Trickle-Down Terror, Trickle-Down Torture, Trickle-Down Politics
Comment Posted to Southern Illinoisan
BREAKING NEWS!
Gitmo guards brag of beatings, statements indicate
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. _ Guards at Guantanamo Bay bragged about beating detainees and described it as common practice, a Marine sergeant said in a sworn statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The two-page statement was sent Wednesday to the Inspector General at the Department of Defense by a high-ranking Marine Corps defense lawyer.
Published on: Friday, October 6, 2006 1:56 PM CDT
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*Allow up to 48 hours to see comments posted online: Southern Illinoisan
Please, won't you comment too!
Duane
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*My Comments: Submitted Friday, October 6, 2006 6:32 PM CDT
Reagan fathered Trickle-Down Economics.
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Clinton fathered Don't Ask, Don't Tell... "for the Military."
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Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld instituted trickle-down lawlessness.
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Hastert, Shimkus, and the Page Program Principals or should I say "Principle-less" in a strange twist of politics adopted, expanded, and immortalized, in infamy, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for the House of Representatives.
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Should anyone be surprised when a mindset that condones the use of torture trickles-on-down to Gitmo?
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No Surprises Here.
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I'm just waiting for another "surprise" terrorist attack to trickle-down on our soil to distract us (U.S.) citizens from the painful truths that keep oozing from this painfully corrupt Bush Administration.
Duane Short
1113 LaSalle Street
Belleville, IL 62221
Comments extended: Not included online.
Republicans talk about Homeland Security... well, more accurately, that's all they talk about. I assert that the collective mindset, policies, and actions of these Republicans represent the greatest threat to Homeland Security.
They routinely say anyone that is not "with them" is aiding and abetting terrorism.
Do they not understand that mainstream Islam is much more serious about actually practicing what it preaches than is "mainstream" Christianity here in the U.S.A.? Republicans, in their typically narrow-visioned focus on winning votes align themselves with and even claim to be our nation's "Christian Party." These dumbasses don't get that the "outside" world also is affected by what they do. Osama must be in Heaven knowing he can show potential devotees the hypocrisy of this damned Rove concocted "Christian Republican" association. Christians across the nation are angry with the Republican Party for hiding Foley's actions but, and only because Rove so effectively fabricated this "Christian Republican" illusion, the "outside" world sees only our corrupt "Christian Republican Leadership." In my mind, and certainly in the minds of the "outside" world this is no less than a form of national blasphemy. We, here in the USA think "corrupt." Osama and his followers think "blasphemous, heathen, infidel."
Right now all Osama has to do to recruit new Islamic zealots, frustrated with the hypocrisy of the west and particularly the "Chrisitian West," is play about an hour of C-SPAN coverage of the Foley saga or 15 minutes of any other news broadcast Or Osama has the option of showing a "Girls Gone Wild" or "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" clip to prove his point.
Folks, I am in no way excusing terrorism. I would be insulted and disappointed if I thought anyone thought this about me for a second. Mark Foley, however, is now Osama's Poster Boy representing the heathen west. If we remain with our heads literally up our own self-righteous butts and fail to perceive how our nation is looking to rest of the world, and not just avowed terrorists, we are doomed to be on the receiving end of wrath that can only be described as "of volcanic proportions."
Our holier than thou Repulican party has created a monster, in more ways than one. Most recently, this Republican perennial hiding of Mark Foley's professional indiscretions just to preserve their "holier than image" for their religious right base is fueling Osama's flames. If anyone in these United States of America is aiding and abetting terrorists it is the collective mindset of the Republicans and it all starts at the Crown of the Bush and as sure as gravity, trickles down.
Turn the Pages of History backward and we see evidence that my comments are true. Turn the Pages of History forward and we will soon realize the next and imminent terrorist attack on our soil will be shrouded, as is 9/11, in mystery and suspicious circumstances.
Bush, Cheney, Hastert, Rice, Rumsfeld, and the regime are desperate. I am, quite seriously, expecting yet another catastrophic and catalyzing "Pearl Harbor."
PNAC's Rebuilding America's Defenses: Page 51 (for the umpteenth time) I usually don't include that last sentence... but it is taking on more relevance each day.
"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor. Domestic politics and industrial policy will shape the pace and content of transformation as much as the requirements of current missions."
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This "Pearl Harbor" approach to defense has saved this Bush Administration as it would not have survived the corruption of the 2000 election had not 9/11 occurred to distract the world from our nations' first stolen Presidential election.
