It's just one more step in the formalization of dictatorship. Loard help us all.
robert and benita wrote: > Hello everyone! > > I started reading Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine," and it's > making me mad! Then, I stumbled across THIS article: > > http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport/2008/01/pr20080130 > > I February 2008 by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt > Corley, Ali Frick, and Benjamin Armbruster > ADMINISTRATION > > > Bush Issues New Imperial Decree > > Earlier this week, President Bush signed > <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080128-10.html> the > National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which included a statute > forbidding the Bush administration from spending taxpayer money "to > establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing > for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/>." > > But Bush quietly attached a signing statement to the law, asserting a > unilateral right to disregard the ban on permanent bases in addition to > three other measures in the bill. "Provisions of the act...could inhibit > the president's ability to carry out his constitutional obligations > <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080128-10.html>...to > protect national security," the signing statement read. Reacting to the > statement, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Mark Agrast said, > "On the merits, for the president to assert that Congress lacks the > authority to say there shouldn't be permanent bases on foreign soil is > fanciful at best > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html>." Bush's > "frequent use of signing statements to advance aggressive theories of > executive power > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/?page=2> > > has been a hallmark of his presidency," writes the Boston Globe's > Charlie Savage, who has authored a book > <http://www.amazon.com/Takeover-Imperial-Presidency-Subversion-Democracy/dp/0316118044> > > on that topic. In 2006, the American Bar Association condemned signing > statements as "contrary to the rule of law > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/?page=2> > > and our constitutional separation of powers." Bush's latest signing > statement was immediately met with anger on Capitol Hill. "I reject the > notion in his signing statement that he can pick and choose > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act/> > > which provisions of this law to execute," said House Speaker Nancy > Pelosi (D-CA). Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) added, "Congress has a right to > expect that the Administration will faithfully implement all of the > provisions" of the law -- "not just the ones the President happens to > agree with > <http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48741747_floor-statement-senator-carl-levin-bushs-signing-s>." > > > > THE POWER TO STAY IN IRAQ FOREVER: Last November, Bush announced that he > and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had signed a "Declaration of > Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship > <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/11/20071126-11.html>" that > set the parameters for negotiating an "enduring > <http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport/2007/11/pr20071129>" > U.S. occupation of Iraq. The negotiations have drawn fire in part > because the administration said it does not intend to designate > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act?mode=PF> > > the declaration as a "treaty," and so will not submit it to Congress for > approval. Bush's attempt to waive the ban > <http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/29/signing-statement-iraq/> on > permanent bases is seen as one more step in the direction of > establishing a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq. "If Bush is allowed to > negotiate a treaty with Iraq that binds the United States under > international law, the next president will be handcuffed > <http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0129-09.htm>," said John Isaacs, > Executive Director of the Council for a Livable World. The Guardian > notes that permanent bases "are broadly unpopular > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html> with Iraqis, > who have voiced fears of an ongoing U.S. occupation." Rep. Lynn Woolsey > (D-CA), who has led the push to prevent permanent bases, explained that > Bush's statement is "sending a dangerous signal to the people of Iraq > that the U.S. has a long-term interest in occupying their country, a > move that will only enflame the insurgency > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html>." Speaking on > the Senate floor yesterday, Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) said that > while administration officials frequently state that they do not intend > <http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080124/pl_afp/usiraqmilitarybases> to > permanently occupy Iraq, "this signing statement issued by the President > is the clearest signal yet > <http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/29/casey-blasts-bushs-iraq-signing-statement/> > > that the Administration wants to hold this option in reserve." > > THE POWER TO PROTECT CONTRACTORS: Among the other provisions in the > Defense Authorization Act that Bush asserted an unfounded right to > ignore were two accountability measures aimed at private security firms > accused of wartime abuses. One of these provisions > <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.1825:> would establish an > independent, bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting. The > Pentagon's inspector general, whose office conducts internal > investigations, endorsed the commission's proposal, telling lawmakers in > a November meeting, "We're leaning forward in the saddle, we're > committed to this > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html>." Sen. Jon > Tester (D-MT) said, "The idea that the president would stand in the way > of a non-partisan, independent committee to look into waste and fraud by > companies like Blackwater and Halliburton in Iraq is inexcusable and > it's irresponsible, and it ought to ruffle a lot of feathers > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html> across the > country." The other provision > <http://pogoblog.typepad.com/dod_contractor_final.pdf> Bush waived would > extend whistleblower protections to employees of defense > contractors. "The president doesn't have the authority to cancel these > rights," said Tom Devine, legal director at the non-profit Government > Accountability Project, "unless he sends in troops > <http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2248965,00.html> to stop a jury > from hearing whistleblower cases." > > THE POWER TO COVER UP: The fourth and last provision of the law that > Bush sought to ignore was a requirement of the administration to turn > over "any existing intelligence assessment > <http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/01/30/bush_asserts_authority_to_bypass_defense_act?mode=PF>, > > report, estimate or legal opinion" requested by the leaders of the House > and Senate Armed Services committees within 45 days. The New York Times > writes, "Clearly, this violates the power > <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/opinion/30wed1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin> > that Mr. Bush has given himself to cover up an array of illegal and > improper actions, like his decisions to spy on Americans without a > warrant, to torture prisoners in violation of the Geneva Conventions and > to fire United States attorneys apparently for political reasons." > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > What was that I heard about spreading freedom and democracy? > > > robert luis rabello > "The Edge of Justice" > "The Long Journey" > New Adventure for Your Mind > http://www.newadventure.ca > > Ranger Supercharger Project Page > http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/ > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: /pipermail/attachments/20080201/e94555b3/attachment.html > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
