Katrina Commemoration March: Providence RI-- 8/29

Three years after Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast, Join the Commemoration March in Providence. Featuring words, action, music, and art, we will make our way second-line style along the Hurricane Evacuation route, making stops that will highlight the issues of Criminalization, Gentrification, Foreclosures, Immigrant Rights, and Education that connect the struggles of residents from Providence to New Orleans. Special guest speaker- Katrina Survivor and leader from Safe Streets Strong Communities NOLA! Don't miss it!


Does anyone doubt that the War in Iraq has played a role in the government response (and lack of responses) to Katrina?

One of my neighbors who is a full-time national guardsman, and originally from Louisiana, told me how his troops returned from Iraq and were immediately stationed in New Orleans. It was a devastating experience for them as they were not prepared or able to assist...

There is a facebook page for this event.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44629347048&ref=mf

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Plans to End Our Democracy - And Still No Impeachment Hearings?

Are you aware of the plans to bankrupt our nation?

A year ago, I wrote a long article about the goals of Karl Rove and his fellow authoritarian conspirators. The article reviewed Karl's history, goals and underhanded planning expertise, and summarizes his plans for creating a single party state, weakening the federal government's control over business and its assistance for disadvantaged Americans. To do this, Karl and others would bleed "the federal government of its money." After the 2006 Bush tax cuts and years of borrowing for Bush's occupation of Iraq, how's the plan doing? Here's an image to help.

Looks like Karl, Bush, et al., have been quite successful.

Compare their plan with the following quote, "So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy." This statement was made in a video on October 30, 2004. The speaker in this video was Osama bin Laden.

 

What about plans to boost the price of oil?

Oil economist Dr Mamdouh Salameh reported back in May of this year that if Bush had not lied us into the invasion of Iraq, the cost of oil would be something less than $40.00. Instead, the price of oil in May was $135 a barrel. Think Progress summarized the oil price situation this way, "The Bush administration’s catastrophic decision to invade Iraq, sink the nation into debt to pay for that war, and consequently, weaken the dollar have all caused oil prices to soar astronomically." (Do you suppose that the oil companies have more than made back their political contributions to both Bush campaigns?)

Back in 1998 a book by Jamal Abdul Latif Ismail was published. In a review of this book, Donna Abu-Nasr, of the Associated Press, provided this paraphrased segment from a 54 page interview documented in the book:

Bin Laden claimed the United States has carried out the "biggest theft in history'' by buying oil from Persian Gulf countries at low prices. According to bin Laden, a barrel of oil today should cost $144.

The price of oil earlier this month reached $145. Bush and bin Laden are again on the same page of their respective plans. (Notice something? Bush has out done bin Ladin much as he has out done his father. Just what we need. Two global bullies trying to out do each other.)

 

What about where Bush and bin Ladin keep and protect their plans from public view?

On the one hand, we have bin Laden's public plans. On the other, we have Cheney's man-sized safe and "executive privilege." Why do you suppose our leaders are hiding their plans? Do you suppose they realize they have something in common with our arch enemy and need to keep us from noticing?

 

Does it appear to you that bin Laden and our own authoritarian leaders are working toward the same end? Isn't aiding the enemy treason? Isn't treason a high crime? And Congress hasn't yet initiated impeachment proceedings because ...?



This article was originally posted on The WAWG Blog

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Murtha Calling Pentagon's Bluff

US Representative John Murtha needs our support to sustain his call of the Pentagon's bluff. Bush has rejected Congress's military spending bill and is now "accus[ing] Democrats of failing to support soldiers and their families," according to the Los Angeles Times.

The White House is trotting out Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell, and even a retired Army general, Montgomery C. Meigs, who claims that bomb squads will suffer almost immediately if Congress does not relent.

Murtha says these guys are lying. We need to rally to his side so that he'll keep it up.

According to the LA Times, "Pentagon officials advanced plans to lay off 200,000 civilians because of budget shortfalls, prompting Democratic charges of fear-mongering." Murtha said,

They're scaring people. They're scaring the families of the troops.

Murtha, formerly known as a military hawk, asked reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference:

Because the Pentagon says it, you believe it? You believe what the Pentagon says? All the things that they have told us: 'Mission accomplished,' 'Al Qaeda connection,' 'weapons of mass destruction,' on and on and on. And you believe the Pentagon?

No. We don't believe the Pentagon. It's time to call their bluff. The only way to stop this war is the No Legislation Alternative; send no funding bill to Bush and there's no bill to veto.

Take Action:

Contact the LA Times authors and urge them to follow up with Representative John Murtha.

peter.spiegell@atimes.com

julian.barnes@latimes.com

Contact Murtha and offer support on calling the Pentagon's bluff.
(202) 225-2065 (fill his voice mail box over the holiday weekend)
(202) 225-5709 fax

Contact other Media Outlets to indicate your support of Murtha and urge them to reflect your sentiment in their coverage.

Meanwhile...

Spiegel and Barns report, "Congress passed a separate $471-billion Defense Department budget, but that measure did not include the war costs." Compare that with Clinton and Bush 41 defense budgets:

During the 1992 Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton denounced George Bush - quite properly - for failing to recognize that the Cold War was over. But Clinton's $263 billion Defense Department budget is a mere $10 billion lower than that projected by the Bush Administration, and retains just about all of the silly or sinister weapons boondoggles from the Reagan/Bush era. [2]

Not all of that increase can be blamed on inflation. And to think that Hilary and Barak want to increase the size of our military [3].

Source:

1. Los Angeles Times, Pentagon officials move ahead on layoff plans in anticipation of funds drying up. Democrats say they're exaggerating, Peter Spiegel and Julian E. Barnes, November 21, 2007

2. The Progressive, Cold War - the sequel - Clinton Defense budget - Editorial, May 1993.

3. The Hill, ’08 hopefuls would grow the military, Roxana Tiron, May 02, 2007.

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