Patriot Act law renewal blocked

Patriot Act law renewal blocked:

Patriot Act debate about civil liberties

By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Eric Lichtblau, New York Times News Service
LA Daily News

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Friday blocked reauthorization of the broad anti-terrorism bill known as the USA Patriot Act, pushing Congress into a game of brinkmanship with President George W. Bush, who has warned that the nation will be left vulnerable to attack if the measure is not quickly renewed.

With many Democrats and some Republicans saying the bill did not go far enough in protecting civil liberties, the Republican leadership fell short of the 60 votes required to break a filibuster. Now the future of the anti-terror act, which greatly expanded the government's surveillance and investigative powers in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, is in doubt.

The Patriot Act debate, a passionate fight about the balance between national security and personal privacy, became a touchstone for repercussions after the disclosure Thursday night that Bush had secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for terrorist activity.

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Bush Gave U.S. Agency Authorization To Spy On Americans

Months after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, President Bush signed an order giving the National Security Agency authorization to eavesdrop on Americans and other people in the United States to look for evidence of potential terrorist activity without first obtaining search warrants.

According to a New York Times report, the presidential order, signed in 2002, has given the agency the right to monitor international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds, maybe even thousands of people inside the United States in a search for ties to 'dirty numbers' potentially linked to the al Qaeda terror network. The targets included U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, tourists and other foreigners, raising serious concerns within the administration — and from the few members of Congress who knew about it — over whether the order crossed legal boundaries and trampled civil liberties.

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Polling on U.S.-Canada Relations

Polling on U.S.-Canada Relations

Do Canadians think relations with the U.S. have improved or worsened in the last year?

• Improved: 11%
• Worsened: 48%
• Stayed about the same: 39%
• Don't know: 2%

Who do Canadians think is responsible for declining U.S.-Canada relations in the last year?

• Canada: 28%
• United States: 63%
• Don't know: 9%

How do Canadians feel about Paul Martin's recent criticism of U.S. efforts to reduce global warming?

• The Prime Minister has a responsibility to make such statements even during an election: 61%
• Don't know: 4%
• Making such statements amounts to playing politics and is inappropriate: 35%

How do Canadians feel about David Wilkins' criticism of Paul Martin's statements about U.S. efforts on global warming?

• David Wilkins has the responsibility to express the U.S. point of view: 56%
• Don't know: 7%
• Making such statements amounts to interfering in Canadian affairs: 37%

SOURCE: THE STRATEGIC COUNSEL

Turfed economic adviser was wrong

Turfed economic adviser was wrong
Larry Lindsey's ballpark figure revisited

Remember when Bush economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey raised a racket in Washington and contributed to his own ouster from office by daring to suggest to the Wall Street Journal in Sept. 2002 that the Iraq war would cost up to $200 billion? Time magazine's John Dickerson said at the time that Lindsey's public estimate "contributed to the criticism that he has made too many on-the-record gaffes." After Lindsey was dismissed, a White House source told the Washington Post that Lindsey's Iraq comments proved "Larry just didn't get it." The Pentagon had put the cost of war at more like $60 billion.

Now, it's quite clear that if Larry didn't "get it," it was because he underestimated the war's bill. The Iraq war has now cost us $119 billion. We'll shell out $170 billion by the end of next year. Prominent analysts say the war, depending on how much military engagement is involved, will cost $300-500 billion over several years.

What else might this money buy? $100 million gets 2,500 airport security screeners. $500 million puts 69,400 children in Head Start. $1 billion would get 160,000 low-income families federal rent subsidies.

Listen to another related story: http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/transcripts/2003/feb/030226.ludden.html

Oh by the way, it's 226.5 billion right now according to costofwar.com

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NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE

"NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE"
by John Cleese

To the citizens of the United States of America, in the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new Prime Minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a Minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the /Oxford English Dictionary/.
Then look up "aluminium." Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour'; skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are! welcome to re-spell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary." Using the same thirty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "uhh", "like", and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed." There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary, then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents.
It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in /Frasier/). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents --- Scottish dramas such as /"Taggart" /will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon." If you persist in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the _good_ guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as /"Men Behaving Badly"/ or /"Red Dwarf"/ will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, /"God Save The Queen"/, but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football." There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US Rugby sevens side by 2005.

You should stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders," which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day."

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap, and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts.

