Why is this no surprise

Well, I guess somebody had to do the work, but is it really a surprise? I must admit that I only skimmed the article. The information was nothing that I didn't expect. Do you think that it will be more than on news cycle and then sluffed off.

I mean really isn't it more important to attack Obama's patriotism? Or to slander Clinton with sexist slurs?

UPDATE: No coverage what a surprise. It is something I have seen and read before. I once watched a reporter who was there for the invasion of East Timur complaining about the lack of coverage. Another reporter said something to the effect that you can't really complain, because there was some coverage, and anyway people didn't care and that is why there wasn't more. The other guy, a seasoned correspondent simply pointed out that if the media wanted to cover it they covered it (whatever it might be) in depth and for days and days.

That is both true, and the way the media in this country covers themselves. Things are always covered, somewhere, one time. Then those articles can be later pointed out to prove that American Media really do cover the important stories. Of course, the NYT piece about the military isn't being followed up on by anyone. I am will to bet that there will be less follow up coverage than the coverage of Obama's pastor, o lapel pin. Hell, there was less coverage of the fact that the president admitted approving torture then there has been of that damned lapel pin.

Childish

Ok, call me childish,but I prefer childlike.

Death

Well the Supremes have decided that the three drug cocktail is ok and not really cruel and unusual. Of course no one can come back and let us know for sure, but some of the things I've read seem to indicate that it appears to be unnecessarily painful (if you insist that capital punishment is ok).

What I can't understand is why can't we just use an over dose of heroin, if we gotta do it. It is certainly not painful.

By the way I am not one of those who thinks that we should treat the condemned the same way the victim was treated. I would hope that we are better as a society than that. Of course given our current rulers I guess I should figure that we really aren't any better than the worst of the mass murderers.

Reid & Lieberman

Good God (I may have to start believing since I use that opening so much. How far up his ass is Reid's head if this is what he is planning on doing for Lieberman after the next election.

This is one example of why the Democratic party is so little respected by the average Democrat. If they won't kick out a guy who supports the other party's presidential candidate who will they kick out? What do they believe in except in being good buddys with their old buddy at the club. Hell, the Republicans believe in more than that.

McCain & Obama & Pravda in America

Well aren't we reporter types just sooo wonderful. Good God do these people have no shame. Does it not matter that our president admits casually that he approved torture in the White House? Does it not matter that he destroyed our economy and ruined out military? Does it not matter that the Republican nominee completely supports all the president has done (including the torture)? I see bitterness and its close neighbor anger everywhere I look here in my rural area. Do these reporters not see that?

I really didn't want to believe it, but they do work from a script mostly written by the most conservative Republicans. Not only that, but they are not even shy about being completely up front about being in the bag for the Republicans.

Gas

I'm watching the gas prices go up around here again. It is interesting that this is happening in an election year. In 2006 the prices started going down when the election got heated and then kept going down until after the election at which point they went back up.

Do you suppose that those who control the prices saw that dropping them didn't help elect their people so now they are raising them to threaten us to force us to support their guy? Kind of a carrot and stick sort of thing?

Or am I just being paranoid?

More Yoo

Another thought about giving my advice to clients who might want to break the law. Perhaps if I told people who wanted to commit burglary that they should just call it: "Enhanced Entry Techniques" that would do it for them.

More Birthday

Ok, you know its hard to be a curmudgeon when you are happy with life. Even when your getting older by the second.

Yoo and School

Well let's see the dean of Yoo's law school has decided that his tenure should not be revoked. How convenient.

Yoo was not a "decider," he only recommended that our rulers violate all our previously upheld norms of civilization as far as torture was concerned. Much like a lawyer for a mafia family.

Under the ABAs ethical standards, if a client comes to me and tells me that he wants to kidnap and torture that young child from next door, I am required to notify the police immediately. No not just that, if he tells me he wants to kidnap and torture that child molester from next door I am also required to notify the police immediately. I am not permitted to suggest ways and means of accomplishing these future acts which are clearly criminal.

Now if a client came to me and told me he had already committed a crime I could help him devise ways and means of beating the rap at trial. But even then I couldn't suggest that he do something to alter the evidence, like destroy some. Because, that would be a future crime.

