ThinkFast: December 18, 2006
ThinkFast: December 18, 2006
Iraq’s schools, “long touted by American officials as a success story,” increasingly are “caught in the crossfire of the country’s escalating civil war.” Across the country, “campuses are being shuttered” as teachers tell of “students kidnapped on their way to school, mortar rounds landing on or near campuses and educators shot in front of children.”
Robert Gates was sworn in this morning as secretary of defense in a private event at the White House, and later will attend a public swearing-in ceremony at the Pentagon. He says he intends to travel to Iraq “very soon.”
Though U.S. employees at Wal-Mart have been blocked from unionizing, “Wal-Mart’s China headquarters have set up a Communist Party branch” after the state-sanctioned labor body successfully set up a union earlier this year.
$5.4 billion: The amount CEO’s from America’s 500 biggest companies earned last year, a 6 percent raise from the previous year. See who the Top 25 earners were here.
Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms kidnapped an estimated 28 people from the Baghdad offices of the Red Crescent humanitarian group on Sunday. Three U.S. soldiers died over the weekend, bringing December’s toll “to at least 57, on pace to surpass the 69 tallied in November.”
Authorities at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility “have clamped down decisively in recent months,” reversing a plan “to ease the conditions under which more than 400 men are imprisoned here, nearly all of them without having been charged.”
“For 20 million years, the white-fin dolphin, or baiji, swam China’s longest river, the Yangtze. But a few years of breakneck development, overfishing and a massive increase in shipping have reduced sightings of this shy, graceful creature to zero.” Scientists believe it is “the first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity.”
“The U.S. Forest Service no longer will give close environmental scrutiny to its long-term plans for America’s national forests and grasslands” or “allow the public to appeal on long-term plans for those forests.”
“Among administration officials, Congress, U.S. allies and other interested and fearful parties, there is a rising sense that Somalia is spinning rapidly out of control.” Al Qaeda has “established itself as a presence in the Somali capital,” and a “major war…looms between Somalia and Ethiopia.”
“High-ranking Democrats set to take control of both chambers are mulling ways to curb” President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program, as “experts say a new Congress’ efforts to limit the program could trigger a constitutional showdown.”
And finally: The news we’ve all been waiting for — why Tucker ditched the bowtie. Tucker Carlson, “host of MSNBC’s Tucker and a brief contestant on Dancing With the Stars, has gone traditional. ‘I ditched the bow tie for the same reason most men make profound life decisions: on a whim,’ he says. ‘After 20 years I was looking for a change, and the bolo tie just didn’t feel right.’”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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How do these “gunmen” keep getting their hands on Iraqi army and police uniforms? And vehicles and weapons and check point signs?
December 18th, 2006 at 9:17 amWell ACCOURSE they’s gonna loosen things up a tad down at the Gitmo there!
Now that them Demmycrats has stolen power through legitimate means, they’s gonna wanna have a looksee fer themselves at what conditions is like fer American’s sworn enemies — even those what says they isn’t.
It’s just like what them Nazis used to do when the Red Cross would go to the prison camps. Everybody gits a new blanket, a fresh loaf of bread, and a nice bandage to cover the serial number tattoo on they forearms.
And maybe this is a good thing. I mean, the Demmycrats goin’ down to Gitmo for a looksee…. with a little luck (and a TESTICLE or two, if you know what I mean) we could kill two birds with one stone and lock ‘em all up together.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:19 am$5.4 billion: The amount CEO’s from America’s 500 biggest companies earned last year, a 6 percent raise from the previous year. See who the Top 25 earners were here.
I’m sure they deserved every cent of it. Why else would they have given themselves a raise?
December 18th, 2006 at 9:24 amWhy should w reduce his unconstitutional activities? After all, he’s the “Decider.” Anyway, now that the Dims are in the majority they seem to be spouting the rethug lines in a seamless transition from what the people voted for to what the people voted against. The fascist tendencies are firmly in place and shouting down any progressive voices.