Pearl Harbor politics does not only catalyze Rumsfeld's efforts to transform the military, catastrophic events also serve to defend Republican behaviors much like covert proxy wars further imperialistic U.S. agendas. Pearl Harbor-like events not only provide impetus for war but can be used as distractions. Let me explain.
If ever the Republicans (since the 2000 election cycle) needed a distraction from their glaring failures it is NOW!
Friends, you know I pray I'm wrong, but I see no reason to believe we are not about to witness another "Pearl Harbor." Anything less will not save the Republicans. Remember... Bush's pet phrase. "I want to see results." And in his Machiavellian brain, he is thinking... "no matter what it takes." Actually, he has gone so far as to stutter those thoughts in press conferences and speeches, as if the end justifies "all means." A philosophy that embraces the conviction that "the end justifies the means" is exponentially more sinister when "the end," in the first place, is an evil one.
America... Brace Yourself.
Consumer Freedom
Consumer Freedom? This may sound good on the surface..... but!
Don't Be Fooled. This organization is all about "Corporate Freedom" from constraint, rules, and regulations.
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/contact.cfm
This is no more than a Reagan deregulation seed all grown up! Karl Rove is the bullshit (excuse me) fertilizer that helps it grow.
These guys would, if allowed, remove all food labels, force FDA to approve anything that wouldn't kill you in one sitting, and charge you extra for the convenience of not having to decipher the price per ounce/gram/unit and etc.
Consumer Freedom? Sound Familiar? Remember? >>> Iraqi Enduring Freedom
Rovism perverts everything that is good into a ploy to "dupe the little people" into supporting Corporate Fascism. They do it with words!
Folks, I cannot overemphasize the power of their deception via incredibly sinister language grinding techniques.
Please click the link above or below and tell this fascist organization you have their Machiavellian number.
Once there, you can give them your name (wink wink.. I say wink wink because I suspect they are collecting data to sell) email address (an alternate if ya have one) and then one click is all it takes to tell them how you feel or you can write out your opinion.
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/contact.cfm
Duane Short
October 4, 2006
p.s. This same kind of sinister Rove Speak lead us into Iraq where (as just reported on CNN) 18 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the last 96 hours. I wrote about the dangers Rove Speak back in 2002 amid Bush's manic lead up to his invasion of Iraq.
Dare to Consider
Grow a Spine America!
March 19, 2002
“It is far easier to retain our freedom and rights than to regain our freedom and rights.”
Dare to consider, with an open mind, that what you see “through” your window to the world (network news, local and national newsprint & etc.) is actually a mural, a painting of sorts, a painting approximating reality enough that one, at a glance, would not question its veracity.
Even the Bush slogan, “Enduring Freedom” is a cruel distortion and abuse of the word Freedom. Humans depend largely on words to to communicate. Words should not be taken lightly. I love and respect words and what this administration does with words literally makes me sick. Their unchecked perversion of words is killing us, literally and figuratively.
Before I discuss the Bush slogan, please be aware that I understand the risk of being perceived as a Bush opponent, one merely grabbing for semantic straws, to make my case. Regardless, I am convinced, when our freedom is at stake one must dare to consider both the glaring and subtle signs of its demise.
Bush’s slogan “Enduring Freedom” used as it is, alone with no explanation, is no less that a psychological ploy to downgrade the connotation of freedom. Because the term “enduring” represents strength the larger connotation of the phrase, on a cognitive level, is generally missed. Please think seriously of all the contexts where you have heard or thought of the term “enduring” where it is used as a verb (as opposed to an adjective). The verb usage of “enduring” is ALWAYS used in connection with something “bad” or “unpleasant.” When is the last time you had the notion you had to “endure” anything that you consider to be a good thing? No, any time the two word phrase, “enduring whatever” enters one’s mind it does so in a context where “whatever” is something bad, something that must be “endured.” Friends, Freedom is not something bad, nor something to be “endured.” Why are we NOT getting it??? Has fear and confusion clouded our thinking to the point that these more subtle issues are no longer perceptible?
