Civil Liberties

Renee Guillory

Renee Guillory — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:50:36 -0800

kriselda jarnsaxa

kriselda jarnsaxa — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:37:16 -0700

I'm a married Heathen who lives in Kansas. We have no children (by choice), but 2 dogs and a cat we spoil like crazy. I've been disabled for several years and am homebound, so I keep myself busy reading, writing and playing online role playing games. Music is also very important to me, and when my wrist isn't screwed up, I play guitar (intermediate level). Politically I'm something of a moderate liberal, and have an interest in studying political scandals. I read a lot about conspiracy theories - not because I buy into them, but because I like to understand the ideas and hypothesizes behind them so I can better discuss them with people who are still rational :)

Dragon Scorpion

James Blonde — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:09:45 -0700

I'm 32 years old. Grew up and live in a small town in the midwest. Socially I'd probably best be defined as libertarian. I want government to be secular, and out of our personal lives. I don't believe government should be peddling in morals, like censoring what sort of material is appropriate for public consumption and what isn't. I oppose efforts to "nudge" people into doing what is deemed "best" for them, like levying high taxes on tobacco, alcohol, "junk food". I oppose most anti-abortion legislation, though personally I have ethical qualms about the procedure and would like to see it rare but safe. I support same-sex marriage. And while some would call this "liberal", I see it as a basic civil liberties issue.

Fiscally, I consider myself moderate; elements of both liberalism and conservatism. I oppose so-called "free trade" and promote fair trade instead. I believe in protecting American jobs, both from illegal immigration and from outsourcing. I believe government has a role and duty to ensure the safety and welfare of its people, through sensible regulation, worker's rights (including living wages, right to collective bargaining), basic services, and reasonable safety nets. Conservatively, I also believe in balanced budgets and pay-as-you-go government.

The "Tipping Point" and "Critical Mass" Are We There Yet?

Timothy Gatto — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:11:29 -0700

Just how many issues are facing “critical mass” while lingering at the “tipping point”? The way I see it, the volume of critically important decisions that must be made, and made soon, dwarfs any other period I have seen in my lifetime. The facts are that issues, problems and crisis are merging together to make a perfect storm that will affect the entire human race, sparing no one. While this may appear to be frightening to many, because of the threats that these issues pose to humanity, they cannot be ignored, and not dealing with these problems is no longer an option. These issues threaten our very existence as a species.

Just what are these issues that are such a threat to mankind’s continued existence? While many people and governments attempt to remain blithely ignorant of the situation, global climate change threatens to destroy upwards to half of all species of life on this planet. The irresponsible behavior of mankind towards the Earth is criminal in nature. The Amazon rain forest, which supplies twenty percent of the planets oxygen as well as removing nearly the same amount of carbon dioxide, is being destroyed at a rate which translates to an area the size of Belgium, being destroyed yearly. The Amazon rainforest which can be likened to the lungs of our planet can never be replaced. The discharge of fresh water from the mouth of this largest of rivers, makes up twenty percent of the fresh water discharged into the oceans. In fact, one minute of fresh water discharge from the Amazon into the Atlantic could provide New York City with its entire water needs for sixty years. The habitat of plants that haven’t yet been discovered, plants that could contain medicinal properties and cure disease, are being destroyed before scientists can evaluate their properties and possible uses. Once a species is gone from the Earth, it is gone forever. In this regard, there is no second chance.

There is another area in which the future of the United States, existing as a representative democracy, is in jeopardy. The number of American citizens that believe our constitution is being dismantled piece by piece, are growing at just about the same speed as the disassembly of certain laws that protect our freedom as expressed in the Bill of Rights. The United States is rapidly becoming a police state under the premise of this “Global War on Terrorism”. Terrorism and terrorists have existed since the dawn of time, and unfortunately, will continue to exist in one form or another until the curtain is drawn on our species. The United States of America has become a nation ruled by a group of paranoid fanatics that use the threats of terrorism and violence to invoke an external threat to its citizens in order to maintain compliance, to wage wars of aggression, under the guise of “protecting the homeland”.

The situation, in which we find ourselves, on its surface, resembles the war we fought in Vietnam. While the two wars have certain parallels, the facts underlying the circumstances are very different. During the Vietnam War, the US had more than a million soldiers on active duty. We conscripted soldiers and had a ready supply of replacements. We also were constrained by a powerful alliance of nuclear nations that supported our enemy. Toward the close of the war we had an organized resistance that opposed the war, and also a more independent media that did not “spin” the news as much as the corporate controlled media of today, which is largely owned by mammoth defense industries such as GE and Westinghouse, does. The media of the Vietnam era had a variety of owners, unlike the media conglomerates which now are owned and operated by a handful of corporate players that have a vested interest in prolonging this war, along with the huge defense industry contracts that produce record profits.