You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call 'French fries' are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps." Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to chips is beer which should be served warm and flat.

Waitresses will be trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling "beer" is not actually beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter will be referred to as "beer," and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as "Lager." The substances formerly known as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine," with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine." This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last 1000 years in the Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "gasoline," as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon -- get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

16. Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your co-operation.

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The Federal Reserve Swindle

You have to read the whole article, but here is the part I like best:

The swindle of the system is simple. The Federal Reserve Bank hires the US Treasury to print up some money. The Federal Reserve only actually pays the treasury for the cost of the printing, they do NOT pay $1 for each 1$ printed. But the Federal Reserve turns around and loans out that money (or credit line) to banks at full face value, those banks which have exhausted their deposits then loan that Federal Reserve fiat money to you, and you must repay it in the full dollar value (plus interest) in work product, even though the Federal Reserve printed that money for pennies, or created it out of thin air in a computer.

As the Federal Reserve overprints more money, the money supply inflates, and too much money starts chasing too few goods and services, which means prices go up. But contrary to the charade put on by the Federal Reserve, inflation doesn't just come and go due to some arcane sorcery. The Federal Reserve can halt inflation any time it wants to by simply shutting down those printing presses. It therefore follows that both inflation and recession are fully under the control of the Federal Reserve.

Over time, that excess of printing has destroyed the value of that dollar you think you have. If you want to know by just how much, go out and try to purchase 371.25 in silver right now. Usually, the deterioration is gradual. Sometimes, it has to be obvious, such as the 1985 devaluation (done to halt the trade imbalance) which triggered the Japanese real-estate grab in this country.

Just for the heck of it, I checked to see how much it would cost to buy 371.25 grains (0.773437 ounces) of silver. $5.13, based on the 2004 average price of silver!

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Martin says he will not be 'dictated to' by U.S.

I really liked this comment regarding the U.S. warning Paul Martin to stop saying not nice things:

Latest Comments in the Conversation

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Colin Frenke from Kingston, Canada writes: It's good to finally see someone standing up for Canada. The United States continues to put tarrifs on softwood lumber dispite a NAFTA ruling. Someone has to stand up for us, and God knows Stephen Harper won't. If Harper is elected we will be bent over and penetrated with the American's "will".

Posted Dec. 15, 2005 at 12:24 AM EST

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Bush takes on Iraqi war critics

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush takes on Iraqi war critics

"Saddam was a threat, and the American people and the world are safer because he is no longer in power," he said.

It is the last of four keynote speeches on Iraq from a president under increasing pressure on the issue.

"Many intelligence agencies judged that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, and it's true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong," said Mr Bush in the speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

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White House warns Parliament to kiss ass

Paul Martin shrugs off White House rebuke

The White House made an unusual foray into Canadian electoral politics Tuesday, scolding Prime Minister Paul Martin for his tough talk on U.S. policies. But rather than quiet the Liberal leader, the rebuke fuelled his fire.

In a speech to the Canadian Club at Ottawa's historic Chateau Laurier Hotel, U.S. President George Bush's envoy to Canada accused Martin of trying to score cheap political points by bashing America.

"I understand political expediency, but the last time I looked, the United States was not on the ballot for the Jan. 23 election," Wilkins told the crowd gathered just steps away from Parliament Hill.

"Just think about this. What if one of our best friends criticized you directly and incorrectly almost relentlessly? What if that friend's agenda was to highlight your perceived flaws while avoiding mentioning your successes? What if that friend demanded respect but offered little in return?" Wilkins asked.

"Wouldn't that begin to sow the seeds of doubt in your mind about the strength of the friendship?"

In his pointed rebuke to campaigning politicians, but aimed principally at the Liberal leader, Wilkins warned them to tone down the rhetoric.

Martin fends off critics

But in his own remarks Tuesday, perhaps bearing in mind the praise his damning remarks earned in The New York Times, Martin made no apologies for the controversy.

Asked to comment on Wilkins' speech by reporters in Surrey, B.C. on Tuesday, the Liberal leader brushed aside the reprimands.

"I have not made the United States a target in this campaign," he said, explaining that his disputed positions on softwood lumber and climate change were adopted "long before any election was contemplated."

"Let me simply say to anyone who wants to question what I have been saying, beginning with (Conservative Leader) Stephen Harper, that I am the prime minister of this country, that our position on climate change will be determined by the government of Canada, that the fact is that we do expect our partners to honour their agreements -- and I will defend Canada. Period."

