Cheney admits to warcrimes on television

The waterboarding technique illustrated by former Tuol Sleng inmate Vann Nath.

I hope you have watched this video.  If you love this country you must contact your Senators and Representatives and let them know it is OK to prosecute the outgoing administration for crimes.  Dick Cheney has blatantly shown his complicity in authorizing torture and other crimes against humanity.   Our elected leaders in Congress and the White House swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States when they take office.  It is obvious from the past eight years that the Bush administration thought the Constitution made a nice door mat for the White House and have been wiping their feet on it ever since.  Congress has neglected its duties to defend and protect the Constitution.  

The current Congress is afraid of the political fall out and only wants a commission to find the "truth."  This borders on treason and complicity.  We the people have spoken overwhelmingly for change.  We have many things to do to set this country right and moving forward into the twenty first century.  We must not forget to protect our beloved Constitution along the way.  If we fail to prosecute and punish the actions of this administration then we set a bad precedent for future presidents.   

We impeached Bill Clinton for getting a blow job outside of marriage and lying about it, yet we continue to let the Bush administration commit atrocious war crimes that undermine American credibility in the world.  Cheney has admitted to committing war crimes and yet we let him walk the streets.  

The administrations justification for all of their crimes is that water boarding is not torture.  Excuse me.  We are using a technique that stimulates drowning to get information.  It was first used by the Spanish Inquisition to get supposed witches and heretics to confess that they were in league with the devil.  It was used in colonial times by the Dutch East India Trading company during a revolt on the Island of Amboyna in 1623.  After the Spanish American war, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the court martial of an American general for using this form of torture.  The United States prosecuted Japanese officers after World War II for using similar techniques on American troops.  In Vietnam, American generals designated this technique as illegal and off limits.  The Khmer Rouge used water boarding techniques between 1975 and 1979 during their mass genocide of their people.   At the top of this article is a painting of the technique of waterboarding by the Khmer Rouge.  This painting is on display at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

The United States has signed most of the international treaties banning torture, and yet we have a president and vice president who insist that it is OK.  It is time for us to help the president-elect Obama and the new congress clean up this mess.  Please contact you elected leaders and ask them to ensure that two wrongs don't make a right.  You can also speak to the incoming administration by visiting Change.gov.

 

We Need a Sane Energy Policy

Today Barak Obama is introducing us to his energy advisers.  I thought this would be a good time to talk about energy and where we need to go from here.  We are in a dire financial crisis right now.  We are spending hundreds of billions on foreign oil.  We are borrowing this money from countries such as China that do not necessarily have our best interest in mind.   We are buying our oil from countries that definitely do not have our best interest in mind.  In fact some of them would rather we not exist at all.

Where do we go from here.  The first step is to take responsibility and pass a sane and comprehensive energy plan.  Such a plan will have to address many issues.  We must continue to push our leaders to move forward with funding and loans for new clean energy technology.  We must get the best of the new technologies implemented.  We must fund and build a new power generation grid.  We must have a plan to retool our automobile manufacturing process so that we can build alternative energy vehicles.  

When we fund the way forward to a new economy based on clean energy production and manufacturing we can create millions of new jobs.  Put this together with plans to fund community projects such as roads and bridges, and we can be on the path the economic viability once again.  We have the greatest military might in the world, but in building this organization, we forgot about infrastructure.  Our society is crumbling.  It is time for us to rebuild it.  It will take time, and it will be rough road for awhile, but when we emerge from this trial, we will be the better for it.  

Please join me in keeping the needs of the people in front of our leaders.  Please visit contact elected leaders.  Also visit Change.gov to stay involved in the process with President-elect Barak Obama.

The Power Of Change.

Quite often we here about bringing change when discussing politics.   Many a politician has staked an election on it.  What tends to get lost is that change is inevitable.  The world is always changing from one moment to the next.  This is true of nature and of all things human.  So we must always ask ourselves is this the change we really want.

Barak Obama has come to office on a huge wave of change promises.  It is up to us to help shape his change.  He took his message to the average American and we financed his campaign and brought him to power.  Now we must support him in his efforts to clean up Washington, and rebuild this country.  It is time for we the people to kick the lobbyist out of Washington, and require that our elected officials do their jobs.