The Vietnam War was also very different than the wars we are fighting today in the Middle-East, in that the North Vietnamese were unified. The situation in Iraq is very different in that the Iraqi’s are largely split among sectarian lines. Civil war is a definite possibility, if in fact, it is not occurring now. The costs of this war, and the ramifications of continuing it, are staggering. We have spent, according to some sources, almost a trillion dollars that continues to be financed by borrowing from Japan, China and other nations. Our economy is headed south and we continue to add massive debt we owe to these nations. We see the dollar losing value as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates and add to the money supply, causing inflation. Meanwhile, the politicians in Washington are hardly addressing these issues, and they get a free pass from the corporate media whose owners have a vested interest in prolonging this war indefinitely for the sake of the bottom line.

Journalists and political activists have recently used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to expose this administration’s sanctioning of torture while interrogating prisoners. President Bush, along with Rumsfeld, Rice and Cheney, have been exposed for authorizing harsh interrogation practices that are in violation of both domestic and international law, including the Geneva Conventions. While the administration is being exposed as lawbreakers, Congress and law enforcement agencies, most notably the FBI, do nothing. Again, this administration is given a free pass on breaking the law. Former military officers working as analysts for the major news networks were exposed last Sunday by The New York Times, for what they were doing. Instead of independent analysis, they were hawking the spin that they were receiving from the Defense Department while they attended meetings and seminars on how to promote the war. While this occurred, the mainstream media kept a low profile when reporting these events.

In light of all that has been discovered in recent weeks, the Democratic candidates are mute. This behavior by the fourth estate and the behavior of the Bush administration bring us to another “tipping point”, another situation that is reaching “critical mass”. How long will we wait before the people breaking the law are brought to some kind of justice? Attorney General Michael Mukasey continues to behave as if he were President Bush’s personal lawyer instead of the chief prosecutor for the people of the United States, much like his predecessors. Meanwhile, many Americans believe that things are spiraling out of control and some feel helpless to do anything about it. When I mention “critical mass”, I am referring to a point in time when the government feels it is under no obligation to explain its actions to the citizens of this nation. Cheney’s response to a question put to him mentioning that the majority of Americans do not support the war in Iraq, he responded with the word “So?” That off-hand remark spoke volumes on the mindset of this administration.

Global warming, the wars in the Middle-East, the corporate and governmental interference and censorship of our news media, along with draconian measures such as the illegal wire tapping of American citizens and laws such as The Patriot Act, The Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the John Warner Defense Bill (that dismantles Posse Comitatus and allows the National Guards of any State to be used as law-enforcement), Presidential Directive 51 that allows the executive branch to usurp the powers of Congress and The Supreme Court in the event of an “emergency” declared by the President, the use of torture in interrogations and practices such as “extraordinary rendition” are just a few examples of increasing governmental authority in the name of fighting “The Global War on Terror”. If the past is an indicator of the future in historical terms, we are almost to the point that Germany found itself before Hitler assumed dictatorial powers.

We have, in my opinion, indeed reached the precipice that so many historians, journalists and a number of elected officials have been talking about. The majority of Americans are blissfully unaware that this country is just a micron’s width away from fascism. There will be no announcement or fanfare when we reach that point. It will not be headlined in the newspapers or talked about on television.

As there will be no announcement on embracing fascism, there will also be no one to turn to for help. There will be nobody responding to a concerned citizen’s 911 call. There will be no powerful lobby that will fight for your constitutional rights. We may still have elections to give a semblance of legitimacy for the Federal Government and there may even be “First Amendment Zones” where you can vent your frustration toward an unresponsive government where no one can see or hear you. You will be monitored, and your communications with others will be subject to scrutiny, in the name of fighting a global war on terror. Criminals are increasingly called “terrorists” in order to deprive them of their constitutional rights. A designation of “terrorist” or “terrorist supporter” will mean no rights to representation by a lawyer; no charges need be filed against you and you will not have a right to a swift and speedy trial judged by your peers. You can be held indefinitely and tortured during interrogations and the government does not have to produce incriminating evidence against you.

This scenario is already in place and operating. We torture, kidnap, eavesdrop and censor. There is no next step in the process, everything has already been done. There are no more preparations that need to be done. The elections in many areas still have no paper trail to validate the outcomes. There are two major categories of laws, the ones that must be obeyed by the citizens of this nation, and the ones that the Federal Government can ignore. Have we reached critical mass, the tipping point, the precipice? Will the planet succumb to climate change while the people succumb to fascism? Have we already gone past the point of no return? Can we reign in abuse of the planet and at the same time the excesses of the Federal Government? We can, but it will take a certain amount of commitment and dedication. Those two values are in short supply here in America.

