This is a world where no one is smart enough to say "hello" to me without directions. (All interactions with me - not involving unpaid work, are set up by the U.S. government).
This is a world where sex is a prerequisite for employment (as determined by the men in charge) and all phones are wiretapped.
This is a world where E.N.D.A.(even if it is passed) will never be enforced.
This is a world where a suit is more important than a brain.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009Photos of protests: http://peacepink.ning.com/photo/albums/rally-or-demonstrationOct. 14 Protest: Reports from the Front
Here are the reports of the IAACEA (International Alliance Against Covert Electronic Abuse) October 14th Global T.I. Protests for Truth and Justice.
Starting with IAACEA creator, Debbie Newhook reports on the Victoria, Canada protest. Then on to reports two from San Francisco (Bruno Marchisani, Mesha Monge-Irizarry, and Christine), two from Toronto (by Helen Galina Kurdina and Danielle DiBari) and London (by Paolo Fiori). Paolo did a tremendous amount of work to get the word spread about the protest in the UK. Then move on to T. Josephine's concise Philadelphia report at the end. I want to give kudos to T.Josepine for braving the cold and rain all alone. The reports finish up with final thoughts by Debbie Newhook. - Nancy aka mistaken.name, A Word the the Wise T.I.
ChinaBy Soleilmavis We have more than 500 victims daily being tortured and abused by remotely directed energy weapons. But we remain resolute and most of us work diligently to expose this crime on the Internet, and won't stop reporting this heinous to the Chinese government.
In China, as in the rest of the world, the official police position is that Targeted Individuals are mentally ill, so we cannot get permits to do street protests.However, we did promote the global protest via the Internet. We got nearly one hundred Targeted Individuals to publish the IAACEA press release on their own websites, along with the list of protest locations, and to send many letters to public.Here is our online site of supporting signatures:http://everywhere.zh.pledgebank.com/peacepink (in Chinese)http://www.change.org/actions/view/ban_mind_controldirected_energy_weapons_abuse_and_torturehttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=76416668535
Soleilmavis, PeacePinkhttp://peacepink.ning.com
WASHINGTON, USA REPORT By Marc Burnell Thought the protest went well. Weather wasn't the greatest. Kind of nervous with all the cops and undercover cops around. Ate alot of the chips and drank sodas I bought by a great donation from Cynthia. There were lots of tourists that stopped by and took pictires of the White House and us. Enjoyed talking to other TIs about their situation. Learning alot from other TIs about how to cope and different remedies to use to uplift myself.. Many of the TIs were form NY. We spoke to a freelance writer who took notes and took our pictures. We spoke with other human rights groups that were nearby. Handed out fliers.
SAN FRANCISCO, USA REPORTby Bruno Marchisani
SF Photos by Scott at OneWorldLove- you'll have to join to view
Yesterday, Wednesday, October 14, 2009, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, there was a civil protest against OS/EH at city hall in San Francisco, California, one of several being planned on or about that same day in several cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Cincinnati (meeting only), Victoria and Toronto in Canada, London, India (internet mailings) and China (internet mailings), as part of a global day of protest being organized by a newly formed TI activism group called the International Alliance Against Covert Electronic Abuse, www.iaacea.org. Debbie Newhook and Galina Kurdina in Canada, Soleilmavis in China and Derrick Robinson of FFCHS were some of the planners.
Christine Harris in SF was the contact person for the San Francisco protest, with Mesha Monge-Irizarry being a resource having had experience in protesting.Mesha is a non-TI activist Christine recently began networking with who among other things setup and moderated a forum to help organize the global protest.She has an office in San Francisco and apparently moderates 250 internet forums, one of them being the recently created Targeted_Individual s yahoo group. She is considering holding TI meetings at her office in San Francisco.
A possibility of rain was forecast but the weather was clear and mostly sunny. I counted 16 protesters being present, including Christine, Richard in Marin, many other TIs who I've met before, a few I hadn't met yet, Mesha, and Marlon Crump,writer for Poor Magazine who Christine has recently began networking with. Most had arrived within the first half hour of the 11:00am protest start time.
We originally planned to protest at the park across the street from city hall,to be respectful of city hall workers, but a police officer came by and said we needed a permit to protest in a public park, though he said this first time he'd allow it. He also indicated we could protest directly in front of city hall if we liked, so we moved our protest to the sidewalk in front of city hall.
There was a plethora of protest signs of various sizes, colors and styles: "stop group stakling," "stop organized stalking," "stop organized terror," "stop covert torture," "stop electronic harassment," "stop electronic torture," "stop electromagnetic weapons," "stop defamation of character now," "restore human liberties now," "stop residential directed energy attacks now IAACEA," "unforgivable! MKULTRA should never happen again," and "my family is victim of mind control program illegally run by the US gov agencies. Torture, mental rape, robbery -- the outcome of the Nazi experiment." Also I brought buttons with the FFCHS logo for us to wear.
