An inspiring speech from Charlie Chaplin in his first talking movie role. It is critical of blind nationalism in the run up to WWII.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Fighting Cuba for 50 Years
Tuesday, February 7 marked the 50 year anniversary of the official start to the US embargo against Cuba. Just a few links related to Cuba to mark the occasion.
At this link I summarize some of the documented terror that Cuba has been subjected to over the past 50 years.
Why do Cubans flee the island if it's such a leftist paradise? Ultimately it's because the world's richest nation gives Cubans every incentive to flee by dangerous and illegal means. If they reach the shore they have an easy path to citizenship, which would be a tremendous incentive for residents of any other nation. Cuba constantly makes efforts to increase permissible legal migration for Cubans into the US, but these efforts are rejected. Some details here.
Senator Obama opposed the embargo against Cuba and said it should be lifted. President Obama has flip flopped. Now he will not lift the embargo unless Cuba makes various reforms.
In order to curb the violence perpetuated against Cubans by right wing militants in Miami five Cubans infiltrated the terrorist cells. Cuba invited the FBI to come to Havana where they handed the FBI files documenting the planned violence which was obtained by these five Cubans. The FBI thanked Cuban officials and returned to the US, where they arrested the five individuals that had infiltrated the terrorist cells. These individuals received a show trial and were imprisoned. One was since released. Some details here.
A new book by two US civil rights attorneys documents the CIA's role in the execution of Che Guevara. An interesting interview at Democracy Now here. Cuba does a lot of humanitarian work, especially sending medical help to impoverished areas. One person that received help was Che's executioner, Mario Teran. He was blind due to cataracts, but his sight was restored. His surgery would have been unlikely without the revolution Che was instrumental in bringing about.
At this link I summarize some of the documented terror that Cuba has been subjected to over the past 50 years.
Why do Cubans flee the island if it's such a leftist paradise? Ultimately it's because the world's richest nation gives Cubans every incentive to flee by dangerous and illegal means. If they reach the shore they have an easy path to citizenship, which would be a tremendous incentive for residents of any other nation. Cuba constantly makes efforts to increase permissible legal migration for Cubans into the US, but these efforts are rejected. Some details here.
Senator Obama opposed the embargo against Cuba and said it should be lifted. President Obama has flip flopped. Now he will not lift the embargo unless Cuba makes various reforms.
In order to curb the violence perpetuated against Cubans by right wing militants in Miami five Cubans infiltrated the terrorist cells. Cuba invited the FBI to come to Havana where they handed the FBI files documenting the planned violence which was obtained by these five Cubans. The FBI thanked Cuban officials and returned to the US, where they arrested the five individuals that had infiltrated the terrorist cells. These individuals received a show trial and were imprisoned. One was since released. Some details here.
A new book by two US civil rights attorneys documents the CIA's role in the execution of Che Guevara. An interesting interview at Democracy Now here. Cuba does a lot of humanitarian work, especially sending medical help to impoverished areas. One person that received help was Che's executioner, Mario Teran. He was blind due to cataracts, but his sight was restored. His surgery would have been unlikely without the revolution Che was instrumental in bringing about.
Monday, February 6, 2012
22 Years In Prison for Feeding the Hungry
Not even joking. Iraqi American Rafil Dhafir has been re sentenced to 22 years partly for sending food and medicine to Iraq during the sanctions period. Sanctions led to the starvation and death of hundreds of thousands of children, but Madeleine Albright thought it was worth it. The real criminals are not the ones that starved hundreds of thousands of children. It's those that dared to send food to them. Some details here.
Seems Michael Moore did pretty much the same thing. A very brave thing to do, though this doctor was even more brave. Not being a celebrity he's at more risk.
Seems Michael Moore did pretty much the same thing. A very brave thing to do, though this doctor was even more brave. Not being a celebrity he's at more risk.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Pee Into This Cup
Degradation is good medicine for the poor. Welfare queens are living high on the hog. If they're going to be taking taxpayer money from Floridians in the form of public assistance the least they can do is take a drug test so we know they aren't using that money to get high. A Florida congressman is baffled that anyone would refuse. Who would refuse to take this test and see his family suffer?
The Daily Show agrees. And the governor is taking hundreds of thousands in taxpayer money, as is this baffled congressmen. You'd think they likewise would be more than happy to submit to a drug test. Wouldn't they? Watch to find out.
The Daily Show agrees. And the governor is taking hundreds of thousands in taxpayer money, as is this baffled congressmen. You'd think they likewise would be more than happy to submit to a drug test. Wouldn't they? Watch to find out.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Banana Republic
In the video below a man attempts to flee from the police but finds himself trapped. So he lays on the ground to surrender. The police officer, George Fierro, then kicks him in the head. That is followed by pepper spray and additional blows from the next police officer. The K-9 unit sicks the dog on him.
The DA won't prosecute the cops because the suspect is "positioning himself to attack." And we are dealing here with a "highly dangerous and unpredictable criminal."
What America needs more than anything is a restoration of the rule of law. We need a country where the rule of law applies to everyone, not just the weak and powerless.
The DA won't prosecute the cops because the suspect is "positioning himself to attack." And we are dealing here with a "highly dangerous and unpredictable criminal."
What America needs more than anything is a restoration of the rule of law. We need a country where the rule of law applies to everyone, not just the weak and powerless.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Scott Ritter Knew
A lot of people know about how Scott Ritter forcefully made the argument that the Bush administration in fact did not have convincing evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction prior to the invasion. Yes, weapons inspectors were withdrawn by the US in 1998 and Ritter admitted that it was possible he had developed weapons since then. But he also pointed out that the development of these weapons should still be detectable. We can't rule out that he has succeeded in developing these in an undetectable way. But we shouldn't leap from "He could possibly have developed weapons" to "He probably developed weapons."
But as war approached Ritter was able to draw firmer conclusions about the weapons programs. Inspectors were allowed back in. They were actually able to inspect the various sites that the CIA and US government had identified as locations where prohibited weapons were being manufactured. They turned up nothing. So there was a very brief period before the war where we really knew. Ritter forcefully tried to communicate that. Obviously to no avail. Watch a program below that offers some of his analysis prior to the war.
Ritter is now making the case regarding Iran. What he's saying is a less controversial now. We know they aren't making nuclear weapons. But those with truly thick skulls still want to pretend they are. They want to listen to the Krauthammers and the Kristols and O'Reillys and all the other pundits that were so colossally wrong before. They'd have zero credibility in a media dominated by pursuit of truth. In a media owned by entities in pursuit of short term profit maximization however they still are treated with respect.
But as war approached Ritter was able to draw firmer conclusions about the weapons programs. Inspectors were allowed back in. They were actually able to inspect the various sites that the CIA and US government had identified as locations where prohibited weapons were being manufactured. They turned up nothing. So there was a very brief period before the war where we really knew. Ritter forcefully tried to communicate that. Obviously to no avail. Watch a program below that offers some of his analysis prior to the war.
Ritter is now making the case regarding Iran. What he's saying is a less controversial now. We know they aren't making nuclear weapons. But those with truly thick skulls still want to pretend they are. They want to listen to the Krauthammers and the Kristols and O'Reillys and all the other pundits that were so colossally wrong before. They'd have zero credibility in a media dominated by pursuit of truth. In a media owned by entities in pursuit of short term profit maximization however they still are treated with respect.
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