Global
Gargantuan loan guarantees for a "new generation" of nuke reactors define the Senate's version of the Energy Bill that Congress will consider right after Labor Day.
Its backers say the $50 billion-plus in radioactive pork will give us "inherently safe" reactors…
...which is what they said about the last crop, including Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and hundreds of billions in cost overruns and abysmal failure.
Nuke reactors are no safer than those coal mines just littered with fresh corpses, than that collapsed Minnesota bridge, or than the levees that let Katrina swamp New Orleans, and are poised to do it again.
The first "new generation" nuke is already swamped with cost overruns and absurd miscalculations. Finnish regulators are screaming at Areva, the French-based nuke pushers, about corner-cutting and costly delays.
Its backers say the $50 billion-plus in radioactive pork will give us "inherently safe" reactors…
...which is what they said about the last crop, including Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and hundreds of billions in cost overruns and abysmal failure.
Nuke reactors are no safer than those coal mines just littered with fresh corpses, than that collapsed Minnesota bridge, or than the levees that let Katrina swamp New Orleans, and are poised to do it again.
The first "new generation" nuke is already swamped with cost overruns and absurd miscalculations. Finnish regulators are screaming at Areva, the French-based nuke pushers, about corner-cutting and costly delays.
Dedicated to the cowardly Democratic Party members whose votes affirmed the Bush administration's unfounded right to illegal searches and seizures and warrantless wiretapping of citizens in the global war on terror:
(sung to the tune of the children's song "This Old Man'')
This Democrat, he caved in
He let Bush swipe our
Civil liberties again
(Refrain)
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, he did, too
First search and seizure
Now eavesdropping, too
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, didn't understand
A congressional majority
Means you have the upper hand
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, he flipped, too
Let Dubya take your library card
And flip FISA, too
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, said it wasn't fair
That Bert Gonzales keeps playing
Truth or dare
(sung to the tune of the children's song "This Old Man'')
This Democrat, he caved in
He let Bush swipe our
Civil liberties again
(Refrain)
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, he did, too
First search and seizure
Now eavesdropping, too
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, didn't understand
A congressional majority
Means you have the upper hand
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, he flipped, too
Let Dubya take your library card
And flip FISA, too
With a knickknack paddywhack
Give those Dems a bone
This Democrat went limping home
This Democrat, said it wasn't fair
That Bert Gonzales keeps playing
Truth or dare
Rep. Nadler attended a meeting of the Village Independent Democrats Thursday night in Greenwich Village. I was there, along with several other NYC impeachment activists.
Nadler spoke at length about the Iraq war, warrantless surveillance, and impeachment. He said that the Democrats will have their last opportunity to stop the war during Bush's term when it comes time to vote in September on the Iraq supplemental providing funding for 2008. The Democrats are saying they will vote against the bill unless it sets a date certain for beginning and ending a withdrawal, and only if the funds are to be used for the following purposes the process of withdrawal, diplomatic negotiations, and reconstruction. He said that if Bush vetoes the bill that they will keep sending it back to him and saying that he is the one who's not funding/supporting the troops--not them. And that if the Republicans are sufficiently scared of the electoral consequences of continuing to support this war that they override Bush's veto, then this strategy will succeed. He didn't explain why such a strategy wasn't tried in May, when plenty of people were advocating for it.
Nadler spoke at length about the Iraq war, warrantless surveillance, and impeachment. He said that the Democrats will have their last opportunity to stop the war during Bush's term when it comes time to vote in September on the Iraq supplemental providing funding for 2008. The Democrats are saying they will vote against the bill unless it sets a date certain for beginning and ending a withdrawal, and only if the funds are to be used for the following purposes the process of withdrawal, diplomatic negotiations, and reconstruction. He said that if Bush vetoes the bill that they will keep sending it back to him and saying that he is the one who's not funding/supporting the troops--not them. And that if the Republicans are sufficiently scared of the electoral consequences of continuing to support this war that they override Bush's veto, then this strategy will succeed. He didn't explain why such a strategy wasn't tried in May, when plenty of people were advocating for it.
Congress put its stamp of approval on the unconstitutional wiretapping of Americans by amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the "Protect America Act of 2007."
