Those were the words of Benjamin Franklin, quoted from the 1787 Constitutional Convention, when a woman asked him what sort of country the new Americans would have. In 2007, the late William F. Buckley, Jr. used those words as the the title of an article which deserves to be read by everyone. In it, Buckley critiques the War in Iraq, going against the grain of the Conservative Movement he helped create. He took a lot of quiet and not-so-quiet flack for this in conservative circles, accused of being old, irrelevant or both. Jeffrey Hart says that Buckley was Right at the End, and I tend to agree.
One almost feels sorry for Buckley and the old guard of the conservatives. They built a powerful movement, but in the process of doing so, they brought people into the fold that would destroy the movement from within. In the end, all it took was one, small group of singularly misguided and criminal people only seven years to bring down all Buckley & Co. had created.
One almost feels sorry for Buckley and the old guard of the conservatives. They built a powerful movement, but in the process of doing so, they brought people into the fold that would destroy the movement from within. In the end, all it took was one, small group of singularly misguided and criminal people only seven years to bring down all Buckley & Co. had created.
Debunking 9/11 conspiracy theories once and for all. Who are you trying to fool? Yourself? Douglas Feith needs his paranoid little head examined. What did Bill do to earn that $15m? Clinton + Drudge = FUDGE. Things aren't getting better in China, and the legacy of the '68 riots lingers. Prevention is better than a cure? Doubt it. Follow the money. Thief does time - at banquet table. A confession, just two hours before Happy Hour.
An interesting read on preservation and the future over at BLDG BLOG, digging up the never-built ruins of the past, and a new Cold War.
According to this clip with Jonathon Turley from Olberman's Countdown show yesterday, Alberto Gonzalez, David Addington, and Jim Haynes, with the authority of their bosses - President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, respectively - all went to Gitmo and observed "enhanced interrogation techniques" and gave the "green light" to the Armed Forces and CIA to go ahead and torture people. That means there are six people who can clearly be prosecuted for War Crimes. They're supposed to protect and uphold the Constitution and International Law instead of subvert it. Where is Congress? They're supposed to protect and uphold the Constitution, too. They work for us. What is their excuse for not doing anything?
Um, don't look now, but... they're watching a TV channel owned by the people? Must be voodoo. Location, location, location! Not good. Typical small business problems. Diesel grows on trees. When did you stop? Grow-a-smile, inc. Cut the ribbon. Gaffes-a-poppin'. Before Clovis?
Where's the building of the day, you ask? Right here - A brief history of Stonehenge, for all you henge lovers out there. And, as a special Friday treat, some beautiful libraries.
Where's the building of the day, you ask? Right here - A brief history of Stonehenge, for all you henge lovers out there. And, as a special Friday treat, some beautiful libraries.
The Spooks were eavesdropping but Congress wasn't paying attention. Conyers questions Mukasey. Karl Rove says that his accuser in Alabama is a "lunatic". This from the man who, when touched on the arm by Sheryl Crow, said "Don't touch me!". Most men would appreciate being touched by Sheryl Crow, so who's the lunatic? Another tragic story out of Iraq, and another Gitmo that you probably didn't know about. Yoo thought torture was a bad idea? The Fed is a hotbed of socialist planning... no, really! Lastly... Elvis lives!
Just woke up! A bad day in Bucharest. It's all so confusing, really. An unknown story? Playing both sides against the middle. Working for two bosses. Swallowing shameless lies. Urban planning issues. A job offer? Old virtues, but something's different.The change we've tried to hide. Your tax dollars at work. Act forcefully. Don't say a word. Yoo too can have a Monica makeover. But then again, nobody's perfect. Gazing at Fuji-san is good for you... Finally, here's something that's worth every penny.
Ted Rall suggests starting over. The Washington Post reports on "fusion centers", and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission takes 32 years to respond to a petition - ridiculous. A recession is possible? A North Atlantic Conspiracy?
Buildings coming soon...
Buildings coming soon...
Yes, a header that's been used too often in recent years. The infamous Yoo memorandum (.pdf) was declassified and released yesterday. Glenn Greenwald offers his thoughts, as does Scott Horton.
If you're a citizen of the United States of America, what does it mean to you that your country, the country to which you have pledged allegiance since kindergarten, the country to which you have paid taxes since you've been of working age, has embraced the barbaric traditions of torture? What does it mean to you that this country has broken its international treaty obligations and gone against the Geneva Conventions - which the US largely wrote?
Abu Ghraib was not an anomaly, or the reckless behavior of a few "bad apples". Forget Jack Bauer! The use of torture has been systemic - it has not been used in "ticking time-bomb scenarios" as the administration's apologists would have it. The use of torture has been the signal element in a broader attempt to do away with any constitutional constraints on the Executive Branch.
The question for all of us is how do you explain this to your children? How do you explain to them that our president is free to break the rules, free to break domestic and international laws at will? To what, exactly, does your child say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school?