The mood was positive if not festive, with us talking amongst ourselves, getting to know each other. Some of us had come from as far away as Modesto and Fresno,and for at least one of us this was our first time meeting with other TIs.
Foot traffic was light, even during the lunch hour, with some passers-by looking to see what our signs said. A few spoke with us to try to understand what we were protesting. Due to the relatively light foot traffic and us not being very aggressive at distributing handouts, we didn't distribute all that many.Handouts included one of the IAACEA press releases announcing the global protest, a letter from Missouri State Representative Jim Guest acknowledging the existence of OS/EH on many of the constituents in the country, a flyer on the book "A New Breed: Satellite Terrorism in America" by Dr. John Hall, who has treated patients suffering from the effects of OS/EH, a copy of an article entitled "Is the NSA Conducting Electronic Warfare On Americans?" regarding former NSA intelligence officer Russ Tice and the NSA's purported mind control technology, and a compilation of excerpts from Cheryl Welsh, FFCHS and H.Michael Sweeney.
Vehicular traffic on the other hand was ongoing, and heavier during the lunch hour. Some of us were lined along the edge of the sidewalk displaying our signs -- several drivers honked their horns and gave us the "thumbs up" in support!
At one point a reporter and cameraperson for an independent San Francisco internet video news group came by and did a brief interview with Christine and Mesha -- everybody felt they did a great job! Later on a CBS van parked across the street to cover a different event and Christine went over and gave them some handouts.
I spoke with several TIs at the protest. Christine says she is doing what she can to network to help end our harassment, a TI from Fresno says he is educating some of the people in Fresno on OS/EH, and another said God's message of love is the most important tool in counteracting our harassment. Marlon wanted everyone to know about his new, second, article on OS/EH, entitled "Targeted Individuals.
In my opinion the protest was certainly successful in terms of turnout -- this has been the largest turnout for any TI event in the San Francisco Bay Area I'm aware of and slightly exceed my expectations! Most of us stayed there until the 2:00pm protest end time, shortly after which we disbanded. I and at least a couple of others who were present took pictures of the event and I will be forwarding mine to Felix, a TI who plans to make a video of the global protests.President Obama was to be visiting San Francisco the following day and Christine along with some of yesterday's protesters planned to be present to gain more exposure.
Reports of some of the protests in the other locations have been posted. Debbie declared her protest a success in Victoria, Canada -- there were 5 TIs present -- they handed out about 400 flyers and were interviewed by a local university student -- later on heavy rainfall brought an end to their protest. There were 5 TIs present at Galina protest in Toronto, Canada -- they spoke with several people, some sympathetic, and handed out a few flyers -- after the main protest had ended and they had some coffee they decided to do a second impromptu protest at another location. An early report from London, England, indicated 5 TIs were present but more were expected. The Philadelphia protest apparently only had one protester show up, but none-the-less the protester remained and handed out flyers! The LA protest was postponed to next week due to a heavy storm and flooding. Nancy is posting the recaps of the protests at http://wiseti.blogspot.com and Mesha is considering doing a compilation on indymedia.org.
For questions about the protest please contact Christine directly.
Judy and I went to the Obama protest last night [Oct. 15th] at 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Powell Street and Geary Street, with over 1000 people. I brought my huge sign, and Russell Tice FBI fliers, and had many inquiries, and victims stopping to talk with us.
With the support of Judy, two reporters from cable channels 13, and 26, which may have been on T.V. last night at 10:00 P.M. stopped to interview me. I was brief, but stated our plight.
Three interviews in two days, I like it!!
Christine Harrischristinelynnharris@hotmail.com (415) 235-6466Bruno Marchesanibruno_marchesani@msn.com (650) 776-1814
SAN FRANCISCO, USA REPORTby Mesha Monge-Irizarry
We were a "crowd" of about 20 TIs & Allies with signs brought by Bruno, Richard,a Black Brother who came from Fresno (name?), Christine, the Kats Family, Judy ... Who am I forgetting? Among us, a Black Sister who is a college professor in Political Science in Oakland, accompanied by a Latina and a white woman TIs.Also was present a San Franciscan woman, former nurse who blew the whistle on her medical unit at PMC, when she saw several patients with electrodes in their brain, and realized from their encephalograms that something terribly wrong was being done to them... she disconnected everything, and the electronic torture started, did not let up for over a decade. At first the cops, then the sheriffs tried the intimidating routine by demanding to see a permit, but when told:
"we are not blocking traffic, we are only exercizing our right to peaceful assembly, this is a peaceful demonstration", they did not know what else to do.