The new law takes the power to authorize electronic surveillance out of the hands of a judge and places it in the hands of the attorney general (AG) and the director of national intelligence (DNI). FISA had required the government to convince a judge there was probable cause to believe the target of the surveillance was a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power. The law didn't apply to wiretaps of foreign nationals abroad. Its restrictions were triggered only when the surveillance targeted a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or when the surveillance was obtained from a wiretap physically located in the United States. The attorney general was required to certify that the communications to be monitored would be exclusively between foreign powers and there was no substantial likelihood a U.S. person would be overheard.
The new law takes the power to authorize electronic surveillance out of the hands of a judge and places it in the hands of the attorney general (AG) and the director of national intelligence (DNI). FISA had required the government to convince a judge there was probable cause to believe the target of the surveillance was a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power. The law didn't apply to wiretaps of foreign nationals abroad. Its restrictions were triggered only when the surveillance targeted a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or when the surveillance was obtained from a wiretap physically located in the United States. The attorney general was required to certify that the communications to be monitored would be exclusively between foreign powers and there was no substantial likelihood a U.S. person would be overheard.
Heckuva job, fellas!
The monster called Iraq that the Bush administration has bequeathed humanity was created with a breath-sucking mix of high-tech ruthlessness, messianic ideology and sheer, FEMA-quality incompetence — and, it turns out, a little help from the Italian Mafia.
I hope what has happened these last four years — this abominable exercise in what neocon theorist Michael Ledeen called “creative destruction,” back in those heady days immediately after 9/11 when most of the American public was intoxicated with vengeance and nationalism — is a lesson we don’t forget. That’s our only hope: that we smell the racism and self-interest the next time a demagogue pushes war, and that we remember not just the horrors of this one but the irony. The Bush administration’s “war on terror” is a terrorist’s best friend.
The monster called Iraq that the Bush administration has bequeathed humanity was created with a breath-sucking mix of high-tech ruthlessness, messianic ideology and sheer, FEMA-quality incompetence — and, it turns out, a little help from the Italian Mafia.
I hope what has happened these last four years — this abominable exercise in what neocon theorist Michael Ledeen called “creative destruction,” back in those heady days immediately after 9/11 when most of the American public was intoxicated with vengeance and nationalism — is a lesson we don’t forget. That’s our only hope: that we smell the racism and self-interest the next time a demagogue pushes war, and that we remember not just the horrors of this one but the irony. The Bush administration’s “war on terror” is a terrorist’s best friend.
Until the ethical and legal questions that trail Karl Rove are answered, his own explanation for abruptly departing the White House must suffice. Perhaps he is the first pol in history to flee Washington because he actually wants to spend more time with his family, as he said. Why he is leaving matters much less, however, than the opportunities he squandered and the wreckage he leaves behind.
Inevitably, thousands of words will be devoted to his electoral achievements and his ultimate failure to "realign" American politics -- including a book he apparently plans to write. His vision of a new Republican era proved to be more grandiose than grand. As "the architect," he turned out to be more journeyman than genius.
Inevitably, thousands of words will be devoted to his electoral achievements and his ultimate failure to "realign" American politics -- including a book he apparently plans to write. His vision of a new Republican era proved to be more grandiose than grand. As "the architect," he turned out to be more journeyman than genius.
Thanks David [Swanson], for flying your Impeachment banner over the Pelosi visit to New Orleans. This is exactly the kind of action we need. In fact, please convince as many anti-war and pro-impeachment organizations to endorse the Tribunal. I feel for the people of the Gulf States. New Orleans (NOLA) is a police state. It is horrible. Please come to NOLA if you can on the August 29 thru Sept 2 or any one day. This is truly an issue that can unite us all because it's just horrific. And I don't know if you saw it during the flyover, but right downtown Donald Trump has bought a building to offer $2 million condos for sale. They surely won't go to the survivors. Recently, a news story reported that the Gulf Enterprise Zone was being used by developers to build million dollar condos in Tuscaloosa for University of Alabama football fans! The City of New Orleans has bought palm trees to beautify downtown--they're installing them now--and you can't even breathe the air down there with the assurance that it's safe. It's a veritable police state which I've seen with my own eyes and dozens of darn military tanks are parked at the New Orleans Police Department headquarters!!!!!!!