On the Forest Service: why should we try to take care of our forests? It is just a bunch of trees and some wild animals that would eat the expensive plants of home owners. Just let things go and these things will take care of themselves.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:25 amA 29-y-o Chicagoan went to Iraq as a security contractor; reported under cover to the FBI, was arrested by American military and held in prison in Iraq for months. His story is in the NYT.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:27 amWestinghouse is going to be awarded $8 million in contracts to build nuclear technology power plants in China.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:28 amGood Morning all, Just another day in bull shit bizarro world…A country song I heard a few year’s ago seem’s appropiate this morning…”I wish I didn’t know now, what I didn’t know then”…In my case I would have to add, I wish the war had never happened so I woulden’t be hearing of the losses now….Will we get past all this, I sure hope so…Will we the people be able to take back America, again I hope so…..Blessings…Impeach….Then Peace
December 18th, 2006 at 9:29 am#5 should be $8 Billion
December 18th, 2006 at 9:30 am“High-ranking Democrats set to take control of both chambers are mulling ways to curb†President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program. . .
When you require someone to get a warrant even after they’ve already done the wiretapping, it sounds foolish to claim that it’s too much of a burden in the war on Terra.
I guess that the people who are all for the right for the President to wiretapp anyone in America for any reason at all won’t mind a Democratic President having the same powers.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:31 amThough U.S. employees at Wal-Mart have been blocked from unionizing, “Wal-Mart’s China headquarters have set up a Communist Party branch†after the state-sanctioned labor body successfully set up a union earlier this year.
Must have forgotten to pay off the party leaders.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:36 amThose CEO’s make that money while laying off regular workers under the guise of cutting costs. I don’t know how they sleep at night.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:49 amBush will veto any bill Congress passes to curb the domestic spying program. If Congress overrides his veto, he will simply do a “signing statement” stating he will use his own judgement on this issue. If it ever gets to the Supreme Court, and if they were to rule against his actions as unconstitutional, he would ignore the ruling. There is only ONE thing that will stop this illegal behavior (and the rest of the dictatorial powers he’s claimed) and that is IMPEACHMENT. But, as my screen name indicates, it is important to impeach Cheney either first or at the same time. We DO NOT need a President Cheney either.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:51 amMarie-#5, Yes. I read the story earlier today on NYT. I hope his suit against Rumsfeld prevails. Again, I am so ashamed of our country. This must get heavy media play today.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:54 am#11 PoliticalCritic
Those CEO’s make that money while laying off regular workers under the guise of cutting costs. I don’t know how they sleep at night.
They don’t sleep at night. They’re out flying around, looking for more hosts. Blood-sucking bastards.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:55 amIt’s misleading to claim that Wal-Mart employees in the US have been “blocked” from forming a union. It’s more accurate to say that in each Wal-Mart location, a majority of employees have voted not to join a union.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:55 am#12 – “We DO NOT need a President Cheney either.”
Comment by impeachcheneythenbush — December 18, 2006 @ 9:51 am
Actually, I disagree. How else can we shove the face of the voters into the mess they voted into office than to put VPres. Cheney in the “big seat”?
With the approval of VPres. Cheney in the teens, and his disapproval in the 70’s, if he was President, even for a very short time, it would just about ensure that the voters would return the White House to the Democrats in 2008.
Maybe sooner if he were impeached before he selected a VPres! ;-)
December 18th, 2006 at 9:58 amI don’t know how they sleep at night.
Comment by PoliticalCritic
On fluffy piles of money.
December 18th, 2006 at 9:59 amthe first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity.
They’re not extinct, they just know the Vogons are coming I got a text message to this extent the other day “So long and thanks for the fish”
‘After 20 years I was looking for a change, and the bolo tie just didn’t feel right.’â€
December 18th, 2006 at 10:00 amBolo Tie != Bow Tie
It’s more accurate to say that in each Wal-Mart location, a majority of employees have voted not to join a union.