Then when they approached us again, twice, I gave them a big smile, told them I was a City Commissioner and asked: "Are you going to keep us safe, Officers?" which was sufficient to make them instantly go away after exclaiming "Of course!!" One sheriff, astoundingly, raised a timid fist and quickly told us GO GET "EM" as he walked away with his colleagues (Refreshing! A TI cop ?)Christine, Richard, the Kats Family, Carole, Judy, John, Yolanda, Carol , Bruno, Marlon, educated onlookers and passed on flyers (forgive this fried brain for omissions... ), and Bruno passed out Buttons. SF Based Tom MCray, TI and political writer, and a homeless person soon joined us. I talked to a colleague,a Veteran for Peace, published poet, who actually wore many political buttons, among them one on Covert Surveillance:
Robert W., who is the acclaimed Honorary chief of the Native Nation, although he is white, due to his incredible activism for Natives and Aborigines and tireless fight to ban School of the Americas and ROTC. He happened to just be waiting for a friend on City Hall steps, and enthusiastically interacted with us.
Robert stated: "We are ALL targeted !". I will stay in touch, potential powerful ally for us. I talked about the protest and IAACEA Goals & Objectives as defined in Debbie's pres release to Sophie Maxwell, City supervisor of my district, and to a campaign team member of James Keys, District 6 Supervisor candidate. Many participants actively engaged passerby's, including an Asian Gay Youth who now wants to be an ally to our movement. No negative interaction whatsoever! (To the sorry exception of a perplike loser... older white dude in a SUV who sped by, hollering: "Go get a job!" Which made us laugh.... Comic relief of the day) One press interview with Christine who handed out a press package and with myself.Christine connected with the City Hall Court TV Media Liaison, and participants took many pictures and videos of our event.
...Marlon C. from Poor Magazine PPN came to interview participants, stayed with us during the entire event, and will work on his third article on "Targeted Individuals" that he will submit to his editor, the formidable "Tiny" Gray Garcia ! Christine and I will work on an article , recount that we will self publish on Indybay along with a compilation of pictures, under Health isues (Covert Violence IS a Public Health issue !)
People came to join us from : Modesto, Fresno, Marin County, Oakland, Berkeley, local San Franciscans too !
Mesha Monge-Irizarry, FounderSFTEC
Philladelphia Reportby T. Josephine
Yes, I did give out flyers alone. Yes, some people wanted them. Plenty more were dying to get home. I am glad for the ones who were interested and next time we should have a group petition and get people to sign it.
TORONTO CANADA Reportby Galina Kurdina
We protested in front of the Legislative Assembly Building and near Medical Science Building of University of Toronto today. We started at 10.30 A.M. There were 5 people in front of the Legislative Assembly: Robin Yan, Regan Hallett, Carlo Calandra, Mark Holden and I, Galina Kurdina. People approached us and we distributed about 10 fliers. One woman came to us and started a scandal. She offered us to hire people, pay them and ask to hold our posters on streets of Toronto. She suggested us not to appear ourselves on the streets. She persuaded us that we had to put some soft information on our posters, not the truth that we experienced and described. When asked, what soft things she would advice to write on our posters, she did not answer. She asked Robin, what was the reason of his targeting. It was clear for all of us that she worked for police, or RCMP or Government. Robin took his camera and wanted to take pictures of her, and she immedieately disappeared...
We left Legislative Building about 1.30 P.M. Robin, Regan and I went to Tim Horton and had some coffee. After that we decided to go to any street and came to Medical Science Building of University of Toronto. Regan left us 30 minutes [later], Robin and I stayed there for one hour.
We distributed our fliers very quickly, people approached us, read our poster about mind control and took fliers. One student of UofT, sweet boy, said to us that, in his opinion, these experiments were disgusting, another person wished us to continue our struggle.
We made pictures and video records. I will send them to all of you, as soon as get them.
Toronto Reportby Danielle DiBari, as provided by Robin Yan
Many of you do not know me, but Galina and Robin do (who ran the protest yesterday at Queen's Park do) and I will save introductions for later for those who are dedicated to working to expose the truth about our cause.
I would like to send you all a little run-down of events yesterday -- I think Galina and Robin will agree, it was an excellent day with superb weather (my nose is totally toasted..LOL~ ) and we were treated with dignity and respect, a generous amount of interest (so much so that we RAN OUT OF letters), and a FEW VERY INTERESTING CONTACTS!All times are approximate. 10:00 AM We were greeted by Security and shown where we could set up. We were asked if we would be "chanting" and we said no. We were asked not to interfere with people on site and that we should let them come to us, we agreed.
We set up across from a woman on a month-long protest of her autistic son being cut off from therapy and put in a regular school. www.tooautistic. com (HEY! OUR PIC IS THERE!)
