They tell lies, to excuse wars that are in any case against all conventions and constitutions. Then we call them out on their lies, but we get punished or silenced or ignored or fed new lies while the war mechanics do all in their power keep their machinery going. But where does their power come from? They represents us. We need a new system, a way to monitor use of our delegated power to prevent abuse of our mandate.
From war we have acquired taxes and debt. Expenses on war and war preparation in the United States are now over half of federal discretionary spending, more than all other nations of the world combined, and more than at any time during the Cold War. Military spending increases, not with the need for military defense, but with the level of corruption in U.S. elections.
Decreasing in proportion to the rise in military spending are our civil liberties; our representative government; the balance of powers within the government; resistance to policies of warrantless spying, imprisonment without charge, torture, and assassination; and the health of our news media. The war machine has become the greatest destroyer of the natural environment we have. And the shifting of funding from all other areas to the military has had disastrous results in as many fields as we might choose to name.
Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their peoples in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was their object. This, our Convention understood to be the most oppressive of all Kingly oppressions; and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us.”–Abraham Lincoln
AFGHANISTAN
Prior to 2001, the Taliban was willing to turn Osama bin Laden over to a third country if he was promised a fair trial and no death penalty, and if some evidence of his guilt of crimes were offered. In 2001, the Taliban warned the United States that bin Laden was planning an attack on American soil. In July 2001 the United States was known to have plans to take military action against the Taliban by mid-October.
When the United States attacked Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, the Taliban again offered to negotiate for the handing over of bin Laden. When President George W. Bush refused, the Taliban dropped its demand for evidence of guilt and offered simply to turn bin Laden over to a third country. Bush rejected this offer and continued bombing. At a March 13, 2002, press conference, Bush said of bin Laden “I truly am not that concerned about him.”[i] When President Barack Obama announced, in May 2011, that he had killed bin Laden, the war didn’t even slow down.
6.8 earthquake 242 km (150 miles) SW of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan. 05:27:54 UTC
Sunday, January 01, 2012 at 02:27:54 PM at epicenter, depth +/- 9.7 km (6.0 miles)
Twitter 2012 wishlist: better spam control, all our tweets reindexed & a functional search engine, rate limits abolished, fix site bugs. RT @teacherdude and add indicator that tells us when sb has DMed u [asteris: Yeah, Twitter, how hard can it be?]
Saharawi Coordinator with the MINURSO, Mr. Mhamed Khaddad, shared the contents of a message from the Malian government confirming “the Republic of Mali gives the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic the right to pursue within its national territory the criminal groups” and expressed strong dissatisfaction towards the Mali office of Agence France Press for stories indication that the cross-border operation happened without consent. http://snup.us/mQ7
v @Sahara_Voice
01:47 PM
On the day I relocated away from Twitter, @rupertmurdoch joined. I like the odd symmetry.
02:00 PM
Azerbaijani political prisoners talk about horrors they faced in Iranian prisons http://snup.us/mRa
The Power of Listening http://snup.us/mQpttp “The Question is, can we afford ineffective listening in the post Arab-awakening Middle East? The answer is undoubtedly no. […] Let’s get out of our bubble, stop the tyrannical voice inside our mind and listen to each other more effectively in 2012.”
I don’t understand this constant state of denial: 1st SCAF tells us not to use the phrase ‘protesters were crushed’ Then.. PM Ganzouri tells us not use phrase ‘excessive use of force or even violence against protesters’ And finally Fayza Aboul Naga asks us not to characterize what happened to the NGOs as ‘raids’??? Can’t those in power just own up to their actions for goodness’ sake??? Egypt
Libya Gaddafi supporters ‘try to blow up Tripoli power grid’
v @TelegraphNews
06:12 PM
Human Rights Watch has warned Saleh there will be no immunity for him once he leaves Yemen
06:38 PM
Terhran airport chief says Iran government directive has ordered a reciprocal refuelling ban for some European and Arab airlines http://snup.us/mQR
07:36 PM
External satellite TV channels have arrived in Mauritania. Wonder how many years until the people get satellite receivers, the few who can afford them.
Anti-slavery activist group leader Biram Ould Dah Ould Obeida demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into ongoing issues of slavery and human rights abuses in Mauritania
08:07 PM
Internet users face spotty service in Iran http://snup.us/mRh Iran IranElection
I’m really sorry, I hope our Tunisian brothers don’t see the kidnapping case as a normal thing. Apologies on behalf of Libya Some ex Gaddafi bastards are trying really hard to ruin Libya Tunisia relations…
Some ex Gaddafi bastards are trying really hard to ruin Libya Tunisia relations…
@lissnup 