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xocetaceans
xocetaceans's Journal
xocetaceans's Journal
January 26, 2014
Speaker Boehner and Godwin's Law
If one identifies oneself with the Nazi's in the course of a discussion, does this act render one's own further statements irrelevant by some corollary of Godwin's Law? If so, Boehner self-godwins his own political analysis at 3:21 in the video:
Speaker Boehner: "...some of them I have to be the Gestapo...."
January 24, 2014
No comment.
Liz Nichols, Occupy Portland protester, Charged $7,116 for City's Fees
Pepper-sprayed Occupy Portland protester Liz Nichols gets $7,116 payment demand from city
By Aimee Green, The Oregonian
Pay up.
Thats the message Portland is sending Elizabeth Evon Nichols -- to the tune of $7,116.
Nichols is the Occupy Portland protester whose image became widely known for being blasted in the face with pepper spray by a Portland police officer in fall 2011. She sued the city for excessive force but lost after a four-day trial in August in U.S. District Court in Portland.
She had sought $30,000, noting the excruciating pain of pepper spray in her eyes and throat -- and the ensuing nightmares, depression and worsening eczema.
...
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/01/pepper-sprayed_occupy_portland.html
By Aimee Green, The Oregonian
Pay up.
Thats the message Portland is sending Elizabeth Evon Nichols -- to the tune of $7,116.
Nichols is the Occupy Portland protester whose image became widely known for being blasted in the face with pepper spray by a Portland police officer in fall 2011. She sued the city for excessive force but lost after a four-day trial in August in U.S. District Court in Portland.
She had sought $30,000, noting the excruciating pain of pepper spray in her eyes and throat -- and the ensuing nightmares, depression and worsening eczema.
...
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/01/pepper-sprayed_occupy_portland.html
No comment.
January 23, 2014
...calls out the kettle:
One should remember that this situation is not about Snowden, it is about the NSA's overreach and the general and possibly continuing acceptance (to at least some extent) of said overreach by all three branches of the US government.
The Irony of Australian FM Julie Bishop's Comments Regarding Edward Snowden...
The pot...
Liberal Deputy Julie Bishop 'jeopardising' security over passport claim
Michael Harvey, Herald Sun, May 26, 2010 12:00AM
JULIE Bishop should be cut loose by Tony Abbott after accusations she jeopardised national security in claims Aussie intelligence agencies used forged passports, the Government says.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith today demanded Abbott disavow his deputy.
She has broken a long-standing convention, she has put our national security at risk,'' Mr Smith told ABC Radio.
...
Ms Bishop has been accused of jeopardising national security with her claim that Australian intelligence agencies have used forged passports.
...
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/pm-kevin-rudd-slams-julie-bishop-over-passport-forging-claims/story-e6frf7jo-1225871256613
Michael Harvey, Herald Sun, May 26, 2010 12:00AM
JULIE Bishop should be cut loose by Tony Abbott after accusations she jeopardised national security in claims Aussie intelligence agencies used forged passports, the Government says.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith today demanded Abbott disavow his deputy.
She has broken a long-standing convention, she has put our national security at risk,'' Mr Smith told ABC Radio.
...
Ms Bishop has been accused of jeopardising national security with her claim that Australian intelligence agencies have used forged passports.
...
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/pm-kevin-rudd-slams-julie-bishop-over-passport-forging-claims/story-e6frf7jo-1225871256613
...calls out the kettle:
Julie Bishop lashes Snowden on US visit
Summary: Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has lashed out at Edward Snowden, accusing the US intelligence leaker of 'unprecedented treachery' after he unveiled Canberra's efforts to spy on Indonesia.
By AAP | January 23, 2014 -- 00:48 GMT (16:48 PST)
On a visit to Washington, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop praised cooperation with Washington and reserved harsh words for National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden, whose revelations led Indonesia to halt work with Australia to stem people smuggling, a key priority for new conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Shortly before a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, Bishop said that Snowden "continues to shamefully betray his nation while skulking in Russia".
