Monday,
August 25, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the US military announces
a death, sometimes the US and the puppet al-Maliki agree on their
stories (and sometimes they do not), and more.
Starting with war resistance. US war resister Robin Long was court-martialed in Colorado Friday and
Karen Linne, Fort Carson Public Affairs Office, explained Friday afternoon
that he was sentenced to 15 months behind bars, reduced in rank (to E1)
and given a dishonorable discharge. Robin was held at the Criminal
Justice Center in El Paso Country while awaiting the court-martial and
he will receive credit for the time he has served ("about 40 days").
Eric
Singer: Now getting back to a story we told you about earlier on in the
newscast, a judge at Fort Carlson sentences a soldier to 15 months for
desertion. He ran to Canada.
Nina
Sparano: Twenty-four-year-old Private First Class Robin Long was
supposed to be deployed to Iraq three years ago. Only On News Channel
13's Scott Harrison was in the court room for the sentencing.
Scott
Harrison: Early Friday afternoon, Private First Class Robin Long left
this court room and walked down this sidewalk for the last time as a
free man for the next fourteen months or so as he begins his sentence
for desertion. Long seemed in good spirits as guards escorted him to a
waiting vehicle. He also got a warm send off from peace activists and
anti-war protesters who came to support him. Some supporters hired an
attorney from Oklahoma to represent Long.
James
Branum: He got to speak his mind about why he did what he did and he
knows that, yes, he did the legally wrong thing but the morally right
thing.
Scott
Harrison: Long's sympathizers expected he would serve some time after
going AWOL then fleeing to Canada to avoid deploying to Iraq but they
think 15 months is too harsh.
Ret.
Army Col. Mary Ann Wright: Four months, five months something like that
-- which is pretty common among all of the ones who have gone AWOL and
been public about it. I think that would be an appropriate punishment.
Sgt. Matthis Chiroux:
Robin Long to me is a hero. He is an individual who stood up during a
time of great, great crisis facing overwhelming adversity and
opposition and stood true to what he knew to be right.
Scott
Harrison: Coming up at six, we'll learn more about the influences
effecting Private Long's life that led him to be at this court room
today. At Fort Carson, Scott Harrison News Channel 13.
Nina
Sparano: Long's sentence will be reduced by forty days because of time
already served. He's also reduced in rank to private and will receive a
dishonorable discharge.
Samantha
Anderson: [The court-martial of] a Fort Carson soldier Friday at times
became more of a debate about the Iraq War then about the soldier's
desertion. In our continuing coverage, News Channel 13's Scott Harrison
explains how more service men and women are taking stands to oppose the
war.
Scott
Harrison: For most men and women in the military, the decision to go to
war is a simple one. They follow orders. It's part of the job of being
in the armed forces. But Friday's court-martial here at the mountain
post attracted other soldiers who have taken stands similar to Private
Long in opposing the Iraq War. We told you Friday how Private Long
pleaded guilty to avoiding a deployment to Iraq by fleeing to Canada.
Among those supporting him at his court-martial were a retired Army
Col. and State Dept diplomat.
Ann Wright: I resigned in opposition to the war in Iraq. And that's -- he went AWOL because of the war in Iraq.
Scott Harrison: Also present was a Reserve Sergeant who announced a month before his scheduled deployment that he wouldn't go, considering the war an illegal act of aggression.
Matthis Chiroux: I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen. My situation is quite unique.
Scott
Harrison: Sgt. Chiroux says the Army has decided not to court-martial
him partly because he gained sympathy and support in Congress for the
growing cause of war objectors within the military. The different
actions toward Sgt. Chiroux and Private Long show how the military
itself can seem divided on the issue.
Ann
Wright: And that's an interesting thing because one would think that
the army throughout the world would have a common view of these things.
And that maybe there wouldn't be such disparity.
Scott
Harrison: These war objectors -- whether in or out of the military --
say there are hundreds of servicemen and women like Private Long and
more will come as the war continues.
Matthis:
Who takes his dedication to the Constitution so seriously that he is
willing to face persecution for it? Not even our own president is
willing to do that.
