Cut The Inaugural
The present aftermath from Hurricane Sandy should not surprise any of us since we have seen the effects of hurricanes on population centers before. Even today, New Orleans has not been entirely rebuilt, leaving over 30,000 people who formerly had homes still waiting.
The tragedies now enveloping Americans in the communities hit by Frankenstorm, on Oct. 29, could have been avoided. This disaster is a direct result of our failure to make sure the infrastructure on which we depend politically, economically, and to keep us safe in the face of disaster does the job we pay to have done for us by government. The source of the problem is not ‘natural disaster’ but one of design and priorities.
The tens of thousands now homeless, having lost everything, remain mired in the evidence our system has failed. We need to see this and take action.
Instead of providing relief, government talks and gives news conferences. Relief efforts remain, largely from volunteers, including Baptists coming in from Louisiana, veterans of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and residents from surrounding areas who are digging into their own resources to ensure people in need are helped.
Instead of sending out suggestions on supplies to have on hand, the enormously expensive government agencies which were assigned to provide for disaster relief should have:
Stockpiled immediate resources to be made available to put people back into their neighborhoods with temporary housing, complete power generated on site, and sanitary and cooking facilities. Plans for such units, which could have been moved in either by road or helicopter, as needed, were ignored in favor of FEMA trailers and shelters, where available.
The specter of small children and elderly, starving and freezing in America, or anyplace else, is not to be tolerated.
Now, we should be working on fast-tracked plans for rebuilding. Since we know it will be necessary to replace homes, schools, and other buildings quickly, the correct approach would be to do it now by spending money to provide better stability and security in impacted areas proven to be vulnerable to disaster. We need pay for no studies to know where this one is.
Rebuilding should be carried out Deep Green, entirely off the grids. The needed materials and technologies exist. Let’s use them, at the same time demonstrating their thrift and superiority. Homes, schools, and businesses could even now be going up. Construction and rehabitation could take place in as little as a month for the first structures.
This is the plan we should have had in place.
Both major political parties today focus only on continuing their sinecure for job security and profits.
It is time to move forward and it is past time for Americans to join together to make this happen. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Reformers, Greens, or Justice, we are all one in needing the security we are now paying for so dearly.
The election is over. It is time to begin examining what we have accepted and believed and instead become more discerning.
President Obama will continue in office for the next four years. A simple swearing in would be appropriate and a powerful statement which needs to be heard. We must conserve our resources and use them wisely.
All of us hope and pray for real change. We need it and should demand it from those elected to serve.
Plans are now going forward for an Inaugural. Instead of spending money on what is, essentially, a party for corporate donors, money which was earmarked for this event should be spent on the plan for rebuilding above and for immediate relief for those still homeless and without power and food.
Corporate donors should dig into their pockets and help make it happen. Arrange another time for a party at the People’s White House, when those now in need are cared for.
Melinda Pillsbury-Foster – Rebuild America
Nathan MacPherson – MacPherson Investment Group
Sign the petition HERE
Fukushima Radiation Present In America
New Anti-Establishment ‘Counter Culture’ Being Formed
Fukushima Truth Movement Emerging: ‘Respirator Resistance’
FUKUSHIMA radiation activist William B. Fox dons the new fashion of the future, a P100 radiation mask. — Nathaniel Black Photography
Most Americans are unaware that harmful radiation is making its way throughout the world, putting at risk the health of millions, if not billions of individuals. The effects are currently creeping up on most of earth’s inhabitants although they cannot identify the source. According to scientists, they will become lifetime certainties for future generations as well.
One culprit stems from the recent disaster perpetrated at the Fukushima power plant in Japan, from which radioactive plumes are constantly traveling to neighboring shores and are being disbursed through rainfall on the homeland. Other radiation exposures derive from the use of depleted uranium in military munitions that aerosolize into the atmosphere when they explode, nuclear power plant emissions, and bomb test fallout still hovering in the atmosphere.
Americans are also subjected to many forms of aerial chemical attack, that include such contaminants as sulfur dioxide, lead, mercury, the toxic dispersant Corexit deployed by British Petroleum in the Gulf disaster, and chemtrails that contain the elements aluminum and barium.
Chemtrails are part of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) with facilities located around the world in places like Alaska, Norway, Japan, and Russia. According to former Lawrence Livermore Lab geoscientist and whistleblower Leuren Moret, whose works are archived at: http://tinyurl.com/64m37tq, HAARP was developed as the “next Manhattan Project” during the Cold War for a wide variety of purposes, some of which are very sinister. HAARP includes not only advanced electromagnetic technologies prophesied by the electrical genius Nikola Tesla for use in underground oil exploration and military over-the-horizon radars, but also for darker applications that include mind control, “weather warfare,” and inducing earthquakes around the world. The latter two applications effectively “weaponize” both the earth’s atmosphere and the earth itself.
ACTIVIST William B. Fox, wearing his N95 respirator, hands out fliers in Butler, Penn. — Nathaniel Black Photography
Moret contends that the study of the real background behind HAARP provides an important perspective to help us understand why major media controlled by “globalists” in Japan, America, the UK, and elsewhere have remained mostly silent about the Fukushima radiation threat, which threatens to become a major extinction level event for mankind and many other species around the planet. Ms. Moret explains how major strategic power bases of advanced industrial nations have fallen into the hands of a criminally insane “gobalist” power elite with very “un-American” values, whose agendas include “global depopulation,” “one world government,” and the creation of a total police state in America. These “globalists” also envision a suicidal “Masada” or “Sampson Option” plan in which nuclear power plants can be used as pre-positioned “dirty nuclear bombs” to take down the world. As one example of Moret’s research, see the interview “Fukushima HAARP Nuclear Attack by CIA, DOE, BP for London Banks” at http://tinyurl.com/d782wud which helps to explain why the American public is being deliberately kept in the dark while it is being slowly destroyed by radiation and other contaminants.
Respiratory problems, birth defects, and cancers are just three of the end results that scientists say will escalate as time moves forward.
According to former U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Major William B. Fox, who has written about his work as a cyber activist along with other former military intelligence professionals in his Mission of Conscience series at http://tinyurl.com/yh2r3zl, “We have to watch the air we breathe, particularly when it rains because this is when most fallout comes down. We also have to beware of fallout that remobilizes into the air when it gets windy. It is also very important that we watch out for contaminated food and water, because the tragic aftermath of the April 1986 Chernobyl melt-down shows that bio-accumulation and bio-magnification within the food chain comprise major threats to public health over the long run. Lastly, we are getting hit with very serious forms of chemical contamination from myriad other directions, ranging from toxic halogens deliberately placed in public drinking water, to harmful additives like aspartame and monosodium glutamate inserted into food, to poisons like mercury-laced Thimerosal and formaldehyde found in vaccines. Chemical contaminants typically have a multiplier effect in harming humans when combined with radiation from Fukushima and other sources.”
Major Fox said that according to Los Angeles-based journalist Michael Collins at EnviroReporter.com, chemtrails are even causing radionuclides to precipitate in dry areas like Death Valley.
