WWJD? Christian puts price on head of author...

A fantastic example of Christianity:

Indian Christian offers 25K bounty for the head of DaVinci Code author Dan Brown.

WWJD?? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have put out a bounty on someone's head. Wow, some of you have your priorities really screwed up.

The Wiretapping Story Thickens...

The Wall Street Journal (subscription restricted) is reporting that BellSouth is "demanding a retraction" of the story by USA Today that characterized the relationship between the NSA and BellSouth Corp.

Companies like BellSouth, Verizon, and AT&T may be allowed to lie about their relationship and transactions with the NSA; because of a presidential memorandum that George Bush signed on May 5th that allows the Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, to authorize a company to "conceal activities related to national security."

The Congressional Research Service has released a report questioning the legality of the monitoring and turning over to the NSA of call records by telecommunications companies. According to the report, existing laws may "expose the telephone companies to some civil remedies or criminal sanctions." "In addition, a request not founded upon a statutory scheme would appear to lack a means of compelling production of the information requested."

Representative John Conyers had this to say:

"Report suggests that in providing the NSA with millions of phone records of innocent Americans, the telephone service providers violated a number of Federal statutes including the Communications Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. § 2701 governing access to stored electronic communications and transactional records. In addition, the NSA may well be in violation of both FISA and related federal laws governing trap and trace devices. Given this analysis, it is clear that we as a congress need to step up and investigate these very serious charges."

Where's the oversight? At least 29% of Americans believe they have already been wiretapped. I believe that some of my calls may have been tracked, whether or not, however, it may have pertained to my receiving a security clearance with the Department of Defense, I do not know. I simply am unaware of just how far the FBI went in investigating my trustworthiness before the DoD decided to authorize my clearance. Continued wiretapping or monitoring of my electronic communications, however, would be unrelated to my clearance and would simply be a part of the theft from Americans of their 4th amendment rights...

I think we all have a lot to think about. Glossing it over as a "terrorist surveillance program" is a load of crap. That would be like saying invading Iraq was all about freedom. If we don't know better than that, we deserve to have our phones tapped.

Tags: Negroponte NSA Wiretaps Bellsouth AT&T Verizon Conyers Bush Politics Lies FBI D0D Defense CRS Terrorism Intelligence

The World Hates Us

According to new polling released by Newshouse News Service shows that the world is turning against Americans, and not just specific policies or leaders. A growing number of Europeans, Asians, and Muslims believe that Americans are "rude and violent." This is an ominous turn of the view of Americans, and is directly linked to our policies and what President Bush's "agenda" has done to the view of the U.S. around the world.

We are rapidly losing our credibility throughout the world, and as this continues to manifest itself, the United States will begin and continue its decline. While we still arguably have the most powerful military in the world, our powerful military will not be enough to protect us from growing animosity. You can read more about the survey here.

200,000 AK-47s "Missing" in Iraq

According to a report in the Daily Mirror, hosted by RAW STORY, a shipment of 200,000 AK-47s from Bosnia (leftovers from the war there) to Iraq by the U.S. to be given to Iraqi security forces has "gone missing". This occurred in 2004 and 2005, and the company responsible for carrying out the shipments has already been blasted by the UN for smuggling weapons into Liberia. So, are the weapons now in the hands of terrorists? Or insurgents?

Talk about mismanagement!

LOST
In an unrelated issue:
Is The Hanso Foundation the AR equivalent to Halliburton (only worse)?
I find it disturbing that the Hanso Foundation is so complicit, it seems, in subverting the law. And now they're filling the airwaves with their "feel good" commercials, and even advertising in papers in larger cities, attacking a book called "Bad Twin" for mentioning THF in not so good terms.

...now back to your regularly scheduled reality...

[PC] Daniel

9/11 Loose Change

I finally watched the "documentary" 911 Loose Change on Google Video. I was putting it off for a long time (partly because I couldn't remember the damned title, and was having trouble finding it), and also putting it off because (although some of you people think I am) I am not one of those tin-foil hat types. I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but I'm not easily swayed to believe that a conspiracy theory is possible. Someone always talks.

Loose Change is a well done video. They address most questions that come up during the viewing, and definitely have made me do some research of my own. The two things that are "bugging" me the most right now are the collapse of the towers and the "disappearing" planes that hit the Pentagon and crashed in Shanksville (Flight 93).

If you've watched Loose Change, let me know your opinion, and, in general, does anyone out there really think/believe that a conspiracy/cover-up of this scale could actually be perpetrated against the people of the United States of America?

Also, I'm rebuilding my links for a cleaned up template. Look here for more details.

Iran, Nuclear War, and the UN

It is becoming evident that Russia and China are unwilling to allow economic sanctions or military action against Iran to make it through the UN Security Council via resolution. Both wield veto power in the UN Security Council, so if this is true and not grandstanding, there will be no sanctions against Iran. This would mean that the United States would have to unilaterally impose sanctions, and act unilaterally once again if the administration chooses a military strike against Iran. I think that the efforts to do so would be the wrong move for the government of the US. And, I think it is time for the UN to no longer be impotent in these matters.

The United States supported the formation of the League of Nations and the United Nations, believing it was paramount to the security of the United States and the world to have this body govern things such as sanctions and military action. While I agree that the United States (and any nation, including Iran) should be allowed to have sovereignty and act in the best interest of their people, this move (attacking Iran) would not be in the best interest of the people of the United States.

I absolutely agree with most that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. However, this does not include their right to have nuclear power, which I believe is something that not only should be allowed, but encouraged along with the assistance of other nations and the oversight of the IAEA. The United States, through the actions of the Bush Administration, has essentially lost its right to tell other countries what they may or may not do. And that is a truly sad development in our country’s history. Iran is not to blame, terrorists are not to blame, and liberals are not to blame for this development. One needs to look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the Republican controlled Congress.

Maybe someday soon Americans will end the practice of voting against their own best interests, and stop voting solely based on emotion over an issue that they feel is “dear to them”. Abortion or Nuclear War? Gay marriage or $8.00 a gallon gas? Responsible government or continued unparalleled corruption in government? Time to wake up and smell the coffee, before we have to wake up and see that we’ve invaded yet another country, killing innocents, killing our children that fight for this country, and possibly using nuclear weapons (again) in an age when we know, without a doubt, how devastating radioactive fallout can be…and have the technology to deal with threats and bunkers without the use of nuclear weapons.