Impeach Bush, Cheney, Media Corruption, Dealing With TSA, Jes and Leslie, and some personal thoughts and recollections.
Dear Ed,
A report released this week found that over 75 military analysts cultivated by the Pentagon to give pro-Bush Administration viewpoints on major radio and TV networks have appeared over 4,500 times on segments covering the Iraq war, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Gharib and other foreign policy and national security issues.
This propaganda machine was exposed by the New York Times in an extensive article last month. It described a coordinated campaign by top Bush political appointees at the Department of Defense to influence the commentary of what viewers rightfully believed were independent television military analysts.
Federal law prohibits the use of federal money for "publicity or propaganda purposes" not authorized by Congress.
But according to the NY Times article: "Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as 'message force multipliers' or 'surrogates' who could be counted on to deliver administration 'themes and messages' to millions of Americans 'in the form of their own opinions."
One particularly disturbing example is when troops in Iraq were dying because of inadequate body armor. A senior Pentagon official wrote to his colleagues, “I think our analysts — properly armed — can push back in that arena.” The analysts, of course, were the 75 plus retired military officers deployed to combat negative coverage of the war.
Instead of rushing to diagnose the problem and provide troops with the necessary armor, the Bush Administration's first reaction was to fight the media. This highly unethical, likely illegal activity has been the hallmark of the Administration's approach to the public on not just the war but on other important policy matters as well.
In the upcoming Defense Appropriations bill, I will be looking for ways to put an end to this practice once and for all.
Sincerely,
James P. Moran
PENTAGON SPIN MACHINE -- (House of Representatives - May 13, 2008)
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, a report released today by the nonprofit research organization Media Matters has found that military analysts secretly cultivated by the Pentagon's communications apparatus appeared over 4,500 times on major TV and radio networks since 2002 in segments covering the Iraq War, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and other foreign policy and national security issues.
The New York Times exposed this extensive, coordinated campaign by the Pentagon and the Bush administration to influence the commentary of what viewers rightfully believed were independent television military analysts. It is an unethical, possibly illegal propaganda machine, a media Trojan horse designed to shape war coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.
It was also apparent that the motivation on the part of many was the extraordinary access they were granted to the Pentagon for their defense contractor employers.
One particularly disturbing example is when troops in Iraq were dying because of inadequate body armor, a senior Pentagon official wrote to his colleagues, ``I think our analysts..... can push back in that arena.'' The analysts, of course, were 75 retired military officers.
This is conduct unbefitting of our military officers and our Nation, Mr. Speaker.
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Conyers' Threats of Impeachment = Too Little Too Late
By TheSpook
The letter that follows asks President Bush to seek congressional authorization before launching any possible military strike against Iran and affirms Senator Biden's statement last year that impeachment proceedings should be considered ...
BrownWatch News - http://www.brownwatch.com/brownwatch-news/
Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson
The first Senate vote in the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was taken on May 16, 1868. Article XI was called the "omnibus article" because it combined all of the charges against the President. As a result of 19 voting "Not ...
Today's Document from the National... - http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/
Articles :: Bush: An 'accessory before the fact' of Mass Murder
By blackcat
Late July 2001 (B): David Schippers, noted conservative Chicago lawyer and the House Judiciary Committee's chief investigator in the Clinton impeachment trial, later claims that FBI agents in Chicago and Minnesota contact him around ...
9/11, the bigger picture and... - http://www.nineeleven.co.uk/board/
Some Neat Answers To the TSA power to search your Laptop.
Toshiba Last Offering Sale On Windows XP Pro Machines.
(Even though Microsoft will end support for Windows XP Come June 30, Microsoft will pull the plug on its very popular Windows XP operating system. This -- despite last month's widely-reported speech by Microsoft Chief Steve Ballmer wherein Ballmer famously said the company could re-consider phasing out Windows XP beyond June 30 if customers so wish -- and despite the 'Save XP Web' petition that garnered wide-spread support mainly from XP fans hankering after the system, should it meet with a sad demise!
There are some fine offerings of the XP machines available now that would make great “TSA Proof “Travel Machines. I know it’s an additional expense but if security and privacy is what you require, privacy from our government’s increasingly invasive prying spying eyes and ears; it is the solution. As the XP phase-out comes, the system will be far less susceptible to malicious hackers and bugs as attention turns to ripping Vistas apart.
Online (XP Cult worshipers) can and will provide all the help you will ever need, if you ever need any. Load the machine with your productivity programs and protective defensive programs, and load an external drive (SATA platter or Flash Drive) with all your travel needed data and a folder full of short cuts to your email, blogs or whatever, and away you go. Encrypt anything you can on the base machine and lock up the finger pad. I can and have encrypted mine and turned it off as I never use it preferring my little cordless Logitech Mouse.
The finger pad is just not my thing! But back to the info portion here….
It was in September last year that Microsoft said it would stop licensing Windows XP to computer makers, ending retail sales by June 30. Prior to that, the software maker had said it would take XP off of the market by Jan 2008. Now with June 30 fast approaching, it's becoming increasingly clear there are going to be no more fresh leases of life for the operating system.
Windows
Regardless of where Bill Gates stands on the issue, Windows 7 won't be coming out in 2009. Simply put, Microsoft has too much invested in Vista and needs more time to make it work before it can be replaced by the operating system's follow up. Beyond that, it could be an even greater blunder if the company released the new OS next year considering the possibility of a modified ecosystem in the OS market: the threat of Apple and Linux and the online component that we've been hearing about for so long.