“It is almost like the malevolent globalists described by Leuren Moret are saying `We are coming after all of America with our global depopulation program, even after those who seek refuge in the desert.’ He added, ‘If all this seems far-fetched, Americans have already been under a continuing stealth nuclear attack for decades that has been largely unreported by establishment media.’
Moret has explained how nuclear power plant emissions have caused people who live within a five kilometer radius of nuclear power plants to have more than twice the rate of radiation-related ailments compared to the rest of the population. Bomb test fallout has caused SAT scores to drop about 12% from radiation-related mental impairments in vast population groups. This radiation has also significantly bolstered infant mortality and cancer rates across America.
In an article written by Alfred Webre appearing at http://www.examiner.com/article/leuren-moret-nuclear-genocide-of-babies-children-japan-u-s-canada-grows , Moret is quoted as saying that “Dr. Ernest Sternglass was able to show that the decline in SAT scores was directly related to the amount of fission products released each year from bomb tests. The SAT scores never recovered after bomb testing ended because nuclear power plant fission products replaced bomb testing radioactive pollution.
“The annual average decline in the scores inversely correlates with the total kiloton equivalent of nuke tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site the same year. The lower the SAT score, the more radiation released in that year from bomb testing at the NTS.”
According to Moret, Fukushima radiation is now adding insult to injury. It has caused the readings of her Geiger counter inside her home in Berkeley, Calif. to show double the background radiation that it registered just prior to the Fukushima meltdowns.
As a means of protection against the ongoing nuclear and chemical assault, Major Fox has begun a campaign to persuade citizens to use respirators. He notes: “Admittedly, radionuclides in fallout usually come in the size of nanoparticles, which means that they are so small they can easily get absorbed through the skin or pass through gas mask filters. However, it is also true that they tend to attach themselves to rain droplets, mist and dust. Therefore, while a respirator certainly will not screen out all radionuclides, it can certainly screen out a significant amount, and every little bit helps to keep one’s `body burden’ of internal contamination as low as possible.
“Generally speaking, internal contamination is vastly more dangerous than external forms of radiation, because radioactive particles inside the body are continually firing off short-ranged ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’ as well as ‘gamma’ forms of radiation against adjacent cells 24/7, causing DNA disruptions that can cause cancers and other horrors, whereas external radiation usually consists mainly of long-ranged ‘gamma’ radiation similar to X-rays that people tend to experience during relatively brief periods.
“While there are a number of food supplements and drugs that can help flush out radioactive `heavy metals’ that get inside one’s body, unfortunately they can’t get everything out. Quite a few long-lived isotopes such as radioactive cesium, which tends to gravitate towards muscles; plutonium, which tends to gravitate towards the lung, liver, kidney, lymph, bone, and gonadal tissues; and radioactive strontium, which tends to accumulate in bones, can stay lodged in ones body doing damage 24/7 well beyond the day a person dies.
“If an internally contaminated person is cremated, these isotopes can go up the chimney and get breathed in by someone else, repeating the damage cycle. The radioactive isotope caesium-137, which constitutes a large percentage of Fukushima fallout, has a half-life of about 30 years. We have also been dosed with plutonium-239, which has a half-life of 24,100 years. Uranium-235 has a half-life of 703.8 million years. These are just some examples of the witches’ brew of long-lived radioactive isotopes that are still coming down around us, so obviously the radionuclide problem is not going to go away overnight.”
He added, “respirators can also provide important protection against various forms of biological attack, which will probably become a greater danger as more people suffer from compromised immune systems from radiation, all of which encourages the spread of pandemics.”
Major Fox has created a web page that provides more background on these issues entitled “Individual and Group Radiation Protection and Contamination Avoidance” that can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/7uwf4l5 .
Major Fox says he personally uses two forms of respirators and gets some interesting gawks when he wears them around town, but the public needs to be aware that the situation is serious. “Most people do not have a clue.”
Ever since Fukushima fallout started to hit America about a week after the March 11, 2011 meltdowns, United States residents with radiation detection devices have been detecting jumps in radiation levels from rain-soaked samples that have been vast multiples over normal background levels. One example reported on YouTube is “STAY OUT OF THE RAIN! Radioactive Fallout 49X Greater Than Background Radiation” posted April 14, 2012 by potrblog located St. Louis, Mo. at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjCf12WuRDw&feature=fvwrel
This same St. Louis, Mo. source also reported a significant pickup in radiation on a respirator he wore while mowing his backyard for two hours on a dry day in “Is Your Lawn Radioactive Too? N95 Dust Mask Test” posted on June 2, 2011 at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKTCS_CHXeY&feature=channel_video_title .
Fox described his two respirators:
“First, I bought a ‘Harmful Dust N95 Respirator with Exhalation Valve’ produced by MSA, listed at http://www.safetyworks.com/catalog/product503261.html. It only cost $6.99. According to instructions contained in the product packaging, ‘N95’ means it is rated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (‘NIOSH’ at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIOSH) to be at a ‘95% filter efficiency level against all particulate aerosols free of oil.’
“I also bought a P100-rated ‘Toxic Dust Respirator’ by MSA listed at http://www.safetyworks.com/catalog/product1124.html which cost me $39.99. In addition, I purchased a pack of replacement cartridges for $14.99. ‘P100’ means ‘Particulate Filter (99.97% filter efficiency level) effective against all particulate aerosols.’
He adds, “There are many other fine respirators that provide good values made by other companies, but I thought I would start with MSA in order to provide specific examples of product and price information.”
Fox noted that an excellent documentary entitled “On Fukushima Beach,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-sPUawl6yg&feature=player_embedded#! has a number of video clips of pedestrians in Tokyo, some of whom are “wearing what look like Japanese counterparts to the N95 mask.”
WILLIAM B. FOX, a Fukushima radiation activist, wears his N95 respirator and a Civil Defense Alert sign. — Nathaniel Black Photography
“The thought occurred to me that given the continuing pattern of ‘hot rains’ we are experiencing across America we should see Americans doing the same thing, yet I have not yet seen one single person out on the streets wearing any kind of protective devices. Even the clerk who rang up my purchase at the hardware store that sells respirators knew absolutely nothing about the Fukushima radiation threat.”
He explained that if a person can get a significant increase over background radiation in his respirator just by mowing a dry yard on a clear day without any visible dust mobilization in the St. Louis area, “It is totally logical to me to strongly suspect that wearing respirators should become a daily practice everywhere in America for anyone who wants to protect his or her own health.
“Immediately after buying my respirators, I experimented with wearing them and discovered that I can breathe very easily with both of them, even to the point that I can wear them comfortably while doing strenuous exercises like push-ups and sit-ups with heavy breathing. However, the package instructions for the P100 state that one sign that it is time for a filter replacement is when the breathing becomes more difficult. Also, the MSA P100 filter has a red strip around it that is supposed to turn brown once it gets heavily contaminated, although this may only relate to the kinds of aerosolized contaminants that miners, painters, and other kinds of people who work around ordinary types of hazardous plumes and fumes encounter as opposed to the radionuclides encountered by nuclear workers or nuked populations like ourselves.
