02-02-09
- Military-Industrial Complex - Definitely Not a Champion of Human/Civil Rights:
- Israel:
- Israeli Gov’t Data Reveals Extent Of Illegal Settlements (wonkroom)
- Israel promised disproportionate (illegal) force, then resumes bombing Gaza after new rocket fire by Fatah wing (yahoo/afp)
- Obama Talks With Military Brass - The Brass Show Him Who's Really In Charge:
- Obama setting the stage to give gays the shaft on DADT campaign promise: Obama seeks Pentagon assessment on the risk of out gays serving in the military - No rush to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' (boston.com) - Get this, he's going to have the military brass themselves do an honest assessment of the risk of having out gays serve in the U.S. military -- and we all know how well the military brass do honest assessments of themselves. Socially conservative congressmen will no doubt be on the phone to their bemedaled pals to make sure the report goes their way. Thus armed with a Pentagon 'assessment' on the terrible risk posed by out gays, Congress can then debate the issue and bunt. Obama will be off the hook. But why go through the charade? Just honestly go back on your promise now, Mr. President. You've already done it a number of other times. Don't waste our time and energy. Countries around the globe that gladly exploit the cannon-fodder service of out gays have no problems to report and say that the troops' attitudes and behavior toward their gay comrades generally conform to whatever their military command lets them know they expect. After all, they are there to follow orders. But surely the U.S. military command, with its superior intelligence-gathering resources and grasp on reality, will be able to find that gays still pose as much risk to military morale as they did when Sam Nunn waged all-out war on them during the early Clinton years. What if a poor hetero boy drops his soap in the shower? Might not the whole military apparatus resoundingly collapse into one big gay heap? Gays were expendable then and they're expendable now. We've all watched these political games far too long to be duped by them again. Obama is flat-out letting us know that gays can go to hell, as far as he and Brother Rick are concerned. Campaign promises are made to exploit gullible voters who want change, then to be broken in favor of the established power structure. And the established power structure is a Bush power structure, carefully planted, watered and cultivated throughout those eight disastrous, usurped years in office. First it was Rick Warren as an insult to Obama's gay backers, now it's Obama's not very encrypted code for 'go fuk yourselves.' Obama, our 'best chance at salvation' from the Bush rampage - the consummate compromiser who doesn't care how much or who he gives away if he thinks it may please evangenitals and other conservatives -- and the established powers that be. We're in for a tough four to eight years, folks, or until the next time Republicans steal the election. Then it gets worse.
- Economic Shakedown:
- For the first time since 2007, Treasury investors are betting that inflation will accelerate. (bloomberg)
- David Cay Johnston(Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist)'s salient comments on the economy (democracynow - googlesearch)
- Sanders Votes No on Geithner: “He’s] More of a Part of the Problem…Than the Solution” (democracynow)
- Conflict of Interest:
- Daschle earned $220, 000 from health care industry and failed to pay $140,000 in taxes (google/ap - reuters) - Obama's pick to lead reforms on U.S. healthcare system - Is this going to be more 'change we can believe in'?
- Former Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist to Head DOJ’s Office of Policy Development? (firedoglake). What was that pledge you made about 'no lobbyists'?
- Volcano Watch - Mt. Redoubt - Waiting . . .
- Alaska's Mt. Redoubt 'on verge' of eruption (avo.alaska) - Watch the two webcams Hut and CI. Refresh often.
- Geologist: No big energy bursts at Alaska volcano (google/ap)
- Your Privacy for Sale:
- Facebook aims to market its user data bank to businesses (guardian.co.uk)
- Facebook Factsheet (facebook) - Includes brief 'Pravacy' Statement
- RW Religious Wingnut Watch:
- Anger as probably-closeted Pope Nazi elevates delusional clergyman to bishop (guardian.co.uk) - Echoes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson all rolled up into one.
- Comet Lulin Approaches (apod)