Decisions and actions create consequences that then require new choices and actions.  As we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and their decisions and actions, we now at this very moment have the ability to shape the future for later generations.  How do we consider the consequences of change that will ripple through generations.  

We are at a fork in the path of human evolution right at this moment.  We started this journey by using rocks as tools.  Our tools have gotten bigger and insanely more complex.  Gutenberg with his printing press revolutionized the world.  Al Gore, with his Internet* has given us the opportunity to talk loudly to our government.  We can direct our future.  It is time to require our "leaders," to lead.

Barak Obama has already brought some transparency to his administration and asked the American people to participate in his policy discussions at Change.Gov.  Please get involved.  It leads to a brighter future for this country.  

Contact Other Elected Officials

*Al Gore Didn't actually invent the Internet

Bah Humbug!

Well here it is the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I hope all had a wonderful day of thanks.  Next up the big Christmas/New Year combo.  I hope none have assumed from the title that I am anti- holiday.  Quite the opposite.  Everything I am against at this time of year is the subject of the rest of this article.

First up, the O'Reillycons can keep the Christ wherever they like.  They can keep him in Christmas.  They can keep him in the cupboard if they want.  For all I care they can keep him in their hearts.  It is their choice.  All I ask is that I be left in peace to celebrate with my gods, and family as I see fit.

Second, give up the mass lunacy that is Black Friday.  BF '08: Three dead.  Two men killed each other by gunfire in a Toys R Us, in Palm Desert California.  A part time employee at a New York Walmart was crushed against a door in a stampede.  This is sheer insanity. 

Third, to the electricity hogs with the light pollution emanating from your house, please rethink your insanity.  I urge you to go solar.  Many spend tens of thousands of dollars just on the power bill each December, just to out-glow the moon.  For what one spends for a month on electricity you can buy a solar set up for your lights, and use it to supplement your home the rest of the year.  I throw out a thanks to those who do use their displays to raise money for charity, with a few raising over a hundred thousand a year for their charities.

Next up is the Christmas in public dispute.  This comes down to the simple idea that everybody wants their symbol religious or otherwise, to be the most prominent.  Have you ever stopped to wonder why so many different folks and traditions around the world celebrate some sort of holy day right around the Winter Solstice.  It's been going on for thousands of years.  If anything the neo-pagans should be screaming to put the fertility symbolism back into the wreath and "Christmas tree."  Count your blessings for the year past and welcome back the warmth of ever slightly longer days.

With all that said, I say here's a toast to happy holidays and a prosperous new year.  Stay tuned.

Yes we did!

On November 4Th, 2008 the United States of America chose a new direction.  With a significant majority the people chose Barak Obama to be our president.  I know there are a few out there who still feel that the world is about to end.  To them I say it's going to be OK.  I say the future of this country is brighter.  I say we all still have much to do.  Barak Obama must still transition into office and then begin the long and arduous task of cleaning up this mess that Mr. Bush and Co. have left for us.  Once clean-up is under way then we rebuild our economy based on clean energy sources.  We can work on a sane health care policy for this country.  We can stand as a beacon of diplomacy in the world again.  On a side note to the diplomacy issue, my mother always tried to teach me that you get more flies with honey than vinegar.  The Republicans made it a campaign issue and tried to sell us another jug of vinegar.  

We the people still have a lot of work to do as well.  Barak Obama has shown us how effective the Internet can be in raising money and grassroots support.  He has already set up an official government website for his office of President Elect: http://change.gov.  Many other organizations do mass mailing campaigns where you click on a link to send a clone email in your name.  These are easy to use and be politically active.  If you have a political cause, there is probably a group that works for that cause and would be glad to have your support.  The other way to get involved is to write personal emails to our leaders.  The Us Government has a convenient Internet front door.  Visit http://www.usa.gov/contact/elected.shtml to contact our current leaders.  Follow the simple links until you find your specific representative and send them a letter. Many will send a reply of some sorts to your email.  

Barak Obama has shown the power of the Internet.  Make your voice heard.  It is time for our elected representatives to be accountable to us.  It is time for us to speak louder than the lobbyist and special interests.  

Yes we did, now we must sustain it.