Scott
Harrison: Private Long is believed to be only the second soldier
court-martialed for desertion by fleeing to Canada since the end of the
Vietnam war. And both of those cases have happened just within the last
month. At Fort Carson, Scott Harrison News Channel 13.
Robin Long wasn't 'found' in Canada that week.
He was expelled from Canada July 14th. (
He was extradited.)
Second, there has been more than two US war resisters who went to
Canada and then returned and were court-martialed. Darrell Anderson
returned from Canada and
turned himself in October 3, 2006 but was not court-martialed, as Jim Fennerty explained to Jim Warren (
Lexington Herald-Leader) back in October of 2006 (article no longer available online, but quoted in
this October 4th entry). Two others would follow him back to the US that year.
Kyle Snyder would turn himself in and
then self-checkout again
when the US military broke the promised agreement. Snyder was informed
that he was going back to his unit, despite the agreement that had been
worked out. Snyder is married to a Canadian citizen and should not
(unless Judge Anne Mactavish thinks she can get away with it) be under
threat of deportation today. The other? Remember
The Full Brobeck?
Ivan Brobeck returned from Canada and turned himself in on November 7, 2006 (mid-term election day and
Brobeck returned with an open letter to the occupant of the White House). Brobeck was court-martialed Dec. 5, 2007 and
released on Feb. 5, 2007. As
Robert Fantina (Political Affairs magazine -- one of the few to note Brobeck) explained,
"Several soldiers who deserted after a tour of duty in Iraq have stated
that cruelty towards Iraqi citizens was a factor in their desertions.
One of them, Lance Corporal Ivan Brobeck, witnessed the abuse of Iraqi
detainees and the killing of Iraqi civilians. Another, Sgt. Ricky
Clousing, had similar experiences. His allegations of systematic abuse
of Iraqi detainees are now being investigated by the military." Ivan
Brobeck would be the first known US war resister that went to Canada
and returned to the US to be court-martialed.
Back to Robin's court-martial.
Jupiter Kalambakal (AHN) reported,
"During the trial, Long, 25, of Boise, Idaho, said he fled when his
unit was deployed to Iraq because he felt it was an illegal war,
according to CBC. Prosecutors, on the other hand, said he abandoned his
duty and his country."
Tom Roeder (Colorado Springs Gazette via Albany Times Union) noted
that Col. Debra Boudreau presided as the judge, that the prosecution
called no witnesses and that the prosecution "showed a six-minute video
of Long, sporting dreadlocks and a beard, telling a Canadian news
reporter 'I think I was lied to by my president'." That's the
October 2007 CBC interview Robin gave. The use of the video indicates Robin's civilian attorney
James Branum was correct
when he told Nick Kyonka (Toronto Star)
immediately before the court-martial, "I think they want to prosecute
him for free-speech issues without actually charging him." A
McClatchy Newspapers-Tribune Services article in The New Haven Register reported
Ann Wright was among the witnesses and she testified that the Iraq War
"was against, the law, arguing that justified Long's fleeing to Canada.
. . . The lone character witness called to speak for Long was Peter
Haney with the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. He had met the
soldier three times while Long was awaiting trial in the El Paso
County, Colo., lockup" and he testified, "I've observed Mr. Long in
situations that would be trying to just about anyone. He seemed to me
to be extremely poised and lucid." From that article:
In his testimony, Long talked about his life in Canada and attacked the war in Iraq.
"I
feel the war on terror is a war on peace," Long testified, saying he
planned to eventually move back to Canada where he has a girlfriend and
a son born while he was on the run form the Army.
In Nelson,
British Columbia, Long said he perfected his organic gardening skills
and converted his Volkswagen to run on recycled cooking oil.
Long told the judge he wanted to serve little or no jail time, but would take a bad conduct discharge as punishment.
He wrapped up his time on the stand by telling the judge, "Peace, love and light."
Long's
civilian attorney, James Branam, closed his part of the sentencing
hearing by comparing Long to Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.
"The morality of what he did should lessen the punishment," Branam told the judge.
Dan Frosch (New York Times) quoted Jim Branum stating, "I felt he doesn't deserve a day in prison. Any jail time is unjust."