No one in the media seems

WAIT OBAMA SAYS PEOPLE ARE BITTER

Another God Damn Birthday

Another God Damn Birthday. I am now officially eligible for Social Security. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot paid into it. Oh well.

When I was in college, back in the day, and then when I got out and was working at various jobs to take up my time (back in the 60s & 70s) and earn drug money. I told people that I was retired then and once I got into my profession (whatever that was going to be) I would work until I died.

I just assumed that because of my life style I really wouldn't live all that long. Boy did I screw up. Clearly I should have picked ancestors with weaker constitutions. I think I'm 432 years old in dog years.

Not tone deaf just deaf

Well I guess I should read the latest news today, oh boy.

This is beyond crazy. The President admits that he approved torture. And apparently only DFH's care.

Watch for the right to charge forward and insist that it was that ticking bomb scenario only (even though the number of completely innocent, though brown, people tortured is massive).

Also, of course, the right merely defines the problem away: "It isn't torture. It is merely strong or harsh interrogation." Even though they have been identified as torture for centuries.

Not only are we fucked, we deserved to be fucked.

Wastland

"They make a desert and call it peace"

Tacitus

Since this round of fighting started I had been wondering if we would push it to the limit. Why were the Romans able to desolate and control whole areas and identifiable groups of people? Other empires did it also. Of course the reason is that they were ruthless enough to kill all the people and to salt the earth if necessary to control their colonial (pre, real, and now neo) empires.

I think that we have now shown that we are more than willing to be as ruthless as the Romans in destroying any who stand in the way of our neo-empire. Our rulers wars in the east are being fought to provide us with incredibly expensive oil and our rulers and their friends with riches beyond their dreams of avarice (well ok probably not beyond their dreams). And of course to give the rulers those warm and tender feelings one gets when one crushes and destroys another.

I would guess one of, for me, the really distressing things is that the people of this country seem willing to back those rulers even when backing them is against the people's own interest. Let's face it the price of gas is higher than it has ever been. We are no more and probably less secure than we were in 2000. The economy is going down the shitter and the wealthier get wealthier. But still people seem unable to see.

Temporary success on the ground in Baghdad will strengthen the really crazy war party, but ............

Torture again.

Well it appears that it isn't just a few bad apples.

Good God. I was reading yesterday at different places Our All American Torture program was being justified by several commentators on various web pages.

"You know don't you that it might sometimes be necessary to harshly interrogate some very bad people who might be about to kill numerous innocent 100% Good Patriotic Americans much like Yourself. Also, that harsh interrogation might just cross the line. Although it wouldn't be the fault of the 100% American (much like Yourself) who is doing the torture (I'm sorry interrogation)."

Is it really necessary to say that I reject the basic premise of that scenario. How does the torturer know that the person they have in front of them knows anything about a plot to kill people? How does the torturer know that in fact there is a plot? If there is a plot, how does the torturer know that there is a plot? Why does the torturer know that there is a plot, but knows nothing about where or when or how the plot might come to fruition? And why can he (or lets be non-sexist she) only find this information out through torture?"

Of course, then we look at the real world and see that the vast majority of those tortured by your 100% Real Americans are not in fact guilty of anything except being brown. Of course that information was all available before yesterday. That does not dissuade those who make those arguments. Apparently, facts are irritating things and should not be considered when Real 100% Americans (much like Yourself) are discussing serious matters concerning Your safety.

God I'm glad I live in a country where mere facts do not intrude on discussions of serious policy by serious people, much like Yourself. I of course am completely non-serious and if I may say so myself something of a jerk. Otherwise, I would not be raising these matters.

Yoo the Atlantic

Greenwald had some fairly, dare I say nasty comments concerning a Megan McArtle article about the way the media are covering (or rather not covering) the justification for our All American Torture of those we have taken prisoner and who may be guilty (oh I'm sorry, I mean harsh interrogation of obviously guilty rag heads).

McArtle then responds to Greenwald's article. Oh boy. It is hard to know where to start.

The amazing thing about the McArtle's original and her response is that basically people don't want to hear about it. It is boring. And anyway Yoo isn't very important after all. And finally there are many other things that people should also know about, but they don't.