It is perfectly reasonable to love one's country and to not agree with its democratically elected (ha!) and temporary leaders. Personally, I won't be satisfied until I see the likes of John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales, Condeleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush in orange overalls doing a "perp- walk".
...
In other news this morning, the Pentagon is considering reorganizing it's intelligence unit. Gee, think any documents will get lost in the shuffle? Irish PM Bertie Ahern has announced his resignation amidst corruption charges. Zimbabwe waits for change. Corrupt prosecutions, Part I and Part II. Going for broke. The first casualty. Project Trinity. Thirty-two. Live long and prosper. Travel through time. And please, just trust us.
...
The World's Largest Folie. Stupid. And speaking of buildings, I apologize for having not put up any "Building of the Day" posts recently. I'll try to make up for it later today...
If you're a citizen of the United States of America, what does it mean to you that your country, the country to which you have pledged allegiance since kindergarten, the country to which you have paid taxes since you've been of working age, has embraced the barbaric traditions of torture? What does it mean to you that this country has broken its international treaty obligations and gone against the Geneva Conventions - which the US largely wrote?
Abu Ghraib was not an anomaly, or the reckless behavior of a few "bad apples". Forget Jack Bauer! The use of torture has been systemic - it has not been used in "ticking time-bomb scenarios" as the administration's apologists would have it. The use of torture has been the signal element in a broader attempt to do away with any constitutional constraints on the Executive Branch.
The question for all of us is how do you explain this to your children? How do you explain to them that our president is free to break the rules, free to break domestic and international laws at will? To what, exactly, does your child say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school?
It is perfectly reasonable to love one's country and to not agree with its democratically elected (ha!) and temporary leaders. Personally, I won't be satisfied until I see the likes of John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales, Condeleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush in orange overalls doing a "perp- walk".
...
In other news this morning, the Pentagon is considering reorganizing it's intelligence unit. Gee, think any documents will get lost in the shuffle? Irish PM Bertie Ahern has announced his resignation amidst corruption charges. Zimbabwe waits for change. Corrupt prosecutions, Part I and Part II. Going for broke. The first casualty. Project Trinity. Thirty-two. Live long and prosper. Travel through time. And please, just trust us.
...
The World's Largest Folie. Stupid. And speaking of buildings, I apologize for having not put up any "Building of the Day" posts recently. I'll try to make up for it later today...
Martin Amis hates... lots of stuff. The spooks won't release an NIE. Will the recession become another Great Depression? The lies will ruin the Democrats. We can't afford to be this dumb. Now go and take your Prozac... oh, yeh. Right. It doesn't work. Well, a stiff drink will have to do.
The perils of reckless finance. You're joking, right? Obama is "unelectable"? What about Hillary? Whassat you say? Thems fighting words! OK... Let's make a deal. Can I sell you my book? No? How about a bridge, then?
Read this story, and then imagine all the other ones we don't know about. Is there no end in sight? Thanks to D'Alessandrius the Wise for sending us this.
Good morrow to you all! What are there... three or four of you? Here, for your viewing pleasure, are this morning's links and digressions:
I missed this a few weeks back, but it's worth a look. Unfortunately, it is NOT an April Fool's joke. There is a problem with the 2008 election. Clinton or Obama versus McCain? I have a solution: Create a McCain/Clinton ticket to unite the country. It will take those two less than four years to destroy what's left of this country, and then we can start over. Tabula rasa. USA v. 2.0. A new "Cold War" on the horizon? More of the same at Justice. Better call the plumber. A long goodbye.
Well, here's one less thing to worry about - Thank goodness.
I missed this a few weeks back, but it's worth a look. Unfortunately, it is NOT an April Fool's joke. There is a problem with the 2008 election. Clinton or Obama versus McCain? I have a solution: Create a McCain/Clinton ticket to unite the country. It will take those two less than four years to destroy what's left of this country, and then we can start over. Tabula rasa. USA v. 2.0. A new "Cold War" on the horizon? More of the same at Justice. Better call the plumber. A long goodbye.
Well, here's one less thing to worry about - Thank goodness.
Hillary can't pay her campaign bills, so now she's selling snacks? "First, Do No Evil"... wait a second. Time for a new motto. Jane Harman picked to play Sgt. Schultz in Hogan's Heroes movie.
We have already given much of the control over our personal information to corporations and the government, and here's something disturbing; given (not much) time, we're all crackable. And, yeh, we knew this already, but it's good to remind yourself of that once in a while. Especially since everything is getting all blended together. Syria + North Korea = TROUBLE? I'd like to know more... By hook or by crook... The center doesn't hold... At least she has a spine... A bleak future.
An overhaul of Wall Street. A walk along Hadrian's Wall, and telltale signs of the Industrial Revolution. Will he step aside? People need to be careful what they do, what they say, and what they wear. Molehill Politics & Living in denial? 4,000 Souls, and counting. Thrown to the Lions. How to Control the World. A Humanist foreign policy? Put 'em up!
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