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Sunday, June 26th

The Torture Never Stops


The Torture Never Stops
by H.L.

A group of U.S. Congressmen, members of both the House, and Senate made a trip to “The Gulag” at Guantanamo Prison in Cuba, yesterday. When they came out, they gave the thumbs up sign and said that everything was A-OK. Wow, do I feel better. Now I can rest easy in the assurance that no torture is going on down there because the Congressmen who went for a visit said so. They took a tour of the cell blocks, watched some live interrogations, and even enjoyed the same food given to the prisoners, or should I say “detainees.”
These are people who have spent the last 3 years in the Gulag, without being charged with any crime. Which of course goes directly against the U.S. Constitution, but the detainees are in Cuba, you see, and not subject to American Law even though the U.S is holding them. The detainees have no right to due process, In which they would have to be charged with crimes or released. Rep. Joe Schwarz, R-Michigan., disagrees with me. "I think they're doing the best they can to define due process here." Schwarz said during the trip. Well I don’t know Joe, does taking people out of a foreign country, bringing them to another foreign country, and torturing them for over 3 years without ever charging them with any crime sound like the best we can do? I’d hate to see his idea of the worst we can do.
The prisoners also can not file a writ of Habeas Corpus, which is a mandate from a Judge, to an official of a prison, bearing the order that the inmate be taken to court for a hearing to determine if that person is being held in prison lawfully, and so it can be determined if the prisoner should be released from Custody. The website Lectlaw.com gives some ways in which this might be able to help the Guantanamo detainees were they in The U.S:

"In Brown v. Vasquez, 952 F.2d 1164, 1166 (9th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 112 S.Ct. 1778 (1992), the court observed that the Supreme Court has "recognized the fact that`[t]he writ of habeas corpus is the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action.' Harris v. Nelson, 394 U.S. 286, 290-91 (1969). " Therefore, the writ must be "administered with the initiative and flexibility essential to insure that miscarriages of justice within its reach are surfaced and corrected." Harris, 394 U.S. at 291."

Now that seems like a nice thing to have on your side, but the detainees that are being held don’t have any of these rights, they could just be held indefinitely until they die. So that makes me happy to know that life on the gulag is all nice and comfy, for the guests. "The Guantanamo we saw today is not the Guantanamo we heard about a few years ago," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher who is of course a Democrat. Leave it to the Democrats to be hoodwinked into this ridiculous ploy by the Bush administration to alleviate all of the negative press they have been getting of late about the whole Guanatanamo situation. I guess Ms. Tauscher forgot that a few years ago “Gitmo” was a military base, not an illegal prison; She also doesn’t seem to realize that most of the evidence of torture has come just recently not a few years ago. Perhaps she has it confused with Abu Gharib, which came out a couple of years ago, but hey you seen one torture chamber, you seen them all I guess.
Of course it was only a month or so ago that Amnesty International came out with their report detailing abuses and torture at Guantanamo, and labeling it “The Gulag of our time.” President Bush responding to the report called it “absurd” despite the fact the US has already admitted to torture at Gitmo according to Pentagon News and other sources
The administration has been claiming all along that there is no torture at all going on in Guantanamo, and that it is practically a country club. Dick Cheney as much said so when he uttered “Hey they are living in the tropics down there”. The members of congress wanted to find out for themselves, so they got on a plane and headed to Cuba. Once they arrived they were briefed by the commanders, and then got to enjoy the same meal the prisoners eat every day, Orange Chicken, Rice, and Fried Okra. They then went on a tour of the facilities and got to watch interrogations behind one-way mirrors, after which, it was joyously reported by AP: None of the interrogators touched detainees.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, acknowledged, "What we've seen here is evidence that we've made progress." Gee Shelia, you don’t suppose that since members of the U.S. Congress were touring the facility that everyone might have been ordered to be on there best behavior? Do you suppose that they are so dumb that they would torture the detainees right in front of you? Its not like it was some kind of secret inspection visit where everyone in the camp didn’t know you were there. I wonder if Ms. Lee knows that that last week, when United Nations investigators of Human rights asked to be let inside of Guantanamo for an inspection citing “Credible and Persistent reports of inhuman, cruel, degrading treatment of detainees, and allegations of torture, they were refused prompting Cheney to issue his living in the Tropics remark.
Bush has persistently refused to sign an order barring all forms of torture of U.S. Prisoners.


HL on 06.26.05 @ 05:09 PM PST [link] [9 Comments]


Sunday, June 19th

Everybody Knows, George


by H.L.