11:30 am, A HUGE tour of Italian and Spanish speaking tourists get stuck outside the legislative building for some reason, and (possibly to kill some time) the tour guide relays and translates in both ITALIAN and SPANISH, the story of Covert Mind control as dictated by Galina. The group is sympathetic and interested (until they get to go in..lol)
Nothing too interesting happens after that for a couple of hours, we get anumber of people stopping and asking about our situation -- some stopping for longer than others ... needless to say, we only have ONE letter left when we spot the CBC vehicle in the parking lot!
1:00 pm Media Trucks start arriving -- our hearts are in our throats as we feel as if they may intend to interview us! Acutally, the set up is for speaker Dan McTeague to present his speech on the treatment of Omar Kadhr at Guantanamo Bay!
2:30 Dan McTeague shows up to do his interview. About half an hour of talking on Dan's part -- the issue with Quantanamo Bay is loosely connected to OUR issue ... the underlying facts being that PEOPLE ARE BEING TORTURED WITHOUT MERCY/JUSTICE/ ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS!
Here is a link to the situation he spoke of(but nothing on,oh well) http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090125/khadr_panel_090125/20090125/
Unfortunately, he only appeared on the news for about 10 seconds! (Robin, did you VHS it?)
Legislature Watchdogs (while polite) stood guard IN FRONT OF AND AROUND THE CAMERAS so that WE WOULD NOT BE IN ANY SHOTS!
However, Mr. McTeague's assistant came over to talk to us, took our picture and,I believe, strategically placed a camera to include US in the shot!
Once the shoot was over, Mr. McTeague came over and shook all our hands, talked with us for a bit, gave us his card and told us "You sure got THEIR attention"(possibly meaning the media - I mean, is it coincidence that a talk on a HUMAN RIGHTS TORTURE ISSUES by a prominent M.P. is scheduled on the SAME DAY as our protest? I think NOT!
Anyhow, he said we should contact him if we need anything...we already got a very good thing from him, we got a confidence boost like you wouldn't believe!
And so, our first protest day came to a close. Sunburned, but happy, we took a walk to the subway, and went on our way.
I would say it was a VERY successful day, no one was disrespectful to us, we got a good deal of attention, learned a lot about what to do better NEXT TIME -- and ALMOST got on TV ... lol!
Most of all we learned that FEAR is THEIR greatest weapon ... none of what we feared came about.
The perps will keep on doing what they do no matter what we do...being afraid only helps their cause so...we may as well make some noise 'cause they ain't going away by themselves.
Cheers and talk to you all soon.Danielle DiBariTI - Toronto &Vancouver
VICTORIA, CANADA REPORTby Debbie Newhook, founder, IAACEA
I feel our Victoria protest was a success. We had 5 people present at theprotest: Keith Tickleback from Nelson BC, Consuelo Galomar from Vernon BC, David Smith from Grabriola, Heather Quinn from Victoria BC and me Debbie Newhook. We had one protester from Nanaimo, Doug (Jerry) Rose who could not make the protest as he reported he was feeling horrible the night before the protest and he did not think he would be able to make it.
As soon as we arrived at the protest location we were greeted by a University of Victoria student who wanted an interview with us. David and I spent 30 mins with her speaking about this crime. We gave her hand out material which included FFCHS material along with a Jim Guest letter of support. In addition we suggest that she research James Walbert and directed her to an article in Wired Magazine about James Walbert. She was genuinely interested and shocked at many of the details about this crime.
During the time David and I were being interviewed, the police arrived. Consuelo spoke to the friendly police officer and was told that the police got 2 telephone calls indicating that we were obstructing the sidewalk traffic. Upon his arrival he saw that we were only a small group and that we were not blocking the sidewalk traffic and asked that we continue to allow the flow of pedestrians and not to interfere with them.
Keith was our camera person and did take still pics only of the event and did capture a picture of the police as he was talking to Consuelo.
Later I was approached by woman who knew she was a target of this crime. She knew much about the goings on of the world and she expressed that she was a whistle blower. David and I could tell that she was genuine and she was fearful.I gave her my contact info.
We had many other people briefly speak to us about this crime and did take hand out material.The area of the protest was a very busy location in Victoria and we all thought it was a success.
After about 2.5 hours we had given away about 400 fliers and we were almost out of hand out material when the skies opened up and it began to rain very hard. We called it quits at that time and went back to Heathers house for a chat and a meal.
In my opinion, I thought this was good activism day. David and I later talked about doing this in Nanaimo at a later date and discussed the date of Dec 10 as it was the UN day of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
Debbie NewhookInternational Alliance Against Covert Electronic Abuse'We live to achieve justice.