But if Vista doesn't improve considerably over the next two years and vendor support doesn't start to pick up, Microsoft will be forced to pick up the pieces and get Windows 7 out the door. And let's also not forget that the company has been more than willing lately to mention the new OS in passing even though Vista has only been out for a short while.
I simply don't see Vista gaining much ground over the next two years. Vendors are still quite unhappy with the product and Microsoft admitted itself that there are a number of issues with the OS that still need to get worked out. And considering the fact that Ballmer has hinted that an XP reprieve could be possible, should we really believe Microsoft when it says that Vista is its future?
The way it's shaping up, 2010 will be the year Microsoft will try to increase Windows' viability. And while I'm not convinced that the company will do it, it simply doesn't make sense to say that it can happen this year or next with Vista. Microsoft will do what it can over the next two years to revive Vista and after failing or realizing that outside pressures from Apple and maybe even Linux are becoming a bit too much, the company will use 2010 as the year to unveil Windows 7 and try to offer a more compelling product.
And Now For Some Little Things To Thwart Unconstitutional invasion of you computer privacy! These are just a few of the suggestions available and possible but it should give you the idea.
Satellite Pro L350-S1001X
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Iomega Specials: http://www.iomega.com/promos/monthly_savings.html
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Western Digital Passport Drive : http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=391
The Near Future: Cost Will Drop :
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Dear Ed,
You attended a meeting for a "National Conversation on Impeachment" over a month ago and asked to be kept informed of our progress. I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. Click here to see what's been happening: http://www.jfpf.org/wordpress/.
Leslie and I went to Iran in May 2007 and since returning our main focus has been to prevent a war with Iran. This is one reason we are encouraging Chairman Conyers to begin impeachment hearings for Cheney. Here is our website: http://www.jfpf.org/
Our Peace with Iran tour will begin sometime this spring. You will be hearing more about this soon.
Thank you again for coming to the meeting.
Peace.
Jes
Dear Friends,
Leslie and I have fallen in love with Iran and the Iranian people!
We have just returned from Iran as part a Global Exchange "Citizen Diplomacy" Delegation. The fourteen of us traveled throughout the country for a little over two weeks. What Leslie and I discovered was not at all what we were expecting. The Iranians we met were warm, welcoming, generous, and MOSTLY CHILDREN! Click here if you'd like to see some pictures of these beautiful people.
70% of the population is under the age of 30. This fact touched us deeply because our sons are in this age group. We were constantly welcomed by families, students on field trips and university kids eager to talk! A simple “Salam” on our part would lead to smiles and unending questions about where we were from, why we’ve come, and what do we plan to do when we get back to the United States.
They expressed their love for America. They know that the American people are different from our government and mentioned often how upset they were with their own government. The Iranian people want PEACE! They know that our government portrays them as terrorists and they would ask what we thought? We would answer, We've never been treated so kindly or felt so welcome! They would smile and respond, we hope you enjoy our country!
People were constantly engaging us in conversation. Leslie talked with a young woman whose friend was part of a group bicycling around the world for peace. This is their message: Iranians are peaceful, they love other nations, and they want to be a constructive member of the international community. For more, please visit their website: http://www.milesforpeace.org/home.php
The Bush administration has failed in Iraq and now it’s looking for a scapegoat. They lied about the justifications for invading Iraq and now they’re lying about Iran. These sweet people are not our enemy. Iran hasn’t attacked another country in over 200 years. We might not like the leadership of Iran, but the people are not the government!
Doing what we can to be the change ...
Peace and Freedom.
Jes & Leslie
And now Some personal observations and commentary to close. “People are people and we all share common dreams and hopes for decent lives, safety, privacy, love and personal well being for ourselves and our loved ones, or the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Not every Muslim of this world is hell bent on “the spreading of the faith or swing the sword in the yet unfinished Crusades against the Infidel”. Do you remember when every “Russian”, you know all those people that stretched across multiple times zones, were divided into hundreds of languages and dialects, languishing in some of the most miserable existences on the face of the Earth were going to “Bury US”?
How many people bought into that nonsense? How many ever understood that the Communists of the old “Soviet Empire” were a distinct privileged empowered minority of about 10% at the peak of the party.
I had the privilege while I was still in Ohio to meet once a year in May for years with groups of Russian citizens brought over here by a special Ohio State University program and a friend who conducted the program. They were amazed by this nation and what we had to partake of on a daily basis. A Drug Store was a palace to them and the night we took a group to a Brown Derby Restaurant. It was the first time in their lives that they had a steak; a bear of man Leonoid actually shed a tear.
They were a beautiful warm people who wore their emotions on their cuffs and they kept trying to get me commit to coming to Russia (Minsk) to teach American History for a few years. That did not happen, though a beautiful Cossack Blood line, white grape colored-eyed Sesha tried her damnedest. She would have reason enough in her own right.
I close with Sesha because when we parted I said in jest: “I always enjoy these visits because I watch your people learn English quickly and I keep learning more Russian”.
Her reply, looking me straight in the eye: “Edward we learn a great deal more than that, don’t we?” Her English wasn't perfect but everything else was and we both understood her words, because after all; "People are People".
End of Post and still learning.
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