The Progressive Blog Alliance HQ

From the Far-Left Bloggers Union:

It’s clear that the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the racism that surrounds it, are key issues at the moment. The majority of people in most countries, including Australia, the United States and Britain oppose the war in Iraq. The FLBU is calling on all bloggers to express this opposition by posting a picture of you holding a placard/sign expressing your opposition on your blog. Email me your link and I’ll add it to a list at the bottom of this post. Include the details of your local anti-war or anti-racism rally and encourage others to take a stand against the war.

I have been doing my political posting more and more at a A Bomb A Nation, which I encourage you browse until I get it on the PBA blogroll. I still say the war is the top issue of the moment but I don't think that is what built the foundation of support for new faces in congress.

fascism: fas·cism fa-"shi-z&m noun a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2: a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

According to sociologist Dr. Laurence W. Britt in the Spring 2003 edition of Free Inquiry magazine, analysis of seven fascist regimes (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Portugal, Papadopoulos’s Greece, Pinochet’s Chile, and Suharto’s Indonesia) reveal fourteen recognizable commonalities:

To sign the statement below, already signed by over 9,000 individuals and over 100 organizations, go to http://www.porcuba.org/index.php?lang=2

"As a result of the communication of Fidel Castro on his state of health and the provisional delegation of his responsibilities, high ranking U.S officials have formulated more explicit statements about the immediate future of Cuba. The Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez said that 'the moment has arrived for a true transition towards a true democracy' and the White House spokesman Tony Snow said that his government is 'ready and eager to provide humanitarian, economic and other aid to the people of Cuba', as was recently reiterated by President Bush.

"Already the 'Commission for Assistance to a free Cuba', presided over by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pointed out in a report issued in June 'the urgency of working today to ensure that the Castro regime's succession strategy does not succeed' and President Bush indicated that this document 'demonstrates that we are actively working for change in Cuba, not simply waiting for change'. The Department of State has emphasized that the plan includes measures that will remain secret 'for reasons of national security' and to assure its 'effective implementation'.

From the Belfast Telegraph editorial, "Middle East Crisis: Who backs an immediate ceasefire?" with a nod to Empires Fall:

As a humanitarian disaster looms, Britain and the US are left exposed by refusing to endorse the UN's demand for an end to hostilities.

(Thanks to Uncle $cam and Moon of Alabama for the tip.)

N.B. Image cropped to remove annoying promotional material.

I am pleased to announce a new Carnival of Community Campaigns. This carnival aims to promote blogging as a method of building and publicising the causes of small community groups, battling against political and corporate power. It will bring together the best posts from local groups, bringing local activism to an international audience. The homepage of the carnival is here: http://humantide.blogspot.com/2006/07/carnival-of-community-campaigns.html - please send your suggestions in soon!

Now that we have more than 2,700 dead American soldiers in operation Iraqi Freedom, I think it's time to focus on an issue that seems to have shriveled into thin air here at home, the tragedies of 9/11. The Administration no longer dangles the terrifying 3-digit carrot to evoke panic and fear. It's almost like they read the polls and the newspapers, not that they would admit to changing rhetoric to improve poll numbers. But honestly, when was the last time you heard the mention of the date in the MSM. Personally myself today was the first time in a long time. And my sorrowful reminder of one of the saddest events in American history was this headline, "State Agency Goes Ahead With 9/11 Memorial." The families of 9/11 victims are finally going to get their memorial. Will this be a beacon of closure signaling the suffering of these tortured souls has reached its end? Can a Nation now mourn in person, as we remember that fateful day? Well sort of.

As part of immigration reform, the Feds are about to put in place an employment verification system that, if abused, could turn any American into an untouchable unable to find gainful employment in the United States. Sadly the phrase "You'll never work again in this town..." is about to take on a sinister new meaning.

Read the rest at Blognonymous.

Noted Middle Eastern scholar, in an interview, reveals the dark side (surprise, surprise) of Bush's (idiotic) foreign policy (sic) in the Middle East -- that it will increase authoritarianism there and supress democratization for decades to come.