The Bush camp, including its fleet of psychologists, (and trust me, psychologists are consulted routinely by all administrations) will dismiss my observation like this. They will say, “because the term “enduring” can be used as an adjective the Bush slogan is meant to be taken (as it has been by most) to simply describe the nature of freedom in our democracy. Don’t buy the White House explanation of this slogan. This slogan is an attempt to twist, ever so slightly our perception of freedom. “W” is the first president to proclaim his vision to basically limit our constitutional and humane freedoms in the name of fighting for our freedom. For example, ask any objective U.S. citizen, having lived through WW I or WW II if he or she gave up even one degree of his or her privacy (excepting military service). Yes, they sacrificed greatly and appropriately but did they give up privacy. Did enormous powerful outside threats cause the government at that time to turn on its own citizens. Yes, Japanese Americans were treated unfairly. Our citizenry and our government has acknowledged that injustice. Yet, Bush proposes to make ALL U.S. citizens prisoners in their own homes. Having advanced technological options, Bush does not need to set up concentration camps. He will simply live in our homes. Everyone recognizes that technology can be used for good or bad. Is it good or bad for George Bush to live in your home? We must each answer this question.
Readers, WWI and WWII were huge historical world events compared to 911. Yes, 911 hit home, but so did 1/27/41 (Pearl Harbor Attack). Glaring distinctions from Hitler’s march and the attack on Pearl Harbor characterize 911. 911 was a bunch of desperados lashing out against the United States, capitalism and the relentless quest for opulence that has become a integral part of the fabric of western democracy. This was not an organized government, bent on ruling the world. In the context of all nations of the world, this was an attack by an incredibly minuscule force that somehow penetrated the United States’ self proclaimed, world’s greatest intelligence agencies and military defenses and struck our capitalistic icons and our military headquarters. No, this is not WW III.
However, Bush is capitalizing on 911 fear in order to have his way, something he is quite used to having. If Bush and his administration can tweak our perception ever-so-slightly that to enjoy freedom, we must give up freedom, privacy, and many of our constitutionally guaranteed rights, they will take freedoms and rights away that we will never enjoy again. Study world history. No example exist where a functional, unchallenged government has given previously expunged freedoms or rights back to its citizens. Only when an oppressive government is replaced by a truly democratic governance have citizens regained lost freedoms and rights. Democracy is just a word. Calling ourselves “democratic” in perpetuity, will not make us “democratic” in perpetuity.
“It is far easier to retain our freedom and rights than to regain our freedom and rights.”
Why has no one questioned the Bush slogan, “Enduring Freedom? This answer is both simple and complex, having to do with the dumbing and numbing of America and evolving social, political and corporate abuses of the English language. Language is an evolving reality. However, when the source of its evolution is driven by a greedy, opportunistic mentality the truth becomes lost in the chasm somewhere between the traditional meaning of a word and its evolved(ing) meaning. Cunning articulaters, who believe taking advantage of the less well-informed is just “good business” or is "politics as usual,” often amass great ill-gotten wealth and power and are honored by those who share their beliefs.
Each of you could give hundreds of examples of words, terms and phrases you have encountered in business contracts, legislation, referendums and so on that you, at some point, discovered did not mean what their “traditional” meaning implied. I’ll give one example. “Unconditional Guarantee” no longer means unconditional or guarantee in the corporate world. Blatant, but legal, marketing abuses of this term are ubiquitous in the business world. There are places on earth where misrepresenting, twisting, or shortfalling truth is still considered to be the same as lying. Not here in the good old USA.
Far too many Americans are too numb and too dumb to consider such linguistic minutiae. This fact is not a condemnation of the American public IQ. This fact is a commentary on the result of decades of opulence, especially among our leaders. As the wealth and education gap continue to widen, the opportunity gap likewise widens.
Rep. Tom Reynolds' Kids... as in Human Shields
Did you see New York Rep. Tom Reynolds - National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman, in his Monday Press conference as aired on C-SPAN?
He was literally surrounded by a sea of children as the press pelted him with Why? Why? Why? didn't you follow up on Foley. I was sickened by the spectacle of Reynolds standing there among these clearly bewildered kids. I was reminded of how, only weeks ago, rabid Israeli supporters (mostly conservative Republicans) condemned Hezbollah for using innocent men, women, and children as human shields. Sophisticated sleaze uses shields in less violent ways but as shields, nonetheless.
As Rep. Reynolds stood there among literally a couple dozen children (at what would clearly be an adult natured New York press conference!) his abrogation of responsibility was almost as sickening as the sight of all those children standing there like little fidgeting, foot shuffling props (for at least twenty or thirty minutes). As he BS'ed reporters the camera person gradually began to focus on Reynolds, for which I was thankful.
Kids as human shields; what a pity. Western civilization has sophisticated sleaze, irresponsibility, deceit, smokescreening, and outright lying to near perfection. Our Republican mislead Congress and the Bush administration are misleading this nation into the pit of hell.
