“True Fuschnick” from the album F.U. Don’t Take It Personal

Popularity: 17% [?]

The wheels of justice have been entirely too slow but, they are finally starting to turn.

It seems there will be some accountability for atrocities that have killed more than 500,000 (though the media seems stuck on an estimate of 200,000) and displaced more than 2.5 million people.

Finally, the International Criminal Court has named its first suspects in these crimes.

The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor named a Sudanese minister and a militia commander on Tuesday as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes in Darfur and suggested more could follow.

Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked pre-trial judges to issue summonses for Ahmed Haroun, state interior minister during the height of the Darfur conflict, and militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb.

“Our work sends a signal: those who commit atrocities cannot do so without impunity,” he told a news conference, adding that prosecutors were still gathering evidence of crimes committed by all parties and monitoring cross-border violence.

Haroun is currently Sudan’s state humanitarian affairs minister, a post below the full ministerial level. Prosecutors said Kushayb was a commander of the Janjaweed militia who led attacks on towns and villages, where dozens were killed.

In a 94-page filing, ICC prosecutors accused the two of criminal responsibility in relation to 51 counts of alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 2003 and 2004 and urged Khartoum to make sure the suspects appear at the court.

For the sake of the dead and dying and for those terrorized and traumatized by this madness, let’s hope the international community rallies around this very real threat.

Popularity: 57% [?]

“You measure the justice of society by how it treats its children.”
-Former UN Secretary General, Peres de Cuellar

12-year-old Deamonte Driver died Sunday. He wasn’t hit by a car, pierced in the heart by a stray bullet or taken by some rare, incurable disease. He died of a toothache.

His life could have been saved by an $80 procedure but, his mother lacked the funds to take care of it. So, the bacteria from his abcess spread to his brain.

Let’s back up. His mother did try to get this fixed but, try finding a dentist who takes Medicaid. Want an even greater challenge? Try finding an oral surgeon who’ll accept Medicaid.

So, his mother did like a lot of poor people do — she hoped for the best. Unfortunately, all her hopes and prayers didn’t spare her son’s life.

For the want of $80, she would have had her son alive, today.

If that doesn’t move you, try this. As a result of the infection going to his brain, Deamonte had to have two operations and spent 6 weeks in the hospital. The final cost to taxpayers will likely be in the neighborhood of $250,000.

All this was because we, as a country…as THE superpower in the world…as THE beacon of hope and democracy…as THE pillar of humanitarianism let a child die because he didn’t have $80 to get his tooth fixed.

But, if that didn’t move you then, riddle me this — what’s less money, $80 or $250,000? Some people call universal health care “socialism”. I choose another s-word — “sensible.”

Popularity: 38% [?]

Would you believe October 2008?

For those who don’t believe that the President’s “War on Terror” is more political than practical and more substance than smoke and mirrors, ask yourself about the contents of a recent memos issued by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.

Beginning in December 2006, England wrote a memo detail 8 priorities for the fiscal year. Number 1 was winning the “Global War on Terror”. Number 3 was “Meet the Challenge of Improvised Explosive Devices.” But, an interesting note to all this was the following:

England warned that meeting these goals “will inform our decisions on individual senior employee performance ratings.” That means their paychecks.

However, England’s February 15 memo was even more enlightening.

“At noon on Jan. 20, 2009,” he wrote, “many of the civilian Department of Defense (DOD) leadership positions will transition to a new Administration Team. This change, coupled with the normal rotation of military leadership, could disrupt many of the management process changes currently underway in the Department.”

So “to ensure that warfighters and taxpayers receive maximum benefit from on-going initiatives,” England suggested, “it would be highly desirable to complete current projects by the summer/fall of 2008.”

Did you catch that? Because election season is coming up, we might want to end the “War on Terror” in a timely manner? From an administration that continually rejects calls for timelines in just one conflict, in Iraq, here you have them talking about wrapping up the entire “War on Terror” in the next 18 months.

Now, if I’ve heard the President correctly, this is the most important conflict of our time? So, how can anyone in his administration propose ending it so quickly? Are they, perhaps, suggesting that we…gasp…”cut and run” in the “War on Terror”.

Or, perhaps, this is a glimpse into the true nature of this initiative — use it to maintain political power and manipulate fear for votes.

Well, mark your calendar…the “War on Terror” may soon be coming to an end.

Popularity: 33% [?]

LaVena Johnson died on June 19, 2005, eight days shy of her twentieth birthday.

The army private died in Iraq, giving her the dubious distinction of being the first woman solider from Missouri to while on duty in Iraq.

Unlike other casualties in Iraq, there is a big question mark about just how she died.

At first, the Army said she died of “self-inflicted non-combat injuries” but did not rule it a suicide. Later, the Army ruled her death a suicide.

However, there are just too many question to allow this ruling to go unchallenged:

For example, her father, Dr. John Johnson raises these concerns:

In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dr. Johnson pointed to indications that his daughter had endured a physical struggle before she died — two loose front teeth, a “busted lip” that had to be reconstructed by the funeral home — suggesting that “someone might have punched her in the mouth.”

