Winning Hearts & Minds

Romney on drones: ‘Use any and all means necessary to take out’ enemies

"I believe we should use any and all means necessary to take out people who pose a threat to us and our friends around the world. And it’s widely reported that drones are being used in drone strikes, and I support that and entirely, and feel the president was right to up the usage of that technology, and believe that we should continue to use it, to continue to go after the people that represent a threat to this nation and to our friends.” Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRomney on drones: ‘Use any and all means necessary to take out’ enemies

Romney on drones: ‘Use any and all means necessary to take out’ enemies

"I believe we should use any and all means necessary to take out people who pose a threat to us and our friends around the world. And it’s widely reported that drones are being used in drone strikes, and I support that and entirely, and feel the president was right to up the usage of that technology, and believe that we should continue to use it, to continue to go after the people that represent a threat to this nation and to our friends.” Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRomney on drones: ‘Use any and all means necessary to take out’ enemies

The Sad History of U.S. Peace Negotiations

"Negotiating for peace to prevent war is not the forte of U.S. governments. The Iranian story is yet to be written, but the press is now reporting that the U.S. and Iran have agreed for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham wants none of it, stating that 'The time for talking is over.' After all, just take a look at all the U.S. military bases surrounding Iran. Sadly, with the above graphic, combined with the U.S.'s history of not negotiating peace, it's not looking so good for those of us who don't want more foreign wars." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Sad History of U.S. Peace Negotiations

South Korean Activists Send Leaflets to North Korea

"South Korean activists floated balloons carrying tens of thousands of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea on Monday, eluding police who had disrupted an earlier launch attempt due to threats from North Korea. North Korea's military warned last week that it would strike if the South Korean activists carried through with their plan to fly balloons carrying the propaganda leaflets across the border. South Korean police, citing security concerns, had sent hundreds of officers Monday to seal off roads and prevent the activists and other people from gathering at an announced launch site near the border." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouth Korean Activists Send Leaflets to North Korea

Kuwaitis protest electoral law changes

"Police in Kuwait have used teargas, stun grenades and baton charges to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators protesting against changes to the electoral law, which the opposition has called a 'constitutional coup' by the government. Protesters gathered in various parts of the capital, Kuwait City, to march towards the government's headquarters, but riot police swiftly surrounded some groups and used teargas and stun grenades to disperse them. The government - which is dominated by the ruling al-Sabah family - announced last week it was calling elections for December 1 and would change the electoral law." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKuwaitis protest electoral law changes

CIA demands more drones

"CIA Director David Petraeus is urging the White House to expand the agency's drone fleet, insisting it will allow the agency to carry on with its missions in Pakistan, Yemen and North Africa. The Pentagon is also planning to increase its inventory by 35% in the future. So in total the US has 791 operational drone right now and is planning to buy another 732. Are those military machines really necessary? Lieutenant Col. Anthony Schaffer of Advanced Defense Studies joins RT's Meghan Lopez." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA demands more drones

CIA chiefs face arrest over horrific evidence of bloody ‘video-game’ sorties by drone pilots

"The Mail on Sunday today reveals shocking new evidence of the full horrific impact of US drone attacks in Pakistan. A damning dossier assembled from exhaustive research into the strikes’ targets sets out in heartbreaking detail the deaths of teachers, students and Pakistani policemen. It also describes how bereaved relatives are forced to gather their loved ones’ dismembered body parts in the aftermath of strikes. It is set to trigger a formal murder investigation by police into the roles of two US officials said to have ordered the strikes. They are Jonathan Banks, former head of the CIA’s Islamabad station, and John A. Rizzo, the CIA’s former chief lawyer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA chiefs face arrest over horrific evidence of bloody ‘video-game’ sorties by drone pilots

Kuwait plunges into political turmoil amid crackdown

"Kuwait plunged into political turmoil on Friday after the public prosecution ordered the detention of three former opposition MPs for three days with more arrests expected. The three were questioned for nine hours on accusations of undermining the status of Kuwait’s ruler before being taken into custody. The prosecutor also extended the detention for three more days of four opposition activists arrested during clashes between police and protesters following a huge rally. It is illegal under the constitution to criticise the emir who enjoys extensive authority and must be from the Al-Sabah ruling family, in power for over 250 years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKuwait plunges into political turmoil amid crackdown

U.S. Jails More People Than Any Other Country

"The U.S. has the world’s highest incarceration rate, with Department of Justice data showing more than 2.2 million people are behind bars, equal to a city the size of Houston. With a rate of 730 people per 100,000, the U.S. jails a higher proportion of its citizens than any other country. The U.S. also leads the world in the number of prisons in operation at 4,575, more than four times the number of second- place Russia at 1,029. U.S. states spent $52 billion to construct and operate those prisons in 2011, more than quadruple the $12 billion spent in 1987, according to data from the Pew Center on the States." Continue reading →

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‘Three Strikes of Injustice’

"The study showed that more than 4,000 inmates in California are serving life sentences for nonviolent offenses under the three-strikes law. Although judges have sentencing discretion in a very narrow band of three-strikes cases, the reality is that judges almost universally consider themselves bound under California law to impose a life sentence for a third felony offense, no matter how minor. We also learned that the law is disproportionately applied to minorities, the mentally ill and the poor." Continue reading →

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