When asked what right Martin has to speak about others lacking a global conscience when Canada's track record on greenhouse emissions is far from shining, the Liberal leader simply repeated that the world needs a "new multilateralism."

"We live in a world where other countries, China and India, are rising to the fore, and the fact is, before we start having these huge tectonic giants clashing with each other, we have got to basically put in place rules by which the world is going to govern itself."

Martin said he first used the term "global conscience" in the context of preventing a global avian flu pandemic.

"We have to have a global conscience that says, whether it's avian flu or AIDS in Africa... whether it is climate change globally or whether it is softwood lumber -- the fact is we've got to understand this is one world and the leadership of the world has got to speak to that global conscience."

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Outcry in Europe Over Williams Execution

From what I've been reading, it seemed like Williams was doing more good alive than he's now doing dead. Who better to encourage kids not to get into gangs than someone on death row? Executing this guy won't bring back the people he was convicted of killing 30 years ago, so honestly I don't see the benefit of his death. Why couldn't he be allowed to continue educating kids on what happens to gangsters? That would have made a difference.

"To threaten me with death does not accomplish the means of the criminal justice system or satiate those who think my death or my demise will be a closure for them," Williams said.

"Their loved ones will not rise up from the grave and love them. I wish they could. I sympathise or empathize with everyone who has lost a loved one. But I didn’t do it. My death would not mollify them."

Outcry in Europe Over Williams Execution
Melanie Adams
Tuesday, December 13, 2005 12:15 PM

The California execution of Stanley Williams is causing waves all over the world.

In California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's homeland of Austria, leaders of the Green Party say they want Schwarzenegger's Austrian citizenship stripped.

The death penalty is illegal in the European Union.

Williams was executed for his role in the deaths of four people in the late seventies. Many had called for the death sentence to be overturned because of his recent work to educate children on the dangers of gang violence.

To see a list of books that Williams wrote, visit his website: Tookie's Corner

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US bars Red Cross access to terror suspects

BBC NEWS | Americas | US bars access to terror suspects:

The US has admitted for the first time that it has not given the Red Cross access to all detainees in its custody.

The state department's top legal adviser, John Bellinger, made the admission but gave no details about where such prisoners were held.

Correspondents say the revelation is likely to increase suspicion that the CIA has been operating secret prisons outside international oversight.

The issue has dogged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's tour to Europe.

Mr Bellinger made the admission in Geneva.

He stated that the group International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had access to "absolutely everybody" at the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which holds suspects detained during the US war on terror.

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Wired News: U.S. Maintains Control of Net

Wired News: U.S. Maintains Control of Net: By Kevin Poulsen | Also by this reporter

09:28 AM Nov. 16, 2005 PT

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Negotiators working late into the night Tuesday shook hands on a deal that creates a new U.N.-sponsored global forum to explore problems like spam and cybercrime, while leaving the United States firmly in control of the internet's domain name system.

The last minute accord settled an issue that threatened to derail the U.N.'s World Summit on the Information Society, which began here Wednesday. The multilateral gathering -- conceived to bridge the 'digital divide' between rich nations and poor -- has drawn thousands of delegates and observers from around the globe to this port city in the North African desert.

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U.S. agrees to watered-down declaration

U.S. agrees to watered-down declaration:

Conference reaches climate deal
U.S. agrees to watered-down declaration
Dec. 10, 2005. 08:25 AM
PETER GORRIE
TORONTO STAR

MONTREAL -- Weary delegates, politicians and lobby group members cheered early this morning as the United Nations climate change conference finally passed its last two major decisions after two days and nights of gruelling talks.

The main negotiating logjam broke around midnight, when the United States agreed to a watered-down declaration that all 189 countries at the conference will start an open-ended “dialogue” aimed at finding new ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

That move, in turn, allowed the passage of a crucial separate deal, under which Canada and 39 other industrialized nations bound by emissions-cut targets under the Kyoto Protocol will begin to negotiate deeper cuts for after the Protocol’s first phase expires in 2012.

The U.S. had objected to several increasingly weak versions of the dialogue agreement during the two week conference, and walked out of the talks Thursday night.

But under intense pressure from most other countries represented here, it finally relented, signing on to a final version after yet more revisions.