“I decided to establish a precedent for western Pennsylvania as a ‘Fukushima radiation demonstrator’ and started wearing both types of masks everywhere outside,” he said.
He has begun, too, to wear a sign that says “Fukushima radiation activist.” He also carries some handout literature to assist in his efforts to educate the public.
“Of course I have to use some common sense and flexibility in the way I go about wearing my respirators,” said Fox. “Given the current level of public ignorance, it is probably a very good idea for me to take my respirator off whenever I walk inside a bank to avoid triggering a call for the police, since I might appear like someone who is about to stage a holdup. I can also see how certain store managers might also be put on edge. I need to find a way to balance my right to protect myself and engage in public demonstration with the understandable concern that many store managers may feel about how my appearance could frighten away customers.”
Major Fox says that as he began pursuing his new “lifestyle,” a lot of other ideas and questions started occurring to him.
“First, why didn’t I start doing this back in March 2011 when the radiation first hit?’ he asked. “The answer of course is ignorance. I had no idea how hard we were getting hit with radioactive iodine, xenon, and myriad other isotopes.”
He did, however, make one very good move during this period. He got in touch with one of the world’s leading radiation experts, scientist Moret, who, he says, suggested that he start staying indoors and out of the rain. One problem for someone doing strenuous physical activity outdoors is “radioactive cesium uptake in the heart muscles. This has apparently been happening at an unusually high rate to many relatively young and otherwise fit athletes who have been dropping dead of heart attacks in our post-Fukushima melt-down era around the Northern Hemisphere in the middle of competitions or during training.”
He advises that “everyone should own both the N95 and the P100 respirators. The reason is that the N95 can be folded up and stuck in one’s pocket, and hence is easy to have on hand anywhere. In contrast, a P100 mask is much bulkier and heavier and of course not as compact. It is more likely when someone makes a quick dash out the door somewhere, like a quick run over to a local grocery store that it will be left behind.”
Major Fox explained that people need to always carry N95 respirators in their pockets, for situations when rainfall comes unexpectedly, since most radionuclides come down in the rain. The N95s “are so cheap, why would anyone not want to have one at all times?” Sudden gusts of wind, particularly when a lot of dust is getting kicked up, is another reason to wear the mask, he says, “especially with any wind speed over 5-10 mph since this is when many radionuclides get remobilized into the atmosphere.”
Major Fox says that after analyzing the horrible effects of radiation poisoning, a subject most Americans are not even aware of, he is now part of a new “counter culture” and encourages others to join him. “I am `countering’ the `culture’ of the establishment, which is essentially a criminal culture of denial, deception, and even global depopulation genocide.”
“When I wear a mask as I drive in my car or walk down the street in a downtown area, I am basically telling everybody that I am ‘opting out’ on a broader social level, completely outside the propaganda matrix and rebelling against people like Hillary Clinton who have signed on to the importation of radioactive food from Japan without any screening.”
“Instead of conducting a sit-down strike somewhere, such as in the troubled ‘Occupy Movement,’ we can make a different kind of social statement without becoming a public nuisance by simply wearing protective masks everywhere. This in essence says that we are not only protecting ourselves against Fukushima radiation, but also protesting the toxic society and toxic establishment that have created this horrible mess to begin with,” explained Fox.
Fukushima: Radiation, Politics, & PR
By Leuren Moret, Dr. Majia Nadesan and Jim Fetzer (with Major William Fox)
Jim Fetzer has posted his recent interview by two top radiation specialists on the Veterans Today “Military and Foreign Affairs Journal” website, which includes the audio version and a printed transcript.
Discussed in detail were the radiation effects of the Japanese Fukushima disaster and the fashion in which its fallout has been covered up both by the Japanese and the American governments.
Featured guests on “The Real Deal” program hosted by Fetzer included:
Leuren Moret, an independent geoscientist who has done expert studies on the Fukushima disaster and radiation problems around the world including depleted uranium, and
Dr. Majia Nadesan, PhD., a professor of communication in the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University, who has studied Fukushima extensively.
“What they had to tell us smacks of politics and public relations and is profoundly disturbing,” noted Fetzer.
The segment included an introduction by Major William Fox (former USMCR commissioned officer), who, said Fetzer, “was instrumental in arranging this interview. His key point is that the first line of defense to handle any major crisis is accurate information. Tragically, not only has accurate information been deliberately withheld from Americans regarding the Fukushima crisis, but they have also been steadily fed disinformation.”
Rather than reproducing the entire interview in The Iconoclast, this link takes readers to the Veterans Today website and Part 1 of the interview. Part 2 can be accessed once on the site.
Overview: Modern Liberal, Conservative Views
“Liberal” and “Conservative” are two words used to describe two political philosophies and platforms that may not be so easy to view and comprehend. It seems that humans maintain a need and desire to label everything and everyone in their lives and certainly this is recognized in Politics, perhaps more so than in other areas of our daily existence.
Immediately, several such labels come to mind, e.g., liberal, conservative, socialist, fascist, to name a few. The terms “Liberal” and “Conservative” are frequently used in politics and within our modern society; however, the context may vary in actual use and definition at any given time. Furthermore, the terms have changed over time periods and/or have been manipulated to promote special interest concerns, desires and legislation.
There is no specific date attributed to the founding of either the liberal and conservative concepts, yet one could consider that even among primitive humans there must have been some organic, free-thinking cavemen and women who may have been the actual “inventors” of liberal thought and process in its more infantile phase of evolution. Naturally, there would have been a counter primitive conservative influence that wanted to keep life and the things within it as they had been before.
Wikipedia defines Liberalism as:
Liberalism (from the Latin liberalis, “of freedom” [1]) is the belief in the importance of [3]
It defines Conservatism as:
Conservatism (Latin: conservare, “to preserve”) is a political and social philosophy that holds that traditional institutions work best and that society should avoid radical change.
It is safe to consider that throughout human history there were individuals and groups who wanted to institute changes in daily living, while others preferred and desired to keep things as they were and had been. Such thinking evolved into modern times as evidenced by such quaint quotes as, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In essence, the origins and definitions of “Liberal” and “Conservative” are not as easily determined as one would think.
In some history texts John Locke is given credit as “the father of liberalism” whereby he believed that Liberalism “employed the concept of property.”
With sound reason, many believe that Liberalism emerged from historical and social developments that led up to the American and French Revolutions. History shows that the people were liberated from kingly control over their lives. Over time, freedom and maintaining a constitution was associated with the term “Liberal”.
In concept, true Conservatism prefers to keep things as they were, more middle-grounded, The origins of the term underscores in reaction to change. In the wake of the Anglican theologian Richard Hooker called for moderation and a balance of interests for the sake of social harmony and common good.
In modern times, it is not often easy to be a Liberal or a Conservative or to recognize one. In addition, the definition of each continues to change. For example, if we compare the Conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower administration of the 1950’s with the Conservative George W. Bush administration that began in 2000, we may not be able to find level comparisons of these Republican terms.