London Reportby Paolo Firori
For all of you on the other side of the Atlantic who would like to know what happened at the Trafalgar Square protest. I received a voicemail from Winston at about 2pm London time, saying that at that point there were 5 people present at the protest, but that they were expecting a few more to attend later. I believe that besides Winston, John Allman and Amanda Palmer were there, as Winston used Amanda's mobile to ring me and John told me of his intention to attend the night before. If people [took] any picture of the event and feel able to share them, I really look forward to seeing them.
[Here's] a short message [Winston] sent me...
"There were 8 of us in the end - we handed out flyers in Trafalgar square and outside the Old Bailey. It was good to meet other T.I.s. We are going to try to set up regular meetings of T.I.s in London."
I may try to do something similar in London on the 24th at two very important events happening on the same day, the annual Anarchist Bookfair and a national Anti-War demo starting in Hyde Park, it will be actually very easy to leaflet there because there are already hundred of different people, leafleting on behalf of hundred different causes, I mean I will probably end up going there by myself, but I would certainly not mind if other London TIs were to decide to join me.
Paolo Fiorihttp://altnews.viviti.com
I am an educator who has been blessed with the opportunity to live and work abroad for a large part of my life, and to see what an impact the American dream has had in places as far apart historically and culturally as Ethiopia and Canada. America's promise shines as a bright light regardless where in the world one may be. Dark clouds of fear and loathing have briefly dimmed that light, but the election of President Barak Obama has reminded the world that Americans have good hearts and always, ultimately, remember what is right. His presidency has begun to push away the clouds, and we recall the dream of the Founders who established the egalitarian system under which The Law is our only king.
Video of ending life: http://www.youtube.com/khanhpham65
I have been attacking (torturing, harassing, simulating politic economic, sex rape, mind-controlled family treating conflict and business & financial terrorizing). Perpetrators modified the facts of my memory and brain erasing. Perpetrators usually used the animations and voices of U.S well-known people, economic people and politicians during torture and harassing by satellite mind control weapon (television & radio media hacking and dream manipulation), satellite microwave weapon, and directed energy weapon. I was jailed at home and the mind was jailed. I do not belong perpetrators’ government now as bellow story. I have been remaining company owner business but perpetrators attempted to terrorize all incomes and end inheritance-blooding marrying relationship. Perpetrators did not release the certificate of walk-in-road to make legal steps yet. Perpetrators attempted to abuse (paint bad and will notify these backing to) many powerful people including politicians of the moving next countries of perpetrators’ thought by satellite neurological weapon. Perpetrators attempted to terrorize my finance and business for dropping me down to be out of money step by step and will be joined their criminals network.
Satellite Microwave Weapon
Voice of Myself
Proverbs
Warning Against Enticement 1-8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.1-9 They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.1-10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.1-11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;1-12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;1-13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;1-14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse"--1-15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;1-16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.1-17 How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!1-18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!1-19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.
Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom1-20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street,she raises her voice in the public squares;1-21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,in the gateways of the vity she makes her speech;1-22 How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools tate knowledge?1-23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.1-24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,1-25 Since you ignored all my advoice and would not accept my rebuke,1-26 I in turn will laugh at your disater; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--1-27 When calamity overtakes you like a storm,when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,when distress and trouble overwhelm you.1-28"Then they will call to me but I will not answer;they will look for me but will not find me.1-29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord,1-30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 1-31 they will eat the fruit of their ways.and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.1-32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them.and the complacency of fools will destroy them;1-33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.
God had already shown wisdom to people with a special way, and wisdom had already awared some people to call aloud in the street with wisdom together. Even people were not willing to believe that Wisdom was calling aloud, but they could see that there were some people had been awaring by wisdom and calling aloud in the street.Mind control abuse and torture are (1-11) "wait for someone's blood",and "waylay some harmless soul"; (1-12) "swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit". God condemned such terrible mind control abuse and torture. People should not ignore victims calls and reject to help victims who were calling the same with Wisdom to "stop terrible mind control abuse and torture" Mind control abuse and torture is the most sinful thing in the world. God also condemned those who supported such crinimals and who ignored all complaints of victims. These criminals were very waywardness and complacency. People in the world, please be awared of such terrible crime. don't ignore. (1-32) For the waywardness of the simple will kill them. and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
At NO time did the God of the Holy Bible create the earth so that one human can charge another human for what God gave FREE.
Before the United States was invaded by white man LAND WAS FREE, WATER WAS FREE, AIR WAS FREE, FOOD WAS FREE!
Government has found a way to enslave humans to humans. If you don't slave for another man, all of your God given, life sustaining creation will be taken away. That is not FREEDOM! That is torture.
There is no such thing as stuck. There is no such thing as sustaining this financial economy.
Let the slaves go FREE.
LAND IS FREE, WATER IS FREE, AIR IS FREE, FOOD IS FREE!
Work for another human if you want to. THAT IS FREEDOM!