There was a story in Stars and Stripes, on Friday about families of military members who have been killed in the war in Iraq going to Washington to demand official congressional hearings into the Downing St. Memo, and whether or not Bush lied us into a war that has seen over 1700 soldiers killed. This story was in Stars and Stripes, which is the official U.S. military forces propaganda rag, and has been at least since World War 2, when a publication like this is reporting this story; you know that the s**t has truly come down. Everybody knows that Bush is a murderous liar now. Not everyone will admit it, but everyone knows. Many people didn’t know until just recently, the kind of people who don’t really concern themselves with politics too much, unless a story becomes so huge that it just can’t pass them by. The Downing St. Memo was revealed to all this week when AP mentioned it for the first time, after nearly 2 months of existence; It was also covered by the mainstream broadcast media. The story had gotten so big there was no way they could continue to ignore it.
The Stars and Stripes story quotes a mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who calls The Downing St. Memo “Bush’s Watergate” Diane Davis Santorello of Pennsylvania, said that an investigation into the matter would “bring down the house of cards” and made comparison between Bush, and Nixon. Santorello, is a member of a group called Military Families Speak Out. The group, with the help of Walter “Freedom Fries” Jones, A Republican House Representative from North Carolina who has since seen the light and turned his back on Bush’s War, and other Republican Congressman have been pushing for Bush to set some kind of exit plan in Iraq. Republicans are now starting to realize that Bush’s ever sinking poll numbers are going to reflect on them come election time, and since they have to run again, and Bush doesn’t that they now have to start fending for themselves, and are beginning to turn against some of the insanity.
I heard a story being reported on the radio yesterday, that had taken it a step further, and was pondering the official story of 9/11, specifically whether a plane really hit the Pentagon on that day. They were talking about a movie that had been made which I had previously seen that went into detail about what really happened that morning. Apparently there was originally only a small hole in the side of the pentagon wall as a result of the impact of the “object” that hit the building. The documentary showed actual footage from Fox News, who we’re the first ones on the scene. The wall of the Pentagon building is still standing there is hole in the wall that is only a couple of feet in diameter, and fire crews are there spraying water on the building which is smoldering. There is no plane, the hole is too small for a fuselage of a passenger jet, in fact the hole is smaller then the width of a jet engine. Had a jet hit the building there would have been horrific damage, including the fuselage, and luggage of the plane along with luggage strewn all over the area, but none of this existed. The documentary goes on to say that this Fox News footage was only shown once, immediately after the incident occurred, the footage was then pulled, and has never been broadcast again. The documentary makers obtained the footage through someone who was running a VCR, and caught it because whatever show they were taping was interrupted.
That this story which until very recently would have been written off as nothing more then the ravings of insane conspiracy theorists, would be openly discussed on the radio is showing that veil of lies is coming down, more and more people are beginning to think that maybe what happened on 9/11 is not the story we have been fed by the government, and the media. A former Bush cabinet member has even gone so far as to question what happened on 9/11. Morgan Reynolds, who was The Chief Economist for The Department of Labor during Bush’s first term, and a Professor Emeritus at Texas A & M University, has written a detailed story that was picked up by UPI, Reynolds said that the official story of the attack was “Full of Holes” and “Just didn’t hang together no matter how you looked at it. Reynolds further states that the evidence points to our government running the whole operation. When former Bush cabinet members are talking like this, you know that the ruse is over, and everybody knows.
Meanwhile its business as usual in Washington; Bush in his radio address on Saturday said that getting out of Iraq, or even trying to begin to set some sort of exit strategy is “Not an option,” Bush, seemingly oblivious to everything that is going on around him is talking as if its still October 2001, and his ratings are in the high 80’s.
"The terrorists and insurgents are trying to get us to retreat.” Bush said using the same “Your either with us or with the terrorist logic he has been using ever since he was still claiming that Saddam had WMDs and was ready to launch one on New York City. Bush went on to say, "We will settle for nothing less than victory" over terrorists there, he said later. Bush apparently still hasn’t heard the news that the “Terrorist” insurgency, who are people that are actually trying to protect their country from foreign invaders, are getting stronger, and that we are losing the war due to his ineptitude. Bush actually acknowledges his critics in the radio speech.
"Some may disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the war on terror," Bush said. "This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight."
No George, it’s been 3 years, and by the way; didn’t you say something about the Mission being “Accomplished” about 2 years or so ago?, Everybody knows George, everybody knows.




HL on 06.19.05 @ 07:24 AM PST [link]


Friday, June 10th

Bush’s Approval Rating In The Toilet. So how did he get re-elected.???


Bush’s Approval Rating In The Toilet.
So how did he get re-elected.???
By H.L.

