O BiToque:
All together now
Como é comum nos aniversários, a entrada no sexto ano da Guerra no Iraque foi marcada por discursos
Apesar de todos os estudos concluírem aquilo que já sabíamos – que não havia ligação entre o governo de Saddam e os “terroristas islâmicos” – Bush não se retraiu em usar a palavra “terrorista” 20 vezes e fazer 15 referências à Al Qaeda no seu discurso de 25 minutos de ontem. Ainda se atreveu a falar na “libertação do povo iraquiano”, da “democracia no coração do Médio Oriente” que “servirá de exemplo a outros”. solenes.
OB Rag:
Media black-out of antiwar protests continues as demonstrators continue to protest 5th anniversary of Iraq war
So, on one hand, in Maryland you had Iraqi veterans pouring their hearts & guts out at the Winter Soldier conference, trying to explain to America what they went through and what they put the Iraqi people through. But their stories weren’t being told by the American mainstream press. And you had up to 50,000 people marching and rallying in London against the war, up to 10,000 in Los Angeles, 12,000 marching in rain in Portland, hundreds trying to block the Chevron refinery in Richmond. But on the other hand, the American media continue their black-out of antiwar protests.
Obsolete:
Iraq week - how one picture defines a war.
The man in the photograph wasManadel al-Jamadi, and he died while being subjected to "Palestinian hanging". He was arrested in connection with a bomb attack on the Red Cross offices in Baghdad which killed 12 people. Like those in the CIA rendition programme, he was a "ghost detainee", who technically didn't exist. If the photographs had never been published, he would never have existed. Just as if he had been dumped in Orwell's memory hole, he would have forever been a non-person.
Ordinary Iraqi citizens, who for whatever reason had entered the prison system, treated like the worst of the worst "terrorist suspects", not because of "a few bad apples", but because of executive orders handed down to the soldiers on the ground, such as Sabrina Harman, pictured with al-Jamadi. She was sentenced to six months in prison. Those ultimately responsible will undoubtedly never have to answer for their actions.
Odd Time Signatures:
As We Descend, Shall We Rise?
Our constitution has been subverted. Our phones, email, internet access, all watched. We take off our shoes at airports to check for bombs even as we deny the poor the right to earn their own shoes. Our jobs are outsourced, our economy leveraged, and we have rows of headstones added to Arlington as yet another reminder that parents have lost children, partners have lost partners, spouses have lost spouses, and there is more to come. My son received his draft card in the mail yesterday. Ironic, that. Yet I can’t help but remember that if it weren’t for the kids his age that volunteered to go there, he would be standing in line waiting his turn. For that, I’m grateful, but we have asked too much.
On The Homefront:
Only 3 percent after 5 years
This week marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, but you might not have seen much about it on TV recently. Just 3% of the news in February was dedicated to the war and fewer than one in three Americans know how many American troops have died in Iraq. Believe it or not, a study just released by the Pew Research Center shows that press coverage of the war is at the lowest point since the war began.
On the Road to 2008:
The Plan: An End to Endless Occupation
Five years have passed since George Bush order our military to invade Iraq. 1827 days, 3990 dead U.S. soldiers and billions of dollars later we're still there with 160,000 troops stuck in a never ending occupation.
One Plus Two:
Unhappy Anniversary
Dante says the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality, and if that's true we'll all be sitting there in our armchairs looking dazed and confused. But I have to think that those who perpetuate the crises roast too, so George, perhaps I'll meet you there. All I really know is this: Five years ago the President of the USA used his power to carry out an illegal war to mask an agenda of oil and greed. Instead of bringing forward criminal charges we've allowed this man to remain in office and he continued to run our economy into the ground, allowed thousands of people to be needlessly injured and killed, and has damaged the United States both internally and externally seemingly beyond repair.
Opablog:
Blogswarm gegen den Irakkrieg am 19. März
An alle Blogger und Leser:
In den USA wurde anlässlich des baldigen 5. Jahrestages des Angriffs auf den Irak, eine Antikriegsaktion der Blogger gestartet, mit Namen „19. March Irak War Blogswarm“. Ich möchte hiermit die deutschsprachige Version bringen.
Order of Santa Ignora:
Blogswarm 19 March 08
The next stop, though, something changes. People are muttering, shifting about, craning to look through the windows, past our own reflections, at something new.
The park has sprouted little white flags in the night.
”What’s going on? What are they? Is this some sort of college prank?”
Someone who just got on explains to us all. “The sign said every white flag is for 5 civilians killed, and every red flag is for 5 Americans killed in Iraq.”
We start craning our necks, looking for red flags. They should be easy to find in this sea of white. Someone thinks they spotted one, turns out it was a discarded food wrapper that got blown into the exhibit.
The man in the “God Bless the USA” hat quietly says, “That’s a lot of people.”
As the streetcar passes between buildings, my last view is of the little white flags, waving in the breeze. They stretch for four blocks.
Otherwhirled:
Five years later
Five years later, and a portion of our population would vote to support what would essentially be a third Cheney term; in fact, there is talk amongst the wingnuts that Cheney should be selected as McCain’s running mate.
Five years later, and I continue to have dreams—nightmares—in which I didn’t leave the Army after Desert Storm, and my job now is to lead brave young men and women into the shit-storm that is the Bush Family Agenda.
Outta the Cornfield:
BLOGSWARM
I have stated for a long time that the chances are very good our Democracy is lost and we don't even know it. When you have the courts and the media on your side along with the other numerous tools at your disposal that is more than just a formidable opponent.
I also believe that those in power have used these as weapons at many levels to pressure the ones that have the power to make the change people want not to do so and that is why these killers do what ever they want when ever they want because they can.
Owl's Wings:
Blogswarm to Protest the War
We can have peace, it is not just a dream. It is the natural order of things, when people are in balance, and willing to share with one another. It is time, way, way, way past time to end this war. It has been a lie upon lies and more lies all along. My heart bleeds for those families who have told their "leaders" that they don't want their soldier beloveds to have died in vain. But folks, sending more young lives into that stinking cesspool of lies will not bring one single soldier back, nor make true what was never true.
Oxymoronredundancyparadoxtrap:
Five years later
Costs of the War include
- At least 4000 U.S. soldiers' lives lost
- Over a million Iraqi lives lost (how's that for proportionality)
- A final dollar cost to the U.S. of 3 Trillion dollars
- Oil has hit $111/barrel
- U.S. soldiers have participated in, even led, war crimes and atrocities
- Not to mention Abu Ghraib, an event which has mostly been forgotten by the U.S. populace, but which continues to receive regular media attention in the Muslim world
- 16% of U.S. soldiers who have served in Iraq are returning from the devastating psychological illness called Combat Related PTSD, more than the 15% rate from the Vietnam War. Although it's hard to get a handle on how many total soldiers have served in Iraq, the number is probably over a million, which means at least 160,000 soldiers suffering from PTSD
- Here's a devastating statistic: 120 Iraq and Vietnam War vets are committing suicide *every week*!
- World opinion of the U.S. has gone down and down
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1 comment:
Thanks for doing this.
Peace,
Patty
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