There are mocking calls of 'Obushma' and the like, as more and more Obama decisions become less and less distinguishable from his predecessor.
http://www.truthout.org/062709A?n
Regarding the friendly disagreement between the Bard and myself, Bush and Cheney already enjoy undeserved folk hero status, and within the far right realms, they will always enjoy such status regardless of outcome.
I appreciate the debate.
For me it's coming down to what we are preserving- or attempting to preserve- I think the bad far outweighs the good here- and I believe that if Obama sidesteps this it will be his downfall.
President Obama will forever be linked to the Bush Torture Coverup and our great victory over the establishment will be torn down.
"It's a trap are you blind?" (Hamish) ~Braveheart
http://www.truthout.org/061009A
I understand the arguments and how our troops in additional harm's way and additional stain to our national image at a time when we are just starting to recover face in the world's eyes does us no justice.
At the same time, this has to be addressed-
The American taxpayer paid for and is still paying for Iraq...
Stephen Views the News June 7, 2009
http://stephenviewsthenews.blogspot.com/
Diplomacy, Hegemony and Terrorism
During President Barack Obama’s historic 55 minute speech in Cairo he received a standing ovation one dozen times. It seems to me impossible for one to shoot a rifle while forcibly bringing one’s hands together in applause. Unlike the trigger-happy Neocon derriere’s who had beat the drum for invading Iraq and, most recently, called for the U.S. to bomb North Korea and Iran (hello Bill Kristol and Brit Hume of FOX News) intelligent diplomacy gives America at least a chance to bring about a better situation while reducing the threat to American military personnel and civilians. If a time would come when military action is required it is also more likely that having first taken the diplomatic route America would garner meaningful international support – not what George W. Bush had in Iraq. For the sophomoric Neocon tough guys such as Cheney and Kristol who always want to go to war as long as they can continue to avoid serving in the military themselves, I suggest masturbation. It will relieve the pressure generated by overactive male hormones. Like most men walking around with a missile silo between their legs being macho leads to more harm than good.
And let us not forget that the United States was responsible for the overthrow of the elected government in Iran in the 1950’s that inserted the Shah of Iran into power – a puppet of American foreign “policy.” He ruled with a despotic heavy hand that was supported by a secretive and brutal police force. Two decades later the Iranian people rebelled and the result was the U.S. Iranian embassy hostage situation. And who can forget the unprovoked U.S. invasion of Iraq. America’s hands in the Middle East are far from clean (and covered in oil) yet few in America readily accept this reality and its effect on current political relations. It is refreshing and encouraging to have an adult in the White House.
Some voices in America, especially the conservative choir, bemoan Obama’s approach to a new diplomacy that they conclude is an apology. Perhaps standing up and taking responsibility for previous action is an anathema to conservatives since it was their approach that contributed to so much damage in the world. In a cowardly fashion they try to rewrite history rather than acknowledge their culpability. This past week, across the cable news networks, we saw Dick Cheney and daughter Liz making appearances and lying through their gritted teeth about Bush’s justification to invade Iraq and the illegal and immoral use of torture. I have never been waterboarded but I can relate to being tortured while watching these apologists for failed policy try to re-make their brand. Adding to my extreme discomfort is the general failure of interviewers to confront the Cheney family and like-minded phonies with the hard facts of recent history. The media proved to be complete failures in the lead up to the Iraq invasion and they continue to demonstrate their inadequacy today.
There are forces in America that want to demonize all Muslims because of the actions of murderers who call themselves Muslims. There are 1.5 billion people in the world who embrace the Muslim religion. Yes, there are some who claim to be Muslims and who have bastardized the teaching of Muhammad for their own political agenda. This does not justify the condemnation of the entire Muslim world. This past week we saw the murder of George Tiller, a doctor in Kansas who performed legal abortions, being justified in Christian religious terms. At Tiller’s funeral on Saturday anti-abortionists demonstrated with signs saying, “God Sent the Killer.” These are the actions of terrorists and murderers who call themselves Christians. What would Jesus say? Probably, “Oy vey.” It is this short-circuiting of a connection to the Almighty that demeans all that is holy. The bombers of abortion clinics and shooters of physicians are the immoral equivalent of the al Qaeda terrorists who struck the World Trade Center. The long history of man on planet Earth is wrought with acts of inhumanity premised on religious canards. It is a lesson that man is apparently not fated to learn.
* “Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave.”
Muhammad (570 – 632), Prophet of Islam
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE
The Moral Strangulation of America
In my last article I pointed out that the character of America is being fundamentally changed. In less than two generations we've gone from citizens who were politically engaged and socially aware, to zombies who simply accept what we're being told by our favorite demagogues. We've gone from citizens who held our politicians' feet to the fire, to a group of cattle who allow our politicians to dictate what is, and what isn't, off the table - in spite of our instinctive clamor for the simple adherence to the law. We've allowed politicians to go from representatives with the single mandate of doing our biding, to so-called leaders who dictate to us what's in our best interest. As a direct result, the script has been flipped - we now define what's in the people's best interest by what's in the best interest of the politicians who are supposed to defer us.