That’s the way I see it.

House refuses to grant immunity for telecomms.

Michael Kwiatkowski — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:35:23 -0700

The U.S. House of Representatives today refused to grant telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for assisting dictator George W. Bush in his illegal spying.

I interrupt this report for a brief rant: I really wish Reuters and other news agencies would cease using the word 'defy' and its derivatives when reporting about stories such as this. Congress is the legislative body, and the branches of government are supposed to be co-equal. Congress cannot, according to the Constitution, defy the executive branch because it is not subservient to it.

I now return to the story at hand.

But the 213-197 vote was far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised veto by Bush. He has demanded that any telecommunication company that participated in his warrantless domestic spying program secretly begun after the September 11 attacks receive retroactive immunity.

As MSNBC reports, 'Because of the promised veto, "this vote has no impact at all," said Republican Whip Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri.'

Republicans falsely accused Democrats of endangering national security by refusing to grant immunity. But their arguments are based on deception; since the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- passed in 1978 and updated in 1994 -- set up a secret court that doles out ninety-nine percent of all warrants applied for, there is no legal block to using the power of the federal government to spy on alleged terrorist communications. It is also unlikely that terrorists would be foolish enough to use telephone and Internet services to pass on information.

Bush's illegal spying on American citizens is motivated, like Richard Nixon's administration, to keep tabs on political enemies and to monitor dissent. If telecommunications companies face prosecution for their role in helping him break the law, they may be more likely to cooperate with investigators to go after members of the White House who ordered the illegal wiretaps. Bush wants to provide immunity in order to take away any incentive for that cooperation, because testimony and evidence is likely to directly implicate him in lawbreaking.

Cross-posted from EENR

David Drissel

David Drissel — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:32:37 -0800

I am professor of social sciences at Iowa Central Community College with over sixteen years of teaching experience. I served as department chair of social sciences, education and psychology, and physical education at Iowa Central from 1995 to 2001 and have been a faculty member since that time.

I completed by bachelor's degree in political science and sociology at the University of North Alabama and my master's degree in political science and history at Auburn University.

I studied abroad in China (as a Fulbright Scholar), Czech/Slovak Republics (as a Fulbright Scholar), United Kingdom (as an Oxford Roundtable participant), Costa Rica, Germany, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Hong Kong, and several other countries.

I have presented papers at numerous academic conferences and published articles in academic journals and periodicals such as the Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Asian Journal of Criminology, International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, and the International Journal of Diversity, Midwest Connections for International/Intercultural Education.

In addition to teaching full-time time at Iowa Central, I am working on a doctorate degree part-time at Iowa State University. I have a strong interest in American and global politics and often volunteer my time in support of progressive causes and candidates for public office.

Ian Mishalove

Ian Mishalove — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:39:32 -0800

I'm currently the Director for Online Communications at the Campaign for America’s Future, where I've been since July 2004. Prior to CAF, I worked for seven years at the National Wildlife Federation, first as their webmaster and then as their technical director for activist development. I received an M.E.S from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a BA from Princeton University -- and in both places focused research on how to empower progressive social movement networks -- esp. through online technology. Outside of computers and activism, I co-own and help to run Flow Yoga Center with my beautiful wife Debra, play the bass, enjoy mes animeaux -- Carmen, Maggie and Maxie -- and try to spend as much time as possible playing outdoors.

melindaegibson

Melinda Gibson — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:47:58 -0800

I am the Health Care Policy Analyst/ Organizer for the Campaign for America's Future. I was born and raised in Southern California. I began working on progressive causes as a teenager in the environmental movement. I was introduced to grassroots organizing by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), and fell in love with the progressive activist lifestyle. I also worked on Moveon.org's Leave no Voter Behind Campaign for the 2004 Presidential Election in Cincinnati, Ohio.

ebarson

Emily Barson — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:53:07 -0800

I am the Events Manager at the Campaign for America's Future, where I have the exciting and crazy job of organizing the Take Back America conference. I arrived at CAF after living on the road on various campaigns, including Howard Dean's presidential primary campaign in New Hampshire. My time in DC began at the George Washington University, where I studied Political Communication and Judaic Studies.

CarterAMC

Alex Carter — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:41:53 -0800

Alex Carter is a Policy Research Associate at Campaign for America's Future. Prior to joining CAF, he was a master of arts student at the University of Iowa in the Department of African-American World Studies and completed his thesis The Struggle and Repression of the Black Panther Party of Des Moines, Iowa in 2006. Currently, he is an active participant in community activism and uplift through Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated and various community based programs. A native son of Washington, D.C.; Alex Carter plans to focus his strength and dedication to uplifting the city.