Showing posts with label bush administration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bush administration. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Cheney Conundrum
Image licensed under Creative Commons by Mick Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Cheney Conundrum: Dick's latest media foray could be his last (that is, before his attorneys and handlers clamp a Denver Boot on his tongue...) and its making us ask the question; "Just how dumb is he?" and, further, "Just how dumb are we?". Boy, some of us just aren't grasping the Cheney Conundrum - and that means the heavy hitters like Keith-O, Rachel, Chris Matthews and more... Or maybe we just missed a report from David Corn or Chris Hayes (we like Chris...). JoeNBC seems a little too quiet, maybe he gets it...Joe is, after all, conservative...but still a professional...
GET IT? Get what? You may ask. What Countdown has aired on the primetime (last night AND the night before...) is video of apparently Dick Cheney stepping on his own...er, sword...and possibly foisting himself on it. How? By the tacit admission that he supported *enhanced interrogation techniques (i.e., waterboarding) and some other potential war crimes. We - try to momentarily forget that we are leftofleftliberalefties - firmly believe that he has really set himself up here and just about every other high-level persons-of-interest in the former Bush Administration for war crimes prosecution or violations of the Geneva Convention.
Further, these "confessions" were obtained from a person who apparently was not tortured nor subjected to waterboarding nor *EITs. Yet, this person has apparently put himself and others of his ilk in jeopardy of a war crimes trial (or military tribunal) - with possible punishments and fines and other sanctions. Therefore, by his own administration's "definitions" he has made himself a war criminal, or loosely defined, a bit of a terrorist himself. Yet, his confession(s) and/or admissions were obtained without mention of habeas corpus, without rendition (extraordinary or otherwise), without restraint, without punishment, without military detention, without EITs, without waterboarding and without torture. The man has clearly given us information without benefit of his own tightly adhered-to embrace of EIT and other illogical means of extracting confessions and/or verdicts. Without delay. Without restriction. With freedom of speech and liberties guaranteed under a Constitution and Bill of Rights that his kind appear to have willingly usurped.
Lets try this again. This man Cheney was not waterboarded, nor subjected to any form of EIT that we know of. Nor is he under threat of such or any physical harm or torture. Yet he appears to have willingly admitted and/or confessed to "terroristic" forms of war crimes and tortures by himself and by his own members of his administration. Now isn't that extraordinary? Its extraordinary that a proponent of extrajudicial means of obtaining punishments and extreme measures need not have been subjected to them now nor in the past nor in the future. Its extaordinary that he is going around town promoting such means live and on-air.
In other words, he's just contradicting himself. Over and over and over. He's a living walking contradiction. And an alleged war criminal. Its supremely ironic. The man has publicly disproven his own argument of what he stands for and continues to support. The man is running rings around himself logically. Yet, here he be. He exists despite himself. He should have collapsed into a black hole of irony by now. Or at the very least, the Bush Administration should appear out of a wormhole and render him unto a secret POW camp in the past. Which is where they should be.
Get it yet?
Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/aqWZeP
FOM: Cheney's Costly Mistake , It Came from the Veep and Paradix or Dickundrum.
Updated/Revised: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Labels:
- waterboarding,
bush administration,
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cia torture?,
conundrum,
eit,
geneva convention,
habeas corpus,
logic,
rendition
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From a Lame Duck Administration to a Dead Duck Economy

From a Lame Duck Administration to a Dead Duck Economy
Oh boy, here we go again. The economy is crippled but does not appear quite as dead as the duck in Tim Parkinson's image.
In truth, we had hoped for the failure of the Financial Recovery Bill (obtained from c-span.org). Now the legislator's have (with alarming speed) posted, a new bill - click on the hyperlinks to view the new bill. You can read the previous bill by clicking on the link in yesterday's post.
We suspect the main cause of the bill failure was not the dissension among the GOP leaders, so much as the anger felt by the citizens of our country as well as their lack of faith in the leadership - so much brought about by the wars, the attempt at privatizing Social Security, the Attorneys General politically-motivated termination scandal, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, warrantless wiretapping, Plamegate and so many other false, out-of-touch moves by the current administration. Not to mention the less-than-apparent fact of having a Financial Emperor created in the guise of the Frankensteinian (to rip off The Daily Show) Henry Paulson. Mr. Paulson has not created a suitable atmosphere of trust in his "imperious" handling of the economy. We almost miss the semi-avuncular, ham-fisted, cloth-eared handling of the economy by John Snow.
This Administration has just done so much to irk its citizens that they can no longer trust their leadership. That, coupled with the fact that the leadership is a lame duck.
But, the truth is we're out of time. We haven't had a chance to read the new bill, barely skimming through the previous one. The mere facts of which made our call for failure only more than premonitory. It became a fact of and in itself.
Will the trillion-dollar loss in the markets of yesterday prevent another grim failure? We're watching and waiting. Truth is, we don't have much hope for the next bill. If only Mr. Buffet hadn't given away so many billions, he might have been able to lend some of the money needed. Then he wouldn't feel so compelled to ask us to fix our dead duck economy.
