Month: April 2009
Kucinich on Budget: I Will not Vote for the Expansion of War
by Dennis Kucinich
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Apr 29, 2009
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today issued the following statement after voting against H.Con.Res 13, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for the fiscal year 2010:
“I am committed to doing everything I can to put our community and our nation on the path to economic stability. I led opposition to the bank bailout program TARP, I worked vigorously in favor of the stimulus package, and I have worked to save the automotive, steel and aerospace industries in America.
“I will not vote for a budget that ties war funding to the operational budget of our government. This year, the budget includes $130 billion for war funding. We are ramping up the war in Afghanistan, and have yet to find an end to the war in Iraq. Recent media reports indicate that we may double our troop levels in Afghanistan by 2010. This budget helps to authorize that expansion, and I will not endorse a budget that sends more of our brave men and women to a war without an end in sight.”
FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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Kucinich to Geithner: Deny Citigroup Bonus Request
The Economy Sucks and or Collapse 2
Torture Memos Expose Dark, Imperial Presidency By Robert S. Becker, Ph.D.
By Robert S. Becker, Ph.D.
April 29, 2009 “Information Clearing House”
Abuse Pushed Hard To Justify Iraqi Invasion
This was not a happy week for the torture lobby, nor its defenders, derailing months of charm offensive by Bush-Cheney legacy boosters. A wary President Obama backed off attempts to defuse the torture parade – fretting over divisive investigations and hard-to-win court convictions. Public indignation likely surpassed February polling when 65% favored torture investigations, 40% criminal prosecutions.
Two releases, from the White House and Senate, disclose a premeditated Bush-Cheney torture program that postdated the original transgression, namely invading Iraq under false pretenses. This sequence dramatically reverses classic scandals, whether the Scooter Libby/CIA outing, Watergate, Iran-Contra or Clinton escapades. Earlier, the charade of cover-ups followed crimes, thus the countless perjury convictions. With Bush-Cheney interrogation, unholy torture was authorized to serve the unholy smokescreen clouding an unholy invasion.
Mosaic News – 4/29/09: World News From The Middle East
Warning
This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.
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“Arabs Brace For Swine Flu,” Dubai TV, UAE
“Confirmed Swine Flu in Israel,” IBA TV, Israel
“Israel Increases Travel Restrictions on Palestinians,” Palestine TV, Ramallah
“Lebanon Frees Four Generals Held in Hariri Killing,” Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
“US Increases Support to Pakistan,” Al Arabiya TV, UAE
“Pakistani army expands offensive against Taliban,” Al Jazeera English, Qatar
“Egyptian Police Caught on Tape,” New TV, Lebanon
“Iraqi Drama Thrives in Syria,” BBC- Arabic
Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.
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Kucinich to Geithner: Deny Citigroup Bonus Request
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Apr 29, 2009
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today sent the following letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asking him to deny a request by Citigroup to pay bonuses to “key employees.”
April 29, 2009
The Honorable Timothy Geithner
Secretary
United States Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
Dear Secretary Geithner:
The Wall Street Journal today reports that Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit has requested permission from the Treasury Department to pay out an untold sum of money in bonuses, possibly in the form of stock, to various “key employees,” including those at Phibro, their energy trading unit.[1] I urge you to deny Citigroup’s request.
As you are aware, Citigroup has been the recipient of $45 billion in taxpayer aid through the Capital Purchase Program and Target Investment Program, authorized by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Additionally, the Federal Reserve has guaranteed another $301 billion of Citigroup’s assets. As you finalize the conversion of preferred shares to common equity, Treasury will become the largest shareholder of Citigroup stock, possessing up to 36% percent of common equity in the company.
I do not need to remind you that the country remains in a sustained economic downturn. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports today that gross domestic product decreased at an annualized rate of 6.1% through the first quarter of 2009; this follows a 6.3% percent decline through the final quarter of 2008. The unemployment rate stands at 8.5%; more worrisome is that the pace of job losses has accelerated in recent months.
In this light, Citigroup cannot possibly justify the payment of bonuses, regardless of form. Indeed, the only person specifically mentioned as a potential recipient of a bonus, Andrew Hall, was compensated over $250 million through a five-year period ending in 2008. He even owns a castle.[2]
So long as Citigroup subsists on the assistance of the American taxpayer, the American taxpayer should not be forced to subsidize the employment of people who are already compensated quite comfortably. As the economy continues to founder, Citigroup ought to recognize its role in our current recession and use the capital that has been provided to them to stabilize the economy and ease the financial burden of American families.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress
FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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Obama Has Missed His Moment by Chris Hedges
Michael Hudson: The Financial Barbarians at the Gate (must-listen)
Michael Ratner: If Obama won’t prosecute, Spain will + Allegations include ‘sexual abuse’ and ‘beating’
Michael Ratner: Obama has a duty to prosecute while a Spanish judge moves ahead on his own.
Agri-biz at root of swine flu? + DHS Guidelines For Possible Swine Flu Quarantines
Evidence points to industrial pig farm as source of outbreak, if so, Bernice Wuethrich tried to warn us.