Comment by RJ
Under threat of being fired. But that’s the Walmart….I mean…American way.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:01 amIran to replace dollar with euro
The Iranian central bank is to convert the state’s foreign dollar assets into euros and use the euro for foreign transactions.
“The government has ordered the central bank to replace the dollar with the euro to limit the problems of the executive organs in commercial transactions,” said Gholam Hossein Elham, a government spokesman, on
Monday.
THIS IS IT FOLKS A WELL DESERVED DOWNFALL OF THE US ECONOMY …….. and could not happen to a nicer nation of raping murdering oil thiefs
December 18th, 2006 at 10:02 am#15 – “It’s more accurate to say that in each Wal-Mart location, a majority of employees have voted not to join a union. ”
Comment by RJ — December 18, 2006 @ 9:55 am
Actually, it’s most accurate to say that Wal-Mart has employeed anti-union activities. In Texas, a group of Wal-Mart employees voted to form a union. The next month, Wal-Mart disolved their working group and out-sourced the job.
In Canada, they made all the employees attend a meeting in which they played a show that talked about how unions take your money and you get crap jobs and the companies eventually close.
Wal-Mart has gone down-hill ever since Sam died. His children only have dollar signs in their eyes. They don’t care about the employees like their father did.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:02 amPelosi should be reminded that officeholders take an oath to preserve and defend the U.S. Constitution. In so doing, it is the responsibility of a Member of Congress to oversee that the document crafted by our Founding Fathers is not shredded in the interest of political expediency.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:05 amBill Hare
Todays News
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Gunmen in Iraqi army uniforms burst into Red Crescent offices on Sunday and kidnapped more than two dozen people at the humanitarian organization in the latest sign of the country’s growing lawlessness.
Yesterdays Reporting ( Suspicious yes?)
Iraqi Red Crescent cites U.S. forces as ‘main problem’ for its work
GENEVA (AP) — Harassment from U.S. forces is a greater threat to the work of the Iraqi Red Crescent than insurgent attacks, a senior official of the Red Cross-linked humanitarian organization said Friday.
Dr. Jamal Al-Karbouli, vice president of the Iraqi Red Crescent, said some U.S. forces appeared not to realize that the society, which uses as its symbol the Muslim red crescent instead of the red cross, was part of the international humanitarian movement.
“The main problem we are facing is the American forces more than the other forces,†Al-Karbouli told reporters in Geneva. “We are spending a lot of time to explain about the Red Crescent.â€
Al-Karbouli said insurgent groups in Iraq did not pose as great a problem for the organization.
“The insurgents, they are Iraqis, a lot of them are Iraqis, and they respect the Iraqis. And they respect our (the Red Crescent’s) identity, which is neutrality.â€
He also complained that Red Crescent offices in Baghdad, Anbar and Najaf provinces had been repeatedly “attacked†by U.S.-led multi-national forces searching for insurgents.
“We have flags, we have everything, we have (the) logo, so they (U.S. forces) know everything, but unfortunately they come again and attack us many times,†Al-Karbouli said. He complained that U.S. forces broke doors and windows at the Red Crescent headquarters “and they didn’t find anything, and they left.â€
December 18th, 2006 at 10:06 amVice President Dick Cheney’s New Battle plans for IRAQ
We shall call it the Darwin Principle.
The Darwin Principle, Beltway version, basically says that Washington should stop trying to get Sunnis and Shiites to get along and instead just back the Shiites, since there are more of them anyway and they’re likely to win in a fight to the death. After all, the proposal goes, Iraq is 65 percent Shiite and only 20 percent Sunni.
Sorry, Sunnis.