Environmental groups were enthusiastic about the conference’s outcome. “This is a set of agreements that may well save the planet,” said Elizabeth May, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada.

They were equally pleased by the last-minute American compromise.

“The Bush administration blinked. The world should remember that,” said Bill Hare, policy director with Greenpeace International.

“They miscalculated and underestimated the will of countries to move forward in combatting climate change,”said Jennifer Morgan of WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund.

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U.S. air marshal kills plane passenger

Here is my question: How smart is it to shoot someone who has a bomb on their person? I don't have air marshal training, so maybe that's the reason I don't see the logic in doing that.

CBC News: U.S. air marshal kills plane passenger
Last Updated Wed, 07 Dec 2005 18:36:46 EST
CBC News

An American man has been shot and killed by a U.S. air marshal at Miami International Airport after announcing on a plane that he had a bomb in his carry-on bag.">CBC News: U.S. air marshal kills plane passenger: "U.S. air marshal kills plane passenger
Last Updated Wed, 07 Dec 2005 18:36:46 EST
CBC News

An American man has been shot and killed by a U.S. air marshal at Miami International Airport after announcing on a plane that he had a bomb in his carry-on bag.

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Rice faces growing anger over claims of CIA abductions

Why is everyone so shocked and angry? Haven't they ever watched X-Files? This is old news.

Rice faces growing anger over claims of CIA abductions:

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, the US Secretary of State, will try to dismiss mounting concern over alleged CIA human rights abuses in Europe when she embarks on a four-day tour of the Continent today.

Allegations have been multiplying almost daily that the CIA has operated secret prisons in Eastern Europe and covertly abducted and transported alleged terrorists through Europe. The claims have provoked demands for a response from the US Government.

It is alleged that the CIA runs a secret global abduction and internment operation of suspected terrorists, known as “extraordinary rendition”, which since 2001 has captured about 3,000 people and transported them around the world.

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What planet are you on, Mr Bush? (and do you care, Mr Blair?)

What's this environment garbage? We want to make money!

Independent Online Edition > Environment:

More than 100,000 people took to the streets in more than 30 countries yesterday, in the first world-wide demonstration to press for action to combat global warming.

The marches - timed to put pressure on the most important international climate-change negotiations since the agreement of the Kyoto Protocol eight years ago - took place against a background of a blizzard of new research showing that the heating of the planet is seriously affecting the world sooner than the scientists predicted (see panel below).

The protests were directed primarily at President George Bush, who has been assiduously trying to sabotage the protocol and has ruled out even talking about setting targets for reducing the pollution that causes global warming, once the current targetsexpire.

Harlan Watson - the head of the US delegation to the negotiations, being held in Montreal - announced at the opening of the meeting: "The United States is opposed to any such discussions."

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International outcry as US puts 1,000th person to death

Congrats, America!

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | International outcry as US puts 1,000th person to death:

Double murderer Kenneth Lee Boyd became the 1,000th prisoner to be executed in the US since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976 when he was put to death by lethal injection yesterday.

The symbolism of the execution renewed debate over capital punishment, and came on a day that executions in Singapore and Saudi Arabia also sparked international outcry.

'God bless everybody in here,' Boyd said in his last words from the death chamber at Central Prison in North Carolina's state capital, Raleigh. Boyd, 57, was a Vietnam War veteran with a history of alcohol abuse. He was executed for killing his wife and father-in-law in 1988, in front of two of his children.

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It's propaganda (shock, horror)!

Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs:

By David Isenberg

The news of a US military operation that pays Iraqi newspapers to run stories written by 'information operations' troops about how wonderfully things are going in the war should not come as a shock.

Even before the Iraq invasion, the Pentagon planned to create its own in-house propaganda and disinformation operation, to be called the Office of Strategic Influence. The program was supposedly killed after critics pointed out how easily the phony news it created could drift back into the domestic media.

Nevertheless, the occupation of Iraq has put the Pentagon in the "strategic influence" business in a big way, with its own TV news operation (the Pentagon Channel), a then-coalition-controlled Iraqi TV and radio network (now nominally in the hands of the Iraqi government, but still powered by Pentagon dollars and run by a US vendor) and millions of dollars to hire public relations firms and consultants to spin the coalition's propaganda to the Iraqi people.

In fact, paying off the Iraqi media to run good news mirrors what the Bush administration has been doing at home.

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