Imagine being strapped down and helpless. Head covered. Water pouring over your face. Scared to death. Try gasping for air and nothing comes. Only a brief moment of relief when they stop pumping water up your nose. Doctors and guards standing around you, doing nothing to stop it. The traumatic experience of thinking I was going to drown only happened for that day. After that I knew how to swim. What would I do if they did this to me 183 times in a month? Torture? I think so. A lesser form of torture but torture none the less. My country tortures people.
Watch the Uncut Video of Waterboarding Here
http://politicalpete.com/
Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.
Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?”
Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. (Excerpt from main website)
Please visit the official website for more information: http://www.flowthefilm.com
Click the Fullscreen Button for a larger version.
http://politicalpete.com/forum/index.php
Inspite of many attempts to make you change your mind on prosecuting those who committed crime against humanity you keep on hiding the suspects: We ask you how can this be possible, is it on Mr. Gates advice ? Or are you afraid of partisans, who might attempt to remove you from Office ? Do not falter, and you see every sincere person will support you even more.
You decided not to publish photos of Abu Ghraib in order not 'to endanger the U.S. Military' stationed in Iraq.
Your actions are now raising eyebrows on every part of the globe. We ask you again : " Let those who committed those acts face
justice; a term which they used over and overduring their own campaign of Terror against innocent, and helpless people.
Article quoted from New Zealand paper :
Quote :
Obama half bush?
Harith al-Ubaidi, a member of parliament's human rights committee, said he understood why Iraqis struggling with a lack of jobs and services might ignore more photos of abuse, but he contested Obama's reasoning for holding them back.
"This is an absolutely invalid excuse. If armed groups could exert more pressure, they wouldn't wait for the photos."
In Ubaidi's view Obama is trying to avoid whipping up Arab opinion as he attempts to repair US-Middle East relations, damaged under former President George W Bush, and was also protecting interrogators guilty of abuse.
Obama has said CIA agents who followed legal guidance on interrogation would not be prosecuted, but left the door open to prosecuting Bush-era officials who developed the policies.
Ubaidi said Obama's overtures to Muslims in Egypt next week are likely to fail if he is seen as continuing Bush's policy of secrecy over detainees, or as blocking efforts to hold those who abused prisoners accountable.
Laila al-Khafaji, another member of Iraq's parliament, said she preferred to forget the past.
"The page of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal was turned a long time ago and it's time to forget. What's the point of reminding us of these pains?"
unquote
How much more needs to be said to make you understand that people around the world look up to you and want nothing else butyou taking them on.
Again we quote another article from another publication. Gruesome details are known to you, and must be made public.Do not hesitate to act on those who made this world dirtier to live in, to live in shame to be an American.
We need to clarify our good name in front of the world now. And you will gain respect from every voter, everyone who believed in you when they elected you to office.
Please do it now, let justice take its course ..
There is a damned good reason why the investigation of all torturing done by the United States, and its allies, is vital to our current and future cultural health. That reason is simple, yet responding to it may be one of the most complex undertakings of this new 'mired-down' administration. The reason we must investigate fully is to know. We must first know what was done. We cannot evaluate data we are not given, or allowed to know exists at all. If we cannot analyze and evaluate, then we support what occurred. Tacitly, we go along with what took place. Our sense of justice, outrage or even understanding, is suspended...and our future becomes bleaker because this. The United States Government, under almost every administration, has been right up there near of the top of the pile of controlling social orders. The public has been treated like it consists of cows, bunched into herds, fed hay, watered, pastured, but told nothing. After all, what could cows possibly understand? By treating the public this way (think the Kennedy Assassination, TWA 800, 9/11) the public is left totally out of any possibility of being part of decision making. Okay, so we don't know who killed Kennedy, really. We don't know what the hell happened to 800, really. We don't know what happened about the towers, really. We just know that we don't know the truth. It rankles inside of us. The 'us' who are not conspiracy theorists, even.
But, we also know that we voted for people who we wanted to run things. We gave them the ability to know things we cannot. We gave them the ability to make decisions for us when we could not. We trusted them. Not all of us. Most of us. It is how it all works here. Occasionally, however, there are things that happen which we need to be involved with. Our leaders fall into habit patterns, now supported by this whacked-out media, and tell us less and less. That is what has happened here. And we must protest. Torture is not an event. Torture is a putrid infection that forms a crack in our social order. It works its way in and then festers, eventually killing the cultural being we have fought so hard to grow and mature. It spreads. It spreads slowly and insidiously. We must find out what happened, no matter how terrible (and hundreds, or thousands have died terribly painful deaths), and then we must confront these acts. We do not even need to punish the real physical perpetrators. Public revelation would probably more than deal with that. No. We need to confront our fear. The fear that allowed us to allow our leaders to direct such acts in our name, and then to deny they did it, or cover up the very acts themselves.