Darwin? Try Machiavelli. An even more far-fetched offshoot of the Darwin Principle is floating around, which some hawks have tossed out in meetings, although not seriously, one administration official said. It holds that America could actually hurt Iran by backing Iraq’s Shiites; that could deepen the Shiite-Sunni split and eventually lead to a regional Shiite-Sunni war. And in that, the Shiites — and Iran — lose because, while there are more Shiites than Sunnis in Iraq and Iran, there are more Sunnis than Shiites almost everywhere else.
Wow.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:08 amFor 20 million years, the white-fin dolphin, or baiji, swam China’s longest river, the Yangtze. But a few years of breakneck development, overfishing and a massive increase in shipping have reduced sightings of this shy, graceful creature to zero.†Scientists believe it is “the first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity.â€
20 million years of peaceful life, and within a blink of an eye, gone to practically zero. Am I the only one who finds it incredible that a dolphin lives in a fresh water river?
December 18th, 2006 at 10:11 am#
Marie-#5, Yes. I read the story earlier today on NYT. I hope his suit against Rumsfeld prevails. Again, I am so ashamed of our country. This must get heavy media play today.
Comment by leftcoast — December 18, 2006 @ 9:54 am
Here’s the link to this story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/world/middleeast/18justice.html?ei=5094&en=75f8d6f0ce303868&hp=&ex=1166504400&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print
December 18th, 2006 at 10:11 amRJ sez:
You’re joking, right?
First of all, most employees have ‘voted not to join a union’ only because of the constant threats, intimidation, and coercion employed by Wal-Mart management to insure that unions can never even be discussed, much less considered. The interior of every Wal-Mart is littered with audio bugs. What purpose do these bugs serve? To thwart shoplifting? There are plenty of cameras around to accomplish that, and microphones are not an effective way to surveil customers. They are, however, an effective way to surveil employees. Wal-Mart employees have been fired for merely mentioning the word union within range of the microphones.
Also, your claim that ‘ in each Wal-Mart location, a majority of employees have voted not to join a union’ is false. A majority of meat-cutters in Jacksonville, Texas decided to join a union, despite all the usual strong-arm tactics employed by Wal-Mart management (including flying in a team of six union busters from corporate headquarters to spy on and intimidate workers).
Wal-Mart’s response was to send a message to every ‘associate’ who was foolish enough to consider joining a union – within two weeks Wal-Mart announced that they would be closing the meat cutting departments and eliminating every meat cutting job in every Wal-Mart store by selling prepackaged meat instead.
So in conclusion, please don’t try to tell us that the absence of union representation in Wal-Mart stores is by the choice of the workers, because that is a pernicious lie.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:12 am#15 RJ
It’s misleading to claim that Wal-Mart employees in the US have been “blocked†from forming a union. It’s more accurate to say that in each Wal-Mart location, a majority of employees have voted not to join a union.
According to walmartwatch.com: “In 2000, Wal-Mart closed its company-wide meat-cutting division after ten butchers in Texas voted to unionize their shop. Wal-Mart closed a profitable Canadian store in 2004 after employees chose union representation.”
Fromn Supermarket News: “PALESTINE, Texas — Results of a vote to organize by meat and seafood workers at a Wal-Mart Supercenter here last week were impounded pending a National Labor Relations Board decision because of an objection to the vote by Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark.”
From union-network.org: ” Wal-Mart’s union busting operator named by US authorities for illegally threatening workers
“Stacking the vote when workers decide on union recognition is just one of the ways that Arkansas based retail giant Wal-Mart wants to keep UNI Commerce affiliate UFCW out of its workplaces. The reasons are clear: Wal-Mart wants to continue to pay sub-standard wages and deny workers proper medical insurance.
“Union busting operatives fly out from the Bentonville headquarters whenever there are signs of trade union activity in a store. And they do not just come there to talk with workers. Intimidation, pressure and threats are the agenda. In twenty-five US states, the company has had to face legal complaints about violations of workers’ rights.
