Friday Felines

050930 Friday Cats

I am still looking for someone in the Los Angeles are to consider adopting the kitten in this previous post.

Bill Bennett Shows Compassionate Conservatism

Despite the reactionary right's constant mantra that there is no racism in this country, mainstream corporate media radio personalities such as Bill Bennett are allowed to make the most reprehensible racist statements on air with absolute impunity. The former Reagan administration "conservative hero" recently stated:

I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down...

Classic Video

I'm not one to post humorous things often, but this video is just too funny not to post.

Torture is on the March!

Lynndie England Convicted in Abu Ghraib Abuse Case Famous for her "thumbs up for torture" poses, perverse, sick, but simply following orders from the top, England is convicted of what every member of the Bush administration is guilty of. The voices of reaction are still claiming there is no torture going on under U.S. cognizance. I wonder how the courts martial keep happening for things that never happened.

The Legal Responsibility Goes to the Top Jennifer K. Harbury looks at the unstated Bush administration policy of torture.

Torture and Cowardice Ray McGovern tries to understand why U.S. religious leaders are silent on U.S. torture policy.

Me and George Galloway MP

It's not everyday I get to shake hands with a member of the British Parliament. Mr. Galloway was cordial and gracious. His principled stance on the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq is both refreshing and inspiring. Only a handful of photos from this event, I had to work up front and didn't catch much of the speech. For the photos, a short description of the event, and links for more information see these photos.

Oil for the U.S. Poor Courtesy Hugo Chavez

Chavez' Surprise for Bush Hugo Chavez is taking the initiative to help the U.S. poor with subsidized heating oil and diesel fuel. In complete contrast to the monstrous price gouging by Cheney Inc., the Venezuelan subsidies will be of great help to those most in need.

Racist Nation Updates

Jim Crow still alive and well despite contrary claims by blame the victims author John Perazzo. Tyson Sued for Maintaining Segregated Work Areas: ‘Whites Only’ Sign and Padlock Placed on Bathroom Door. Just one more example of how this country is the cradle of racism.

This blog entry talks about an incident in which a young man wearing a Klan T-Shirt was involved in a scuffle. The quote by the young man sounds very much like the rhetoric of racist apologists and SOS/MMP/FOBP vigilante border patrols:

"I'm not racist or anything," he said. "It's just, some people I hate, some people I don't get along with. And black people just happen to be the ones because they think they're better than everyone else."

In other words, "everything I think, do and say is racist. But I'm not a racist--you better not call me a racist."

Racist Jillian Bandes penned an extreme example of institutionalized racism in a UNC newsletter. Her depraved thinking and disregard for human dignity earned her praise from a certain God fearing patriot.

More Class Warfare

New Bankruptcy Law Could Sink Katrina Survivors - Lawmakers, Rights Groups Like we didn't see this coming when the ruling class parties passed this earlier this year.

Quick Ones

Ralph Nader poses serious questions that Supreme Court nominees should answer in Questioning Judge Roberts.

The Profit-Driven War Brian J. Foley talks about the current generation of war profiteers and how corporations require war to survive.

New Orleans in Reality

Greg Palast examines what happened the last time the ruling class allowed a preventable disaster in New Orleans. His account is of Huey Long and how he started this nation in a direction that saw great gains for working class people. Gains that have been slowly eroded over the past thirty years, most notably under the Cheney/Bush plutocracy. The historical parallels are undeniable, but more importantly it is a call to action based on an example of what can be. Bush Strafes New Orleans: Where is our Huey Long?

While Bush prevaricates, Venezuela offers help to US poor Venezuela was the first to offer aid for New Orleans, both financial and otherwise. Furthermore, a CITGO refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana was opened as a shelter for those in need. Far from the monster the U.S. State Department tries to make him, democratically elected Hugo Chavez not only made the aid offer, he points out that a system concerned only with profit allowed for the terrible aftermath that we have seen. The U.S. government callously brushed aside aid offers, partly out of trying to keep their false picture of Chavez and the Bolivarians alive, and partly out of the reality that those suffering aren't Bush's base.

Evidence of the Torture Horrors Still on Hold

Judge: Release of Abu Ghraib Pictures Too Dangerous This is one of many articles that will be linked here discussing how the Pentagon is pulling out every stop to prevent the release of the remaining photos and video footage of the depraved systematic torture Abu Ghraib is infamous for. If this administration was so worried about the repercussions of their crimes against humanity being exposed, maybe they shouldn't have had a policy of torture to begin with. After all, why would you have John Yoo and Alberto Gonzales draft so much paperwork justifying the vile acts before they occurred. Such a priori knowledge alone is condemnation enough, but as we all know it goes so much deeper than that.

Friday Felines

I have family here from out of town, so a Friday post is unlikely.
Hence I'll do this early. 050830 Friday Cats

This weeks' good stuff

Was Hiroshima and Nagasaki a Sin? Reprint from NCR on Z. Every once and a while my church actually takes a principled stance that isn't pure reaction. Too bad the rest of the church doesn't follow the Latin Church and embrace Liberation Theology, which is the only thing that tracks true to the Gospels.

New Orleans and the Death of the Common Good Chris Floyd looks at the Bush policies that led to the Gulf Coast disaster.

I learned the difference between "finding and looting" this week. Good thing the ruling class teaches us that distinction from day one in our path of indoctrination. Good white folk find. Bad, bad black folk loot. Despite the insane ravings of racist apologists like John Perazzo, this nations' racism is beyond institutional. Radical Fundamentalist Calvinists blamed the destruction of New Orleans on homosexuals. If we are trying to attribute this to divine retribution, maybe we should look no further than Bush's extreme hubris and crimes against humanity in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.