Also, there are some even more striking concerns:

• Indications of physical abuse that went unremarked by the autopsy
• The absence of psychological indicators of suicidal thoughts; indeed, testimony that LaVena was happy and healthy prior to her death
• Indications, via residue tests, that LaVena may not even have handled the weapon that killed her
• A blood trail outside the tent where Lavena’s body was found
• Indications that someone attempted to set LaVena’s body on fire

This situation is eerily reminiscent of that of Pat Tillman, the football player who gave up a lucrative career to join the military. Originally reported as a death at the hand of the enemy, it was later disclosed that Tillman was killed by friendly fire.

So, is the Army’s story the truth? If not, her family deserves to know how Private LaVena Johnson really died.

Popularity: 31% [?]

“Peace Treaty” from the album Neva Again

Popularity: 15% [?]

In an explosive new article, journalist Seymour Hersch levels some accusations that, if true, could totally undermine Bush’s entire “War on Terror.”

According to Hersch, Bush is funneling money into Sunni jihadist groups, including some with ties to the same people involved in the 9/11 attacks.

Check out the video (thanks to crooksandliars.com):

 

 Bush Financing Terrorists?: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Popularity: 42% [?]

Yesterday, I came across this article, “Post 9/11, Islam flourishes among blacks”, and immediately thought, “what are they talking about?”

In essence, the article talks about black folks converting to Islam as if these is some recent change and somehow tied to 9/11.

Futhermore, they only slightly mention the role of the Nation of Islam in popularizing the religion in black America.

The fact of the matter is that, in addition to people like me who grew up Christian, there are black Muslims, Hebrew Israelites, Rastafarians and even those who observe traditional African religions. So, when I read things like this I am left wondering who does their research.

But, I think there’s some coded language going on with this article. By claiming a rise in black Muslims after 9/11, there is an inference of black people being inspired by the acts of that day and wanting to become Muslim as a result. Or, to take it further, “America, watch out! Negroes may be aligning with terrorists!”

The fact of the matter is that, despite the xenophobia of those in the media, many black folks in this country have lived in communities of diverse religions and don’t immediately assume the absolute worst of people based on religion.

Therefore, I have to ask who this story is really for and what are they really trying to convey with it.

Popularity: 43% [?]

What do you do when you don’t finish the job in Afghanistan and have most of your resources mired in an Iraq quagmire? Easy, you ramp up for a war with Iran.

Sadly, most of America is not talking about this and, when it is, the conversation is based on a huge lack of information.

We have been told by this administration that Iran’s enrichment program is about their creation of a nuclear weapon. However, despite their being an oil-rich nation, Iran is actually under an energy crisis. So, it is plausible that they are doing this based on energy needs.

So, what of the President’s claims about nuclear weapons? So far, this is unsupported. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.S. intelligence about Iran’s nuclear program has been unreliable at best.

“Since 2002, pretty much all the intelligence that’s come to us has proved to be wrong,” a senior diplomat at the IAEA said. Another official here described the agency’s intelligence stream as “very cold now” because “so little panned out.”

The reliability of U.S. information and assessments on Iran is increasingly at issue as the Bush administration confronts the emerging regional power on several fronts: its expanding nuclear effort, its alleged support for insurgents in Iraq and its backing of Middle East militant groups.

The CIA still faces harsh criticism for its prewar intelligence errors on Iraq. No one here argues that U.S. intelligence officials have fallen this time for crudely forged documents or pushed shoddy analysis. IAEA officials, who openly challenged U.S. assessments that Saddam Hussein was developing a nuclear bomb, say the Americans are much more cautious in assessing Iran.

American officials privately acknowledge that much of their evidence on Iran’s nuclear plans and programs remains ambiguous, fragmented and difficult to prove.

Now, before we say,”but,it’s the U.N.” or “no one in the U.S. is disputing this claim”, chew on this. The Sunday Times (via their Washington bureau) is reporting that, at present, 4 to 5 U.S. generals and admirals are prepared to quit if Bush orders a strike on Iran. The military leaders, it seems, don’t see an imminent threat from Iran and feel it unconcienable to send an already-stretched military into such a conflict.

A British defence source confirmed that there were deep misgivings inside the Pentagon about a military strike. “All the generals are perfectly clear that they don’t have the military capacity to take Iran on in any meaningful fashion. Nobody wants to do it and it would be a matter of conscience for them.

“There are enough people who feel this would be an error of judgment too far for there to be resignations.”

A generals’ revolt on such a scale would be unprecedented. “American generals usually stay and fight until they get fired,” said a Pentagon source. Robert Gates, the defence secretary, has repeatedly warned against striking Iran and is believed to represent the view of his senior commanders.

The threat of a wave of resignations coincided with a warning by Vice-President Dick Cheney that all options, including military action, remained on the table. He was responding to a comment by Tony Blair that it would not “be right to take military action against Iran”.

So, while the march to war is on, again, ask yourself: where’s the proof?

Popularity: 44% [?]

In a break from the standard m.o., I bring a new release. This is one of the few songs of substance I’ve heard of late. So, I bring to you her latest track “The Wonder Years”.

Popularity: 17% [?]