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06/28
Take heart!
In an 8 to 1 decision the US Supreme Court ruled against
executive/governmental power to suspend right of habeas
corpus of American citizens. In Hamid v
Rumsfeld, Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, writing
for the majority: "We have long since made clear
that a state of war is not a blank check for the
president when it comes to the rights of the Nation's
citizens." Even the ultraconservative,
Justice Anthony Scalia, stated that "...the view
that war silences law or modulates its voice has no
place in the interpretation of [our]
Constitution." Another 6-3 decision,
Rasul et al v Bush, also protected such rights of
non-citizens that are imprisoned under United States jurisdiction,
wherever they may be held.
04/30
Three more crucial Habeas Corpus (fundamental
right of an imprisoned person to have the lawfulness of his or her imprisonment
be proved before a court of law) cases were heard by the US supreme Court this
week, with decisions due sometime in June. Please see my:
Letter to Justices.
04/04
The Supreme Court heard final oral argument, April 20th,
with a decision not expected until June, in two out of five upcoming cases
that test judicial power over executive action, in Rasul
v. Bush & Al Odah v. United States. These Writ of Habeas Corpus
and judicial jurisdiction cases could be pivotal in maintaining or curtailing
long-standing rights of individuals, both here at home and
abroad. To review either brief or listen to oral argument link:
Briefs
#03-334/03-343 and
Oral
Argument Audio.
10/03
The
false luster of Cuba's 43+ year totalitarian government
has finally begun to fade worldwide.
Finally, Castro's most recent dissident crackdown has been
condemned across Europe and even throughout Central and
South America. Finally, people of good conscience,
everywhere, even liberals, are beginning to see Castro and his
government for the malicious tyrant and the oppressive
system that they have always been.
This
is the time ,
the previously singular United States
policy to economically pressure for improved human
rights within Cuba may at last garner the international
support necessary to achieve its longed-for benefits for
the long-oppressed Cuban people. This is NOT the
time for a cave-in to corporate demands for a lifting of
sanctions and open travel without securing guarantees of
more rights and freedoms for ordinary
Cubans. (See Senate Amendment by
Sen. Dorgan Amdt. No. 1900 - Defeated &
Sen. Lugar: note Sen. John Kerry's vote and also problematic,
Sen. Kerry's Cuban terrorism vote in 2001.)
09/03
Would
a Republican governor in California significantly
influence that state's vital electoral vote in the 2004
Presidential Election?
06/03
Venezuela's
Globovision broadcast several TV segments titled "
Chronicles from the Sea of Happiness," reflecting
Cuba's immense economic deterioration and its impact
on the Cubans. (Globovisión,
June 4) SOME
THOUGHTS AND LINKS ( Also see:
www.cubacenter.org)
The
European Union announced in Brussels that it will reduce
contacts with the Cuban government and increase ties
with Cuba's internal opposition. Fifteen EU
nations decided unanimously on the measure.
According to Javier Solana, EU Foreign Policy Chief, the
EU will provide "visibility to the dissidents and a
clear message to the authorities." (
AFP,
June 5)
05/01/03
Where are Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction?" Abolishing Hussein's injustice without
the material proof of WMD-resolution violation causes Operation
Iraqi Freedom to simply become a US campaign of self-interest
and vigilante "justice" on an international
scale.
04/09/03
After
US invasion of Iraq:
Our economic benefits from cheaper oil, as a result of a successful
military campaign in Iraq may already be felt at the pumps. Iraq's
imminent and costly reconstruction may also prove beneficial to
certain segments of our
flailing economy. It would be unfortunate, however, if such shorter-term
Bush-economics cause a substantial delay in the implementation of long-term,
more egalitarian, and environmentally-sound renewable energy policy.
Future generations worldwide, may yet consider present and continued emissions
from oil use as the most devastating "weapon of mass destruction" of the twenty-first
century. (See entry; 11/01/02
"The Hydrogen Economy.")
03/26/03
US invasion of Iraq
is here. Despite reported staunch military
opposition one week into the Iraq war/invasion, obvious
benefits to a majority of Iraq's population is slowly
becoming very apparent. "Liberation" may soon
lend itself to a very POSITIVE public relations
opportunity for our American national interest on the
international arena as well as domestically.