Rep. Tom Reynolds remained fairly cool throughout the barrage of questions because he knew the presence of the children would give pause to reporters that really wanted to hit him with hard questions. Reynolds' tactic worked to some degree but any astute observer's blood could still reach a boil because the clarity of fact that Foley and the Republican party was being protected was front and center to the Press Conference. Two words describe the Foley saga: Cover Up!
Reynolds' mercurial tap-dancing from one question-dodging statement to the next has become the hallmark of Republican politics. Republicans have become literally incapable of staying on task when it comes to defending a single position, point, or act. They dance around answers to questions with the grace of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. If the real answer is an obstacle, they hop over or sling themselves around it like it's a mere prop on a fictitious Hollywood or Broadway stage. That's about how seriously they take their indiscretions, lies, and dumb mistakes.
Human shielded or not, Reynolds all but indicted himself, Shimkus, Hastert, and the Republican Party. I am sure Shimkus is about to break up with Reynolds. I wonder if big Dennis Hastert can dance? He can wrestle! This we know.
No... I'm not done, yet. There will be more.
Duane Short
October 3, 2006
Kill to Stop Killing? Dead is Dead
October 2, 2006
Kill to Stop Killing? Dead is Dead
When on the receiving end... Dead is DEAD - We have become so utterly intoxicated with the game of social, political, and moral debate we have all but forgotten the victim.
It does not matter if I am killed by a bolt of lightning... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by E. coli bacteria... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a speeding bullet... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a psychopathic killer... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a dutiful policeman... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a trigger-happy policeman... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by an axe murderer... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a terrorist... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a drunk driver... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a negligent doctor... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a West Nile infected mosquito... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a heart attack... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a hot dog lodged in my throat... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a lethal injection... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by a Smart or Dumb Bomb... I am dead.
It does not matter if I am killed by state sanctioned hanging... I am dead.
Dead is Dead. Lost in rhetorical debate, have forgotten this most basic fact?
To the Dead... Dead is Dead.
The living find it easy to ignore the Dead. The Machiavellian philosophy, "no man, no problem" is alive and well in our declining western "civilization."
Americans are increasingly creating more sophisticated ways to kill and more sophisticated rationale for killing. I find the most unsophisticated rationale for killing is the ancient "eye for an eye" idea. But then who am I but a dead man? Why listen to me... I am Dead. Why listen to a dead man? No man - no problem... Right?
“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind”
Mahatma Ghandi
Mahatma Gandhi.... when asked what he thought of Western civilization, "I think it would be a good idea."
Horrific crimes naturally make us furious with the perpetrator(s) of those crime and extremely sad for the victims and their loved ones. It is entirely natural to be angry. But is it entirely natural to kill and expect the reactive act of revenge killing to prevent subsequent killing? If ever an oxymoronic and self-perpetuating cycle existed, the conviction or rationale that killing with an expectation that the reactive act of killing will prevent subsequent killing, capital punishment is certainly the cycle of all cycles.
Billions of human beings have been killed in the name of ridding human civilization of evil-doers. The results of this age-old approach slap us in the face day by day. Yet, we keep insisting we kill to show our children killing is wrong. Punish crime? Yes. But why not trouble shoot? I truly wonder if society had been as eager to study the minds of criminals, especially cruel and violent criminals, as its been to kill them if we might be better prepared to identify and prevent heinous acts like happened today in the Amish School in Pennsylvania? Why not study and learn how to help the criminal and simultaneously learn how to better identify and prevent others from committing cruel and violent acts.
In my mind, when we kill criminals or our enemies we reward their hate with hate. When we diminish ourselves to the level of the criminal we validate their hate in the silent, observant minds of others who may be wrestling with hate. When we diminish ourselves to the level of the criminal we validate their hate in the silent, observant minds of our children. Pity.
Charles Carl Roberts, killed himself. Did he administer his own punishment or did he avoid punishment? Did he appease those who would have killed him or did he further infuriate them? Does it matter? If our government killed Charles Carl Roberts would the act bring back those innocent young girls? Would it ease the pain of those girls' loved ones if a policeman or a hangman killed Charles Carl Roberts. Some would argue yes. I can only ask why... why do you say yes?
Most of us have been told by society since old enough to hear, we must have capital punishment if we are to have a safe, law-abiding country. Naturally, if from childhood, we hear a mantra long enough and often enough we tend to believe what we hear. But is it true?