Nick Kyonka (Toronto Star) reported,
"About two-dozen anti-war supporters gathered around the courthouse at
Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., yesterday afternoon as a
military judge handed down Long's sentence." Other coverage included an
AP article,
Erin Miller filed a report for KBS Radio.
David Fox and Jesse McLaren write to the
Toronto Star
to point out that the sentence proves Judge Mactavish was wrong in her
decixion. Jesse McLaren: "Since it is now clear that deporting war
resisters to the U.S. does indeed produce irreparable harm, the Harper
government must enact the motion passed in Parliament to stop the
deportations and let war resisters stay." David Fox: "Justic MacTavish
claimed he would not suffer 'irreparable harm' if deported. How is a
military jail sentence and a felony conviction not irreparable harm? No
soldier should face jail for opposing the illegal and immoral war in
Iraq. And Stephen Harper must be held to account for deporting Robin
Long when he knew full well the persecution and punishment he faced in
Bush's America." Robin's civilian attorney Jim Branumn notes
Free Robin Long and at his own site notes press coverage
here and
here.
Friday,
Free Speech Radio News reported on Robin and the lead up to the court-martial and
Jeremy Hinzman. Jeremy is the US war resister who was the first to go to Canada and apply for asylum.
August 13th, he was informed he had until September 23rd to leave Canada or be deported.
Jes
Burns: Back in Canada, another war resister, Jeremy Hinzman, is
fighting for himself and his family to remain in the country. The
Canadian government has ordered the Hinzman family to leave by
September 23rd despite a motion passed in Parliament in June calling for an end to the deporations. Earlier this week Hinzman spoke at a Toronto forum to discuss strategies to stem the tide of current deportations.
Jeremy Hinzman: Ever since we got here, if it wouldn't be for the support of all of ya'll . . . It
seems like we've had our hands tied. The Canadian government intervened
in my case, said that the illegality of the war was irrelevant to our
refugee claim. We appealed this all the way to the Supreme Court and,
in November of last year, they refused to hear our case. So being here
for four and a half years, working full time, having a family, having
friends we thought perhaps that we'd have a shot at compassionate,
humanitarian grounds for staying here. and as Michelle said last week
we found out that that is not going to be the case. It's pretty
devastating but all I can say is that I'd rather -- or I'd proudly
serve jail time rather than kill and displace innocent people.
Jes
Burns: The current hope for Hinzman is a new federal appeal in his
case. Alyssa Manning is a lawyer representing him and other war
resisters. She says the decision to deport Hinzman was made based on
the assumption there would be adequate protection for his religious
beliefs and political opinions back in the United States. But new
evidence has emerged -- evidence that has already been used to stay the
deporation of another war resister Corey Glass.
Alyssa
Manning: New evidence has since come out that was not available to the
Federal Court of Appeal that says that soldiers who speak out against
the war in Iraq are actually subjected to severe punishment by the
military solely for speaking out. And it was based on this new evidence
that the Federal Court issued a stay of removal in Corey's case.
Justice [Orville] Frenette, for the Court, he said, "The applicant
submits that if returned to the United States he will be
court-martialed for desertion and he will be incarcerated in a military
prison where, like Stephen Funk, Camilo Mejia and Kevin Benderman, he
will suffer persecution and cruel and inhumane treatment." He then
said: "I believe the evidence here shows that if returned to the US the
applicant will suffer the harm he has described." So that's a clear
finding from the Federal Court that what these resisters have been
alleging would happen to them if they're sent back is actually happening
Jes
Burns: Manning says there were definite errors in the decision to
deport Hinzman and his family. She hopes a new round of appeals will
convince the Canadian courts to stay the deporation.
To show your support for Jeremy and other US war resisters in Canada,
Courage to Resist alerts,
"Supporters are calling on Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration, to intervene. Phone 613.996.4974 or email
finley.d@parl.gc.ca,"
Iraq Veterans Against the War
also encourages people to take action, "To support Jeremy, call or
email Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and
ask her to intervene in this case. Phone: 613.996.4974 email:
finley.d@parl.gc.ca."
