Torturing Democracy: A Documentary That Could Put Dick Cheney Out Of Our Misery

Winter Patriot
Nov 25, 2008

Torturing Democracy, an expose of how and why America came to be involved in open large-scale torture of prisoners (many of whom were simply shepherds captured by mountain tribesmen and sold into captivity), is now available for viewing online.

As Scott Horton reported last month, PBS can’t find a time slot for this Frontline documentary until January 21, 2009 — the day after Bush and Cheney are scheduled to leave office.

Horton has reported more recently that this documentary could help to provide “A Ticket to The Hague for Dick Cheney“. Why? Because it has the power to change the minds of influential people in denial.

…….full article here

Security Blanket: Western Democracy and the Strategy of Tension

Chris Floyd
Empire Burlesque
Nov 25, 2008

The idea that a democratic government would deliberately create fake “extremist groups” then send them out to foment violence and terrorism — in order to discredit legitimate opposition to elite rule and to “justify” authoritarian powers — has long been derided in “serious” circles as that worst of modern heresies: “conspiracy theory.” Anyone advancing such a preposterous notion is instantly relegated to the ranks of the “lunatic fringe,” and dismissed with varying degrees of contempt and condescension.

And the woeful fact that millions of the ruminants out there in the vast public herd swallow these wild tales and believe that their betters are up to no good is also widely deplored in the higher circles of public discourse. As any fully-accredited, perk-laden, sinecured think-tanker can tell you, democratic governments are led by men and women devoted to public service. Sure, there can be fierce disputes over policies and approaches and outcomes and ideologies and competence. Sure, some people may step over a line here and there in their pursuit of what they believe is the nation’s best interests. But just as western democracies do not torture, do not launch aggressive wars, do not spy upon their own people or imprison them by the millions, they most assuredly do not create and support extremist groups and instigate acts of terror and chaos to advance authoritarian agendas.

…….full article here

Cynthia McKinney Prevented From Leaving U.S.

Former congresswoman stopped from boarding plane in Atlanta

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Nov 25, 2008

Former Congresswoman and presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney has been prevented from leaving the country after she planned to give a speech in Damascus Syria at a Conference being held to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Today, November 23rd, I was slated to give remarks in Damascus, Syria at a Conference being held to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and, sadly, the 60th year that the Palestinian people have been denied their Right of Return enshrined in that Universal Declaration. But a funny thing happened to me while at the Atlanta airport on my way to the Conference: I was not allowed to exit the country,” writes McKinney.

“I do believe that it was just a misunderstanding,” she adds, though why a well known former Georgia congresswoman who represented Atlanta, the city in which she was born, would not be allowed to board a plane raises disturbing questions.

…….full article here

7.4 Trillion Dollars And Counting: The Cost Of “Rescuing” The US Financial System

Hamilton Nolan
Global Research
Nov 25, 2008

Hey, the government has agreed to bail out Citigroup.

Surely we’ll now be saved from worldwide insolvency!

Right? Or is this a profligate waste of money?

We have to level with you: this whole bailout thing has now exceeded the media’s ability to critically analyze it. You’ve heard everyone throw around figures like $750 billion for the earlier bailout costs. This Citigroup thing includes a guarantee of $306 billion in assets. But think about this: according to Bloomberg, the US government has now pledged more than $7.4 trillion to rescue the financial system in the past 15 months. How much is 7.4 trillion?

• It is “half the value of everything produced in the nation last year,” according to Bloomberg.
• It’s enough to cut a check for almost $25,000 to every single citizen of the USA!
• If you had 7.4 trillion pennies, you would have $74,000,000,000. That’s enough money to buy the New York Times Co. 86 times over. If we say that 100 pennies stack up 4 inches high, 7.4 trillion pennies would stack up 4,671,717 miles high. That’s enough to go to the moon and back ten times.

…….full article here

Youtube

U.S. Would Control Profits from Iraqi Oil Exports Under Agreement

Jeremy Hammond
Information Clearing House
Nov 23, 2008

“There’s been no shortage of controversy surrounding what has been termed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the governments of the United States and Iraq. After battling away for most of the year at what the terms of the agreement should be, the text was at last finalized this month.

The terms of the agreement effectively allow the U.S. to continue to control billions of dollars of proceeds from the sale of exported Iraqi oil held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It also contains numerous loopholes that could allow the continuing long-term presence of U.S. military forces and would effectively maintain U.S. jurisdiction over crimes committed by American soldiers.

Iraq’s cabinet approved the agreement a week ago with 27 members voting in favor, out of 28 ministers who were present, with nine ministers absent. It is now being debated in the Parliament.

Abdul Qadir al-Obaidi, Iraq’s minister of defense, issued a dire warning that without the agreement and continued presence of U.S. forces, “then what happened in the Gulf of Aden will happen in the Arabian Gulf too. Pirates will start in these ports in a way you can’t even imagine.”

…….full article here

9/11 Blogger
Nov 24, 2008

On, (Wednesday, Nov.19, 2008), Professors Anthony Hall, Graeme MacQueen, John McMurtry, and Michael Keefer discussed 9/11 and how this relates to the global community.

The webcast was broadcast on the http://globalizationstudies.ca/ website.

(This version of the discussion courtesy: http://www.911truthcanada.org/

…….full article here

The speed trap set by your neighbour – police recruit residents in road safety war

Steve Doughty
Mail Online
Nov 24, 2008

Motorists will face amateur speed traps run by local volunteer groups in towns and villages across the country, it was revealed yesterday.

Under rules to be sent to police forces in the new year, bands of volunteers will be supplied with speed detection equipment and asked to use it to identify drivers exceeding limits in their area.

The guidelines, prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers, will set a national pattern for schemes which have been trialled in some areas – often with controversy.

Drivers caught breaking limits by ‘community speed watch’ groups have their numberplates checked on the police national computer and are sent warning letters by police forces.

…….full article here

UK To Run Up Trillion-Pound Debt

Sky News
Nov 25, 2008

Alistair Darling’s rescue package for the UK economy will push Britain’s national debt through the one trillion pound mark, official figures show.

The Chancellor has unveiled a wide-ranging series of measures aimed at lifting the UK out of recession in his pre-Budget report.

He cut VAT from 17.5% to 15%, boosted tax allowances and offered more cash to parents and pensioners in an attempt to encourage people to spend more.

Mr Darling said the £12.5bn bill for the VAT cut would be largely covered by rises in alcohol, tobacco and fuel duty.

Figures in the PBR “green book” revealed total national debt will reach £1,020bn by 2012-13.

…….full article here

Iraq told: Keep US troops or face martial law

Starkly pro-American minister threatens Iraqi parliament

John Byrne
The Raw Story
Nov 23, 2008

Iraq’s defense minister Abdul Qadir Muhammed Jassim threatened to declare a state of emergency if Iraq’s parliament refused to sign an accord allowing US troops to stay in the country for three more years.

His rhetoric was eerily in tune with Bush Administration officials’ comments on domestic security and Iran, echoing language used by the Administration to bolster support for the Iraq war.

If the US withdraws, he said, “we shall wait for a strike against us, in our midst.” He added that foreign intelligence services may be attempting to infiltrate Iraqi affairs — a shot at Iran — an identical charge made by US officials.

A state of emergency could allow Iraq’s government to dissolve parliament.

…….full article here