New poll data was released yesterday that puts The Illegal Deserting, Idiots,
Approval rating even lower then than it already was. If that’s even possible, in a land where the Corporate Media, would kill their own mothers to stop a negative story about the criminal that each and every one of them are responsible for putting in office. Every member of the Media, be it TV Newspapers, or radio, (Air America excepted) have the blood of over 100,000 people on their hands, and that stuff is hard to wash off, as Vincent Vega told Jules Winfield in the bathroom at Jimmy’s house in Pulp Fiction.
When “news” organizations like Associated Press, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. release poll numbers concerning the murdering mumbling death monkey, you can be sure that they are either skewing the results as much in favor of Bush as possible, or they are outright lying and changing the data in a very unsubtle way.
According to the new poll only 35% think the nation is heading in the right direction, Now going by the math I learned in school, that would mean that 65% of the people think the nation is headed straight into the pit of hell, but no, that would be incorrect according to the AP, because 43% think that Bush “is doing a good job.” Well lets see 35 plus 43: 5 plus 3 equals 8, 3 plus 4 equals 7, that means that only 78% of the people in the poll had an opinion either way and a full 22% could not come up with an answer to the question "Hows he doin." Usually in polls like this the non respondent factor is usually not more then 5 percent. Okay so lets say that 10% of people did not answer the question, much more likely, then the 22% the AP poll would have you believe. Since we have already concluded that any lying going on here will be absolutely in Bush’s favor, then we can assume that it is more like only 23% of the people actually approve the job that Bush is doing.
Astounding that Bush, who got 50.1 % of the vote just 7 months ago has a now real adjusted approval rating of 23%, he has lost 27% of his support in a little over half a year.
There are now more and more stories being reported in the blogoshere that Bush and his people stole the election by stealing Ohio, which of course we have been reporting since about 2 days after the election. Rep. John Conyers has gotten together 89 members of congress. (you can be sure that co-conspirator, and treasonous felon John Kerry will do everything possible to sabotage any attempt that congress makes to get to the bottom of what happened. Of course we already know.) These 89 members of congress are drafting a letter, which Conyers has promised to deliver directly to the President, demanding an investigation. (we all remember how successful that 9/11 investigation went.) Conyers wants to go mainstream with this story, good luck John you are going to need it, however the facts remain, and are coming out.
Speaking of the mainstream media, they are now finally starting to acknowledge the Downing Street memo, because they have to, the story has now gotten so big that ignoring it any longer would make The NY Times, Washington Post etc. look like nothing more than propaganda arms of the Government (which of course, they are) to even the most ignorant of the ignant. (or as I like to call them, “The Proud to be Ignant”)
I wonder how many red staters who voted for Bush are now beginning to feel the sting of every single policy that comes out of Washington, and are beginning to have it dawn on them that we were right, and Fox news is a bunch of lying hyprocrites.
According to the H.L. adjusted Presidential approval poll that number would be 27% of Bush voters, who now realize that having a president who is “just like them” (i.e. Ignorant idiots) is not such a great idea. (oh, to see the look on their faces when they first say to themselves: “America was a paradise under Clinton compared to what it is now, and maybe getting a BJ under the oval office desk wasn’t so bad, I mean after all that Hilary is such a bitch so who can blame the guy.”) Ok so what is it about Bush that is making all these, people who were so sure that we were a bunch of Liberal crackpots, who hated our country (even though we did research on the subjects while they watched Access Hollywood, and American Idol) now come around to our way of thinking.
Well the number 1 thing that they say makes them view Bush in a negative light??? Wait for it……
War (what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again) According to the poll 41% of respondents say that Bush is doing a good job in Iraq, I guess that is the 41% of people who hate “Haji’s” but who don’t have any relatives over there. The poll does not say how many people are against Bush’s war so we can not figure out an adjusted rate, of actual true data, but suffice it to say you can be sure the number is more like 31% for the war, and 69% against.
One person asked about how Bush is doing was Carol Harvie of San Diego, Harvie called herself a political independent: (translation: she voted for Bush twice)
"I don't think he's read his history enough about different countries and foreign affairs," said Harvie. My guess would be that she knows someone who knows someone who died in Iraq. San Diego has many military bases including Miramar, and Camp Pendleton, the largest Marine Base in the nation. (and now all of a sudden its not Ok that Bush knows about as much of History and foreign affars as the average high school student.)
So what do we do now, Bush still had over 3 years left in his reign of terror. Most people don’t want this. Don’t look to congress for any help, that gang of lapdogs gets even lower ratings in the poll then Bush with only 30% approving of the job they are doing.
So basically there are 2 factions in this country right now, the people, vs. the rulers,
The people concerned with trying to make a living, and get by with less money, less jobs, and no health care, Against the rulers, trying to get bigger yachts, more houses, and fatter bank accounts. Since Congress refused to do anything about Fixed elections (except for Conyers) the likelihood that this will continue until we are back in the days of indentured servitude is very great.
We must keep pressure on the members of congress, with a very blunt warning. Represent “US” and not yourselves or you will be bounced out. Some members of the house do actually care about what goes on in this country. Forget about The Senate, (except for Barbara Boxer)
Keep getting the message out. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Lets Roll.