There
is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which
includes Yovany Rivero, William Shearer, Michael Thurman, Andrei
Hurancyk, Megan Bean, Chris Bean, Matthis Chiroux, Richard Droste,
Michael Barnes, Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano
Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal,
Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn,
Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross
Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique,
Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Jose Vasquez,
Eli Israel,
Joshua Key,
Ehren Watada,
Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen,
Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull,
Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson,
Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass,
Jeremy Hinzman,
Kevin Lee, Daniel Baker, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing,
Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk,
Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko,
Brandon Hughey,
Logan Laituri, Jason Marek, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua
Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell,
Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake,
Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres,
Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and
Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada
have applied for asylum.
Moving to Iraq, over the weekend Nicholas Spangler (McClatchy Newspapers) reported that Nouri al-Maliki insists the assault in
Diyala Province Tuesday
was a "rogue operation" while Iraqi Islamic Party spokesperson
responded, "We believe that such a raid could not have taken place
unless Mr. Maliki had at least prior knowledge of it." From
last Tuesday's snapshot:
Reuters notes
a raid conducted by "Iraqi security forces" in Baquba on "the office of
the governor of Diyala province" which resulted in the death of "his
secetary". Reuters notes
the name of the dead is Abbas Ali Hmoud and that Raad Rasheed Mulla
Jawad (the governor of the province) has stated, "The body of the
martyr [Abbas Ali Hmoud] will stay in the building until the iillers
are captured." Though the US military admits at least 1 US helicopter
was present they deny that the US military had any knowledge or
participation in the raid. Maybe they were just jumping the gun on the August 22nd National Airborne Day? Also playing dumb is the puppet government in Baghdad which is ordering an investigation. AFP reports
that Nouri al-Maliki, puppet of the occupation, "ordered the formation
of a committee to find out how Iraqi forces came to fight each other in
Baquba" and notes that, in addition to the secretary being murdered, a
bodyguard was also shot dead. CNN notes,
"Hussein al-Zubaidi, a provincial council member, and Nazar al-Khafaji,
the Diyala University dean, were arrested during the raid, the official
said."
Nicholas Spangler and Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) report
four police officers were wounded in the Diyala actions, the governor's
secretary was shot dead, Hussein al Zubaidi ("provincial council member
and head of security committee") was arrested, computers were seized
and "Taha Dria, a Shiite lawmaker from Diyala who was not in the
government compound during the raid, said the armed forces were from
Iraq's Emergency Response Unit, an American-trained unit similar to
U.S. Special Forces" quoting him explaining that, "They were wearing
khaki. Their weapons were American. The Humvees they used looked
American. They didn't have any ranks on their shoulders. They didn't
talk." They also report eye witnesses saw two US helicopters and that
the helicopters fired on the Iraqi people. The US military issued a
denial on accusations yesterday and maintained that one helicopter was
in the area but for other reasons and it was not involved in actions. Ned Parker and Usama Redha (Los Angeles Times) note
the US military's denial and also explain that "a prominet Sunni
university dean" was also arrested, that the Iraqi forces involved
"reports to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's counter-terrorism office" but
al-Maliki claims he was unaware and his office insists, "These special
forces work with the Americans. They are not associated with the
Ministry of Defense. They have goals, and they didn't inform anyone
else." Nichoals Spangler (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
that the US continues to deny any involvement in yesterday's lawless
activities with US Big Gen James Boozer insisting, "It was what appears
to be a rogue operations."
The
US military is claiming "rogue operation" despite the use of two US
helicopters and al-Maliki's following their lead. Today claims fly on
other issues with al-Maliki and the US on different sides.
Ahmed Rasheed (Reuters) reports
that al-Maliki is stating that there is an agreement (this would be the
treaty called a "SOFA") "that all US troops will leave by the end of
2011" and the White House is stating "no final deal has been reached."