"This represents unprecedented treachery; he is no hero," she added, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday.
...
http://www.zdnet.com/julie-bishop-lashes-snowden-on-us-visit-7000025475/
Summary: Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has lashed out at Edward Snowden, accusing the US intelligence leaker of 'unprecedented treachery' after he unveiled Canberra's efforts to spy on Indonesia.
By AAP | January 23, 2014 -- 00:48 GMT (16:48 PST)
On a visit to Washington, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop praised cooperation with Washington and reserved harsh words for National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden, whose revelations led Indonesia to halt work with Australia to stem people smuggling, a key priority for new conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Shortly before a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, Bishop said that Snowden "continues to shamefully betray his nation while skulking in Russia".
"This represents unprecedented treachery; he is no hero," she added, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday.
...
http://www.zdnet.com/julie-bishop-lashes-snowden-on-us-visit-7000025475/
One should remember that this situation is not about Snowden, it is about the NSA's overreach and the general and possibly continuing acceptance (to at least some extent) of said overreach by all three branches of the US government.
January 18, 2014
I suppose that both waterboarding and warrantless wiretaps start with W - nevertheless, that was both quite a leap and quite a smooth transition.
It was torture that was practiced: it was not merely the euphemistically labeled "enhanced interrogation techniques." "Not looking backwards" is not a sufficient replacement for prosecuting the officials who were involved with committing the crime of torture.
Here is a report from Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/home) which is quite clear on the issue of torture:
Here is a report from The Constitution Project (http://www.constitutionproject.org/) that addresses torture:
Here is the leaked report from the International Red Cross that addresses detainee treatment:
Neither torture nor condoning torture should be allowed to be American values. To that end, Bush et al should be prosecuted.
Whitewashing Torture: President Obama's Jan. 17, 2014 Speech on NSA Reforms
Transcript of President Obamas Jan. 17 speech on NSA reforms
Published: January 17
President Obama delivered the following remarks on changes to National Security Agency programs Jan. 17 at the Justice Department in Washington. Transcript courtesy of Federal News Service.
...
And yet, in our rush to respond to a very real and novel set of threats, the risk of government overreach, the possibility that we lose some of our core liberties in pursuit of security also became more pronounced. We saw in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 our government engage in enhanced interrogation techniques that contradicted our values. As a senator, I was critical of several practices, such as warrantless wiretaps. And all too often new authorities were instituted without adequate public debate.
...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/full-text-of-president-obamas-jan-17-speech-on-nsa-reforms/2014/01/17/fa33590a-7f8c-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html
Published: January 17
President Obama delivered the following remarks on changes to National Security Agency programs Jan. 17 at the Justice Department in Washington. Transcript courtesy of Federal News Service.
...
And yet, in our rush to respond to a very real and novel set of threats, the risk of government overreach, the possibility that we lose some of our core liberties in pursuit of security also became more pronounced. We saw in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 our government engage in enhanced interrogation techniques that contradicted our values. As a senator, I was critical of several practices, such as warrantless wiretaps. And all too often new authorities were instituted without adequate public debate.
...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/full-text-of-president-obamas-jan-17-speech-on-nsa-reforms/2014/01/17/fa33590a-7f8c-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html
I suppose that both waterboarding and warrantless wiretaps start with W - nevertheless, that was both quite a leap and quite a smooth transition.
It was torture that was practiced: it was not merely the euphemistically labeled "enhanced interrogation techniques." "Not looking backwards" is not a sufficient replacement for prosecuting the officials who were involved with committing the crime of torture.
Here is a report from Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/home) which is quite clear on the issue of torture:
Here is a report from The Constitution Project (http://www.constitutionproject.org/) that addresses torture:
Here is the leaked report from the International Red Cross that addresses detainee treatment:
Neither torture nor condoning torture should be allowed to be American values. To that end, Bush et al should be prosecuted.
January 7, 2014
CNN: Because Somewhere A Dog Is Barking
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