It is amazing that those who want to compare Yoo's memo to other matters do not seem to have the moral sense to be able to understand that a memo written by an officer of the United States Department of Justice which the president uses to make torture an official policy is simply unique. There is nothing to compare it to. Well, perhaps I should say it is unique for this Country. I do believe that the Church in searching out heretics and witches did put the methods to be used in writing.

It is also interesting to see someone seem to forget what happened during the Clinton years when an arcane land deal in Arkansas was front page news for years.

The argument that the media doesn't make (or at least have a very big hand in making) the news important is just BS (a technical legal term) and requires someone to turn a blind eye to the way news is really made and reported today.

If "America Tortures" was run as a led news story and a headline in the papers several days for a week it would become the same kind of major story that Obama's bowling is. There you have it. The fact that we now have undeniable proof that torture is a policy of this administration is simply something that I would think that most people would be really interested in. But no we are arguing whether it should be reported as much as that land deal in Arkansas. I never thought I would live to see that argument.

Atheist Man

I am Atheist Man. I shall crush your pathetic deism with a well placed bon mot. Backed up, of course, by rigorous logic made even more brutal by my impeccable delivery.

Repudiate the truth

Once again the right wing throws a fit and a democratic politician repudiates the truth. Those who support Obama tell the truth and the right demands that Obama repudiate them. He does so, so that I'm sure: "Move on to more important things."

Crap those are the important things. Digby was right: the purpose of these right wing "hissy fits" are to limit the discussion and/or to frame the issues so they they control the debate and limit what can be argued.

The Media

Once again Digby hits it at least close to on the head. But she seems to believe that the media is unaware of how deeply they are in the bag.

I now suspect that they have always been aware of what they do. They are part of the ruling class. And they are intent on keeping the DFHs out. What they may not be aware of is that they are allowed to remain a part of that class only as long as they parrot the right line (right being used in all senses). They of course are well rewarded for what they do.

To see how independent the media is, the real ruling class permits a few Jon Stewarts and Keith Olbermans to broadcast. They are but a speed bump on the propaganda highway. So far blogs have come in under the radar, but I do not believe that will continue for long. No one in the ruling class,no matter which branch of the conservative ruling party (republicans or democrats) holds power at the time, want the kind of harsh, fact based criticism the blogs provide.

I can only imagine how envious those former rulers of the Soviet Union must be to see our national and local versions of Pravda effortlessly spout the party line. Evan more imagine how envious they must be to see how eagerly the average citizen laps it all up.

Unemployment

Well unemployment may be down. Is it possible that we've fired so many people that there aren't that many left to be fired?

The memo and more law stuff

I've just read the NYT article about Yoo's memo. Good god almighty. The fourth amendment doesn't apply because of terrorist attacks. How frightened people have become. Apparently those quaint guys in powdered wigs are just not relevant any more.

"Domestic military operations." What the hell is that? Short of a real invasion or another civil war there should not be any domestic military operations. That was one of the most important concepts in the Constitution (the other being that secular non-religious kind of thing). How to make a country strong enough to protect itself, but not too strong. One of the ways was that the military was not supposed to operate within the country except in very narrow situations.

Why are the people who run this country so frightened? Or are they really, and is this just an excuse? Crap.

Law stuff

I was going to write a longer post about children's services boards, but something else caught my eye. On the other hand now might be a good time to lay out my theory of how children services boards operate. They are perfect. They take the kids when they should leave them, and they leave them when they should take them.

Thank you thank you thank you. I'll be here all week.

Bloggers on the Payroll

There is indeed a plan that I can get behind. Some how I suspect that my point of view is not exactly the one that is currently desired by the Pentagon. Ya Think

Politics and the Election -- again

We were waiting for a client of mine to show up for his trial this morning (he apparently decided that he would rather be else where). Actually, I wouldn't mind that so much, but I just wish that they would consider that if they really do want to run, it doesn't do them much good to run to the next town over. Especially, if they then get drunk at the only local bar and then get into a fight. You'd be amazed at the number of people who do just that.

Well at any rate the prosecutor was going on and on about McCain's "experience" (scare quotes). My response was: "What experience?" His was the length of time he (McCain) has been a senator.