In other words, President Eisenhower and President Bush may not have agreed on many issues, philosophies and actions; however, each person and his respective administration were deemed Conservative and Republican politically and in concept. In fact, the two administrations were very different.
It appears that our lives and our politics have become extreme. A person today is either Liberal or Conservative, left or right of center as in the past, but more so. These days a Conservative may be nearing Fascist, while a Liberal may seem Radical or Socialist. In truth, Liberal and Conservative traditions are currently extremist philosophies, and yet they may often overlap each other because of their extremist views on various issues – as in Liberal is so far left that it is coming around to the right; while Conservative is so far right that it is coming around to the left.
In a crazy and hectic modern world, it is fitting to have a more unbalanced and often chaotic political system with unstable philosophies and platforms. Moderates or middle-grounded philosophies and platforms are rare, but in my opinion, are urgently needed.
“Liberal” may no longer be used to describe a person who wants positive change or freedom. For example, today’s Liberals and Conservatives are looking for socialistic bail-outs. At the same time, they both want and don’t want government interference into our daily lives, but they want everything on their terms, which seems to change from moment to moment. Conservatives say they don’t want new taxes but they desire toll roadways, which are a form of new taxes. Liberals want to change to a more socialized health care system, but they still accept wealthy campaign contributions from the privatized health care providers, which seems to impede growth and striving for the community good. Conservatives like those in the Tea Party say they prefer middle ground; however, many seem to push for more religion in public education and are anti-abortionists. Both Liberals and Conservatives seem to push towards war to resolve issues, to gain profits for businesses and to uplift the economy. In short, both parties are extremists.
In this topsy-turvy world, even our political system is in constant chaos and prone to extremism at opposite ends of the political spectrum. It all can get very confusing. Who really is Liberal and who is Conservative?
So, welcome to the 21st Century and make up your own mind, but do so intelligently in recognition that to walk a road with some degree of success, it is better to be centered on it. If you walk too far over towards the left or the right, there is the greater potential of falling off — and where would that leave us? Well, It leads us where we seem to be today.
Peter Stern, a former director of information services, university professor and public school administrator, is a disabled Vietnam veteran who lives in Texas.
Options To Prevent A Nuclear Armed Iran
Determining U.S. policy toward Iran and its nuclear programs should begin with considering the way the Iranian leadership and people regard their effort to develop nuclear power and nuclear weapons. The current leadership wants to remain in power, but they differ about how that is best accomplished. Ahmadinejad does not determine policy. To what extent it is ultimately shaped by Ayatollah Khamenei or by the high military leaders is widely debated. There is also widespread Iranian disaffection with the ruling regime. The U.S. should be wary of unifying the divergent groups within the country.
It is safe to believe that the major purpose of the Iranian leaders is to maintain themselves in power and to play an important regional role. Having nuclear weapons can reasonably be considered as necessary to avoid efforts to overthrow them. They may see what happened in Libya compared to the survival of the regime in North Korea.
Coercive sanctions alone will not suffice for the U.S. government to halt Iran’s progress toward producing nuclear weapons and the means to employ them. Even a military strike would only delay such programs and unleash terrible reactions. Current sanctions need to be accompanied by reassurances to Iranian leaders that not having nuclear weapons would not open them up to attacks and to efforts to overthrow them. They are already close to having the capacity to build nuclear weapons, but not close to being able to employ them. In any case, they will forever be extremely unlikely to use them to initiate a war, attack Israel or risk passing on any capability to external organizations they cannot control. Such actions, they know, would be utterly self-destructive.
There are realistic reasons the region and the world would be much better off if Iran did not possess nuclear weapons. Its possession of such weapons may result in other countries in the region developing nuclear weapons, further increasing the risks of nuclear accidents, military attacks, and even wars. The economic burdens of financing nuclear arms races would further damage the well-being of the peoples in the Middle East.
The U.S. can take steps that will induce the Iranian leaders to stop short of actually constructing nuclear arms, yet having demonstrated that they ultimately have the capability to do so. Inducements include reassurances that can be made with little risk to the U.S., Israel, or other countries in the region. They incorporate working to establish a nuclear free zone in the Middle East. Israel would not be taking any risk by acknowledging its nuclear weapons capacity and collectively working to diminish the need for them. The U.S. should move toward restoring diplomatic relations with Iran, with the promises that entails. Opening Iran to more contact and exchanges with Americans can strengthen the position and influence of Iranians who seek domestic reforms.
This path holds out the promise of widespread benefits for the peoples in all countries in the Middle East, including Iran. There would be enhanced security for everyone. There would be greater economic benefits for everyone. In the context of the Arab Spring, improving stability and reducing mutual fears is highly desirable. With American leadership many other countries would choose this path making it the right way for all.
Louis Kriesberg, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Maxwell Professor Emeritus of Social Conflict Studies, and Founding Director of the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts at Syracuse University, is co-author of Constructive Conflicts, 5th Ed. 2012.
Urgent Need For Separation Of Church/State
Simply put, the Tea Party crumpets and the religious right zealots are maneuvering for power and control mostly for the next presidential election in 2016.
They are making strides and already have power and clout in most of the “red” states.
They are trying to get into Washington to eventually make Federal changes in how states may gain more power to take control over our lives.
Here in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott encourage giving power to the extremists and offer protection to the two forces gaining control over our lives.
It should be obvious – but not in Texas – that the Christian religion has no business in government or in public education, nor in dictating how the majority of us live our lives. I wonder how these good Christians would feel if we pushed Judaism as the powerful religion and political entity?
Let’s hope the Supreme Court of the U.S. maintains the true separation of church and state. If not, we will continue to lose our precious rights and freedoms in favor of one religion surpassing everything and everyone.
The last time the church had so much power, it supported the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition.
Peter Stern
Brain Drain: The New Israeli Diaspora
http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com/2012/11/brain-drain-new-israeli-diaspora-by.html
I recently went to a showing of an excellent British mini-series called “The Promise” http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-promise/articles/video-the-promise-trail. Filmed in Israel, it depicts the struggles of one brave English soldier at the end of the British Mandate period — as he futilely tries to save the lives of his Palestinian friends and fellow-soldiers during the violent and pitiless 1948 takeover of the Holy Land by Zionist thugs.
During this movie, I cried a lot.
And after the film was over and refreshments were being served (“Never turn down free food,” is my motto!), I had an interesting conversation with some guy who currently works down in Silicon Valley.
“You know,” he said, “things are changing rapidly in Israel right now.”
“You mean that it’s no longer the same-old same-old there any more? With Israeli neo-cons trying to pass themselves off as pious Jews while happily committing mass murder and partying all night in Tel Aviv — and Christians and Muslims constantly getting beat up and shot at for the crime of making olive oil while Palestinian?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq2MpG4gQgk
By this time I had become rather cynical about Israeli neo-con mercenaries and land-grabbers — almost as cynical as I’ve become about the neo-con mercenaries and land-grabbers here in America too.
