July 13, 2009 archive

    This is a SNEAK PREVIEW for all you Dharma Bums who want action and accountability for 8 years of War Crimes, High Crimes and Crimes against Humanity.

    If you want to host a War Crimes Accountability series diary let me know. I will be posting these myself until someone wants me to pass the baton to them. E-mail me at [email protected] if you are interested, or say so in the comments below.

    Let me know if you think this is an effective course of action, or if you have any other thoughts or ideas to share.

Cheers

    This diary will be published at 10a.m. tomorrow morning on Orange. Please be there to rec it up, as well as to call for Justice!

Dear Dharma Bums, I submit for your consideration and approval a plan to bring the Bush/Cheney Administration to justice.

   If you don’t support warrantless wiretapping, The Patriot Act, torture or any of the other high crimes and War crimes committed by the Criminal Bush Junta, please use the contact information below to demand justice for War Crimes. Contact Speaker Pelosi and the Representatives of the House Rules Committee today and ask them to support H.Res 383.

    H.Res 383 was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA9) and is designed to act as a Congressional oversight bill that would establish a select committee to review national security laws, policies, and practices. Better yet, this committee would have power of subpoena.

    Below the fold you can find the Contact Information for Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi and the members of the House Rules Committee to which H.Res 383 has been referred, as well as the AG’s Office and White House. Call or write to let them know that you support H.Res 383 and accountability for Bush/Cheney era War Crimes.

Hearings Not Just About Sotomayor

Judicial Confirmation Process Could Be a Partisan Platform and a Barometer

By Michael D. Shear

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, July 13, 2009

When Sonia Sotomayor takes her seat today in front of the 19 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she will finally add her own voice to those that have been arguing publicly for confirmation of the first Latina Supreme Court justice.

How she answers the questions of Republican panel members — both the substance of her comments and how she handles herself in the spotlight — will help determine whether charges from her critics persist about her ability to apply the law fairly, without a bias toward any group.

Philippine bombings: No one is a suspect and everyone is to blame

A series of blasts on Mindanao has left 12 dead and 100 injured. No one has taken responsibility, but most every group on the troubled archipelago is being blamed. Some even suspect President Arroyo.

By John M. Glionna

July 13, 2009

Reporting from Manila — The first bombs exploded outside two Catholic cathedrals on the restive southern Philippine island of Mindanao. They were followed by a series of blasts two days later that raised the toll to 12 dead and 100 injured.

The wave of violence last week in this religiously divided and politically troubled archipelago has made residents skittish even in Manila, the capital some 500 miles to the north, where a bomb damaged a government office in June and several others were found.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has beefed up an anti-terrorist command center and troops have been placed on high alert. Bomb-sniffing dogs patrol the airport and weapons checkpoints have sprung up throughout the metropolitan area of 12 million residents.

So far, no group has taken responsibility for the attacks — fueling speculation in the press, on the streets and among opposing government factions.

Everyone seems to agree on this: Most every group is suspect.

Somethings Inside

Apparently I have gone over the edge, into an abyss of conspiracy where the devils advocate is just that, a devil.  I can see now that I was somehow born with the programming that has led me into this abyss.  I came of age during the sixties and early seventies when we had the Vietnam war and Civil Rights and the Cold war.  So I suppose I was affected by that in some way.  But evidently there were far many others from that time that were not affected in the same way so it couldn’t have been just that.  Other than that, I’ve lived the “normal” American life with a wife, two kids, a two car garage, a career and of course, a divorce. But I really started toward that abyss about 18 months ago.

That’s when I retired.  I’m fortunate in that respect because I have a pension after a thirty year career.  Of course, then I had lots of time.  I started sitting in front of the computer and learned to Google.  I found a few political websites, the first Huffington Post, then DailyKos.  I started getting into it and enjoyed reading the political stuff.  Then I went to the dark side.  9/11 conspiracy theory stuff, federal reserve conspiracies, antiwar sites, you name it.  It was like getting trapped in the porn section of a major city, not that I would know, I’m just imagining.