George Says…
If I were a nicer person, I would have resisted creating and posting this a lot more than I did. George Says…
Right-wing Christmas
The “peace on earth” message sure did take a back seat this season. Lotsa God and Jesus cards from relatives, but nobody had the “Peace on Earth” message this year. It wasn’t on any of the cards I got. Is it possible that this very idea is now considered too edgy, even Coulterishly “treasonous”? I had actually been pondering this as I started taking down the Christmas cards. Turns out I’m not the only one to have noticed the lack….
Illegal – I’ll say it again – Illegal Surveillance
United States Code Title 50, Chapter 36, Subchapter 1 Section 1809. Criminal sanctions (a) Prohibited activities A person is guilty of an offense if he intentionally- (1) engages in electronic surveillance under color of law except as authorized by statute NSA Watch lays it all out very clearly. FISA contains explicit language describing the president’s powers “during time of war” and provides that “the President, through the Attorney General, may authorize electronic surveillance without a court order under this title…
Sin Against Free Government
“No penance would ever expiate the sin against free government of holding that a President can escape control of executive powers by law through assuming his military role [of Commander-in-Chief].” — Justice Robert Jackson (during the Korean War when President Truman tried to seize the steel companies in the name of national security). (Quote of the Week at Crisis Papers) They also have an excellent roundup of some of the best blog posts on the domestic spying scandal, among which…
Talking Points for Soldiers: Domestic Propaganda Program
Pentagon propaganda program orders soldiers to promote Iraq war while home on leave It’s part of what they call “Operation Homefront.” Good soldiers follow orders and hundreds of American military men and women returned to the United States on holiday leave this month with orders to sell the Iraq war to a skeptical public. The program, coordinated through a Pentagon operation dubbed “Operation Homefront,†ordered military personnel to give interviews to their hometown newspapers, television stations and other media outlets…
Take Action – Corporate Violators
Take Action to Protest the Actions and Policies of the Top Corporate Human Rights Violators of 2005 Information and links to groups trying to work on it. Vote with your pocketbook too. Companies: Caterpiller: contracting with known violators of human rights, enabling house demolition, supplying equipment that kills Palestinian civilians and American peace activists Chevron: environmental destruction, health violations, and violent killings Coco-Cola: violent killings, kidnap and torture, water privatization, health violations, and discriminatory practices Dow Chemical: creation of chemical…