But,
please also see below: 01/21/03.
{Who was it that said "objective consequences
result from subjective intentions"?}
03/16/03
US invasion of Iraq
is imminent, set for the coming week
. Despite the almost unanimous opposition of
the United Nations and the international community, a US and England
"coalition" (with verbal support from Spain and Portugal)
plan a bilateral preemptive invasion of
Iraq. Regardless of the possible
mid-term benefits, America's arguable premature abandonment of
strict rule of law, via the UN, for the use of force may remain
a blot against our valued American principals in the hearts of a majority
of the international public for years to come. Also
see: Just
one more death in Palestine
02//01/03
US invasion of Iraq looms
closer. US troops deployment in the Persian Gulf may induce
Iraq to comply with disarmament
resolutions but this seemingly premature tactic simultaneously obscures
the ongoing inspection progress. Without any
material proof of WMD-resolution violations or Al-queida
connection and a without definitive international 'due-process', as set up
via our participation in the
UN, it can be far worse politically and ethically for the US
to flaunt world opinion and attack Iraq at this time .
Israelis went to the polls on January 28 to choose a
leader and a parliament. Voter turnout, was the lowest in Israel's
history(68%), as Ariel Sharon's Likud party achieved a
resounding victory. Paradoxically, opinion polls regularly show that
many Israelis support the Palestinian policy of
Labour's
Amram Mitzna, a main rival of Mr. Sharon. An attempt to
again revive the
peace process would now be fraught with problems if Mr. Sharon
forms a
coalition with Israel's rightist and religious parties.
01//21/03
US invasion of Iraq looms closer.
Because of our unbridled dependence on foreign oil, war
with Iraq is economically expedient and arguably
indispensable to many current shorter-term national US
interest. Because of Saddam's human rights
violations an imminent war is morally VERY defensible.
Without allowing weapons inspection to complete THEIR disarmament
mission and employing only our 'gun-boat diplomacy',
lives and money, used potentially for development of
renewable energy sources, may instead be spent by our government
and military to protect the likes of unsafe, gas guzzling large SUV's.
Some US Companies...
12/01/02
On many Middle East questions, Robert
Fisk's:
On many Middle East questions, Robert Fisk's:
Pity the Nation
is
excellent.
US
invasion of Iraq looms closer.
11/06/02
So much for any new Democratic-Party vision.
Approximately 20% of
Americans voted Republican another
15% Democratic and Independent.
More significantly, a whopping 65% of the voters didn't
bother to exercise their right at all. What does
that say about how are current system is presently
functioning and what can be done to make it better?
Why not start by addressing the all the important
issues. Future politicians, may need focus more on
placing substance over sensationalism and personal
conviction and political courage over strict party line
or even the pollster and media-driven, latest poll
results. US
invasion of Iraq looms closer.
11/01/02
Jeremy Rifkin's
book:
"The
Hydrogen Economy - When there is no more oil"
presents the
revolutionary benefits from equitable development,
utilization and, "global democratization" of storable-hydrogen-based,
renewable-energy systems. Great
socio-political, -economic and -environmental costs continue
from procurement and use of oil and
gas, fossil fuels. The key indicator of
"control" for world oil-distribution is R/P or
the reserve- to-production ratio. Iraq has
the highest R/P in the world; 5 times greater
than any
other country and more than 53 times greater than
the R/P for the US! As Iraq has gone off its
dollar-based currency, US
invasion of Iraq looms closer.
10/26/02
The death of Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) was a terrible
loss to his country and may have serious
political consequence in the "control" of the
US Senate. Debate on Iraq and homeland
security seems to have completely drowned out all other
substantially important discussions, addressing
solutions for our failing economy, unfair
tax reforms, imperiled social security, the
spiraling deficit, lack of national health care,
rampant corporate corruption, no effective
campaign finance reform or reduced protection of
the environment. As always, the media and many
politicians seem to prefer sensationalism over
substance. US
invasion of Iraq looms closer.
