This is the worst of the worst. Where is democratic America?

They are legalising the arrest of peaceful protesters as 'acts of terror"

They can now drone bomb within America

They will legalise torture.

Come on the 99% !!!! fight to the death for your freedom!

Come on Asia....you couldn't be any worse.


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Congress on the move to legalize torture

Yearning for the George W Bush administration of yesteryear and the inhuman torture and interrogations that was commonplace in American-run prisons? Needn’t you worry! Congress hears your cries.

Kelly Ayotte, a freshman Republican senator from New Hampshire, has proposed legislation that would repeal current laws that make harsh torture techniques illegal, a move that the American Civil Liberties Union says would "dangerously roll back" restrictions that Congress approved in 2005’s McCain Anti-Torture Amendment.

Ayotte’s amendment, snuck into the Defense Authorization bill that will soon go up for vote, would cancel in-part both the 2005 legislation and the 2009 Executive Order issued by President Obama that allowed only “lawful” interrogations.

Additionally, officials would draft a list of top-secret techniques that would be used to interrogate suspected terrorists and war criminals.

"Terrorists shouldn't be able to view all of our interrogation practices online, and the measure I introduced fixes that glaring flaw," says the senator.

In opposition to the proposal, the ACLU and 30 other organizations have sent a letter to the Senate urging them to strike Ayotte’s amendment.

We “cannot afford to return to practices that degraded our country in the eyes of the general public,” reads the letter, dated November 22, 2011. “Amendment 1068 offered by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) threatens to revive the use of torture and other cruelty in US interrogations, flying in the face of American values and US legal obligations as well as obstructing US military missions and endangering troops deployed abroad.”

The ACLU reminds lawmakers of the photos from the Abu Gharib that caused international outrage over America’s torture and interrogation abuses, which it says cost the United States “hearts and minds that are critical to US counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts.” That scandal led in part to the Detainee Treatment Act and struck controversial interrogation techniques from the books. Reinstating those practices would not only challenge the overwhelming decision that lawmakers made in the legislation, but bring back outrageous torture techniques that have caused not just outrage, but death. From an international standpoint, writes the ACLU, the installation of Ayotte’s amendment could once against tarnish “the international standing of the United States,” as did the revelations out of Abu Gharib.

(I didn't know they had any standing on an international level)

While the amendment has a worthy opponent in the ACLU, contenders for the Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency have also gone on the record as of late to say that current torture policies are too lax. Michele Bachmann stated recently that the “CIA has no ability to have any form of interrogation for terrorists,” and declared that President Obama had forfeited its ability to torture alleged criminals by siding with the ACLU. Texas Governor Rick Perry has added that the Obama administration has been an “absolute failure” at expanding intelligence gathering amongst the military and CIA.

In addition to the ACLU, signees of the plea include Human Rights USA, Amnesty International USA and the International justice Network. On their website, the Union calls Congress’ consideration of the amendment “unthinkable” and has offered a petition for citizens to sign in objection to the legislation.

(Will the fine citizens of the US sign, or have they been dumbed down sufficiently to agree with their own torture)

http://rt.com/usa/news/congress-torture-aclu-ayotte-593/print/

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 28^th, 2011 at 7:03pm:


Doesn't have many friends?
You might want to research Israel's growing list of trade partners in the world, and how that counties economy is the fastest growing in the entire Middle East.
You might be very surprised.
And countries from the Arab League that have previously tried to destroy Israel quite frankly don't count.

Bobby. wrote on Dec 1^st, 2011 at 7:28pm:



Big deal.

What I am surprised about is that the Gypos thought 479 barels would be anywhere near enough.

What? You didn't really believed that sanity has finally arrived in Arab countries, did you?

Bobby. wrote on Dec 1^st, 2011 at 10:23pm:



I used to think that up until 10 September 2001.

Anyway, tear gas is not poison gas. Dispersing mobs is not the same as exterminating them.  Get over yourself.

I know. It is a 'scales falling from one's eyes' kind of experience.

I still believe that some individuals have the power to overcome the handicap of their cultures. Most don't, however.

As for race, it is too much of a collective identity and leaves no opportunity for the individual to overcome the handicap of culture (that is often mapped more or less onto races). I do think that stereoptypes are valid but I want to be able to make exceptions for particular individuals, as individuals. I think grown-ups are personally responsible for what culture they absorb and make their own (in western liberal democracies, at any rate). I do realise that most people would rather comform to their own race and culture, so liberty and opportunity is very often just pearls before swine. But I want to be able to exempt exceptional individuals.

/