Our still pleading President - hat in hand - might do better to have Laura Bush do the pleading. Somehow, we think she is the last compelling, compassionate and appealing figure linked to this Administration. Indeed, this could be her siren song to greatness. Give it a try, Mrs. Bush. Behind you we could stand.
With that said, here are the news links:
Financial crisis triggering 'herd mentality,' scientists say
http://www.yahoo.com/s/962401
US shares make recovery
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7643441.stm
Why did the bill fail?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7643199.stm
Where did the votes go?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7644259.stm
McCain, Obama push Congress for action
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26955707/
Peston's view: Irish guarantee
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/
Citizens at boiling point
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26948627/
World media blame US Congress
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7644129.stm
Financial crisis shock waves hit municipalities
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26946065/
No bailout, here's Plan B
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/30/news/economy/plan_b/index.htm?cnn=yes
Asia stocks fall after US failure
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7643340.stm
1 in 4 chance McCain may not survive 2nd term
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26959868/
Ticker: Post-debate polls not good for McCain
http://www.cnn.com/linkto/ticker.html
Friend turns on Sen. Ted Stevens in corruption trial
http://www.yahoo.com/s/962521
Analysis: Bailout defeat now a political credibility crisis
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080930/us_time/thebailoutdefeatapoliticalcredibilitycrisis;_ylt=AgAs6J49P3KEecGcTBHs2sOs0NUE
Voting begins in US state of Ohio
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7643682.stm
Labels:
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John McCain,
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Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Historic Exception Proves the Rule - Gitmo Detention is Illegal

Supreme Court showdown on detainees
“The US Supreme Court is holding a hearing on Wednesday in two cases that are being seen as a legal showdown over the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.
“The US Supreme Court is holding a hearing on Wednesday in two cases that are being seen as a legal showdown over the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.
A 17th Century example
However another, more ghostly, figure will also feature in the case.
This is Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who was one of Charles II's henchmen after the restoration of the monarchy in England in the 17th Century. Briefs for both sides in the Supreme Court hearing mention his activities.
Clarendon set up his own Guantanamo Bay, believed to have been in Jersey, in the hope that his prisoners could be kept away from the courts and in particular from the right of habeas corpus. This is an ancient procedure in which a court can order someone holding a prisoner to bring him or her to court to justify the detention”. BBC NEWS
You know, we don't like terrorists. But, until they can be legally proven to be terrorists - or other criminals - they still have rights, don't they? Click on this link Supreme Court showdown on detainees.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
7/3/07 Written On The Eve Of Independence Day "07"
"7/3/07 Written On The Eve Of Independence Day '07'" or...
"South of Heaven, North of Hell"
For the American criminals in their tendency,
No longer fear this failed presidency,
Without much thought who extends clemency,
For early come unjust independency,
To one who asked for none intentionally.
And whence came freedom instantly,
And the fourth estate howled intently,
At the repercussions of such travesty,
And beheld a liberated felon unstintingly,
And seethed at this intemperately.
No, no and shook their heads collectively in inequanimity,
On this new day of ignominy,
Fell victims to outrageous and convenient conspiracy,
Like once silent dogs brooding taciturnly,
Awakened unleashed, unchained and unnaturally.
Wailed and gnashed their teeth violently,
Like the damned in a docket constitutionally,
In crisis and scalded in politically and hotly
Roiling waters, deep and effervescently.
All screamed, all wailed at agony of injustice intently.
Where most advised went unasked quietly,
This thing, they claimed, was not done rightly,
Who knew, who cared this report on nightly
News of this imbroglio burnt so brightly,
Like coals from deepest Hell, forthrightly.
But if not whence hell came this iniquity,
Then south of heaven this must be,
Or from the western fires blazing intensity,
Or from far East, and Iraq and antiquity,
If not, from somewhere in this vicinity.
- Amen.
"South of Heaven, North of Hell"
For the American criminals in their tendency,
No longer fear this failed presidency,
Without much thought who extends clemency,
For early come unjust independency,
To one who asked for none intentionally.
And whence came freedom instantly,
And the fourth estate howled intently,
At the repercussions of such travesty,
And beheld a liberated felon unstintingly,
And seethed at this intemperately.
No, no and shook their heads collectively in inequanimity,
On this new day of ignominy,
Fell victims to outrageous and convenient conspiracy,
Like once silent dogs brooding taciturnly,
Awakened unleashed, unchained and unnaturally.
Wailed and gnashed their teeth violently,
Like the damned in a docket constitutionally,
In crisis and scalded in politically and hotly
Roiling waters, deep and effervescently.
All screamed, all wailed at agony of injustice intently.
Where most advised went unasked quietly,
This thing, they claimed, was not done rightly,
Who knew, who cared this report on nightly
News of this imbroglio burnt so brightly,
Like coals from deepest Hell, forthrightly.
But if not whence hell came this iniquity,
Then south of heaven this must be,
Or from the western fires blazing intensity,
Or from far East, and Iraq and antiquity,
If not, from somewhere in this vicinity.
- Amen.
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