Smack Down 2008: You Tube Presidential Debate

US election: Barack Obama negotiates 30-minute TV spot with CBS, NBC and Fox | World news | guardian.co.uk

US election: Barack Obama negotiates 30-minute TV spot with CBS, NBC and Fox World news guardian.co.uk

As Barak Obama prepares to sit down and have a talk with the nation, John McCain and Sarah Palin have ramped up the personal attacks even further. Apparently they can't find any real dirt on Obama so they have to make up things to say about him. Please see below a letter I have sent to Sean Hannity at Fox News, as he is one of the worst offenders.

12 October 2008

Mr. Hannity,

Why is it you continue to make slanderous remarks about our next president in regards to his past associations, when you have a hard time admitting your own past associations with Hal Turner a Neo Nazi who is on the Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Watch List. Your slander of Senator Obama is entirely unacceptable to me as a voter as I am sure it is to many others. I would hope that the executives at FOX News are as disgusted by you as I am with your behavior. Your relationship with Mr. Turner is well documented on several websites from what I can see, yet you continue to infer that Senator Obama is a terrorist to your viewers. Enough is enough Mr. Hannity. I would be curious to see what spewed out of your mouth if you weren't so fair and balanced.

Repub guest on Hannity and Colmes Tacitly admits Voter Fraud Issue a Set up to Challenge Obama win .

The Host of HateHarold C. Turner, 41 NORTH BERGEN, N.J.
Just when some thought that the modern white supremacist movement had adopted the calmer language of scientific racism, along came Hal Turner. A belligerent, foul-mouthed talk show host, Turner is the maestro of radio hate — a man who rants about a "Portable Nigger Lyncher" machine, "faggots," "savage Negro beasts," "bull-dyke lesbians" and "lazy-ass Latinos ... slithering across the border." And that is just the beginning.

According to a profile in his local newspaper, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record, Turner was born in Jersey City and raised in Ridgefield Park. He served a 10-month stint in the Marines, was honorably discharged, and went to work as a driver and sales manager for a moving company. Later, he sold commercial property. Turner got involved in politics as well, serving as a Republican committeeman in Hudson County, the North Jersey coordinator for white nationalist Pat Buchanan's 1992 presidential campaign, and manager of the 1997 gubernatorial campaign of Libertarian Murray Sabrin.

As early as 1994, he was defending racism, holding a rally for New York radio talk show host Bob Grant, who had been fired from his show for making racist comments about blacks. In the late 1990s, Turner often called in to local radio shows as "Hal from North Bergen," telling their hosts things like, "The problem with police brutality is that cops don't use it enough."

In 2000, Turner sought the local Republican nomination for Congress, and was enraged when GOP leaders instead supported Theresa de Leon, a dark-skinned Hispanic who was the chief financial officer for New York's Legal Aid Society and the mother of 10 children. It was at this moment that Turner had a reported "epiphany," deciding the system was rigged against white men and abandoning all ties to the mainstream.

Not long after, he started up "The Hal Turner Show," renting time on shortwave radio maverick Allan Weiner's WBCQ, located in Monticello, Maine. Building up a substantial audience and paying for the five-nights-a-week, two-hour show with advertising and donations, he became a favorite of many on the radical right, including several in the neo-Nazi National Alliance*.

After neo-Nazi World Church of the Creator* leader Matt Hale was arrested in late 2002 for allegedly soliciting the murder of a federal judge, Turner openly supported Hale. "I don't think killing a federal judge in these circumstances would be wrong," he said, referring to the judge's ruling against Hale's group in a copyright dispute over its name. "It may be illegal, but it wouldn't be wrong."

Early in 2003, Turner told The Record, federal agents from the Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service questioned him about statements made on the air. Also in early 2003, Turner joined a neo-Nazi rally held in front of the Southern Poverty Law Center. In June, he was at the Aryan Nations* World Congress in Idaho, where rainy weather prevented his planned outdoor on-site broadcasts.

In recent months, however, Turner has repeatedly told his listeners he was gravely ill and begged for donations to pay his creditors. But he has never said what his disease was, and his many skeptics have noted that his "illness" seems to worsen when bills come due at month's end.

Hal Turner profile from Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Watch list