“Systematic union busting in South Carolina
“Wal-Mart’s war on its workers claimed its latest victims in Aiken, South Carolina where the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is prosecuting Wal-Mart for waging an illegal, systematic union-busting campaign against workers. The NLRB is also charging Wal-Mart for violations of federal law in Palestine and Jacksonville, Texas.
“In Aiken, South Carolina, a corporate union buster from Wal-Mart’s Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters, Kirk Williams, is named for illegally threatening workers in an attempt to undermine workers’ efforts to organize a union. This is the third time the NLRB has named Mr. Williams for illegal anti-worker activities around the country.
“The Board also charged that Wal-Mart illegally denied several workers their right to have co-workers witness any interviews with managers. Among other things, workers were told that the right to a witness, known in labor law as an employee’s “Weingarten rights,” “did not hold water at [Wal-Mart],” even though two Circuit Courts of Appeal have upheld the right.
“This right to a witness is especially important to Wal-Mart workers because a common company practice is to surround employees in disciplinary interviews with an intimidating group of managers.”
http://www.union-network.org/unisite/Sectors/Commerce/Multinationals/Wal-Mart_union_busting_operator_named_for_threatening_workers.htmv
December 18th, 2006 at 10:16 amRobert Gates was sworn in this morning as secretary of defense in a private event at the White House, and later will attend a public swearing-in ceremony
December 18th, 2006 at 10:19 amHow soon until the swearing at ceremony is held in the Oval Office?
I can’t wait to see a “constitutional showdown” and watch the chymp bring a butter knife to this gunfight.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:21 amTHIS IS IT FOLKS A WELL DESERVED DOWNFALL OF THE US ECONOMY …….. and could not happen to a nicer nation of raping murdering oil thiefs
Comment by Tobey Tall — December 18, 2006 @ 10:02 am
I assume that the foreign currency also includes the Pound. Since you’re a Brit, I then assume this will impact your country as well.
Regarding the Red Crescent story, yes I agree that Sunday’s kidnappings are suspicious, particularly following the report of the harrassment by the U.S. military.
Tobey, I can accept your criticism of the U.S. government (I share many of your viewpoints); however, I cannot understand why you are so quick to condemn the American people as a whole. And furthermore, I can’t recall ever seeing you criticize your own government’s complicity in Iraq.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:22 amthe first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity.
Not entirely accurate, the Stellar’s Sea Cow is believed to have become extinct due to human activity, but it has not garnered as much notice.
For more info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar%27s_Sea_Cow
December 18th, 2006 at 10:22 amcomparing a union in China to one in the US is, mm, ridiculous. apples. oranges. etc. Communist party unions are just another tool the party uses to stick its nose in people’s business, monitoring for dissent and whatnot. it is a repressive dictatorship after all, and its probably wary of a giant american retailer on its turf, WTO obligations aside. still, wal-mart would have had endless bureacratic problems had it not made this move, and allowing the union was basically an understood condition of entry. so yea, the point of this rambling is that the “walmart allows unions in China but not here!” argument, well, misses the point.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:41 amIt took Tucker Carlson 20 years to arrive at the conclusion the bowtie was stupid. Almost impossible to teach a conservative any new tricks, unless it involves making more money.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:45 am“High-ranking Democrats set to take control of both chambers are mulling ways to curb President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program. . .”
Just impeach the SOB and the problem will go away. Remember the remedy to the problem of getting Mohammad to the mountain. If they can’t curb Bush’s program they sure as hell can curb Bush.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:45 amGive those CEO’s a break, if it weren’t for them….. Well, I’m not sure what they have done.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:46 amComment by impeachcheneythenbush — December 18, 2006 @ 9:51 am
There is another way. See: Tecumseh’s Curse.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:50 amTHIS IS IT FOLKS A WELL DESERVED DOWNFALL OF THE US ECONOMY …….. and could not happen to a nicer nation of raping murdering oil thiefs
Comment by Tobey Tall — December 18, 2006 @ 10:02 am
As in any country, including Britain, there are many people who don’t necessarily support the actions of their governments. In the US, a majority of people have rejected the Bush foreign and domestic policies. But because our electoral system is broken, most of us, even united, can do no more than deflect the tide of consistently ugly policy generated by the major parties.