Worthless Currency
We all know why our presidential debates are worthless currency to the American people.
We all know that the opinions the candidates will voice are calculated not to offend the contributions made by Big Business on which each candidate’s campaign depends.
We all know that in our 24/7 corporate media culture, the power of the echo-chamber to exaggerate and repeat the slightest deviation from the conventional “wisdom” completely kills the impulse in the candidate to speak from the heart.
Thus, none of us believe anything the candidates say is really going to make a difference. Whether they get elected or not, whether they live up to their promises or not, nothing they promise will make a difference because they all have been trained to promise virtually nothing. They have all been trained to aspire to achieve almost nothing.
We all know why our presidential debates are worthless currency to the American people.
We all know that the opinions the candidates will voice are calculated not to offend the contributions made by Big Business on which each candidate’s campaign depends.
We all know that in our 24/7 corporate media culture, the power of the echo-chamber to exaggerate and repeat the slightest deviation from the conventional “wisdom” completely kills the impulse in the candidate to speak from the heart.
Thus, none of us believe anything the candidates say is really going to make a difference. Whether they get elected or not, whether they live up to their promises or not, nothing they promise will make a difference because they all have been trained to promise virtually nothing. They have all been trained to aspire to achieve almost nothing.
Karl Rove scoots off the sunken White House ship with his plans for future neo-con dominance safe and secure---in the hands of Democrats unwilling or incapable of challenging his dirtiest deeds.
Elected to end a lunatic war, the Democratic Congress has prolonged it, earning approval ratings even lower than those of George W. Bush, whom Rove designated as a "war president" long before the attack on Iraq.
The Democrats have also signed off on the GOP's all-out assault on the Constitution, meekly certifying a "unitary executive" with totalitarian demands for a blanket suspension of civil liberties, arbitrary detention, official torture and more.
Once again voters will approach a presidential election asking themselves---why vote for Democrats who won't challenge the most catastrophic GOP outrages?
That question must now be asked again about the illegal destruction of 1.5 million ballots from Ohio's stolen 2004 election. The mass shredding includes a wide range of official documents critical to conducting a valid recount in the state that gave Bush/Rove a second term in the White House.
Elected to end a lunatic war, the Democratic Congress has prolonged it, earning approval ratings even lower than those of George W. Bush, whom Rove designated as a "war president" long before the attack on Iraq.
The Democrats have also signed off on the GOP's all-out assault on the Constitution, meekly certifying a "unitary executive" with totalitarian demands for a blanket suspension of civil liberties, arbitrary detention, official torture and more.
Once again voters will approach a presidential election asking themselves---why vote for Democrats who won't challenge the most catastrophic GOP outrages?
That question must now be asked again about the illegal destruction of 1.5 million ballots from Ohio's stolen 2004 election. The mass shredding includes a wide range of official documents critical to conducting a valid recount in the state that gave Bush/Rove a second term in the White House.
The uproar over Karl Rove's resignation as George Bush's political advisor is stupendous, but in truth he was no great shakes as Svengali, and his exit is of scant consequence.
Though they profess joy that the nation has been freed at last from his malign supervision, the Democrats have lost one of their most useful alibis. By inflating Rove into a blend of Walsingham and Svengali, a nonpareil political genius, they sought to explain how they failed to stop a mediocre Texas governor and incoherent campaigner from capturing the White House in 2000, and holding on to it in 2004.
Al Gore fought a wretched campaign in 2000, and in the grand finale it was not Rove but five Republican justices on the U.S. Supreme Court who gave Bush the White House on Dec. 12, 2000, refusing to let Gore get a conclusive count of the missing ballots in Florida.
Though they profess joy that the nation has been freed at last from his malign supervision, the Democrats have lost one of their most useful alibis. By inflating Rove into a blend of Walsingham and Svengali, a nonpareil political genius, they sought to explain how they failed to stop a mediocre Texas governor and incoherent campaigner from capturing the White House in 2000, and holding on to it in 2004.
Al Gore fought a wretched campaign in 2000, and in the grand finale it was not Rove but five Republican justices on the U.S. Supreme Court who gave Bush the White House on Dec. 12, 2000, refusing to let Gore get a conclusive count of the missing ballots in Florida.