Category: 7. Obsession with National Security

US now detaining 18,000 prisoners in Iraq

Blessed are the peacemakers: The United States currently holds some 18,000 detainees in two US-run Iraqi detention facilities, Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper, the Washington Post reported Sunday, citing US military sources. In the past month, the US has increased security in Baghdad, leading to an additional 1,000 arrests. The detainees are considered “enemy combatants”, […]

April 16, 2007
Orwell Reads the Finale of 1984

Bouncing around YouTube on a Friday night:

April 13, 2007
Trailer for THX 1138

George Lucas’s first film – with some of his most subversive imagery and amazing soud design – I found the overall pic a bit slow but the themes and visuals are worth it.

April 13, 2007
Bill Moyers Program on Iraq War Lies to Air April 25 on PBS

Program that Tivo: David Swanson | Record of Iraq War Lies to Air April 25 on PBS: Bill Moyers has put together an amazing 90-minute video documenting the lies that the Bush administration told to sell the Iraq war to the American public, with a special focus on how the media led the charge. I’ve […]

April 13, 2007
Glenn Greenwald Parses The Weekly Standard's Craving for a Dictator

Glenn Greenwald in Salon: Until the Bill Kristols and John Yoos and other authoritarians of that strain entered the political mainstream, I never heard of prominent Americans who describe the power that they want to vest in our political leaders as “near dictatorial.” Anyone with an even passing belief in American political values would consider […]

April 13, 2007
White House Leverages Missing Emails with Rove Testimony

I’m supposed to be in bed right now but this is pissing me off: In a letter to Mr. Leahy and Representative John Conyers Jr., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Fielding, the White House counsel, said the administration was prepared to produce e-mail from the national committee, but only as part of a […]

April 12, 2007
Secret FBI Unit Worked with DC Cops to Interrogate War Protesters

Back in 2002: On April 20, 2002, FBI agents in plain clothes targeted the protesters because of their black garments, apparently the definitive anarchist fashion choice. Then, the people were separated and asked about their political and religious views as well as the names of their friends and associates. Some of the interrogations were videotaped […]

April 4, 2007
Online Privacy Nightmare

I have a Tivo. Tivo monitors my TV watching habits, what I rewind and what I skip. I pay for my Tivo with a credit card. The credit card company can collate all of my purchasing habits showing what I buy, what else I buy it with, where I buy it and when. My credit […]

February 4, 2007
Video: Arlen Specter Asks Alberto Gonzalez About Habeas Corpus

Wanted to post the video for this as well:

January 28, 2007
Blitzer Gives Cheney's Heart a Stress Test

Yeek. Blitzer still held back a bit too much.

January 25, 2007