10/12/02
Early yesterday afternoon, disregarding a series of
logical and reasonable amendments and in spite of its Democratic
majority, the
House voted 296 to 133 in support of President
Bush's "war powers" resolution. Later,
with like democratic disregard, 28 Democratic senators
voted with the Republican minority, as the
Senate
voted 77 to 23 in support the President's
"war
powers" proposal. The
US Constitution granted Congress, and not the President
, the power to declare war. Senator Byrd said,
"I have fought the good fight. I might as well talk
to the ocean." To now, or in the future,
repeal these current presidential war powers will take
an unlikely override of a Presidential veto power, or a
MORE than 2/3rds vote, in BOTH
Congressional Houses. US
invasion of Iraq looms closer.
10/03/02
The "resolution" before Congress, grants
President Bush immediate and unlimited "war
power" against Iraq and any other regional
neighbors even before the current diplomatic missions
proceed. Lacking threshold evidence of an
"imminent danger", leads to the conclusion
that this resolution is not just about our
national security but about the new Bush doctrine of
"Make the world America" by force even when it
may not be necessary. Our nation's world
leadership, by example, should not reduce to policies
perpetuating war, weapons, death and destruction as the
PRIMARY means for conflict resolution, not now or for
our world's future generations.
We should let our opinions on these critical
issues be known by writing or calling our congressional
representatives (both in The House of Representatives
and in The Senate) Call 202-225-3121 or see
Contact
Your Senator (an off-site link)
02/02/02
"They who would give up
an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve
neither liberty or security." Benjamin
Franklin (1706-1790)
01/04/01
"I
believe there are more instances of the abridgment of
the rights of the people by the gradual and silent
encroachments of those in power than by violent and
sudden usurpations." - James Madison,
fourth US president (1751-1836)
12/17/01
"There
is
no crueler tyranny
than that which is exercised under the cover of law,
and with the color of justice..." US
v. Jannottie (19820
11/15/01
In a disappointing display, lacking confidence in
the American justice system, our current
administration's misuse of
Military Courts and "enemy combatant"
terminology sets a bad example and establishes dangerous
precedents for our citizens. Employing such
methods have historically been the tip of
an iceberg that has most often led to the
establishment of
Procrustean
and totalitarian societies.
Perhaps, it would be more genuine for our administration
and current "tribunal" supporters to
avoid their hypocrisy by either sanctioning more public
trials or just summarily incarcerating or executing all
their accused suspects.
10/27/01
Often rationalized with a dialectic for "a new
society", "national security", " the
new man", "a better world", not only
do the ends not justify the means but the ends ARE
their means. National unity within diversity
and even debate has seen America through even the
darkest of times.
Respecting this hallmark of America will yet see our
nation through toward its brighter future.
09/18/01
Having suffered such horrific, unimaginable
tragedies before the eyes of the world, as a nation, as
a people. and as individuals, the US will again lead
globally by example, not only showing its might,
unity, and resolve but also tempering with irrefutable
patience, deliberation, and ingenuity.
In confronting the current attacks on our internal
security Congress may be extending emergency powers to
the President and Justice Department.
Congress is essentially, by declaring war without
"formal declaration" and without any
"objectively defined" end/goal. By also
very "broadly" redefining all prior judicial
language, the government greatly increases the number of
crimes that can now also be considered
"terrorist" acts.
The
combined result of these Congressional actions will
place in serious jeopardy the civil liberties of every
American citizen. To protect America's
Constitutional freedoms, any justifiable emergency
measures presently proposed, must be "sunseted"
i.e. have a clearly defined date or time when they
should be terminated and reevaluated for any extension
through, God willing, less tumultuous Congressional
hearings than those that are now, so tragically,
necessary.
