Tuesday, August 21, 2007

THE MOCKRACY DownWithTyranny: "Bush came into office after a Republican recount riot and a partisan Supreme Court coup. Almost the first memorable thing he blurted out when he got to Washington was 'If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator' (Dec. 19, 2000). With these sterling credentials it may have surprised a few people when he decided that his regime's raison d'être was to spread 'democracy'. Something about George Bush and definitions: when he says he wants all sides to get together and hash out a solution, that means he wants everyone to agree with him. When he talks about working 'with Democrats' in a bipartisan manner, he's talking about sellouts who go along with his pinched vision of an authoritarian and dark America, like Joe Lieberman, Henry Cuellar and Harold Ford, not people who stand for Democratic values and ideals. And when Bush talks about 'democracy', he means something like 'friendly to America.' Bush's feeble feints managed to accomplish nothing at all, except bring the U.S. into further international disrepute for hypocrisy. He also got us kicked out a crucial base in Uzbekistan, worsened the already horrific situations in Palestine and Iraq, and caused dictators in Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt to make fun of him." Observer: "A new law swept through Congress by the US government before the summer recess is to give American security agencies unprecedented powers to spy on British citizens without a warrant. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was approved by Congress earlier this month to help the National Security Agency in the fight against terrorism. But it has now emerged that the bill gives the security services powers to intercept all telephone calls, internet traffic and emails made by British citizens across US-based networks." ABCNews: "The Bush administration has agreed to pay $80,000 to a husband and wife who were ejected from a presidential rally because of their anti-Bush T-shirts. The settlement ends a suit brought by a Texas couple and the American Civil Liberties Union, claiming the couple's First Amendment rights were violated when they were arrested and removed from a taxpayer-funded event featuring President Bush because their shirts read 'Love America, Hate Bush' and 'Regime Change Starts at Home'. Jeffery and Nicole Rank refused directions from event staff and law enforcement to cover up their shirts at a July 4, 2004, West Virginia rally featuring President Bush. The pair were arrested, detained and charged with trespassing. The charges were later dismissed. The settlement, in which the government admitted no wrongdoing, came after the disclosure of an allegedly 'sensitive' Presidential Advance Manual, which laid out the White House's meticulous efforts to protect the president and his public image from dissent. 'As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event,' the manual instructs. The government turned over a heavily redacted version of the manual to the ACLU in the course of the lawsuit. The manual is stamped 'SENSITIVE - DO NOT COPY'. Its cover warns readers that 'it is a violation of Federal law to duplicate or reproduce this manual without permission. It is not to be photocopied or released to anyone outside of the Executive Office of the President, White House Military Office or United States Secret Service.' It is currently posted on the ACLU's Web site, and available here. MotherJones: "Jonas Phillips, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, sometimes stands at an Interstate overpass near his workplace and holds a sign that reads Impeach Bush-Cheney. Wednesday morning, he'd been standing there about ten minutes when he was approached by one Russell Crisp of the Asheville Police Department. Crisp asked Phillips how long he intended to stay in his spot, and Philips said not long - he had to be at work shortly. The officer then asked Phillips for his ID. Phillips asked if he had done anything wrong, and Crisp said only that a sergeant was on the way. Sergeant Randy Riddle then appeared, told Phillips to put his sign down and to place his hands behind his back. He then arrested and handcuffed Phillips, and - when asked - informed him that he was in violation of County Ordinance 16-2, and that he was obstructing the sidewalk. Phillips replied that Officer Crisp had witnessed a man walk by him and his sign and could therefore attest that the sidewalk had not been obstructed. Once at the jail, Phillips says he was repeatedly questioned about his memberships in particular groups - Veterans for Peace and the Southeast Convergence for Climate Action. He was then searched, photographed and given a court date. Phillips reports that in Asheville, it is legal to stage a protest on a city sidewalk without a permit. According to his wife, he has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union for help. Also, the police are considering changing the charge to a state violation of endangering motorists. After all, he must be guilty of something." 10:57:58 AM

© Copyright 2008.