“Well, of course there’s still that,” the techie guy replied, “but something else is happening in Israel now as well. People have started to leave there en masse. And not just the usual ones either — not just the poor abused Palestinians still trying to sneak over the border into Jordan or Egypt. And not the discriminated-against Sephardi Jews either, at the very bottom of the Israeli social pecking order, last hired and first fired, who you wouldn’t want dating your daughter.” http://www.mayacafe.com/forum/topic1sp.php3?tkey=1237163771
“Then who?”
“The technological elite in general are now leaving in large numbers. And formerly-Russian tech experts in particular are leaving as fast as they can.” Interesting. Hmmm.
“Are you talking about the kind of people referred to in all those Israeli-sponsored subway ads,” I replied, “bragging that Israelis have invented thus-and-so hot new gadget or found a cure for this or that horrendous disease? Those are the ones that are leaving?”
“Like rats from a sinking ship.” I guess no one with any brains wants to keep living in a country where its leaders are always either declaring war, waging war or industriously hunting for a new war to declare.
“This new brain-drain is actually happening right now — and pretty soon all the people who will be left living in Israel will be the hotel maids, the IDF hard-liners, the land-grabbing neo-cons and racists, haters and religious nuts.” Good grief. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33005.htm
“You have to understand that much of the current Israeli scientific community had originally immigrated to Israel from Russia in order to get away from all the persecution, corruption, wars, lack of civil rights and poverty that existed there before, during and after the breakup of the old USSR.” And from the winters of course.
“Many of these Russian immigrants were not even Jews. They were gentiles who just wanted to get out. And, once in Israel, they discovered that it wasn’t the land of milk and honey that they had expected. And so now they are leaving Israel also, moving on.”
“Where to?”
“Here.”
PS: I’m currently in the middle of reading Jimmy Carter’s fascinating memoir, “White House Diary”. Good grief! If only we had elected Carter for another four years instead of that lying skunk Reagan, America would be in so much better shape right now. For instance, the whole world loved Jimmy for his heroic stands on civil rights, which gave the United States even more love, sympathy and cachet back then than we’ve ever had since, even on the day after 9-11 (before Bush bungled it).
And Carter didn’t “give away” the Panama Canal either. He traded it for the whole world’s good will and to make up for what Nixon, Kissinger, and the CIA had done to Chile, Argentina, etc. Back then, Carter could go into almost any country on the planet and get a standing ovation — while Nixon, Reagan and both Bushes only got rotten tomatoes.
Plus if we had listened to Carter back in the day, perhaps global warming, 9-11, Hurricane Sandy and Karl Rove also might have been avoided!
And if only we had listened to Carter back when he warned us again and again about how Israeli neo-cons spoke with forked-tongues. And they still do. And now we’ve got a whole new crop of neo-con serpents all of our own here in America as well! Plus now various neo-con Red States are actually threatening to secede. Ah, if only they WOULD. Just think of all the money the rest of us would save.
Can’t you just picture Arkansas out spending billions of dollars on its 800-odd military bases around the world or dealing with the Benghazi crisis? Or Alabama supplying Israel with F16s, cluster bombs and white phosphorus? Or South Carolina scaring China into adjusting its trade deficit? Or oil-depleted Texas trying to intimidate OPEC, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Venezuela and the Saudis? Or Tennessee happily trying to tell Putin or even North Korea to go to hell?
Now that I think about it, secession could actually be the final key to finally putting an end to America’s “endless wars”.
Maybe Lincoln should never have tried to save the Union after all — except for perhaps New Orleans and Nashville.
****
From BuzzFlash regarding the Petraeus event [just who WAS that shirtless man?]: …Cantor’s inappropriate meddling into an FBI investigation for opportunistic political purposes — likely aimed at influencing an election — simply failed. Cantor took the risk of assisting a rogue FBI agent to make an end run around his superiors, without even informing his fellow Republicans on the Hill. He thought he would end up a GOP hero, but he really just looks as seedy as the whole lamentable saga. http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17640-eric-cantor-s-petraeus-october-surprise-failed-as-fbi-stood-firm
Moore Wins $25,000 ‘Unsung Hero’ Award
Recognized For Efforts To Expose Government Waste And Promote Limited Government
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Chapter of Americans for Prosperity has announced that one of its top activists won the prestigious Vernon K. Krieble Foundation’s 2nd annual UNSUNG HERO award. The prize – $25,000 – was awarded to Jason Moore from Odessa for his tireless efforts supporting free enterprise.
AFP-TX State Director Peggy Venable said, “We have worked with many outstanding activists, but Jason Moore (aka Captain Watchdog) has distinguished himself in his tireless work on behalf of the taxpayers and all citizens. We congratulate him and thank his family for their many sacrifices on behalf of good government and free market policies.”
Moore owns his own masonry business in Odessa. He vigilantly attends city, county, and school board meetings with his camera in hand to hold public officials accountable on how they are spending tax payer dollars.
His latest effort is to educate the public on the large local debt in Texas ($322 billion) and the local bond initiatives on the November ballot.
He has testified before the Texas House Public Education Committee on school facilities construction and wasteful spending on what he calls “Taj Mahal-type” buildings.
The award was presented at the State Policy Network meeting on Amelia Island, Fla.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org
Stealing Elections Texas Style…
Nov. 2, 2006 – Stealing Elections Texas Style: Mrs. Blankenship Goes Out To Vote.
THIS IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY.
Mrs. Marilyn B. Blankenship noticed what a lovely day it was as she went into vote early at the Renner-Frankford Branch Dallas Public Library at 6400 Frankford Rd. two blocks from her home in Collin County, Texas near Dallas. Mr. Arthur Edwards, the widower of her oldest friend from the 4th grade, accompanied her on the short ride to the Library; he waited in the car for her to finish her brief civic obligation. A native Texan, Mrs. Blankenship appreciated the mild autumn weather. Growing up in Texas, the daughter of two strong parents, had left its mark on her. She had learned self discipline from both of them, along with a strong sense of honesty.
Exercising her civic obligations was something Mrs. Blankenship took very seriously as a Texan and as an American.
After finishing college she had begun teaching school in 1952. Over her career as an educator she had watched the school system of Texas change in troubling ways. Children, she believed, need not just information, they need to acquire inquiring minds so they can think for themselves.
Mrs. Blankenship went into the familiar interior of the Library and picked up her ballot. A long time Republican this time she was determined to vote for change. Taking her ballot she went into the voting booth and inserted her card into the Diebold Voting Machine. Diebold is a local company in Texas; one of their facilities was just down the street.
When she voted for the first couple of candidates the ‘X” showed up just where she wanted it. This time she had decided not to vote for any Republicans, even those she had supported in the past. She came to the list of judges. Judges are a partisan position in Texas. Mrs. Blankenship looked at her notes. She had decided that this time her vote would go to the Libertarian candidates and one or two Democrats of whom she approved. One by one she tried to vote for her choice. Each time the machine, moved the vote to the Republican candidate. Mrs. Blankenship exclaimed in exasperation, leaving the booth to complain to one of the several ladies who was working at the polling place. One of the workers came and watched as again the machines changed her votes.