AP suggests
al-Malik has "dug in his heels" and that "[d]espite the tough words"
there will be a compromise. At the US traveling White House (Crawford,
TX), Tony Fratto declared in a press briefing today, "I know there are
always reports out there in the press and I'm not sure I saw exactly
what Prime Minister Maliki said. But clearly from our perspective,
we've been working with the Iraqi government for a long time on this
agreement. . . . We're discussing goals. As you know, you've heard us
speak about different kinds of timelines or aspirational goals that may
be acceptable. I don't have anything to announce on that. An agreement
has not been signed, and so from our perspective, there is no agreement
until there's an agreement signed. There are discussions that continue
in Baghdad. We'd like to let them continue and to continue to show
progress. What we're focused on is getting a good agreement, not
getting an agreement by a particular date. So we'll continue those
discussions."
Sunday
Sabrina Tavernise (New York Times) tackled The Myth of the Great Return
and explained, "Out of the more than 151,000 families who had fled
their houses in Baghdad, just 7,112 had returned to them by mid-July
according to the Iraqi Ministry of Migration." Tavernise further
reported: "The reasons for the hesitation are complex, based on dangers
both real and imagined. In most cases, Iraqis say they feel safe with
their neighbors but are not sure about other residents. Some are afraid
of the new guards on their blocks. In rarer cases, they cannot face
neighbors who they suspect helped in killings."
Erica Goode (New York Times) reported the Ministry of Culture's Deputy Minister Kamal Shyaa Abdullah was assassinated Saturday in Baghdad (along with his driver).
Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reported a bomber blew his/herself up and claimed 21 other lives (thirty-two wounded). Today
AFP reports the death toll from the bombing has risen to 30.
Tina Susman and Saif Hameed (Los Angeles Times) explain the bomber was a man who showed up at the festivities.
Amit R. Paley (Washington Post) reports
that the gathering was for Sami Hanoush, the son of Adnan Hanoush -- an
"Awakening" Council member, who had recently been released from Camp
Bucca and that the assault, which was carried out by "a stranger in his
late 20s," "was one of the deadliest attacks in recent months."
Erica Goode and Stephen Farrell (New York Times) note
the gathering was "a large dinner" and that the stranger was "a man
wearing a yellow dishdasha, or large robe" and quotes Abdullah Hamdan
stating, "I just lost my brother, but I pray to God to save my son."
Turning to some of today's reported violence . . .
Bombings?
Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
a mortar attack on the Green Zone, a Baghdad bombing that left one
Iraqi service member wounded, a Baghdad car bombing that wounded three
members of a family, a Baghdad bus bombing that wounded the driver, a
Baghdad roadside bombing that left one person injured, and a Baghdad
mortar attack on "a petrol station."
Reuters notes
a Tikrit roadside bombing that injured six guards of Maj Gen Hamad
Namis Yasin ("police chief of Salahuddin province"), a Shirqat roadside
bombing claimed 2 live and, dropping back to Sunday, a Mussayab
roadside bombing that claimed the life of Lt Col Basim Mohammed and his
daughter (two sons were injured).
Shootings?
Corpses?
Today the
US military announced:
"A Multi-National Division -- Baghdad Soldier died of wounds Aug. 25 at
a Coalition Forces Combat Army Support Hospital. The Soldier was shot
by a small-arms attack during a dismounted patrol in northern Baghdad.
The Soldier was quickly transported to the medical faciality but later
succumbed to the wounds." The announcement brings to
4147 the number of US service members killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war (
19 for the month thus far).
US House Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones passed away last week.
Kristal Brent Zook notes the passing at Women's Media Center. [And
at Third we note the vindicative Nancy Pelosi and her decision to pull Tubbs Jones' website on Thursday.] Each week when
Ava and I do our TV pieces at
Third, we have a host of links we want to work in and never get to half of them. Jennifer Merin's "
Women Film Critics: An Endangered Species?" (WMC) needs to be read and we wanted to note it Sunday but couldn't fit it
in. We think we'll be able to note it this coming Sunday but in case not, there's the link.
Peggy Simpson covers
Joe Biden being named the running mate for Barack Obama -- if Barack
ends up the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. And this is
presidential politics and personal. A number of e-mails are coming in
repeating a point made this weekend by a friend with the Obama
campaign: "You are supporting the Obama campaign now!" No, I am not. I
like Joe Biden, I've known him for many years. I am not voting for war
and when
Elaine
and I went to the big money fundraiser for Barack's Senate run it was
obvious that Barack was not anti-war or for ending the Iraq War. I will
not be voting for Barack. I will not be voting for John McCain
(presumed GOP nominee). I've said that over and over. This crosses over
with another topic (and
Jess
-- in the public e-mail account today -- asked me to please clarify
that I wasn't voting for Barack with Biden now on the ticket so that
the e-mails would stop coming in on that).
