Firstly, what is torture? Well, how about a bit of historical perspective?

“In 1947, the U.S. sentenced a Japanese military officer, Yukio Asano, to 15 years of hard labor for using a form of water-boarding,” Maureen Byrnes, Executive Director of Human Rights First, said.

60 years ago water-boarding was considered torture and a punishable offense as a war crime. That’s a fact.

So what do we say to the people who say that “it was a different time”, and that we are now living under different circumstances. Is that to say that sometimes it’s OKAY to torture someone? Are we to consider the offense first, before determining that water-boarding is acceptable? Or are we to assume the position that the end, in this case, justifies the means?

I say no. I say water-boarding is wrong and will always be wrong.

Today it was found online — The torture memo (PDF) that George W. Bush himself signed. I believe this is the infamous torture memo that John Woo authored. The National Lawyers guild wants Woo fired from his post at the Berkeley Law School because of this memo.

ABC News aired a segment on their daily news show that after a five month investigation, they could say that Bush’s most senior officials not only knew about the torture they were inflicting on suspected terrorists, but decided down to the last detail exactly how much torture to inflict.

Some say republicans are turning back the clock on human rights by 60 years. I say this is partly true. I think many democrats are also complicit in this.

We private citizens haven’t done enough to try to stop this bullshit from happening. Why aren’t we in the streets. Why aren’t we on the white house lawn with signs crying foul? Why has apathy taken over as if it were a disease?

Just days after it was determined that the video showing US was threatened in waters near Iran was FAKED (yes, our government has admitted it as well), Bush is out yet again warning of a threat from Iran. The rhetoric and the FUD from the George “Warmonger” Bush never stops.

CNN’s article on the front page said “Bush: Iran threatens World Security”. I have it another way…

full size here

Update: To clarify, The US government hasn’t admitted that the video was faked. The official position is that some unknown person came over the military radio waves and transmitted the “I am coming for you” message, or whatever the message was. Our government now believes that it WAS NOT Iran who transmitted the message.

Let’s face it - censorship sucks. The suppression of thought, ideas and knowledge by religions, countries, school districts need to be stopped. These books were at one time, or are now, banned by a school district, country, or religion. You should read every one of these books

I created this list on amazon.com so if you want to send me a book, you’ll help me complete my library

This is probably the best explanation of the prosecutor firings that went on mid-term during the Bush Presidency.

“I ask you being an Iraqi person that if you reach a verdict of death, execution, remember that I am a military man and should be killed by firing squad.” - Saddam Hussein, July 26, 2006.
Is a man like this entitled to a choice? Either by Iraq’s refusal to recognize him as a military man, to spite him, or merely out of traditional Islamic law, he was hanged today, instead.
On April 5th, 2006, during cross-examination he was accused of sentencing children to death, to which he responded “I sentence an underage Iraqi to death? I wouldn’t do it even if you were to carve my eyes out.” (source: bbc)
Chief prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi presented the court with some of the identification cards of the children and read out their dates of birth. But Saddam said ID cards could easily be forged. He told the court: “There is a clear ulterior motive by those who have given you these documents,” the Associated Press news agency reported. “You can buy IDs like this in the market. Is it the responsibility of the head of the state to check the IDs of defendants and see how old he is?” (source: bbc)

More Saddam quotes can be found here.

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That’s the problem with being the judge, jury & executioner — you get blamed when there’s a breakdown in due process. Saddam isn’t the first to fall prey to this. Power Corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutely..I don’t think Saddam truly cared to find out if those he ordered killed were children. For this reason, he was tried, sentenced and hanged.

The problems in Iraq don’t end with the death of Saddam. In fact, the problems will likely get worse before the situation there gets better. The United States has committed a large number of troops there, and to what end? What is the goal–Democracy?There’s an old star trek quote, used once or twice during the Deep space 9 years. It roughly stated that the only way to fix a problem with a Klingon, was to get another klingon to help you. This probably holds true in Iraq. I think the U.S. will need the help of Saudi Arabia to get any real progress in Iraq. I just hope someone over there is willing to help, or even take over–We’re not doing much of any good I fear.The rub is, how will this make America Look? Pretty bad, I presume. Many eastern countries already view us as bullies. Some Arab leaders view us as Zionists, and power-hungry. Time will tell, but I pray for peace.p.s. - No, I can’t speak klingon–beat it, kid.

You might not remember this, but I do distinctly. SNL came out with a skit about the death of Gerald ford in 1996. I mimicked Dana Carvey’s impersonation of Tom Brokaw for years to come.

David Duke went on CNN after his meeting in Iran to talk about the accuracy of the holocaust. I think meeting with Abedinejad in Iran to talk about the ‘lie’ of the holocaust is a good career move…especially if you’re a politician. Especially if you were once in the KKK. Especially if you were once the Grand Master of the KKK.And thanks, david duke, for making Louisiana look like crap… again.

Donald Rumsfeld, architect of America’s war in Iraq, has lost his job. In Ancient Rome, they would place the architects inside the buildings they designed when they pulled scaffolding away from the walls. If it was designed poorly, the architect was no more. Rumsfeld should feel lucky he gets to stay alive. (I’m alluding to the disaster in Iraq, a product of his architectural skills). As my fellow Counter-Strike friends would say, Rumsfeld got pajowned.

The President told reporters in Washington that the tactics in Iraq are constantly changing and need constant reassessment, but challenged his newly empowered Democrat critics to come up with answers on the way forward.

On a serious note, let’s hope the two parties can work together for the remainder of the “Dick and Bush” show.

Bush. Master of the flip-flop. Bush Flip flops more than a beach bum in California.

I present to you Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TdY8sty660&eurl=

If that isn’t enough:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSfZUeUBCyw&eurl=

That brings up an interesting Question. Does Bush use google?

So you’re probably aware by now. CNN is reporting that North Korea has tested its nukes.

The U.S. Geological Survey website recorded a light 4.2-magnitude earthquake in North Korea at 10:35 a.m., about 385 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

South Korean intelligence officials said a seismic wave of magnitude-3.58 had been detected in North Hamkyung province, according to Yonhap.

“The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People’s Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability,” KCNA reported.

OK folks, I don’t mean to spew FUD but this could be the beginning of the end.