"The critical challenge facing
U.S.
counter terrorism policy is putting relentless
pressure on the states that sponsor terrorism -- Cuba,
Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, [& now
Afghanistan] and particularly Iran, the chief supporter
of international terrorism in the world today (Heritage
Foundation: 10/06/94)." Cuba and the
Castro government with its long history as a flagrant
terrorist haven and of determined anti-Americanism,
remains the single terrorism-fostering
western-hemisphere country on recent
State
Department's state-sponsored terrorism lists. We
must also tailor our efforts to avoid the pitfall of
assuming any of the detestable characteristics of our
foes. Another challenge faced is the war of
ideology. This "war", for
hearts-and-minds, can only be won through better public
relations and by increasing America's efforts to
honestly confront existing domestic and global
inequities, both economic and social, which facilitate
extreme fanatic terrorism's finding future human fertile
soil.
May God Bless America.
08/26/01
Our "esteemed" media might be more worthy
of respect if it would learn to devote a bit more time
to intelligently confronting truly vital and truly
scandalous national issues of health care, campaign
finance reform, poverty, and education rather than such
petty surface-scandals like those of Congressman Condit
and the like.
07/27/01
Ignoring the
debt and social security insolvency, the Republican
and Democratic parties' supported tax cut/refund is
perilous to our combined economic futures.
Excluding payroll
taxes from its formula, it is patently unfair and
weighed toward higher-end income-tax-payers. It exploits some of our hardest workers,
is self-righteous in its design and, will be weak in
fiscal intent and result.
06/29/01
Patient Bill of Rights would be a start!
America needs national health-care! (also see
SmileOnline,
site is under construction, for obtaining dental care
and oral health information.)
05/20/01
Personal bias with a selective application of
"states' rights" seems apparent in the US
Supreme Court's unanimous overturning of California's
Medical Marijuana Laws.
04/26/01
Unreasonable Search And Seizure:
Excerpted from the Record of Supreme Court US:
Dissenting Opinion Atwater v. Lago Vista.
Letter
to the Justice A. M. Kennedy, Supreme Court of the US on
majority opinion and implication on the Fourth
Amendment.
04/11/01
It would have been well worth the delay, if
this "crisis", over the US air personnel
forced to remain in China by that country's government,
resulted in a public and congressional reevaluation of
our adoption of Permanent
Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) last year
for the Peoples' Republic. Regardless of
multinational corporate money interests' representation,
the American worker will suffer earning losses.
Americans should also recognize a danger in acquiescing
to any totalitarian
system even when it masquerades as a
bilateral economic development benefit.
03/20/01
The devil is in the details. Campaign Finance
Reform as proposed by Republican Senator McCain &
Democratic Senator Feingold is not only non-partisan but
would be one of the most important laws to be passed in
many a decade. Realizing financial temptations
should be kept to a minimum in politics, an enlightened
American public will hopefully be focusing as much on
the Congressional proceedings and their own
representatives' positions there, as on NCAA Basketball,
Monica Lewinsky or the O. J. Simpson trial.
02/16/01
Any income tax relief and refund may yet threaten our ability to continue
national debt reduction or maintain vital institutions
such as full-benefit social-security.
Proposed modification to "update" estate-tax
regulations may be beneficial but should be tempered
with some deference to the society that made them
possible as well as by a thorough understanding of any
systematic, corporate" loopholes" and
corporate "welfare" that may have been
involved in fortune amassment (also see
"Cutting
Corporate Welfare" by Ralph
Nader).
01/29/01
The Bush administration and Attorney General
Ashcroft, if confirmed, should provide all the necessary
means for a thorough FBI investigation of
financially motivated Clinton pardons as well as many
highly suspect actions of Janet Reno and the Clinton
"Justice" Department.
{ 01/03/2000
As FORMER
Democrat, I actively campaigned for Eugene McCarthy; voted for Humphrey in
'68; campaigned for McGovern in '72 and voted for Jimmy Carter in '76 and again
in '80. For Mondale in '84, I was too disillusioned to vote, but was again
hopeful when casting my vote for Dukakis in '88. Too suspicious of the candidate,
to vote Democratic in '92, I naively cast my vote for Perot, in protest.
By 1996, my confirmed distrust for Bill Clinton convinced me that staying home
was my more sane option. Now, as an Independent, I feel
the Democratic Party lacks vision and has become too self-serving to
compete with its Republican opposition. Democrats need to radically reevaluate
their 'raison de existence' and determine what's next for their party?"}
Opinion On the 2000 Election
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