Democracy Now!
-- has the world ever seen more gossip on a broadcast. Gossip, gossip,
gossip. And they don't even have their FACTS right when they do toss
out the occassional fact. That includes Amy Goodman who is embarrassing
herself. The friend with the Obama campaign said, "You know they are
going to distort Joe" (meaning
Panhandle Media) "and you're going to get sucked in that way" meaning defending Biden. Ava and I already decided to review
Democracy Now!'s
weeks worth of coverage on Sunday. We will correct the record then.
It's not my job to correct them here. In fact, it's better for our TV
commentary if Amy Goodman books IDIOTS AND LIARS all week long. Judging
by today's offerings, she's already headed in that direction.
Martha and
Shirley
(working the private e-mail accounts) note that members are shocked
that basics (ones we've gone over here for some time) aren't known by
Amy & her experts. What can I say, THEY'RE IDIOTS -- UNINFORMED
IDIOTS. They didn't pay attention in real time, they don't know what
they're talking about. But this is exactly how Team Obama thinks I'm
going to get sucked in to rallying behind that ticket. It's not
happening. Ava and I will cover the nonsense of
Democracy Now!
Sunday. I counted 16 errors/lies in today's broadcast and only heard a
half-hour. I'm sure there will be many, many more during the week. It's
tabled until Sunday. One more Biden-Barack note,
Isaiah's comic went up Sunday on that. Also
Lucas notes
this broadcast of From The Vault which features a 1968 interview with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
Ralph Nader, independent presidential candidate, is providing
Ralph's Daily Audio Monday through Friday and this is "Bailouts on Your Back:"
This
is Ralph Nader. The giant corporate destruction of capitalism is
proceeding at an accelerated pace. It looks like captialsim -- that is
the bearing of risk by the business -- is only for small business, not
giant corporations that are deamed too big to fail no matter how their
executives, overpaid as they are, undermine, weaken and damage the
company their workers and share holders.
Three
examples. The US government now has enacted legislation which provides
for up to $25 billion in loan guarantees for the domestic auto
companies. These are the same companies that for years opposed fuel
efficiency standards while they sold customers their gas guzzling SUVs.
Well when the price of gasoline went up, SUV sales went down and what's
General Motors doing? Ford? Chrysler? They're going to Washington for,
essentially, a tax payer bail-out. And they want more than $25 billion
dollars in loan guarantees .
Next up is
the nuclear industry. They can't get Wall St. financing for their new
nuclear plants without a US government loan guarantee. They wanted $50
billion in recent legislation. But the Congress only gave them $19
billion for starters in loan guarantees. The Wall Streeters think that
nuclear power is so risky and unpredicatable that they won't give them
any loans without Uncle Sam guaranteeing them.
And
then there's Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. For years opposing adequate
regulation and adequate capital-ratios and they took on very risky
financial instruments and now they're diving and they're in consulation
with? US Treasury for some variety of bail-out or guarantee.
And
so it goes. The big guys are too big to fail and so they have no
incentive to bear the risk or even let their owners -- the share
holders -- control runaway CEO pay that's tied to inflating profits and
taking on excessive risk so their stock options are worth more for
their private riches.
Capitalism is used
as a propaganda tool by giant corporations -- as a legitimization of
what they're doing. That is: going into the market place, bearing the
risk, succeeding where they succeed and accepting the verdict of the
market place which, of course, is always beyond their control. This is
The Big Lie.
Wall St. goes to Washington
for bail-outs, hand-outs, give-aways and subsidies -- and that ought to
be an issue in the presidential campaign.
You
won't hear John McCain and Barack Obama talking about this at all.
They're in the same boat of government subsidized corporate capitalism.
This is Ralph Nader.
robin long
jeremy hinzman
iraq veterans against the war
stephen farrell
tina susman
saif hameed
saad fakhrildeen