Shaking with distress Mrs. Blankenship left the Library. She could not be sure if her votes had been counted as she wanted. Now she did not notice the nice weather. Mr. Edwards could see she was upset and asked her what had happened; he advised her to call the F. B. I.
Mrs. Blankenship believes in standing up for the right thing. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal she had gone to the Library and copied down the names and addresses of 100 individuals in Congress who she hoped would vote to censure President Clinton for his deceitful behavior in lying to the American people. A trickle of responses has come back to her, mostly advising her to limit her complaints to her own representatives.
Stealing an election – and her own vote – struck her as far more serious than the misbehavior of Bill Clinton.
Mrs. Blankenship’s concerns over the moral character and the intentions of those in power had been growing over the decades. She had watched as the quality of education offered to the children she taught had become truncated, the focus moving away from the core of essential literacy and understanding of civics and history to a candy coated curriculum that neither prepared the students for real life or established a life time love of learning. It was not a partisan issue, it went much deeper. The advent of Governor Bush has only accelerated the deterioration of the education offered to the children of Texas. Where would it end? Didn’t they want the children to know anything? The question lingered in her mind, worrying her.
And now she was filled with a sense of violation. Did they expect that she would just walk out of the polling place and do nothing? Mrs. Blankenship opened the door of her home, sat down at her desk and began to write letters.
October 24, 2006
I am contacting in writing the Election Bureau of Collin County to continue the paper trail I have created concerning the voting irregularity I experienced on October 23, at 11:45 a. m. at Precinct 74 located at the Renner-Frankford Library in Dallas, Collin County. I filed a complaint by telephone on the day of the irregularity with Jan Lay in McKinney. She suggested I write to my federal representatives who passed the law requiring voting machines to be used which I have done. I have also talked by telephone with the Secretary of State’s office and sent a summary letter along with a copy of my letter to the elected federal persons representing me to Austin.
You will note that I am enclosing two articles of national concern that the Diebold voting machine which I used is not secure. Why are officials dragging their feet on making the computers create a paper trail so that voters like me can be sure that their votes were not stolen by a machine? There is proof that problems in Texas have occurred where votes were added that were never cast and other examples where votes have been credited to candidates not chosen.
The machine I was using recorded a vote for a Republican three times instead of the Libertarian I chose in three cases for individuals.listed in succession on the screen. I was so shocked I spoke out-loud that the machine was not recording my votes, but giving my votes to a candidate I did not choose. I had to make three corrections in successive order to correct these three errors. I was even more shocked when the summary appeared. I saw that Perry, Dewhurst and Combs were being credited with votes I DID NOT CAST FOR ANY OF THEM! I am positive who I chose for those offices and Chris Bell was being denied the vote I cast. These three errors in the summary were corrected by me before the ballot was submitted and my card withdrawn. I will forever believe that the machine I was using was rigged to switch votes to Republicans.
Collin County is known to be a Republican strong-hold , but I do not vote for a party. I vote for each individual candidate. If there is no opposition candidate and I do not want the lone candidate, I do not cast a vote at all in that category. I choose the candidates I support as an independent person who uses my vote as the Constitution intended it to be used. I have been voting regularly since 1952 when I cast my first votes in the presidential election.
Please take seriously my complaint about voting on a rigged Diebold machine and please do not pass this off as a glitch in the machine I was using. I do not think a glitch caused what I experienced in early voting October 23, 2006. I consider the errors as fraud on the part of someone who tampered with the computer in that machine.
Marilyn B. Blankenship
Can Sandy Be A Savior?
Hurricane Sandy may turn out to be the savior of the world from nuclear catastrophe.
The current budget crisis of the United States, amplified by the tremendous human and property losses of killer storm Sandy, may be the opportunity that people everywhere have been hoping for: the chance to eliminate the huge, costly and illegal nuclear weapons stockpiles of the United States and Russia.
As of November 2012, New York, New Jersey, and other states are reeling from the overwhelming property damage done by the storm. At this point we cannot even estimate how many billions of dollars will be required to assist the devastated areas in their rebuilding, or the new and unknown infrastructure needed to reduce the damage of such storms in the future. What we do know is that without very substantial help from the already strained federal budget this highly productive area of the U.S. will be unable to rebuild itself for a long time.
How will the Congress trim the federal budget to provide the urgently needed aid for the coastal areas? Will they cut back on Social Security and Medicare, as some have suggested, or will they prune the excessive, unusable and illegal nuclear weapons complex, which is now planning to spend “between $620 billion and $661 billion on nuclear weapons and related programs over the next decade” according to What Nuclear Weapons Cost Us, a report from the nonpartisan Ploughshares Fund.
While a large majority of Americans have repeatedly said in polls that they want a nuclear weapons-free world, every attempt to prune the nuclear weapons budget is opposed by the Congress. Many former hawks and military leaders have said that these weapons are a liability that does not keep us safe and should be abolished. Then why does the Congress continue to defend the huge nuclear weapons budget? Because the Nuclear Weapons lobby contributes to Congressional campaigns. A report from the Center for International Policy finds that, “In the 2012 election cycle, the top 14 nuclear weapons contractors gave a total of $2.9 million to key members of Congress with decision making power over nuclear weapons spending. These firms have donated $18.7 million to these same members of Congress over the course of their careers.”
We now know that any exchange of nuclear weapons would threaten the world’s people with a nuclear winter, caused by the huge cloud of radioactive debris that would circle the Earth and reduce food crops to famine levels, as well as weakening the ozone layer, threatening the ocean’s phytoplankton and spreading radioactive fallout over large areas of the Earth. As a result, many nations have repeatedly supported resolutions for abolition at the UN General Assembly, including the latest one by 34 nations stressing the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, which was delivered in October of this year.
We, the American people, have a choice. We can continue the plan for modernizing and replacing nuclear weapons and their delivery systems to last through the end of the century, or we can immediately cancel all such plans and expenses, and sign an agreement with Russia to work jointly to reduce our huge weapons stockpiles. Once we both reach a much smaller stockpile we can demand that other nations with similar stockpiles—several nations, such as China and Israel, have approximately 300 of them—must join with us in A Nuclear Weapons Convention and take the last step to rid the world of these suicidal weapons systems. This would save the U.S. Treasury hundreds of $billions, while reducing the ever-present danger of a nuclear exchange.
Loosening the grip of the Nuclear Weapons lobby on the Congress and their choosing life-sustaining budget priorities will not happen easily or quickly. The American people must leave the armchair of denial and organize now to preserve a livable world for their children and grandchildren. It will take a consolidated peace movement with breadth and determination. But it can be done.
Now, when we so urgently need to help those living in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and to trim the federal budget at the same time, is the window of opportunity. We must seize this moment to act, or the window will close, we will return to business as usual, and at some time in the future these terrible weapons may set the Earth on fire.
