Monthly Archives: April 2013

Report Confirms US Government Tortured Detainees

"'It is indisputable that the United States engaged in the practice of torture.' This damning statement derives directly from a report released by The Constitution Project who, along with former members of Congress, drew up this most comprehensive independent study to date of US torture in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and secret CIA black sites around the world. The two-year study only looked at public documents, as well as interviews with interrogators and others involved in the counterterrorism program. However, classified information was not accessible to the non-governmental organization." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport Confirms US Government Tortured Detainees

Republican Lawmakers Urge Obama To Use ‘Combatant Status’ For Bombing Suspect

"Senator Lindsay Graham argues that because the public safety could be at risk (because there could be more bombs in place that could go off and/or more bombers who intend to kill still at large) that we do not read a terrorist suspect their Miranda rights (right to remain silent, etc.). The problem with this line of thinking is that we are assuming the ‘suspect’ is guilty without proof and so are denying him his rights based on the assumption that he is guilty until proven innocent. Senator Lindsay Graham wants to throw that American principle out the window and replace it with a fear driven, paranoia based legal system that does the opposite of what America stands for." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRepublican Lawmakers Urge Obama To Use ‘Combatant Status’ For Bombing Suspect

19 year Old Boy Suspect: Why does Boston Celebrate Martial Law with Chants of ‘USA, USA’?

"In what looked more like an post-game celebration following a Boston Celtics NBA championship, or a Red Sox World Series victory - major media reported the communal outpouring of national pride where resident could be seen with painted faces, brandishing American flags, and heard shouting 'USA, USA'. How did Friday become such a huge ‘patriotic moment’ for the people of Boston? Was this some kind of victory for America? ‘The Situation Room', in typical Hollywood fashion, informed the people of New England that they 'owed a debt of gratitude to federal and local law enforcement officers and officials'." Continue reading →

Continue Reading19 year Old Boy Suspect: Why does Boston Celebrate Martial Law with Chants of ‘USA, USA’?

Why You Hear Nothing About The West, Texas Firefighters

"Why do you hear nothing about the fire fighters killed in the Texas fertilizer plant explosion? Because they were volunteers. You can't be a hero unless you're living off taxes. You can't be a hero if you die serving your neighbors while doing work that is supposed to be a government monopoly. To government, these men were 'scabs.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy You Hear Nothing About The West, Texas Firefighters

Death toll in Texas fertilizer plant explosion rises to 14

"The tiny Texas town of West continues to struggle to come to terms with the Wednesday fire and explosion at a local fertilizer plant. According to the Associated Press, recovery workers have now pulled 14 bodies from the wreckage, ten of whom were first responders who had rushed to the scene of the fire. Donations of clothing and household items are piling up at local hotels and other donor centers. Texas politicians Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R) have both called upon the federal government to rush aid to the area in spite of both men’s avowed devotion to the idea of 'small government.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDeath toll in Texas fertilizer plant explosion rises to 14

Peter King calls for “increased surveillance” of Muslims after Boston

"Rep. Peter King, the Chair of the House subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and the mastermind behind hearings on the radicalization of Muslim-Americans, argued Friday that in the wake of the Boston bombings, law enforcement should increase surveillance in Muslim communities. 'We can’t be bound by political correctness,' he continued. 'I think we need more police and more surveillance in the communities where the threat is coming from, whether it’s the Irish community with the Westies [an Irish-American gang in New York City], or the Italian community with the mafia, or the Muslim community with the Islamic terrorists.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPeter King calls for “increased surveillance” of Muslims after Boston

Anthony Gregory: What Is the Threshold for Martial Law?

"What if a future suspect implicated in a gruesome and dramatic criminal act next year manages to escape justice for months? Can the police now just shut down cities, transportation, and—as they did on Monday*—cell service for as long as they deem necessary? Should normal denizens really have no say of their own on whether they will risk the violent threats that might await them outside? If they have no right to walk about freely today without expecting, at a minimum, serious harassment from authorities, can the same be true on any other day? People tolerate extreme police powers when they seem temporary. But what if the emergency persists?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnthony Gregory: What Is the Threshold for Martial Law?

Government Should Stop Its Own Violence First

"Since 9/11, law-abiding Americans have been subjected to intrusive 'security' measures and civil-liberties infringements. We have been forced to pay billions of dollars for the Department of Homeland Security and increasingly militarized police departments. What have we to show for it? Two men were able to detonate bombs at the most prominent point in a major city on its biggest day of the year. Intended or not, the bombing was a thumb in the eye of our so-called protectors. Bruce Schneier has aptly described the post-9/11 measures as 'security theater.' Clearly, the emperor has no clothes. Here’s another thing we know: This was a crime, not an act of war." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGovernment Should Stop Its Own Violence First

G-20 Pushes for Global Measures to End Tax Evasion

"The Group of 20 countries called on Friday for a coordinated effort to stop international tax evasion, urging governments to systematically share bank data. Finance ministers and central bankers of the G-20, meeting in Washington, said in a communiqué that automatic exchange of tax-relevant bank information should be adopted as the global standard. The automatic exchange of tax data, an approach the United States has pushed, would represent a major change from the current procedures, in which countries are expected to provide such information only on request." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingG-20 Pushes for Global Measures to End Tax Evasion