HL on 06.10.05 @ 09:58 AM PST [link]


Monday, June 6th

The Medical Marijuana Case, And Why Marijuana is Illegal

music: by H.L.

The Medical Marijuana Case, And Why Marijuana is Illegal
By H.L.
The Supreme Court has ruled that users of Medical Marijuana are still subject to arrest,
and prosecution, even if they live in a state that has ruled in favor of Medical Marijuana. California, which legalized medical marijuana in 1996, paved the way for the legal medical marijuana, in a referendum vote that was passed by a majority of the voters.
The federal Government has maintained ever since that Marijuana is illegal in all forms despite what laws that California and other states such as, Vermont, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Nevada have passed.
In California after the ’96 law went into effect, some doctors began issuing prescriptions for medical marijuana, that could be filled in Cannabis Clubs in places such as Berkeley, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Long Beach. Shortly after the Cannabis clubs were raided and shut down by the Federal Government; The people associated with growing the marijuana, and running the clubs were arrested.

The case came about when 2 users of medical marijuana sued The Attorney General, John Aschcroft, for the right to use the drug, as the states laws allowed them. The Federal Governments contention was that marijuana was controlled under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, and it was not up to states to pass regulation that was addressed under Federal Law.
Angel Raich, and Diane Monson, both from California brought the suit, which was heard by the Supreme Court. In it’s ruling The Supreme Court sided with the Federal Government, but Justice J.P. Stevens wrote in the decision that The Congress could change the laws to make medical marijuana legal. Diane Monson went on record after the verdict was announced that she would continue to smoke marijuana in defiance of the law. She said she was prepared to be arrested; This issue will continue to be a newsmaker for the foreseeable future.

Why is Marijuana Illegal?

The Marijuana plant, also known as the hemp plant was widely used for many purposes before it became illegal in 1938, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp according to “The Emperor Wears No Clothes, The Authoritative Historical Record of Cannabis and The Conspiracy against Medical Marijuana.” By Jack Herer.
Benjamin Franklin started one of the first paper mills in the Colonial America with Cannabis; which allowed America the means to have a free press without having to justify the need for paper from England. It is quite possible that without cannabis hemp, The American Revolution would have never occurred. The Cannabis plant was used in making rope, twine, lighting oil, paints, textiles, varnishes, housing material, ship sails, and of course paper.
According to a Bulletin published by the USDA in 1916, One acre of hemp could produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of Trees over a 20 year period. Hemp was the largest crop grown in America, being used in all of the above. A passage from “The Emperor
Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer, explains the main reasons for Marijuana becoming illegal, anyone familiar with current Government policies will have no trouble believing or understanding any of the following:

In the mid ‘30s New hemp fiber stripping machines had been invented, and had become affordable, as a result of this the enormous Timber Acreage, and businesses of Hearst Paper Manufacturing Division Kimberly Clark, (USA) St. Regis, and virtually all other timber, paper and large newspaper holding companies stood to lose billions of dollars and perhaps go bankrupt. Coincidentally, in 197, Dupont had just patented processes for making plastics from oil, and coal as well as new sulfate/sulfite process for making paper from wood pulp. According to Du Pont’s own corporate records, and historians, these processes accounted for over 80% of all the companies railroad car loadings over the next 60 years into the 1990s, If hemp had not been made illegal 80% of Dupont’s business would never have materialized and the great majority of the pollution which as poisoned our Northwestern and southeastern rivers would not have occurred.
In 1937 Harry Anslinger the nephew of Andrew Mellon, himself a business tycoon who would lose a lot of money because of cannabis, testified before congress that Marijuana was the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind. Anslinger was made head of the modern equivalent of the DEA, a position he held for 31 years, and Marijuana was made illegal.

How Does Medical Marijuana Help

Sufferers of such diseases as Cancer, AIDs, and Glaucoma, are likely to be effected by the Supreme Courts decision, on medical marijuana. The active ingredients in marijuana may help to relieve pain, wasting, nausea, vomiting, and wasting in AIDs patients.” This was included in a report by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine in 1999. The report called for further study to be done on the subject, to this date increased study on Marijuana’s effectiveness at helping sick patients has not been carried out due to the Federal Governments excessive persecution of Marijuana in all its forms.
Advocates of Medical Marijuana espouse the beliefs that the plant will help sick patients in the following ways.

.Relief from vomiting caused by severe nausea brought about by Anti Cancer Drugs.

.Marijuana has long been none as the only means of controlling Glaucoma, an eye disease that can lead to blindness.

.Stimulation of appetite in AIDS Patients, which slows the onset of wasting that the disease causes.

Many other uses for Medical Marijuana would become known if more testing were done.
Look for a long battle on the marijuana front. When our Peak Oil runs out. Marijuana and cannabis may have to become the fuel of the future.


HL on 06.06.05 @ 04:47 PM PST [link]