Generalizing about a people based on the actions of a a relative few is the kind of crap that gets us in messes like this.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:59 amI noticed that Tucker lost his bow tie shortly after Jon Stewart’s appearance on his show. Jon basically called it a prop for Tucker’s image.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:01 amThanks Tobey for the words of encouragement and support. I couldn’t have made it through the day without your affirmations.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:04 am“The U.S. Forest Service no longer will give close environmental scrutiny to its long-term plans for America’s national forests and grasslands†or “allow the public to appeal on long-term plans for those forests.â€
In Breaking News today, the US Forest Service submitted its resignation…
December 18th, 2006 at 11:12 am“High-ranking Democrats set to take control of both chambers are mulling ways to curb†President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program, as “experts say a new Congress’ efforts to limit the program could trigger a constitutional showdown.â€
Full steam ahead, Democrats. It’s way past time for a constitutional showdown.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:17 am‘I ditched the bow tie for the same reason most men make profound life decisions: on a whim,’ he says. ‘After 20 years I was looking for a change, and the bolo tie just didn’t feel right.’â€
Just as I thought, Tucker’s neck got too fat for the bow tie. Bolo tie? He considered the bolo? That would have been good…
December 18th, 2006 at 11:18 amRegarding the Iranian switch to Euros”
I find this fascinating. The Iraqi switch to Euros precipitated Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Now, the U.S. has essentially forced Iran to switch to Euros, and Bush is planning on increasing the size of ground forces in Iraq.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:22 amI recall before the election there were stories about how Bush would counter a Democrat-controlled Congress through the use of Administrative Agencies.
On the other hand, this is an excellent example of how to downsize the Federal Government. The timber lobby is quite pleased with this shift. Once they clear cut the National Forests, there won’t be a need for a National Forest service. Just think of all the taxpayer dollars we’ll save! That money can now go to fund the War effort.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:29 am“The U.S. Forest Service no longer will give close environmental scrutiny to its long-term plans for America’s national forests and grasslands†or “allow the public to appeal on long-term plans for those forests.â€
From the linked article:
The timber industry supports the new policy. Chris West, the vice president of the American Forest Resource Council, a trade group in 12 Western states, called it overdue.
\
Supports the new policy? Hell, they probably wrote it!
December 18th, 2006 at 11:29 am“For 20 million years, the white-fin dolphin, or baiji, swam China’s longest river, the Yangtze. But a few years of breakneck development, overfishing and a massive increase in shipping have reduced sightings of this shy, graceful creature to zero.†Scientists believe it is “the first big aquatic mammal to become extinct due to human activity.â€
This is the place humans have created for ourselves — Destroyers.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:30 amThat money can now go to fund the War effort.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire
Oy, I feel faint. Don’t you have school, or something…?
December 18th, 2006 at 11:32 amBNF – Not to mention the asphalt and concrete lobby, as they pave over the national forests…
December 18th, 2006 at 11:35 amAnd furthermore, I can’t recall ever seeing you criticize your own government’s complicity in Iraq.
Comment by impeachcheneythenbush
Although I agree with you, would Tobey´s acceptance of Britain´s participation in this illegal war make US crimes seem less?
December 18th, 2006 at 11:50 am“[Gates] says he intends to travel to Iraq ‘very soon’.”
Something tells me this is going to be yet another one of those super duper secret surprise visits.
December 18th, 2006 at 11:53 amBut because our electoral system is broken, most of us, even united, can do no more than deflect the tide of consistently ugly policy generated by the major parties.
Comment by gogreen
I disagree. 3 million people marching on a daily basis shut down french government´s plan for a labor program favoring companies instead of students and that had nothing to do with electoral systems. The thing is that, IMO, US middle class is closer to bourgeoisie while EU middle class is way too much aware of its political and social environment.