Peter G Cohen, Santa Barbara, Calif., is the author of www.nukefreeworld.com and other internet writing.
A Bad Evening For Karl Rove
It was obvious the election was going to be stolen months ago. Rove and company were pulling the same old tricks we have been watching since 2000 with the voting machines, ‘de-registering’ voters, and using phone calls to keep people away from the polls. It looked like a cakewalk for Karl.
Then reports started coming through the Voter Integrity mailing lists with reports of voters seeing their votes transferred, not just from Obama to Romney, but Romney to Obama. True? Who knows.
The jumping vote was exactly what Marilyn Blankenship of Dallas, Texas, reported happening when she tried to vote for the Libertarian candidate in 2004 instead of George W. The little mark, all on its own, finds the X Spot has been selected for them. Mrs. Blankenship protested vehemently for several years, to no avail.
From both sides the cheating started as both candidates ruthlessly destroyed the opposition from within their own party. Ron Paul was just the most visible example.
Did Obama design a strategy to ignore the popular vote, going for the Electoral College! Did it, too involve hacking? Who knows. Ol’ Karl ‘s eyes probably bugged out. Our electoral process is dead either way.
Now it is kind of quiet. No one is happy. Those who were supporting Obama as the lesser of two evils can now consider how very bad the last four years have been. The lesser of two evils is still not a good deal.
Mike Adams, of Natural News predicts these events:
#1) Huge expansion of TSA and the surveillance state;
#2) Expansion of secret arrests of American citizens;
#3) Acceleration of national debt blowout and endless fiat currency creation;
#4) Rapid expansion of GMOs and USDA collusion;
#5) Increasingly dictatorial government health care;
#6) Immediate surge in sales of guns and ammo;
#7) Accelerated erosion of the Bill of Rights and civil liberties;
#8) Continued destruction and looting of the U.S. Economy;
#9) A “giant sucking sound” of employers leaving America;
#10) Stepped-up attacks on veterans and preppers.
There is really only one solution. We need to take back the vote to the most local level, voting on paper ballots which are counted openly and transparently at the precinct. People from all political viewpoints have traditionally done this routinely with no friction. Each precinct publishes to the Internet. We can count for ourselves.
It can be done. See you in 2016.
Texas Tolling Mentality Continues…
In response to “U.S. 290 tollway’s first piece opening in December”
Despite the fact that gasoline tax revenue is diverted to other special interests and also that Gov. Perry and the Texas Legislature refuse to permit the increase of the tax to allow for inflation (as they apparently do permit for yearly toll road increases) the primary focus on building roadways is on developing more and more toll roadways, which truly does NOT help with traffic congestion.
This is unconscionable.
Furthermore, there is no regulation for the increase of tolls at any given time and once the toll road is paid for, the tolls usually remain. This is NOT a legacy we want to leave for our children’s children.
The ruling GOP cries out against new taxes, but what are tolls if not new taxes?
Even if drivers opt NOT to use the toll roads goods and services will increase accordingly as toll costs will be diverted onto customers. Consequently,
I urge all Texans to avoid using toll roads, but also they should contact legislators to stop tolling insanity.
Peter Stern
Driftwood, Texas
Civilians Not Protected From DU Exploitation
A new report entitled Hazard Aware explains that civilian populations are not being protected from exploitation caused by the use of depleted uranium munitions in war zones. Other studies show that radiation from depleted uranium use travels in the air and afflicts inhabitants of other countries.
For years world scientists have decried the dangers of depleted uranium contamination only to be ignored by governments which took a “strike first, clean-up later” attitude. One scientist, Chris Busby, was able to obtain documentation proving that the radiation caused by “shock and awe” in Iraq had traveled all the way to London and beyond.
In the mid-1970s, depleted uranium testing on solders at Fort Hood, Texas was conducted in secret by the military, to determine thresholds of contamination effect.
U.S. Department of Defense clean-up of contaminated areas after the first Gulf war proved impossible, according to personnel in the field.
The latest report, published by the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons, contains research done by IKV Pax Christi, which collected military manuals and guidelines on how to deal with depleted uranium contamination from six different armed forces and includes NATO guidelines.
The outcome, according to Wim Zwijnenburg, contains lessons learned from military field manuals on depleted uranium and how to move forward for civilian protection norms due to the potential negative effects on health and environment.
The report encourages the implementation of strict hygiene procedures to avoid DU exposure, with detailed instructions on how to deal with accidents that may occur during transportation and storage of DU.
Noted Zwijnenburg, “Considering the chemical toxicity and radioactivity of DU, this all makes perfect sense. Precautionary measures should be undertaken to keep exposure as low as possible.”
According to the report, “Centuries ago, armies were fighting armies on a battleground outside of civilian areas. But with new weapon technologies and change of conflict dynamics and battlegrounds, nowadays 90% of the victims of armed conflict are civilians. While soldiers have all sorts of means at their disposition to protect themselves during and after armed conflict, civilians are barely protected against the range of weapons deployed, such as depleted uranium (DU).”
The report published by IKV Pax Christi reveals this gap and provides civilian centered strategies for protection against exposure to DU.
“Not surprisingly, armed forces have strict guidelines. These have to protect troops against a range of explosive and chemical residues, including those resulting from the use of landmines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance’s (UXOs) and nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons in case they are deployed. The guidelines are drawn up to protect the troops against exposure and limit the potential harm posed by these weapons. Clearance operations during and after armed conflict are developed to remove these weapons from the battlefield, especially because of harmful effects on civilians living in areas where the weapons have been deployed. A majority of states have recognized these threats, hence the ban on landmines and cluster munitions and several conventions on chemical, biological, and toxic weapons.
“Quite interestingly, depleted uranium (DU) munitions are still considered legitimate conventional weapons. Despite ongoing debates in the UN, several bans on DU by states and an international campaign to ban DU weapons, little interest is shown to tackle this issue once and for all. The main reason given by states for this inertia is that a clear link between the use of these weapons and their potential effect on health and environment is not proven. Nonetheless, most of the armed forces operating in areas where DU has been used or suspected to have been used have guidelines in place to protect their troops against contamination with DU.”
Although guidelines exist for the military, “none of these guidelines are available for civilians living in contaminated areas that are likely to be exposed to these hazardous materials on a daily basis. Over the past 25 years, DU has been used in the Balkans and Iraq, leaving over 400.000 kg of DU in the soil, and contaminated scrap is stored inside populated areas.
“During the course of the last two decades, numerous reports from those areas expressed concerns amongst citizens over the potential effects of those weapons, linking it to an increased numbers of cancers and birth deformations in their communities. But what is lacking is research and work by affected states to clean up those areas, remediation measures for contaminated sites and scrap yards, and research on exposure of civilians to DU.
“Based on the military precautionary measures, IKV Pax Christi’s report provides civilian centered strategies for protection against exposure to DU and makes recommendations for further work on DU in affected area’s, basic procedures such as transparency over the locations where DU was used, assessment of the contaminated sites, clean up operations and awareness raising for the local population. Until today, on most of the sites in the Balkans and Iraq, few of these procedures have been implemented, resulting in continued exposure of civilians to toxic remnants of war, and an international community that fails to act.