My response was that no matter how long he has been a senator he has been wrong about everything. So that experience only counts in a negative way.

He went on to other things. Kind of a drive by debating tactic. Frustrating, but it can be effective. At least effective enough to send my blood pressure up several points and to leave me spluttering at his back as he left.

Although I would say that one thing that McCain does have experience at is bombing civilians for empire. That might really stand him in good stead at this point in our history.

What a sad point we are in our history. It is possible that McCain may get the office. What in god's name is the problem with the people in this country. I don't much hold with the concept that we get the president we deserve. The people who vote for him may deserve him, I don't.

Ethics

Went to an ethics training over the weekend. They are always fun because you find out what you shouldn't do by what outrageous stuff others have done. Fore instance, I discovered that I should not assault the judge, at least while the trial is in progress. If one does one can get suspended. I should not tell my client or their family that their gene pool needs a better filter, at least not in writing. I shouldn't tell the judge to shut up in court either. Also, I should at least try to appear sober when I go to court.

Good to know.

Its just raging hormones

Well its always interesting to handle juvenile cases. This week I had the case of a couple of lovers -- both juvenile -- both girls. The step father of one filed a trespass action against the other.

Oh how I wish I'd had the nerve to tell the judge it was "just a case of raging teenage hormones." But I didn't.

Not bad

This may be the year when we finally come face to face with ourselves; finally just lay back and say it — that we are really just a nation of 220 million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns, and no qualms at all about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable.

Hunter S. Thompson

Special Plates and the Scarlet Letter

In Ohio the court's can issue special licence plates for people who are found guilty of OVI (what was drunk driving). I started to wonder what the purpose of those plates are. In reality the only purpose is to humiliate the driver.

You need to understand that it doesn't matter who owns the car. Whatever car the person who is convicted of drunk driving has to have the plates (absent a corporate car). So if a husband and wife only own one car in order for the drunk to drive it, it must have those special plates.

Therefore the person who did not commit the crime also has to drive with those plates.

Now all cops have immediate access to the history of the license plate by on car computers or by calling into the dispatcher. Therefore, what is the purpose of the plates? Merely to humiliate and nothing else. I even read that one of the state legislators actually said it would be like a "Scarlett Letter." Of course that would mean that no one in the legislature has actually read or understood the book.

Clearly, our legislature wants to go back to those early days of public humiliation so they can feel all warm and cosy about their brave stance against all things not acceptable to the middle class church goers.

How wrong for so long

This post lays it out (the title I mean). I have always been an admirer of General Butler and his thoughts about the inability of active duty soldiers to think. Apparently the inability to think independently has spread from just active duty military men to all sorts of inactive and never active individuals.

Given our current situation and the way it reflects on our inability as a nation to learn from Vietnam I believe that I can safely quote a very great philosopher (myself): We're fucked.

Stalinist fantasy

"Hello you have reached 1-800-rat-fink. The state of Ohio toll free line for all of you who have a need to turn in your neighbors, friends, family members and just those who have irritated you today.

"Press one to turn in someone you want to accuse of drunk driving.

"Press two to turn in someone you want to accuse of miss treating their children.

"Press three to turn in someone you want to accuse of smoking where the state disapproves.

"Press four to turn in someone you want to accuse of getting high.

"Press five to turn in someone who is not wearing a flag lapel pin.

"Press six to turn in someone who is just not All American enough.

"Press seven to turn in anyone anywhere who might be having a good time."

Yes a one stop phone line for anyone who misses or never got to experience the good times to be had in Stalinist Russia or Red Scare America. Let's not just stop with all those above certainly we can think of many other reasons to turn in our friends and neighbors to the cops.

God bless America.

More Client Follies

It's always interesting when doing custody matters to have both parents with felony drug records. One on probation and one on parole and finally to have one pregnant.

However, the bestest thing of all is when they decide to inform American about their life through the Maurie Pauvich show. Of course that is a step up from Jerry Springer. Although I have had clients on the Springer show too.

There are some clients that make me want to wash my hands when they leave the office. Those would be the sexual predators.

More later.

I got Nothin

No really nothin at all.