 countries still do not make up the total square kilometers of Africa.