Flying Pigs, Tamiflu and Factory Farms by F. William Engdahl
by F. William Engdahl
Global Research, April 29, 2009
If we are to believe what our trusted international media report, the world is on the brink of a global pandemic outbreak of a new deadly strain of flu, H1N1 as it has been labelled, or more popularly, Swine Flu. As the story goes, the outbreak of the deadly flu was first discovered in Mexico. According to press reports, after several days, headlines reported as many as perhaps 150 deaths in Mexico were believed caused by this virulent people-killing pig virus that has spread to humans and now is allegedly being further spread from human to human. Cases were being reported hourly from Canada to Spain and beyond. The only thing wrong with this story is that it is largely based on lies, hype and coverup of possible real causes of Mexican deaths.
One website, revealingly named Swine Flu Vaccine, reports the alarming news, ‘One out of every five residents of Mexico’s most populous city wore masks to protect themselves against the virus as Mexico City seems to be the epicenter of the outbreak. As many as 103 deaths have been attributed to the swine flu so far with many more feared to be on the horizon. The health department of Mexico said an additional 1,614 reported cases have been documented.’ We are told that the H1N1 ‘shares genetic material from human, avian and swine influenza viruses.’1
The “NAFTA Flu”
Democracy Now!
April 29, 2009
The “NAFTA Flu”: Critics Say Swine Flu Has Roots in Forcing Poor Countries to Accept Western Agribusiness
As the US reports its first known death from the global swine flu, the World Health Organization has raised its pandemic threat level. Several countries around the world have banned the import of US and Mexican pork products. We speak to professor and author Robert Wallace, who says the swine flu is partly the outcome of neoliberal policies that forced poorer countries to open their markets to poorly regulated Western agribusiness giants. [includes rush transcript]
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Indonesian minister says swine flu could be man-made
Ron Paul: Obama won’t fulfill his promises
President Barack Obamas rhetoric is pretty good, but his economics are lousy, says Republican Congressman Ron Paul, who shared his views about Obamas 100 days in office with RT.
Obama’s 100 Days – The Mad Men Did Well By John Pilger
By John Pilger
April 29, 2009 “Information Clearing House”
The BBC’s American television soap Mad Men offers a rare glimpse of the power of corporate advertising. The promotion of smoking half a century ago by the “smart” people of Madison Avenue, who knew the truth, led to countless deaths. Advertising and its twin, public relations, became a way of deceiving dreamt up by those who had read Freud and applied mass psychology to anything from cigarettes to politics. Just as Marlboro Man was virility itself, so politicians could be branded, packaged and sold.
It is more than 100 days since Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. The “Obama brand” has been named “Advertising Age’s marketer of the year for 2008”, easily beating Apple computers. David Fenton of MoveOn.org describes Obama’s election campaign as “an institutionalised mass-level automated technological community organising that has never existed before and is a very, very powerful force”. Deploying the internet and a slogan plagiarised from the Latino union organiser César Chávez – “Sí, se puede!” or “Yes, we can” – the mass-level automated technological community marketed its brand to victory in a country desperate to be rid of George W Bush.
Taking liberties with our justice system by Andy Worthington
by Andy Worthington
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.andyworthington.co.uk
Originally posted at the Guardian
30 April 2009
The use of secret evidence against terror suspects in British courts makes a mockery of our legal process
On the surface, we live in a country where long-established legal processes guarantee that, if arrested, you will be promptly charged, and will appear in a court, presided over by a judge, where lawyers will present evidence, and your fate will be decided by a jury of your peers.
For one group of men, however, this scenario is nothing but an illusion. These men – mostly foreign residents, but also including a handful of British citizens – are “terror suspects”, and some of them have spent up to three years imprisoned without charge or trial.
Even In Cheney’s Bleak World, The Al-Qaeda-Iraq Torture Story Is A New Low by Andy Worthington
by Andy Worthington
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.andyworthington.co.uk
30 April 2009
Since the publication last week of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s report into detainee abuse in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantánamo (PDF), much has been made of a footnote containing a comment made by Maj. Paul Burney, a psychiatrist with the Army’s 85th Medical Detachment’s Combat Stress Control Team, who, with two colleagues, was “hijacked” into providing an advisory role to the Joint Task Force at Guantánamo.
In his testimony to the Senate Committee, Maj. Burney wrote that “a large part of the time we were focused on trying to establish a link between al-Qaeda and Iraq and we were not successful in establishing a link between al-Qaeda and Iraq. The more frustrated people got in not being able to establish that link … there was more and more pressure to resort to measures that might produce more immediate results.”
Mosaic News – 4/28/09: World News From The Middle East
Warning
This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.
Mosaic needs your help! Donate here: http://linktv.org/contribute
Headlines coming soon. Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.
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In the Wake of Economic Collapse. Iceland’s Election: It’s not about Left and Right by Prof. Michael Hudson
by Prof. Michael Hudson
Global Research, April 29, 2009
I can hardly believe the news reports on Iceland’s election on Saturday, April 25. Evidently in an attempt to interest readers in an island few know or have cared much about, the papers tried to attract reader attention by talking about the “left” unseating the “right.” No doubt this political swing is going to continue for many years to come throughout the world. But for Iceland’s voters the issues were more pragmatic. Reckless neoliberal bank privatization is indeed the main problem, but the proposed responses are not inherently left or right as such. At issue is whether voters have become so desperate in the wake of crooks wrecking the financial system that they will seek a more stable currency (the euro) by joining Europe on terms that forfeit control over Iceland’s North Atlantic fishing waters and burden taxpayers with unprecedented public debt to compensate British, Dutch and other European bank depositors and speculators for their losses?
Dandelion Salad 