If killing is punishment why did Charles Carl Roberts kill himself when it was the world he said was seeking to punish? Roberts even told his wife, "I cannot take it any more." Why then, did he kill himself if punishment of the world or even himself is the goal? It appears, in Roberts' mind, living was greater punishment than dying. So is killing the killer really punishment? Does not the illogical nature of capital punishment at least warrant consideration? Killing a criminal, in my mind, is more akin to mercy killing than to punishment. Killing a criminal, in my mind, is more akin to exacting that which is God's, revenge. Killing a criminal, in my mind, is more akin to appeasing the hate of the hurt than an administration of justice. I know this last assertion may make one's blood boil. I do understand the emotion. Humans, of faith, are supposed to believe we are something more than animal, something more than a bundle of emotional reactions, something more than instinct.
My faith teaches, I am human and made in the image of God. God made possible our development of brains that allow us to think as well as feel. It is when we exercise one and not the other that we find ourselves in big trouble, individually and/or collectively.
Thinking is not limited to but necessarily includes the prioritization of our emotions. There is hate and there is love. How our thinking prioritizes these emotions determines our position on capital punishment.
I am expecting today's horrific crime at the Amish school in Pennsylvania to re-ignite the endless national debate on capital punishment. I see today's event as a new test case. I am bracing myself for the conservative Republicans to use this tragedy (as they are known to use tragedies) to divide our populous for political gain. I hope our voters are, by now, savvy to the tactics this administration uses to tease out the most votes it can get. We'll see how savvy our voters are, I suppose, in November.
Should this tragedy ignite a new national debate, I wonder what will turn out to be our top priority? Love? Hate? Think about it.
We must face that we will never stop killing, not as long as we have those who accept the circular logic that killing is a valid and effective means to stop killing.
Whether street thug or president of the most powerful nation on earth, those embracing killing as a valid tool to prevent killing will continue the revenge driven oxymoronic practice of capital punishment.
There is no crime in loving our enemies... my faith, in fact, commands me to do so. Yet, many of those of my own faith allow emotions of personal pain and anger cause them to salivate for revenge, in total disregard for some of their most basic commands. My faith teaches, "it is of no particular merit to love those who love you." True obedience to the command to love happens when one loves the unlovable. My faith teaches that loving the lovable is easy and expected. Loving the unlovable is the standard by which God says we will be judged. Society praises us for loving the lovable. Our worship of "lovable" celebrities and even our own "lovable" children demonstrate this clearly. But this is a hollow virtue.
I have heard countless forms of rationale for killing to prevent killing. I do not possess the logic that allows me to accept any rationale heard thus far. But then I should remind those who rely on human wisdom or logic to rationalize killing to prevent killing... my faith commands me not to kill, period. Remember, "Thou Shalt Not Kill?" Remember when Jesus said, "Love your enemies..." I think that implied, as the bumper sticker says, "I think he meant, Don't Kill Them." In the final analysis, the truly faithful don't question God with human logic.... but ya know what? If we do apply logic as perfectly as humanly possible and in a spirit of unconditional love... we can only come to conclusions God has already concluded.
Thou Shalt Not Kill.
Supplemental Gubernatorial Debate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 1, 2006
SUPPLEMENTAL GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE TO FOLLOW IRN DEBATE
CONTACTS:
Jennifer Rose, Campaign Manager
Whitney for Governor
campaignmanager@whitneyforgov.org
618-528-VOTE (Scheduling)
Tim Tacker, Communications Director
Whitney for Governor
communicationsdirector@whitneyforgov.org
815-735-6139
A supplemental gubernatorial debate, with Rich Whitney, the Green Party's
candidate for Illinois Governor, will be held shortly following the
Illinois Radio Network debate between Blagojevich and Topinka at Millikin
University on October 2nd.
During the supplemental debate, Rich Whitney will respond to the same
questions asked of the other two candidates. Whitney was excluded from the
Blagojevich Topinka debate, despite having earned a place on the ballot and
polling more than 7% support.
The supplemental debate will be held in the same room as the Blagojevich
Topinka debate, immediately following a press conference in which
Blagojevich, Topinka, and Whitney are all expected to participate.
Approximate start time is 9:30pm in the Albert Taylor Theatre, Schilling
Hall at 1184 W. Main St. on the campus of Millikin University in Decatur,
Illinois.
Representatives of the media are welcome to stay and cover all three
candidates' responses to the questions. In addition, audio copies of the
supplemental debate will be made available for broadcast in MP3 format, at
no cost, to requesting organizations.
A peaceful demonstation is also planned to protest the exclusion of Rich
Whitney from the Illinois Radio Network debate. Demonstrators will gather
at Staley Parking Lot, adjacent to the Albert Taylor Theatre, between 6:30
and 7:00pm.