“IKV Pax Christi strongly believes that DU is an unacceptable component of conventional weapons, and calls upon the international community to apply a precautionary approach to DU and ban these weapons as well as provide assistance to the affected countries in cleaning up DU munitions, hence minimizing the harm for civilians to exposure to DU in and after armed conflict.”
The report notes that uranium weapons release large volumes of fine particles into the environment when they are used. Uranium is a radioactive and chemically toxic heavy metal. It has a similar density to gold. This has made it an attractive choice for producers of armor-piercing weapons known as Kinetic Energy penetrators. The penetrator is a long dart of solid depleted uranium; it is neither a tip, nor a coating and weighs up to 4kg. Kinetic Energy Penetrators use their kinetic energy to pierce armour instead of a chemical explosive. Uranium’s other key property is that it is pyrophoric. Pyrophoric materials oxidize rapidly when exposed to oxygen, this means finely ground uranium powder burns when exposed to air.
It is this last property that is responsible for the generation of fine, radioactive and chemically toxic particles. Once released on battlefields and testing ranges, these particles can then be ingested or inhaled by civilians and service personnel alike. Rounds that miss their targets may also corrode in the soil and contaminate groundwater.
The problem is being documented in dozens of recently published peer-reviewed papers that have indicated that uranium can damage health through new and unexpected pathways.
Reports from hospitals in Iraq have linked uranium weapon contamination with a rise in the incidence of cancers often associated with environmental contaminants and radiation, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and breast cancer. Furthermore, the age at which Iraqis have developed cancer has been decreasing.
Dozens of veterans have tested positive for uranium exposure and have been seen to be exhibiting a range of symptoms. In Italy, the state has agreed to a 30m Euro compensation package for service personnel suffering from Balkan Syndrome, this was thought to be connected with uranium exposure. The decision was made all the more notable after an expert panel concluded that the burden of proof in these cases should be reversed and the military made to prove that sick personnel had not been exposed.
Although states that use uranium weapons have been unwilling to undertake surveys of contaminated populations, there is now sufficient data to request that governments take a precautionary approach and introduce a moratorium on the use of these weapons. A precautionary approach is also supported by the fact that uranium dust is almost impossible to remove from the environment once released.
For an extensive list of recently published peer-reviewed papers visit: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/docs/58.pdf
For more information about depleted uranium, visit http://links.causes.com/s/clD3bq?r=Mlh3
It is thought that the United States and the United Kingdom are the only states to have used uranium weapons in active conflict, although questions remain over France’s use of uranium weapons in the Gulf War and Russia’s in Chechnya. They were first used on a large scale by U.S. and UK forces in the 1991 Gulf War, by NATO in the Balkans in the late 1990s and again by U.S. and UK forces in the 2003 Iraq War. It is suspected that they may have also been used in Afghanistan since 2001.
Uranium weapons are in use by at least 17, and as many as 20 countries. Some states have developed them independently while others have bought U.S. and Soviet-made munitions. The opacity of the arms trade has meant that this data is far from complete.
States thought to have uranium weapons include: UK, U.S., France, Russia, Belarus, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Kuwait, Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, Belarus, and Taiwan.
ICBUW suggests that a uranium weapons treaty that will synthesize the impressive human rights and victim assistance text of the Cluster Munition Convention with environmental law and the Precautionary Principle – this would be a first for disarmament law and would have a huge impact on the wider issue of the use of toxic substances in warfare.
“A Uranium Weapons Convention would ban the use of uranium in all conventional weapons and armor, release money for environmental remediation and medical care and order the destruction of stockpiles.”
Two UN General Assembly resolutions, one highlighting health concerns and the other requesting the World Health Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, and United Nations Environment Program to update their positions on uranium weapons. The resolutions passed by 126 to six and 141 to four respectively.
Four increasingly strong resolutions in the European Parliament, the most recent in May 2007 called for a moratorium leading to a ban and passed by 94% of MEPs.
A domestic ban on uranium weapons occurred recently in Belgium; they were also the first state in the world to ban land mines and cluster bombs.
Senate May Wipe Out E-Mail Privacy
By Renato Ramírez, Chairman of the Board and CEO, IBC-Zapata
and James C. Harrington, Director, Texas Civil Rights Project
Sen. Patrick Leahy, the influential Democratic chair of the Judiciary Committee, has capitulated to law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Justice Department, and is sponsoring a bill, authorizing widespread warrantless access to Americans’ e-mails, as wells as Google Docs files, Twitter direct messages, and so on, without a search warrant. It also would give the FBI and Homeland Security more authority, in some circumstances, to gain full access to Internet accounts without notifying either the owner or a judge.
Leahy’s bill would only require the federal agencies to issue a subpoena, not obtain a search warrant signed by a judge based on probable cause. It also would permit state and local law enforcement to warrantlessly access Americans’ correspondence stored on systems not offered “to the public,” including university networks.
Even situations which still would require a search warrant, the proposed law would excuse law enforcement officers from obtaining a warrant (and being challenged later in court), if they claim an “emergency” situation.
Not only that, but a provider would have to notify law enforcement in advance of any plans to tell its customers they’ve been the target of a warrant, order, or subpoena. The agency then could order the provider to delay notification of customers, whose accounts have been accessed, from three days to “ten business days” or even postpone notification up to 360 days.
Agencies that would receive civil subpoena authority for electronic communications include the Federal Reserve, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Maritime Commission, the Postal Regulatory Commission, the NLRB, OSHA, SEC, and the Mine Enforcement Safety and Health Review Commission. There is no good legal reason why agencies like these need blanket access to people’s personal information with a mere subpoena, rather than a warrant.
One might expect better of Leahy, given his liberal credentials; but he has been quite disappointing. In fact, he had a hand in making the Patriot Act bill less protective of civil liberties. Nor has the Administration been helpful in this regard, quite to the contrary. Expectations of “law and order” types might not be as high in terms of protecting civil liberties, but they should not be as unsatisfactory as they are with proponents of constitutional freedoms.
The revelations about how the FBI perused former CIA director David Petraeus’ e-mail without a warrant should alarm us all, who have less power and prestige than he did.
If the Fourth Amendment is to have any meaning, it is that police must obtain a search warrant, backed by probable cause, before reading Americans’ e-mails or other communications. If we are to preserve our constitutional protection from warrantless searches, unreviewed by the courts, we need to let our Senators from Texas hear from us immediately and resoundingly.
We cannot allow the government to undermine our rights, bit by bit, even in the name of national security, which too often is the mantra it so casually uses. As Ben Franklin said, those who give up freedom in the name of security deserve neither.
This abridgement of our fundamental rights affects us all — conservative, liberals, and libertarians alike. Our allegiance to the Constitution must be non-partisan. Write your Senators.
The Texas Civil Rights Project, a nonprofit foundation, promotes civil rights and economic and racial justice throughout Texas.