Monthly Archives: January 2008
U.S. arming all sides in the Middle East
Our government officials, not just President Bush, seem to enjoy telling us that America supports the cause of peace, democracy and freedom throughout the world. It’s a nice story, and one I often wish I could believe, but it simply doesn’t match the actions of our government.
We give and sell billions of dollars in [...]
Wednesday Midweek Roundup Vol. III
The real open gov’t. Amazing project.
Ludicrous to even conceive that Jarvis or Bollinger would have even considered this. I doubt that even the journalists on the staff would stick around if the government bailed them out, no matter what the paper.
The field of sustainable architecture and design continues to impress an optimistic vision of the [...]
Hope through free speech and the free press
There is a reason for hope and it does not lay with well-funded professional politicians trying to make their way into the U.S. Senate or the White House. No, our hope, for the world at least, is through the power of global communication. Increased interconnectivity and greater technological prowess has allowed the voices of many, [...]
Israel: A Rogue Nation
Last Friday, Israel closed off occupied-Gaza Strip and its 1.4 million residents from the rest of the world, blockading the flow of basic supplies – including fuel and humanitarian aid. It’s understood that the blockade could lead to a humanitarian crisis in the already-destitute area. The lack of diesel [...]
Could Freedom's Watch buy our elections?
(Update Below)
A relatively new right-wing political advocacy group could possibly spend $250 million in an attempt to influence the 2008 elections. This group, named Freedom’s Watch, was formed last year by former Bush White House aides . The group’s main focus was supporting Bush’s “surge.”
But let’s go back to that dollar figure. $250 million. That’s [...]
Wednesday Midweek Roundup Vol. II
Heath Ledger found dead in US
This isn’t about a celebrity. My suspicions: a little alcohol mixed with some Ambien led to the Big Sleep. I would look for a backlash against that family of drugs and the over-prescription of them. Or one would hope. We really do try and emulate “Brave New World” in our [...]
A lesson in democracy from Musharraf?
I never thought I would be saying this, but a small “Thank You” to Pervez Musharraf.
“You have taken centuries in reaching wherever you have come,” Musharraf said. “Allow us time for going for the values that you have established for yourselves.”
There are some severe problems in Pakistan in regards to human rights that he could [...]
Newsflash: Iraq is still unsafe and expensive
The Iraq war has recently been shelved by the media in favor of the election coverage and our economic recession. It’s the culmination of a trend that started approximately a year ago. I’d like to say that this is surprising, but this is the same media that helped beat the drums of war. This is [...]
Canada weary of torture-happy U.S.
Canada’s government recently put the U.S. on a watch list of countries where prisoners risk being subject to torture. (h/t Andrew Sullivan)
This sort of international reputation can seriously damage our country’s ability to stop the bad guys. What’s the likelihood Canada will let us near one of their prisoners now?
The same is true [...]