Full story here.

* **Extracts* from latest,*Full text* at http://deadlinepundit.blogspot.com/or http://www.thenation.com/   The Bolton ArchipelagoIan Williams(The Nation 15 March 2006)A complete American isolationist may congratulate the BushAdministration and United Nations Ambassador John Bolton on hisgrandstanding vote<http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b9c57e1a-b452-11da-bd61-0000779e2340.%20html>

Good old Yankee common sense tells us that it is dangerous and wrong for a foreign government to be in charge of any of our seaports.

But common sense, and truthful motives, are in short supply in the Bush administration. We are now in a tornado of Dubai World Ports and United Arab Emirates spin by the Bush administration.

We are being told that Americans who object to this deal are Arab and Muslim bashing bigots. That we are destroying our trade relations with the Middle Eastern world. That Dubai Ports World used to support terrorist states, but since 9/11 they are our fast friends (see my "UAE Not US Supporter Since 9/11" and "Portsgate: Public Outrage be Damned" blogs). And most absurd, that there are more important issues.

Here is the headline of a piece in the WaPo written by Josh White:Detainee in Photo With Dog Was 'High-Value' SuspectOne might get a sense that maybe just a little torture might be okay if he really was a "high-value" suspect, eh? The second paragraph reads like this:

Although officials characterized the other detainees who appeared in the Abu Ghraib photographs as common criminals and rioters, the orange-clad detainee seen cowering before the dog was different. Detainee No. 155148 was considered a high-value intelligence source suspected of having close ties to al-Qaeda. According to interviews, sworn statements from soldiers and military documents obtained by The Washington Post, Ashraf Abdullah Ahsy was at the center of a military intelligence "special project" designed to break him down, and was considered important enough that his interrogation was mentioned in a briefing to high-ranking intelligence officials at the Pentagon.

Gee, I feel my resolve weakening, maybe just the dogs, but nothing more okay? At least he was a "high-value" suspect so he had it coming.

The Bush administration strategy for implementing its agenda seems clear.

Slash and burn!

Go full speed ahead on all fronts knowing that while some things may be stopped, vast chunks of their agenda will get through. In this way they are quickly, and with total indifference to public outrage, dismantling years of progress in social policy, financial accountability, international relations and respect for the rule of law.

Just look at the damage from the audacious Bush agenda...the national debt and trade deficit, education, the environment, science, borders and ports, social programs, individual rights and freedoms, separation of church and state, defense policy, human rights....an all out assault!

Bet you thought the 2004 national election was over.

Not for unhappy Democrats in Alaska.

The Anchorage Daily News reported in January of this year that the state Division of Elections has refused to turn over its electronic voting files to the Democrats, arguing that the data format belongs to a private company and can't be made public.

The private company?

Does this sound right to you?

Associated Press - An official British inquiry into the 1997 death of Princess Diana in a high-speed car crash has found no evidence of foul play it was reported Monday.

The last part of this news article says: "French officials have said all traffic cameras on the road that Diana's car took, and within the tunnel, were not working the night of the crash. But Monday's Daily Express newspaper challenged that finding, saying a woman was caught speeding by a camera in the Pont d'Alma tunnel moments before Diana's crash."

French fries, freedom fries. French toast, freedom toast. Danish pastries, Roses of Mohammed pastries. It's all much of a muchness. Or--is it? Is freedom of speech WORTH all that (pardon my neologism) "FREEDOMINESS"?

More here.

As of yesterday, the long-awaited results of Haiti's February 7 elections are in: René Préval has won with 51.15% of the vote, with 96% of votes counted.

A week later, the results of Haiti's first ostensibly "democratic" presidential election since the ousting of democratically-elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide are still indeterminate. Why is that?

Here, the story of a VA nurse being politically harrassed and intimidated by her superiors for having practiced her constitutionally-protected right to free speech. She was investigated for sedition (no I'm not making this up) for the horrid crime of having had a letter to the editor critical of Bush published in a local paper.