What we've learned since Sept 11

[vox]

Bernard Weiner lists 20 things we've discovered since last September about the Bush administration. This is a very good piece and a handy reference guide, which includes things like:

5. We've learned that prior to September 11, the Bush Administration was negotiating with the Taliban about a pipeline desired by a U.S.-led energy consortium that would cross through Afghanistan. When the Taliban balked, the U.S. negotiators told them they either could accept a "carpet of gold" or face a "carpet of bombs." The Taliban backed away from the deal and refused to hand over Osama bin Laden; shortly after the terror attacks of 9/11, the U.S. began bombing in Afghanistan.

11. We've learned that the HardRight of the Republican Party has taken control -- of the House leadership, of the Supreme Court, of the White House, of much of the conglomerate-owned media -- and has demonstrated its willingness to do nearly anything to maintain that power. (Only the courageous defection of Sen. Jim Jeffords from GOP ranks is standing in the way of HardRight total control of all three branches of government.) More and more truly objectionable HardRight judges are being nominated by Bush in an effort to stack the judiciary for decades to come. This by a man who lost the election by more than half-a-million votes, coming into his White House residency, with no popular mandate, only because his supporters on the Supreme Court installed him there.

Good piece.

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0731-06.htm

vox

[canikickit]

It's just propaganda in parts but apart from that it's a good article.

What is the USA PATRIOT Act?

[vox]

Regarding the USA Patriot Act:

Here's a six-part article-/url] that gives a pretty good overview. I think you may be especially interested in [url=truthout.com/docs_02/04.05D.JVB.Patriot.htm]part four (http://truthout.com/docs_02/04.02A.JVB.Patriot.htm), which describes serious changes in the law that take away civil liberties and part five (http://truthout.com/docs_02/04.06D.JVB.Patriot.htm), which expands on the topic of just who is targeted in the bill.

The ACLU offers a brief summation (http://www.aclu.org/congress/l110101a.html) of the act. However, if you really want to know about it, go to this page (http://www.aclu.org/congress/archives.html) and, in the first section entitled "Response to Terrorist Attacks," scroll down to October 23, 2001. There you will find a whole list of articles about specific features of this bill.

[suffianr]

It's barely a month away from the first, for want of a better expression, "anniversary" of the Sept 11 incident. It's unfortunate to note that America still hasn't managed to "define" terrorism, much less eradicate it, and is fighting an intangible war with enemies that are suddenly all over the place, encraoching on it's shores (Remember the Alamo!), and the fact is the world's most hated man is still one the loose. How much ground has been covered since Ground Zero? How many lives have been lost in the search for the alleged murderers? And who's been reaping the benefits of this global wild goose chase?

So, what gives?

[Supermodel]

But here's what disappoints me about AMerican politics as a whole: If Bush were to lose the next election to a democreat, would all these changes be repealed right away? Unfortunately I feel that government is an unmovable object that once given power will never give it up.

I can truly say I have no idea what USA's foreign policy is today. Clearly the politicians see no hypocrisy in having a diffferent policy for every country out there.

Also the article reminded me what a shame it is that Colin Powell, one of my personal heroes, has been locked up and shut up. I think he does have the "balls" to resign but he still feels he can have an impact under these tough times.

I think we have started the new millenium by forgetting what America is supposed to stand for.

[Linksradikaler]

What we know isn't all that complicated...it seems to me to be a logical path from a to z.

1) Bush and his family--and a majority of the most powerful Republicans (and not just a few Democrats) made their money in oil, domestically and internationally.

2) The Bush family has connections to the CIA, which, in turn, has connections to the Cuban exiles, which, in turn, run south Florida.

3) Bush wins Florida suspiciously.

4) Cheney meets with energy suppliers, secretly.

5) 9/11, Afghanistan invasion.
http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/pipe...ne_timeline.htm (http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/pipeline_timeline.htm)

6) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1984459.stm

7) Iraq invasion. (Oilfields occupied?)

8) (Saudi invasion? House of Saud toppled? Puppet installed?)

[Marxman]

11th September. A great doorway to the next millenium and the next century. Nothing has changed, only worsened. Imperialism of capitalism is like a battering ram with an invincible strength. Capitalism in crisis only shows the effects of the so-called international terrorism that's actually a controlled by-product of the USA. They wonder why is there so much violence throughut the world and the same people that are asking these questions, make people starve everyday and literally lead them to terrorism and anarchism. Every war is a result of the capitalists' regime. Every war is a result of burgeois fighting for profit and the control of the means of production. 11th September is just an excuse for blaming Talibans as capitalism in America is in crisis, just like Hitler blamed Jews for every shit the Germany was in and now the situation is no different. 11th September is a start for a fascist campaign.