If we can bring all this out from under the black cloak of intended secrecy, then we can rise up and apologize. Yes, apologize to the world and to the survivors. For our good, as well as the good of all. After apologizing we can put this horrid diseased Genie back in the bottle. We do not need to punish those who acted, but we can certainly establish and isolate some of our draconian imprisonment penalties for future perpetrators. We are a nation of laws. But those laws are interpreted by, and applied by, men and women. We need to direct these people by law, and then let them know what is in store for them if they ever commit, or allow to be committed, acts like this again. This is called taking a stand!
We cannot heal this potentially terminal infection by putting a bandage over it, even if the bandage is skin colored. We must clean the infection out, then provide antibiotics to actively fight the remaining tendrils that run through our cultural body. Laws are the antibiotics. Laws without exceptions for this area. We, as a country and a people, cannot go through life being known allow such things as 'rending' other people, or tearing them limb from limb, or drowning them, or delighting in their pain, for the simple reason that we wanted something from them. We have raised up quiet, and not so quiet, enemies against us. You know it and I know it. And I'm not writing about the stupid 'war on terror,' or any of the other Orwellian terminology adopted to keep fear in control of the masses out here. I am writing those men and women who are the families, relatives and friends, of the tortured by us, the missing under our care, the dead because of our studied sadism. Those people are coming, ever coming, and we are going to have to deal with them. We have empowered them by acting like frightened school children. We have been cowardly. And we cannot simply ignore them or provide them with silence and denial. They know. We know. We must come out of this closet. Let the healing begin.
And then there is the rest of it.
Where the hell is the new World Trade Center? Why are there not two towers standing this very day, twice the size of the old ones, in central Manhattan? You think American would not have collected and paid for such a demonstration of cultural will and strength? Where the hell is Osama? You really believe that if a country like our country, of its size and power, could fail to find one man on this earth for eight years? Where is my beloved space program? (for Christ's sake, we are about to 'rent' Russian space vehicles for the next ten years to put our people in space!!!!). Where are our factories? Where are our car companies? Where are our bridges and roads? Where is the money that all these hedge-fund and derivative executives have stolen and hauled away?
Where the hell are you and what are you going to do about it? Get off your couch and your butt and do something, even if it is just to write and say something about it all. I am not the voice of this culture. I am merely a participating observer, like you. But I am writing about it and I am asking hard questions. And I am mad as hell that my present, my future and my children's future has been stained, soiled and trampled under foot by selfish thieving bastards. And its all happened on my watch.
Our newspapers are failing because they will not write this. You need to read this. You need to think about these things. You need to reflect, argue, complain, disagree and take action. Our television media is a morass of mediocre crap fed to us daily by weak-kneed pitiful people who could not work effectively in a General Motors assembly line. You need to scream at Obama, Roberts and all of them.
I want my honor back! I was a Marine Officer. I am still a Marine Officer. But I am supposed to be that proud being, not because of the honor of the Corps, but because of the honor of the United States of America. I want my honor back. I want those things back that allow me to have bliss, and to share that bliss with the world. I want to know I am doing the right thing. I want the Christmas Eve feeling of waiting for the morning, and what I will find under the tree! But I want that back, about life itself. Have you ever lived a time when you could just not wait for tomorrow because it was going to be so great? You just knew it! I want that time for my children and my grand-children, and yes, even for me. Help me get it back. Help yourself in getting it back, or maybe having it for the first time.
I wrote a book called "The Boy." It is about honor. Honor lost. Honor won. About internal honor. Getting it, and then holding on to if for dear life. The book is going to be a movie (at least, as of yesterday!). I am not encouraging you to buy my book. I am encouraging you to write your own! To think. To write. To take action. This is all about you out here so start acting like it.
http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com
http://www.themastodons.com
http://www.from-the-chateau-dif.blogspot.com
I love the Marine Corps. I love America. And I love you.
Torture is an international and US crime.
Does the United States want to be or look like the street thug, an international bully, or an international criminal to alienate allies, used for propaganda to recruit terrorists and increase terrorism?
Or
Does the Unites States stand for Justice, with the justification to go after international criminals where ever they hide, with the support of allies and the international community?
I am devastated. Nothing has changed, really, just the faces. We're still heading towards totalitarianism.
And the Cheney sideshow that immediately followed the President’s speech claiming extraordinary power was no doubt staged. The hypnotized public is lulled into believing what the President just said was a much sweeter pill to swallow than the crazy sideshow rhetoric that followed.
