Monday, March 21, 2011

Daily Kos: Compiles news coverage of DC protests

Daily Kos: Sanctimonious Sunday: Arrested: "Hundreds of protesters attended the rally and marched around the White House, but the crowd — which included many military veterans — thinned considerably as the U.S. Park Police warned that they'd be arrested if they didn't move. As officers moved in with handcuffs, one protester who clutched the gates outside the White House shouted, 'Don't arrest them! Arrest Obama!' and 'You're arresting veterans, not war criminals!'"

Here is a video of the march that includes some views of our own local vets:

Cost of War: Bombing people costs money - Ezra Klein - The Washington Post

Bombing people costs money - Ezra Klein - The Washington Post: "A Tomahawk Missile cost $569,000 in FY99, so if my calculations are correct, they cost a little over $736,000 today assuming they are the same make and model. The United States fired 110 missiles yesterday, which adds up to a cost of around $81 million. That's twice the size of the annual budget of USIP, which the House of Representatives wants to de-fund, and is about 33 times the amount of money National Public Radio receives in grants each year from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which the House of Representatives also wants to de-fund in the name of austerity measures."

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Cost of War: The Pentagon’s Biggest Boondoggles - Op-Chart - NYTimes.com

Unworkable or unnecessary systems tend to have something in common: their costs are often uncontrollable. A 2009 Government Accountability Office study of 96 major defense acquisition programs found that almost two-thirds of them suffered major cost overruns — 40 percent above contract prices, over all — with average delays of nearly two years. Those overruns totaled close to $300 billion, about the amount of President Bill Clinton’s last full defense budget request a decade ago. Listed below is just a sampling of what systems could be ended without endangering America; indeed, abandoning some of them might actually enhance national security. These cuts would generate only small savings initially — perhaps just several billion this fiscal year, as contracts would have to be wound down. But savings would swiftly rise to more than $50 billion annually thereafter.

And there’s plenty more where these came from.
To see the full chart go to:
The Pentagon’s Biggest Boondoggles - Op-Chart - NYTimes.com

Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Brutalization Of Bradley Manning - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

The Brutalization Of Bradley Manning - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "I find the military's explanation of why they strip Manning naked each night and then require him to stand naked outside his cell every morning ... er, unpersuasive. They've made his bedding suicide proof - why not find some clothing that could do the same - even though there's no evidence he's a real threat to himself. "

This article outlines a number of accounts of Manley's treatment and Andrew describes it somewhat kindly as Sadism. I would call it Torture.

From his lawyer:
The decision to strip PFC Manning of his clothing every night for an indefinite period of time is clearly punitive in nature. There is no mental health justification for the decision. There is no basis in logic for this decision. PFC Manning is under 24 hour surveillance, with guards never being more than a few feet away from his cell. PFC Manning is permitted to have his underwear and clothing during the day, with no apparent concern that he will harm himself during this time period. Moreover, if Brig officials were genuinely concerned about PFC Manning using either his underwear or flip-flops to harm himself (despite the recommendation of the Brig's psychiatrist) they could undoubtedly provide him with clothing that would not, in their view, present a risk of self-harm. Indeed, Brig officials have provided him other items such as tear-resistant blankets and a mattress with a built-in pillow due to their purported concerns.


More links in the article to Glen Greenwald's articles on this disgraceful subject. As Andrew states, Bush torture and lies continue under Obama.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Petition to Support Bradley Manning

f | Latest:
"Ellsberg’s leak of the Pentagon Papers proved our government systematically lied about the war in Vietnam. The WikiLeaks dumps have proved that our government systematically lies about democracy."


Sign the petition: Tell Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to Drop Ridiculous “Aiding the Enemy” Charges Against Bradley Manning