December 18th, 2006 at 12:02 pm#
And furthermore, I can’t recall ever seeing you criticize your own government’s complicity in Iraq.
Comment by impeachcheneythenbush
Although I agree with you, would Tobey´s acceptance of Britain´s participation in this illegal war make US crimes seem less?
Comment by Juan C — December 18, 2006 @ 11:50 am
No, it would not. But as Americans must accept responsibliity for what our government has done “in our name”, then Tobey also should accept that responsibliity for his own government. Otherwise, it’s the “pot calling the kettle black” and is hyprocritical.
December 18th, 2006 at 12:19 pmimpeachcheneythenbush – I should not tar all persons of the USA with the same brush as Bush But thats what happens when idiots get elected to run a country – And yes I slag Blair off on the gaurdian comments page BIG TIME……..
December 18th, 2006 at 1:04 pmDecember 19 – Tuesday – is the date that the Tripoli Six will be read their sham retrial verdicts, which may lead to capital punishment. These five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian physician are charged with deliberately infecting 400 children with the AIDS virus. Hundreds of scientists have refuted the charges, have proven without a doubt from DNA analysis of the children that the strains of HIV were present prior to the arrival of the relief workers into Libya, and have written letters of protest.
The American Nurses Association has an excellent Action page.
Please click on the link, follow the action items and send this to as wide an audience over the internet as you can. One day – six medical relief workers’ last days.
An abomination which is entirely avoidable if you act now, ride like Paul Revere and sound the alarm.
Help them – for all humanity!
December 18th, 2006 at 1:31 pmA sample of recent newspaper articles about New Orleans’ excruciating recovery from Katrina.
RAISING THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION
The levee system’s most glaring flaws will soon be fixed, but other major projects could take years to complete
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1165132307243860.xml&coll=1
The Corps of Engineers has been working on the Louisiana Gulf Coast and in the Mississippi River Valley for more than 200 years, and they still cannot define the crticial level of protection for flood control facilities and homes.
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/history/index.asp
New Orleans to Raze Public Housing
Many Units Closed Since Katrina to Be Demolished, Despite Protests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120701482.html
Most of these public housing buildings are closed even to residents, whose personal property remains locked-up inside.
Recovery company dismissal sought
House, Senate pass separate resolutions
http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/library-117/116625180810140.xml?ZZLIBB&coll=1
The company hired by the state to distribute recovery money has invoiced 100 times as much as it has distributed.
UNHAPPY ENDINGS
December 18th, 2006 at 2:24 pmSome of Road Home’s final letters are sending shock waves
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1166080448139300.xml&coll=1
Tomorrow the Tripoli Six – 5 Bulgarian nurses and a Palestianian physician, are scheduled to be sentenced to death in Libya. They were charged with deliberately infecting 400 Libyan children with the AIDS virus. They have been imprisoned and tortured since 1999. The accusations have been definitely disproven my teams of schientists who proved that the virus was present in the children prior to the arrival of these relief workers.
The American Nurses Association and the International Council of Nurses have an action page up. Please visit and ACT TODAY! Because this is the last day of life for these innocent victims if they aren’t pardoned and released today!
Help!
December 18th, 2006 at 3:15 pm#21
Sam Walton was no fan of unions.
“Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton was deeply anti-union. In his autobiography he boasted that “we’ve never lost a union organising election†at Wal-Mart.”
http://www.nosweat.org.uk/node/32
December 18th, 2006 at 4:32 pm#59 – Tracy, the way that Sam kept people from going union was working with them to give them more than they would have gotten otherwise. Sam’s way was “Why use the Unions to negotiate with me, why not do it directly?” Sam’s way worked.
Now, they work to make the employees afraid of going union. The new way: “Voting for Unions means we have to let you go.”
December 18th, 2006 at 5:43 pm